The Board of Trustees has authorized University officers to obtain bids and award contracts for construction of an outdoor running track and field for men's and women's track and soccer teams at Penn State Altoona. The $725,000 project will enable the campus to meet NCAA requirements for Division III schools. The project has been designed by the Office of Physical Plant in conjunction with Stephen Parks and Associates of Altoona.
The board also gave authorization to obtain bids and award contracts for a new parking lot at Penn State Dubois. In September, Penn State DuBois acquired three properties to address parking needs and since that time the City of DuBois has enacted an ordinance banning on-street parking for non-residents -- advancing the need to build the 225-space lot. The project, designed by the Office of Physical Plant in conjunction with Lee Simpson and Associates of DuBois, is projected to cost $1.8 million, including lighting, landscaping and storm water management controls. The design includes the potential to add additional spaces by constructing decks in the future.
Preliminary plans to construct new student housing on the east end of campus at Penn State Harrisburg were reviewed at the July 1999 board meeting. Trustees have given the nod to obtain bids and award contracts for the first phase of project, which is expected to cost $16.5 million. Designed by Weber Murphy Fox of Erie, phase I will consist of 70 four-bedroom apartments for 280 students, four resident assistant units, and 40 family apartments for a total of 494 occupants. It also includes a community building and a parking lot. Phase II will include 52 four-bedroom apartments to house 208 students and two resident assistants units.
In other action, the board:
n Approved a revision to the agreement to purchase Rider II building on West Beaver Avenue that it had approved at the May 1999 meeting. At the request of the current owners, Charles and Jeanne J. Rider, the University will make the $4 million purchase on or before the lease expiration date of Nov. 15, 2006 instead of after that date.
n Approved the sale of the undeveloped 1.4-acre property just outside Kennett Square in Chester County, which was donated to the University by A. Duer Pierce in July 1999. The purchase price of $79,900 will fund the Bud Pierce Men's Lacrosse Scholarship at University Park.
n Agreed to lease .625 acres of land on Juniata Gap Road to Lexington One Inc. a subsidiary of the Altoona Hospital, for the construction of a building to be known as the Sheetz Family Health Center. The center will house the University's nursing program and the Student Wellness Center at Penn State Altoona.
According to the 25-year agreement, 8,500 square feet of the 11,000-square-foot building will be leased back to the University at a consideration of $1 per year. The remaining 2,500 square feet will be occupied by Blair Medical Associates for a primary care practice.
At the end of the agreement, all improvements and the property will revert to the University.
Edward
P. Junker III, retired vice chairman of PNC Bank Corp., and Edward R. Hintz,
president of the New York investment firm of Hintz, Holman and Hecksher Inc.,
were re-elected chairman and vice chairman of the Board of Trustees on Jan.
21.
Junker, a prominent member of the Erie community, has served on the board since 1986, when he was first elected by the delegates of the industrial societies. Since then, he has been re-elected for succeeding terms and was elected chairman in 1998 after having served as vice-chairman for two years.
A 1959 graduate of Penn State and a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, Junker joined Marine Bank -- predecessor to PNC Bank Northwest PA -- as an assistant vice president in 1964. He was elected president in 1974 and chief executive officer in 1983. In 1985, he was elected chairman and CEO of PNC Bank Northwest PA and vice chairman and director of PNC Bank Corp. He retired in March 1997, but continues to represent the bank externally.
Hintz has been a member of the board since 1994, when he was elected by delegates from industrial societies. He was elected vice chairman in 1998. Founder of the New York investment firm of Hintz, Holman and Hecksher Inc., he began his career as an investment manager and analyst, working for several top firms in the securities field before founding his own firm in 1974.
A 1959 graduate from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in finance, he also received an MBA from Harvard in 1963. He is chair of A Grand Destiny: The Penn State Campaign.
Also elected officers of the Board of Trustees were incumbents Paula R. Ammerman, associate secretary; Carolyn A. Dolbin, assistant secretary; Joan L. Coble, assistant secretary, Diane J. Shaw, assistant secretary; Gary C. Schultz, treasurer; David E. Branigan, associate treasurer; and David F. Marshall, assistant treasurer.
The Board of Trustees approved Thursday, May 11, as the date for the delegate election of trustees and for counting the ballots in the alumni election.
Six trustees are elected by delegates from organized agricultural societies within the Commonwealth. Six trustees are elected by delegates from organized engineering, mining, manufacturing and mechanical societies -- referred to as the industrial societies -- in Pennsylvania.
The term of service for industrial and agricultural trustees is three years, and two terms from each category expire each year. Nine trustees are elected by the alumni for three-year terms, with three terms expiring each year.
To participate in the election of trustees, delegates from agricultural and industrial societies must be members of organized societies which have been in existence for at least three months preceding the election, and notify the University of this fact at least 60 days before the election.
To participate in the alumni election, voters must have received an associate, bachelor's or an advanced degree from any Penn State campus or be a former student (some restrictions apply).
Questions should be directed to: Associate Secretary of the Board of Trustees, 205 Old Main, University Park, Pa. 16802; or by phone at (814) 865-2521.
Eisenhower Chapel
on the University Park campus will undergo renovations that will
add 22,500 square feet. The addition will be named for Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla,
who donated $5 million toward the $9 million project. The construction is being
supported entirely by private funds.
Photo: Greg Grieco
The Penn State Board of Trustees on Jan. 21 unanimously approved naming the addition to the Eisenhower Chapel, The Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.
The name honors the memory of the Pasquerillas, who contributed $5 million toward the $9 million construction project that will add 22,500 square feet to the Eisenhower Chapel.
Frank Pasquerilla, who passed away in April 1999, was chairman and CEO of Johnstown-based Crown American Realty Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in regional shopping malls, including Nittany Mall in State College. His wife, Sylvia Pasquerilla, also died in 1999. The Pasquerillas' son, Mark, is now president of the company, and their daughter, Leah, is special assistant to the chairman and CEO.
The addition comes at a time when the Eisenhower Chapel can no longer meet the needs of the 32 registered student religious organizations on campus. Plans for the spiritual center include increasing seating in the worship area to accommodate 800 to 1,000 people and adding state-of-the-art audio, visual and telecommunications technology. The addition also will increase the number of meeting areas for the student groups and office space for campus ministries, and will complement the existing Eisenhower Chapel and its surroundings.
At their Nov. 5, 1999, meeting, the trustees a approved James Oleg Kruhly and Associates of Philadelphia as the architectural firm to design the center. The design is expected to be completed in November.
The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center will be supported solely by private funds. So far, a total of $7.5 million has been given to finance the project.
A new company, EIEICO Inc., has been established based on licenses to three patented Penn State inventions. The company plans to develop the patents into products for the meat animal and dairy industries.
The inventions, owned by Penn State Research Foundation (PSRF), all were made during research conducted by University faculty members or students who will receive a portion of any economic gain. PSRF will retain an equity interest in EIEICO. (pronounced eeyii, eeyii coh). The company's investors and management will hold the remaining ownership interest.
EIEICO will operate as a parent company and establish subsidiary companies for the licensed inventions. The three products and their inventors are:
n A poultry feed withdrawal supplement to reduce the risk of meat contamination by microbial pathogens during processing developed by Regina Vasilatos-Younken, professor of poultry science, endocrine physiology and nutrition;
n A gel drug delivery system to more effectively manage farm animal reproduction invented by Daniel R. Deaver, professor of reproductive physiology; and
n A genetic marker for meat quality traits discovered by Douglas L. Greger. Greger filed eight patent applications related to improvements in livestock production while he was a graduate student at Penn State.
Frank P. Slattery Jr., a private investor from the Philadelphia area, is forming EIEICO and serving as chairman of the board. Retired director, president and CEO of LFC Financial Corp., a diversified financial services company, Slattery has successfully started companies based on technology developed at Princeton and The University of Pennsylvania where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees, respectively. Slattery and co-investors are funding EIEICO with $3 million.
Joseph S. Duffey, founder and president of Compass Management Partners, a management and strategy consulting firm, is serving as EIEICO president and CEO. Douglas L. Greger, one of the inventors, is serving as Chief Technology Officer.
Eva J. Pell, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, announced the establishment of EIEICO at the Jan. 21 Penn State Board of Trustees meeting.
"This new model for technology transfer, in which related inventions are bundled into the same start up company, offers those who invest in EIEICO a higher probability of seeing a winner," Pell said. "It also aligns the interests of the inventors and the University with those of the financial and management shareholders."
Like shareholders and management, the inventors will benefit from any economic gain from their inventions along with their academic colleges, according to Thomas J. Monahan, director of Penn State's Intellectual Property Office (IPO). However, the inventors won't have to become full-time entrepreneurs and spend much of their time looking for capital to commercialize their discoveries. The University will benefit by fulfilling its outreach mission and providing products and economic benefit for the public good. In addition, the University has the potential of realizing additional financial gain from the sale of its equity interest.
The Board of Trustees on Jan. 21 selected eight alumni to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University's highest award for an individual. They are:
nK. David Boyer Jr. of Oakton, Va., a 1973 bachelor's degree graduate in psychology from the College of the Liberal Arts and a 1982 master's degree graduate in human development and family studies from the College of Health and Human Development. He is chairman and chief executive officer of TROY Systems Inc.
nCharles C. Brosius of West Grove, Pa., a 1952 bachelor's degree graduate in dairy science from the College of Agricultural Sciences. He is retired president of Marlboro Mushrooms.
nJoan D. Chittister, OSB, of Erie, Pa., a 1971 doctoral degree graduate in speech communication from the College of the Liberal Arts. She is executive director of Benetvision.
nRichard J. Fasenmyer of Solon, Ohio, a 1969 bachelor's degree graduate in accounting from the Smeal College of Business Administration. He is chairman and CEO of RJF International Corp.
nDonald W. Hamer of Bellefonte, Pa., a 1968 bachelor's degree graduate in electrical engineering from the College of Engineering. He is founder, chairman and CEO of State of the Art Inc.
nSen. Robert C. Jubelirer of Hollidaysburg, Pa., a 1959 bachelor's degree graduate in arts and letters from the College of the Liberal Arts and 1962 graduate of The Dickinson School of Law. He represents the 30th District and serves as president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate.
nSuzie McConnell-Serio of Pittsburgh, Pa., a 1988 bachelor's degree graduate in elementary and kindergarten education from the College of Education. She is a teacher and high school basketball coach at Oakland Catholic High School and a professional basketball player in the WNBA for the Cleveland Rockers.
nH. Campbell Stuckeman of Pittsburgh, Pa., a 1937 bachelor's degree graduate in architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture. He is chairman of The Precise Corp.
By Karen Trimbath
Public Information
The University takes seriously the problems of sexual assault and provides an extensive range of educational programs and services for all of its students, the Board of Trustees learned Jan. 21 in an informational report by Margaret Spear, director of University Health Services, and Sabrina Chapman, director of the Center for Women Students.
Spear described what is known about sexual assault at Penn State from the University's confidential and anonymous reporting system. Between 1996 and 1999, about 100 people each year reported being sexually assaulted. Most of the victims over the last three years have been female, though nine were male victims. Most victims were in their first two years at the University Park campus with an average age of 191Ž2.
"The University's data confirms national trends," said Spear. "Most of the alleged assailants are acquaintances. More than 80 percent of the victims said they knew the assailant prior to the assault."
One study of sexual assault and rape on U.S. campuses, cited by Chapman, found that one out of four women college students had experienced an attempted sexual assault, and one out of eight had experienced a completed rape during her college years. The same study also found that 75 percent of the men and 55 percent of the women involved in an acquaintance rape were using alcohol or drugs.
Alcohol is also a significant factor in sexual assault at Penn State -- in 70 percent of assaults, alcohol had been consumed by the victim, the assailant or both, according to Spear.
Penn State services for students who are victims of sexual assault or rape, include subsidized medical exams, counseling and advocacy. At University Park, the Center for Women Students provides on-campus advocacy services while staff at most campuses work with off-campus rape victim advocacy groups.
Spear noted that a fairly low percentage of victims chose to report these incidents to law enforcement officials -- between 1 and 8 percent report them to campus police, about 16 percent to local law enforcement agencies and less than 5 percent to on-campus Judicial Affairs officers. Although few victims reported these crimes, more than two-thirds used campus health services, counseling or both.
According to Chapman, women students who are victims of sexual assault and rape are at increased risk of experiencing eating disorders, self-imposed isolation, suicidal behaviors and academic failure. Other consequences include unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and severe emotional distress.
Although Penn State's educational programming provides information about the healing process and ways to help rape victims, most of the University's efforts focus on prevention.
"Our educational programs have one common goal -- to enable students to make well-informed decisions about their lives and their interactions with one another," said Chapman. "We are committed to early educational intervention in large part because of the risk factors existing for first-semester, 18-year-old women students."
Many of these programs involve collaboration among Student Affairs units, academic departments and student organizations, including orientation programs; peer programs for entering students, fraternity and sorority members and residence halls students; self-defense classes for women at University Park; academic courses; and faculty and staff development workshops.
Keh-Chiang Ku
talks with students in a physics lab. The University has upgraded
its support of Ku and other teaching assistants.
Photo: Greg Grieco
In response to recommendations of a University-wide committee, Penn State has embarked on a series of actions designed to improve teaching and learning in labs and courses taught by graduate students, especially those taught by international students for whom English is a second language.
A report to the University's Board of Trustees by John J. Cahir, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, outlines steps that a panel of Penn State administrators, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students identified to improve the learning conditions for undergraduates. The report also outlines support for all graduate teaching assistants (TAs) to help them develop their own teaching and communication skills.
The panel reported that all TAs need better support in helping students learn to their full potential, but that international TAs have special needs.
"The strong sense of this group's report is that international students are among our finest assets," said Cahir. "All are superbly qualified and most have been at or very near the top of their own classes."
Nationally, the enrollment of international students -- predominantly graduate students -- has grown for the last 15 years, from about 350,000 to nearly 500,000. At Penn State, that growth has been even sharper, as international graduate student enrollment has increased by 17 percent over the past two years, to more than 2,400. Last fall, the number of international TAs teaching University class sections reached 613 -- an increase of 34 percent since 1997. Nearly one-third of all TAs at Penn State are now international TAs.
Upon review of student concerns, the panel recommended that a score of 250 or higher on the Program for English as a Second Language test be mandatory of all international TAs, with no conditional certifications for those scoring lower than 250, as was previously the case. That change was implemented in fall 1999. Further, the panel called for significantly upgraded expectations and support for all TAs to become proficient in teaching and promoting learning. An implementation team is at work on that recommendation.
"This does not simply mean speaking more clearly or preparing better presentations," said Cahir. "It involves developing techniques to help students become active learners, promoting teamwork and providing constructive feedback. In short, helping students learn. These skills are useful for all TAs, but they are especially important for students who have not had experience in the American classroom."
International TAs who do not meet the minimum score required for teaching certification will have speech communication classes designed specifically for non-native speakers of English so that they can improve their grasp of the language and learn how to effectively use it in a classroom.
In addition, activities to involve more undergraduates in the TA certification process and to improve communication between teaching assistants and students have been upgraded considerably by Undergraduate Student Government's Academic Assembly.
Steps to improve the recruitment process of international TAs are also under way. The changes will ensure that international students enjoy the best preparation to achieve their own goals.
The panel emphasized that working with extremely able individuals from other cultures is a valuable learning experience and one that may require some effort for Penn State undergraduates. All of the steps taken together are expected to notably improve learning at Penn State.