Partings
Penn State Intercom......August 8, 2002

Two Mont Alto employees were honored recently for their dedication and service to the campus. The two, who have spent a combined total of 67 years on the campus, are: Jerome Curry, assistant professor of English, and Bill Hughes, director of undergraduate studies.

Curry worked for Mont Alto for 36 years. He was the coordinator of the English department for 32 years. Curry earned a bachelor’s degree from Lasalle University and a master’s degree from Lehigh University.

Hughes retires with 31 years of service. Hughes served as the director of undergraduate studies and coach of the championship golf team. Before coming to Mont Alto, Hughes taught in the Chambersburg School District and was a guidance counselor in the Waynesboro School District. Hughes earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Bloomsburg University and a master’s degree in counseling from Shippensburg University.

Edward J. Danis, associate director of The Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), has announced his retirement.

During his University career, Danis was responsible for many innovations that supported and enhanced the quality of undergraduate academic advising. As DUS consultant to liberal arts, he developed an academic information center for the college, and wrote the original proposal for what is now the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies Advising Center. He also undertook public relations projects designed to attract students to the liberal arts at the University, and he coordinated the letters arts and sciences associate degree.

Danis came to the University in 1971, after service with the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps in Germany. He pursued a master of arts in the classics, and went on to earn a doctorate in comparative literature.

In 1974, Danis became the first DUS consultant to the College of the Liberal Arts. In 1986, he was appointed as a DUS senior academic adviser, and in 1993, he was named associate director of the unit.

Within his academic field, comparative literature, Danis taught courses in Latin, ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, and western European literatures. Besides numerous articles and conference presentations, he wrote a book and edited two others dealing with German-American literary and cultural relations. He plans to continue his scholarly and teaching interests in retirement.

Instructor/manager retires
after 32-year career

F. David Dimmick, instructor in kinesiology and manager of human resources for the College of Health of Human Development, recently retired following a 32-year career.

Dimmick joined the University in 1970 as manager of human resources for the College of Human Development. In 1972, he was appointed business manager of the Computer Assisted Instruction Laboratory in the College of Education; however, he returned to his previous position with the College of Health and Human Development, where he remained until his retirement.

As human resources manager, Dimmick was responsible for overseeing the college’s employee relations, benefits, classification and training programs and processes for more than 400 full-time and 250 part-time faculty and staff. He created and conducted new-hire orientation programs and professional development workshops for faculty and staff; established and implemented continuous quality improvement procedures for the college; and developed guides on search procedures, hiring processes and tenure and promotion.
Dimmick served as an instructor in English composition from 1971 to 1980. Since 1993, he has been an instructor in kinesiology with an emphasis on ethics in sports and sport administration.

Before joining the University, Dimmick served as assistant manager of publications and public information for NUCLIDE Corp. He also served for 16 years as a member of the 112th Tactical Control Squadron of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Dimmick plans to enjoy his retirement spending more time with his wife, Betty, devoting more time to his yard and traveling — especially to baseball games in Altoona, Baltimore and New York.

Penn State Berks lost more than a century of experience at the end of the spring semester with the retirement of three longtime professors: Stanley Furrow, Art Hill and Preston Scoboria.

Furrow, associate professor of chemistry, retired after 33 years. Furrow joined Penn State Berks in 1969 as assistant professor of chemistry. While at the University, he received the Outstanding Teaching Award, and he served on several committees. Before that, he worked at the University of Maine, where he also earned his baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees.

After 39 years, Hill, assistant professor of engineering, has retired. He joined the campus in 1963 as an instructor. Hill earned an associate degree in Temple University's radio/television program and then joined the Air Force and served in Korea. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Albright College. He then joined Penn State and completed his master's degree in engineering science at the Great Valley campus. Hill served as the first chairman of the Berks Campus Senate, was the first Outstanding Teacher Award recipient and received the advising award.

Scoboria, assistant professor of physics, retired after 35 years. Scoboria began his career at the McKeesport campus in 1965, and he joined the Berks campus in 1967 as an instructor in physics. He earned his baccalaureate degree from Tufts University, his master's degree from Penn State and his doctoral degree in physics from Temple University. He has been active with numerous committees, including the Reading/Berks Science Fair Committee.

Sabih Hayek retired in July with the rank of distinguished professor emeritus of engineering mechanics after 37 years at the University.

Hayek served on graduate council, senate council, department and college promotion and tenure committees, and was a University faculty senator for 23 years. In all, he has been a member of 44 departmental, college and University-level committees. He was a member or chair of more than 120 doctoral committees. He mentored 25 doctoral-degree students and 21 master-of-science-degree students majoring in acoustics and engineering science and mechanics.

For more than 30 years, he taught a graduate two-course sequence in engineering mathematics that drew graduate students from the entire University with yearly enrollments between 120 to 190 graduate students.

He received the College of Engineering's Excellence in Research Award in 1982 and the Outstanding Advising Award in 1999. In 1992, he was designated a distinguished professor of engineering mechanics. He was a visiting professor and Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at the Institut Natinal des Sciences Appliquees, Lyon, France, and served as guest or visiting professor at several international universities and institutes.

Hayek published more than 100 articles in refereed journals and proceedings, contributed to seven books and encyclopedia and presented papers at more than 100 professional conferences. He recently published a textbook, "Advanced Mathematical Methods in Science and Engineering."

Hayek's areas of research include structural acoustics, active control of structural vibrations, acoustical materials, highway noise barriers, noise abatement and fluid-structure interactions.

Hayek received his bachelor of science in civil engineering in 1959 and his master of science in structural engineering in 1960 from Roberts College, Istanbul, and his doctoral degree in engineering mechanics in 1965 from Columbia University.

Hayek plans to be active in University teaching and research, and to complete a book on structural acoustics.

He and his wife established the Sabih and Guler Hayek Graduate Fellowship in Engineering Science and Mechanics.

Mensch retires after
25 years of service

Ruth Leventhal, provost and dean emerita of Penn State Harrisburg and professor emerita of biology, has retired.

Leventhal was provost and dean of Penn State Harrisburg from 1984 through Jan. 1, 1995, and subsequently served in the College of Medicine at Hershey, where she initiated a new legislative lecture series on the future of medicine in Pennsylvania, taught in the Problem-Based Learning Program, and edited a newsletter in women’s health, until her retirement. 

During Leventhal’s tenure, Penn State Harrisburg’s enrollment increased from 2,500 to more than 3,600; new facilities were established at two downtown Harrisburg locations to serve the urban and legislative populations; several new degree programs were initiated including the first non-University Park-based doctoral degree program; and three schools were created — public affairs, business administration, and science, engineering and technology. In that time, the first master plan for the college campus was developed, and major renovations were made throughout campus buildings. During her tenure, the college was the first University location to implement a non-smoking policy, and the second to have a child-care facility.

She led in the development of campuswide infrastructure to support telecommunications and distance learning and helped establish a focus on international education. 

Prior to coming to the University, Leventhal served as dean of allied health at the University of Pennsylvania and at Hunter College of the City University of New York.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science in medical technology, Leventhal received a doctoral degree in parasitology from that university and an executive master of business administration from the Wharton School. She has authored publications in parasitology, university administration and women’s issues.
Leventhal is enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, pursuing her avocation as a sculptor.

Professor emeritus
ends 24-year career

Judith R. Vicary, professor emeritus of biobehavioral health in the College of Health and Human Development, has retired following 24 years of service to the University.

Vicary serves as The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project director for Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a national initiative to increase public support for the prevention of alcohol use by children ages 9 to 15. She is co-principal investigator for a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) study testing two approaches to substance abuse prevention in 10 rural Pennsylvania school districts.

During her University career, Vicary has received more than $5 million in federal funding, written or co-written more than 75 publications and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in biobehavioral health, health education and health promotion, a number of which she developed. She also served as a member of the Faculty Senate from 1981 through 1993.

Vicary is a founding member and sits on the board of the National Drug Prevention League. For the past five years she has chaired the Penn State-Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's Partnership for Prevention, which established campus-community partnerships at 20 University locations to address collegiate alcohol abuse.

Vicary has been a consulting editor and reviewer for a number of journals, including her present role with the Journal of Primary Prevention. She received the National Exemplary Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Award from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. She also was elected to Sigma Xi.

She received her bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College and her master's and doctoral degrees from Penn State. Vicary completed her postdoctoral work as a NIDA Research Fellow.

Several announce
retirements from University

Diane K. Anderson, staff assistant VIII at Penn State York, from March 4, 1986, to June 29.

Lynn D. Breon, senior budget analyst in Corporate Controller’s Office, from Nov. 14, 1988, to June 29.

Robert L. Divany, research assistant in College of Engineering, from June 21, 1965, to April 1.

Dale P. Fetterolf, animal caretaker technician in College of Agricultural Sciences, from Sept. 18, 1962, to June 29.

Beverly J. Fleck, janitorial worker in Office of Physical Plant, from April 17, 1978, to April 1.

Darla A. Franks, staff assistant VI in College of the Liberal Arts, from Sept. 15, 1980, to April 1.

Richard C. Frushell, professor of English and comparative literature at Penn State McKeesport, from June 8, 1988, to July 1.

Robert E. Gates, swimming pool operator in Intercollegiate Athletics, from Oct. 15, 1966, to March 23.

Bonnie G. Garner, staff assistant VII in College of Health and Human Development, from Jan. 2, 1979, to June 1.

Natalie E. Gedon, staff assistant VII in Office of the President, from Aug. 29, 1983, to May 1.

Larry S. Gohn, greenhouse technician A in College of Agricultural Sciences, from Aug. 29, 1974, to July 6.

Linda K. Gummo, staff assistant VI in College of Arts and Architecture, from April 30, 1979, to May 1.

Charles R. Hackenberry, associate professor of English at Penn State Altoona, from Sept. 1, 1982, to June 29.

Philip L. Hassinger, residence hall preventive maintenance in Housing and Food Services, from Nov. 10, 1986, to March 28.

Jean B. Hill, interior designer in Housing and Food Services, from Feb. 13, 1984, to June 29.

Ronald L. Hostetler, senior extension agent in College of Agricultural Sciences, from June 22, 1964, to April 1.

Rachel M. Lehr, library assistant II at Penn State York, from Aug. 1, 1983, to June 29.

Jacob I. Leidy, campus shuttle services driver in Business Services, from Feb. 1, 1985, to March 29.

Linda C. Marquardt, staff assistant VI in College of Agricultural Sciences, from Feb. 12, 1980, to July 1.

Bernard A. McCue, instructor of mathematics in Office of the President, from Aug. 1, 1985, to June 30.

Donna J. Meyer, staff assistant IV in Office of the President, from March 12, 1987, to April 1.

William O’Donald, supervisor, renovation in Office of the Physical Plant, from June 27, 1986, to June 29.

Carol V. Ott, administrative assistant III in Applied Research Laboratory, from Feb. 25, 1985, to April 23.

James W. Schreck, utility and relief worker in Business Services, from Oct. 21, 1974, to April 18.

Donald L. Snedden, janitorial worker at Penn State DuBois, from Nov. 17, 1986, to June 29.

Wilma O. Stern, assistant professor of art history in College of the Liberal Arts, from July 1, 1989, to June 30.

Margaret T. Stiver, college health nurse in Office of Student Affairs, from Nov. 25, 1985, to May 1.

Michael J. Surovec, maintenance worker, utility in Office of Physical Plant, from Dec. 2, 1985, to May 4.

Dolores J. Weaver, fast food worker in Housing and Food Services, from Aug. 29, 1983, to June 29.

Patricia R. Wilson, staff assistant VIII in College of Education, from Feb. 11, 1987, to June 30.

Donna L. Wittmer, library assistant, inter library loan, lending team in University Libraries, from Oct. 20, 1986, to June 30.

Barbara J. Wright, administrative assistant III in School of Information Sciences, from June 1, 1987, to July 1.

Irene P. Zaborowski, staff assistant VI at Penn State Mont Alto, from Jan. 6, 1982, to June 30.