In the News
August 29, 2002

Jacobs named vice provost
for Undergraduate Education
Janis E. Jacobs, who has served as the University’s vice president for administration since 1999, has accepted a key academic leadership post as vice provost for Undergraduate Education.

Gubernatorial candidates to
debate at University Park
In the first major debate of the fall campaign season, the four candidates on the ballot for governor of Pennsylvania will meet Sept. 19 for the IssuesPA Gubernatorial Debate at Penn State. The question-and-answer format will feature the candidates fielding pre-taped and live questions from an audience made up largely of college and high school students.

Budget shortfalls
cause layoffs in Ag
Nineteen people are losing their jobs in the College of Agricultural Sciences and dozens of additional positions are being lost through attrition and other changes as a result of funding from the state and federal governments that has been cut or has not kept up with inflation in recent years.

Health plan switch should cause
little change for employees
More details have been worked out in the University's upcoming change in health-care benefits. While the University will continue to offer Health America HMO in all areas where it is available, it has decided not to offer Geisinger health plans after Dec. 31 for faculty and staff residing in a number of counties.

University works
to be energy-efficient
Each month, the University Park campus spends $1 million on electricity costs -- not exactly chump change. That's why the University is working to become more energy efficient through the Energy Star program.

Finance and Business
announces promotions
Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer Gary Schultz has announced the promotion of three assistant vice presidents to the level of associate vice president: Bill Anderson, associate vice president for Physical Plant; Tom Gibson, associate vice president for Auxiliary and Business Services; and Billie Willits, associate vice president for Human Resources.

University Relations names
assistant vice president
Bill Mahon has been named assistant vice president for University Relations and director of Public Information for the University.

Mayor is Renaissance Man
Bill Welch, mayor of State College, will be honored as the Renaissance Man of the Year at the 26th annual Renaissance Scholarship Fund dinner, according to John M. Infield, president of the Renaissance Fund board of directors.

University to observe
Sept. 11 anniversary
University officials have planned a University-wide observance of the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11, including a remembrance of the 10 known Penn State alumni who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and the hijacked airline crash in Shanksville.

New policy eliminates
issuance of minor illness excuses
A new University Health Services (UHS) verification of illness policy eliminates "class absentee excuses" for minor illnesses.

Certified forensics specialist knows
how to uncover hidden evidence
Randy Hoffman knows full well the ins and outs of a crime scene. Hoffman, a 23-year veteran with University Police, is the department's evidence technician specialist. Besides training department officers on the current state of the science of forensics, he is responsible for handling major crime scenes.

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