Left to right: DelVal students Sarah Innerst, Brianne Bendl, Ashley Larrimore, Regina Grover, and four Penn State University students.

Seated, left to right: Rick Ebert, Vice President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Carl Shaffer, President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Dr. Fredrick Hofsaess, distinguished professor of animal science and manager of the Markovitz Standardbred Breeding Facility, will retire this month after 42 years with Delaware Valley College.

Hofsaess graduated from Delaware Valley College with a B.S. in animal husbandry in 1967. He then went on to receive a M.S. and Ph.D. in animal science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University before returning to join DelVal faculty in 1970.

In the long career that followed, Hofsaess was involved in teaching meat animal and equine production courses and served as chair of the Large Animal Science Department from 1976 to 2002.

He was also instrumental in returning horses to campus for teaching purposes, nearly 25 years after the college’s draft horses departed.

“It took me 10 years to get horses back on campus,” Hofsaess explained. “But I brought a couple of Standardbred mares to campus in the early 1980s and the breeding program has grown from there. I’m proud of the growth and success of program – it has produced many good quality successful horses.”

Hofsaess supervised the management of the resulting breeding herd as manager of the Markovitz Standardbred Breeding Facility and taught courses in equine management, health, breeding, and business.

Standardbreds, a breed Hofsaess describes as being hardy and easy to work with, will also be a large part of his retirement. He is a licensed Standardbred trainer and driver and owner of Stonebridge Standardbred Farm, LLC. He will be moving his personal herd with him to northeastern Iowa, where he can be close to his children and grandchildren while continuing to breed and race horses. 

Hofsaess will also continue teaching part-time at Northeast Iowa Community College, where he’ll offer one horse production-related class per semester.

“It’s not retirement, it’s changing locations,” he said. “I enjoy teaching, have enjoyed my time here. I’ve had some influence on a lot of students who stay in touch and are good friends.”

Hofsaess said as a professor, he didn’t get a true appreciation for his impact on students until years after and he started to see how successful they became.

“The proof is in the pudding – how successful are the graduates?” he said. “I now have students who are working for pharmaceutical and feed companies, on breeding farms, for bloodstock agents, breed associations, and for vets and veterinary schools.”

“Dr. Hofsaess leaves a legacy on DelVal and the Standardbred industry,” said Russell Redding, dean of agriculture and environmental sciences at the college. “His 42 years of teaching and providing students hand-on experiences has led them to succeed in the equine industry.”

“Delaware Valley College has a long history in hands-on learning as an integral part of education.  This learning by doing approach began 116 years ago when the college began teaching ‘science with practice,” said Russell Redding, dean of agriculture and environmental sciences. “The new orchard honors this approach to teaching and learning.”

The orchard is designed with education in mind. The goal is to provide students with the opportunity to study cost differences, the volume of fruit produced by each system, and the differences in the fruit produced by each planting system.

“The new orchard will expose students to management techniques for contemporary fruit production,” said Dr. Steve DeBroux, co-chair of the college’s Natural Resources and Biosystems Management department. “We’re redoubling our efforts, so students get the very latest in agriculture science…we’re in the planning stages for big, positive changes in plant production. This new orchard is just one example of that.”

Associate Professor of Horticulture Dr. Jacqueline Ricotta said the main users of the orchard will be DelVal’s Commercial Fruit Production and Advanced Pomology classes. She said the college’s Integrated Pest Management course might also use the orchard.

A DelVal class has a discussion in the new orchard. 

"The new orchard will provide just a wonderful opportunity for experiential learning of tree fruit production in the most up-to-date methods,” said Dr. Ricotta. “It will enable students to see fruit production in all stages, from bloom to harvest, and obtain critical orchard management skills.”

There are four types of peach and three varieties of apple in the new orchard.

Each variety was grafted onto three types of rootstock, M9, B9 and M7. B9 is the most dwarf, M9 is medium-sized, and M7 produces a freestanding tree that is the largest of the three.

The planting systems in the orchard include: Tall-spindle, Central-leader, and Vertical-axis.

The first system, Tall-spindle is a modern, high yield system because of the amount of trees that can be packed into an acre. It is the quickest to fruit; in this case it could yield fruit as soon as fall 2013, but the most expensive to plant because of the costs of the additional trees and the trellising system that supports them.

Tall-spindle trees have a straight central trunk. The side branches are removed after they fruit, so the tree is in a constant state of renewal with no permanent side branches.

The orchard also includes the more common, traditional Central-leader system, which has larger trees and the least number per acre. Trees in this method do not require a trellis for support.  The Central-leader is the lowest cost of the three to plant and has the lowest yield per acre.

The last system, the Vertical-axis, requires a little more time to bear fruit than Tall-spindle and is the second most dense of the three per acre. The trees are grown in a way that is similar to the Tall-spindle, but with some permanent lower branches. The trees become narrow at the top and wide at the bottom like a Christmas tree. The yield per acre isn’t as high as with the Tall-spindle, but the costs of planting this system are less, because the system uses fewer trees.

DelVal alumnus, Doug Christie, who has extensive experience and knowledge about orchards, manages the college’s farmland. He previously managed Five Spruce Farms, a 398-acre property with orchards that was gifted to the college by The Warwick Foundation.

DelVal Farm Manager Doug Christie (right) works with Chris Becker from the college’s Gemmill property on the installation of the trellis system for the orchard.

He saw an opportunity to use his life experiences to help establish a new orchard for the next generation and provide students with opportunities for hands-on learning.

“We’re in the education business,” said Christie. “The new orchard allows us to demonstrate the latest production techniques so students can experience firsthand the benefits of each system and make up their own minds about which system is best for them.”

Christie, working with faculty and students, collaborated with Dr. Win Cowgill, a DelVal alumnus and a Rutgers University fruit specialist, to plant the orchard.

The orchard will use trickle irrigation, which was developed in Israel by farmers who needed to grow food in desert conditions. This type of watering system conserves water by just putting the water on the roots, where it is needed.

With income from the fresh market apple, the unprocessed apple that the consumer eats, becoming more appealing for local growers to produce than the processing apple, some local growers are switching up the way they plant to a more dense system and a more visually appealing apple.

“It will be a chance for the students to work in a high density orchard and see how different trees and production systems work,” said Christie of the new trees. “If a student is not going to start his own orchard, he’ll probably work for a commercial or family orchard. Most commercial orchards are moving toward these high density systems.”

A Delaware Valley College student participates in the planting. DelVal work-study students were able to be a part of the planting.

Dr. Steve DeBroux, co-chair of the college’s Natural Resources and Biosytems Management department, wants students to come away from DelVal with a strong foundation in the business side of the industry, since this component is critical to keeping the family farm alive.

“This is what makes agriculture such an exciting industry – it requires a deep understanding of science, marketing and business,” said Dean Redding.  “Students will see all of these aspects and more when they step into the classroom and the orchard.”

When the new trees produce fruit, they will be used for pick-your-own through the DelVal Farm Market. Interested visitors will be able to walk down the rows and learn a lot from observing the systems while enjoying a day at the orchard.

“We are thrilled to be able to help Julie succeed with her educational goals,” said Battaglia. “This scholarship is just another way we can assist individuals in Bucks County build a thriving and rewarding career.” 

Julie was chosen as the scholarship recipient because of her academic accomplishments, her contributions to the community and the positive attitude she evidences in everything she does.  Her community work and volunteerism provide inspiration for her classmates and her professors alike.

Bucks County Bank offers comprehensive financial products for businesses, professionals and individuals through banking offices located at 200 S. Main Street, Doylestown, 356 York Road, Warminster, 7203 New Falls Road (Five Points), Levittown and 2084 Street Road, Bensalem. The  Mortgage Division is located at 16 N. Franklin Street, Suite 115, in Doylestown. 215-230-7533

The event is being co-sponsored by: The Bucks County Behavioral Health System, Bucks County Department of Mental Health/Developmental Programs, Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley College.

“This event is a great opportunity for people to come together to promote wellness. I hope many of our students will participate in this event,” said DelVal Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology Dr. Allison Buskirk-Cohen. “Through internships, our students interact with many of these organizations. This is another exciting opportunity to get everyone in the same room to discuss these important issues.”

Delaware Valley College counseling psychology students, mental health agency CEOs, executive directors, program directors/managers and clinical directors representing psychiatric rehabilitation, outpatient, case management, peer support and residential departments are encouraged to attend.

“The information presented will provide a solid framework for agencies to begin moving forward in helping people become part of the larger community, which will enhance their recovery,” said Bucks County Behavioral Health Adult Services Specialist Sylvia Gentry, a licensed clinical social worker who is helping to plan the event.

The event is free, but participants are required to register online by May 21. Space is limited, so please register in advance.

Participants will come away with a general understanding of the philosophy and principles of community inclusion and the processes and practices for making community inclusion a reality. 

The day will feature two presenters, Dr. Mark Salzer, the director of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, a research and training center, and Mr. Thomas Lane, national director of Consumer and Recovery Services for Magellan Health Services.

“Both of our speakers have received national recognition for their important work in community inclusion,” said Gentry.

Dr. Salzer has done extensive research on identifying and eliminating barriers to full community inclusion in areas such as: work, school, intimate relationships, spirituality, friendships and parenting. He has also done research on developing effective community and peer support systems for people with mental health issues.

Mr. Lane has presented at numerous state, regional, and national conferences. He has worked to develop peer-run projects, promoting self-help and peer support as essential to recovery. He has also assisted various state and county mental health systems regarding peer support, involvement initiatives, and social inclusion.

The college has partnered with the local mental health community to present other events including a diversity conference and a conference focused on youth, which students were able to participate in.

“This information will be very useful to counseling psychology students particularly those interested in working in community mental health,” said Gentry.

Register: The event is free, but registration is required. To register for this forum, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PXDQ39D

Event Schedule:

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.           Registration

9:00 – 9:10 a.m.           Welcome and Introductions

9:10 – 9:50 a.m.           Opening Orientation: “Philosophy Underlying Community
                                        Inclusion and How It Relates to Recovery,” presented by Dr. Mark Salzer

9:50 –10:30 a.m.           “Principles of Community Inclusion Programs” presented by Dr. Mark Salzer

10:30 –10:45 a.m.         Break

10:45 –11:15 a.m.        “Community Inclusion Transformation Process & Including People in the
                                         Planning Process,” presented by Thomas Lane

11:15 –noon                 “Practices and Program Examples,” presented by Dr. Mark Salzer

DelVal students and maybe even a few faculty members will be wrestling in a pit of JELL-O at noon on the campus volleyball court near Work Hall to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Saturday, May 5. Participants will adhere to a strict dress code of t-shirts or tanks tops and shorts. The rain date for the event is May 6.

Last year, the event raised about $800 for Make-A-Wish.

Make-A-Wish brings hope to children with life threatening medical conditions by granting wishes. The organization started with one boy with leukemia’s wish to be a police officer and has grown to an organization that is able to grant a child’s wish every 40 minutes.

Laci Olivia, a DelVal junior dual majoring in animal science and livestock management, started the DelVal fundraiser because of her personal connection to the foundation and her belief in the work that it does.

The foundation granted a wish for a friend of Olivia’s when she was in high school.

“I got into Make-A-Wish when my friend had a wish granted for her,” said Olivia. “She was very ill. The foundation is very near and dear to my heart. It is a great charity to work with, you know that your money actually goes to help kids.”

Recent wishes the organization has granted include: a little girl Ella’s wish to meet pop star and actress Selena Gomez, 10-year-old Vinnie’s wish to go to NHL All-Star Weekend, and 6-year-old Evan’s wish to have a wheelchair accessible pirate ship in his backyard.

Sterling, a 12-year-old boy with a condition that keeps his heart valves from closing, wished to go to WrestleMania. Thanks to the foundation, a limousine picked Sterling up to take him to the stadium where he met some of the star wrestlers.

The event at DelVal will include both male and female participants. Only DelVal faculty, staff, and students will be permitted to wrestle.

Students have been selling t-shirts for $10 on campus. Those who purchased shirts in advance will wrestle for free. Participants who have not purchased shirts are welcome to wrestle for $2 on the day of the event.

Each pair will have three one-minute rounds. The contestant who wins two out of three rounds will be declared the match winner.

There will also be a raffle at the event to raise additional funds for the foundation. Winners of each match will get a free raffle ticket.

Prizes include themed gift baskets. One is a movie basket with passes, popcorn and candy. The other is a “Dinner for Two” gift basket with gift cards to restaurants.

The students will also have a donation jar for people to contribute to the foundation at the event.

Nat’s Pizza of Doylestown donated Italian ice and Bottom Dollar Food donated chips for the event.

Olivia is proud of the DelVal students and their support of the foundation. She wants to encourage students to participate in high numbers again in this year’s event.

“Make-A-Wish is such great organization and I want to encourage students to come out and help,” said Olivia.

“There is a growing interest in what people eat for health,” said Dr. Jackie Ricotta, associate professor of horticulture. “In class I use the phrase ‘food as pharmaceutical.’ DelVal’s new specialization reflects the trend toward local food and farms that are sustainable.”

Students will have a variety of experiential learning opportunities from working on college land to internships and jobs at businesses in the area to hands-on class projects in the fields and greenhouse to student research. The Roth Farm, a college property located in North Wales, will be used as a primary application site.

“These are requirements industry is expecting our graduates to have,” said Dean Redding. “This is about putting our graduates in the best position to be employed and to demonstrate their versatility in their chosen fields.”

The program will prepare students for a variety of career options including working as sustainable agriculture producers or as consultants for businesses, making assessments about sustainable practices and products.

College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan received the Excellence in Education Award from his graduate alma mater, the State University of New York at Albany Saturday, April 28.

The alumni association honored him for this achievement as part of its annual Excellence Awards.

“The Board of Trustees and the entire Delaware Valley College community are extremely pleased and wish to congratulate President Joseph S. Brosnan for the honor bestowed on him this past weekend,” said DelVal Board of Trustees Chairperson Dr. James Trainer.

Dr. Trainer said that Dr. Brosnan was honored for his transformational leadership at DelVal over past five years, as well as the work he has done over the course of his more than 40 years in higher education.

“We believe that his outstanding work during his tenure at DelVal was a major contributing factor in his being named for this honor,” said Dr. Trainer of the award.

A committee reviews nominations for the Excellence in Education Award and selects the recipients.

“The Excellence in Education Award honors alumni for extraordinary distinction in the field of education including: pre-K through post secondary classroom teaching, school services and administration/ supervision,” said Melissa Samuels, director of alumni programs for The State University of New York at Albany.

Samuels said Dr. Brosnan was chosen for his experience and leadership ability.

“He was selected for the breadth and depth of his experience. Based on all the supporting information we’ve received, it was clear that regardless of which institution he was a part of, he made a difference,” said Samuels. “He’s an exceptional leader, who is really great at listening and building consensus. He’s being honored for the transformational changes that took place under his leadership.”

The event included a reception, a dinner and an awards program. The association honors alumni for their contributions to society in a variety of categories at the event. The association presented 15 awards this year.

Some of the other categories include: distinguished alumni, citizen award, excellence in alumni service, entrepreneurship, young alumni, business, arts and letters, community and public service, and science and technology.

Dr. Trainer attended the awards ceremony with Dr. Brosnan and his family. He said he enjoyed meeting Dr. Brosnan’s friends and colleagues from other institutions where he has served.

“This award is a testament to Joe’s outstanding career and brings honor not only to Joe and his family, but to those institutions where he has served so well over the years, which certainly include Delaware Valley College,” said Dr. Trainer. “We are honored along with him.”

For more information please visit: http://www.albany.edu/alumni/excellenceawards.php#Brosnan

This year’s two winners of the Founders’ Day Award, one of the college’s most prestigious student awards, have something else in common; scholarships helped make their college careers possible.

Darla Romberger and Zachary Gihorski, two students who were honored earlier this month for their academic achievements and campus involvement, spoke about the importance of scholarships at the college’s annual scholarship dinner April 19.

Each year, the event brings scholarship recipients and donors together, giving donors a chance to meet and hear about the students who receive the scholarships they support.

“I’ve had an amazing year,” said Gihorski at the event. “What some of you don’t know is, that that year almost didn’t happen.”

During his senior year, Gihorksi had a conversation with Dean Russell Redding about the number of people living below the poverty level and decided DelVal needed to take a stand.

He wrote about charitable gardens and won a national agriculture communications award in December.

In February, he stood at a podium in Moumgis auditorium and made a promise that DelVal would take the initiative to feed its community. He was a major part of the college’s charitable garden project, a garden on college land that will grow fresh food for local food banks.

Gihorksi helped get people from across campus, as well as the local community, involved. He spoke about the project at a Hunger Forum held at DelVal in February.

When Gihorski’s financial situation became unexpectedly strained, members of the college community wrote a letter requesting additional financial support for him.

He choked back tears as he read that letter aloud to the audience.

“For about 48 hours, it was not looking like I was going to be able to come back to DelVal,” said Gihorski. “Because of you, that year was allowed to happen. So, thank you…I honestly want to thank everyone in this room, whether you’re a donor or a sponsor.”

Darla Romberger, also a senior, won the College Scholars Award for making the Deans’ List for seven consecutive semesters during her college career.  Not only that, she was also named as the President’s Scholar, the student with the highest GPA of the College Scholars.

She tied with Gihorski this year for the Founders’ Day Award, which is usually awarded to one student.

While maintaining her near perfect GPA, Romberger managed to find time to serve as a volunteer tutor, a friendly face to welcome prospective students to the college and take them on guided tours, a member of several campus organizations including Sigma Alpha, and secretary of her class.

At the dinner she talked about her decision to come to DelVal.

“I wanted a small school atmosphere with faculty devoted to students who could provide hands-on experience in my field,” said Romberger. “DelVal was my perfect choice.”

Romberger is part of a DelVal family, not only is her father an alumnus, but he has two daughters in college at DelVal at the same time.

“Having a scholarship secured in my name has taken some of the stress off of me and my family,” said Romberger.

She said because of scholarship support, she was able to take advantage of more opportunities at DelVal like traveling to Ireland to learn about the dairy industry and going on trips to various states with the campus clubs she’s involved in.

Romberger said having scholarship support for her undergraduate education has allowed her to save for graduate school.

“Many students do depend on scholarships like these,” said Romberger. “We are very thankful to the alumni and friends who support these scholarships and allow the college dreams of undergraduates to be possible.”

Dr. James Diamond, an alumnus, a retired DelVal dean and a long-time supporter of the college, shared his personal story at the event as well.

He said DelVal prepared him for a 47-year career that took him beyond his wildest expectations and that as a student he was helped by financial aid.

Dr. Diamond and his wife Betty have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the college and announced at the dinner that they will be making another significant contribution.

“Hopefully these gifts will encourage current and future Aggies to pursue a college education,” said Dr. Diamond.

He said that scholarships allow students to focus on their academic studies instead of how they’re going to pay for college.

Dr. Diamond encouraged guests to think about the college in their estate planning.

“People should not leave this life without including philanthropy in their estate planning,” said Dr. Diamond.

College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan said the students who spoke at the event went beyond heartfelt and inspirational and that they make him extraordinarily proud.

“Without the people who give the scholarships,” said Dr. Brosnan. “They might not be here.”

He said that lately there has been a great deal of discussion about the value of a college education.

“I’d like to go on the record saying it is one of the best values in America,” said Dr. Brosnan.

He said that education makes the U.S. stronger as a nation, providing more enlightened citizens and a better work force.

DelVal is committed to making college affordable and accessible. The college awards approximately $20 million each year in financial aid and scholarships.

“Darla and Zach and others you didn’t hear from are destined to make a difference in the world,” said Dr. Brosnan.

Lead On! is presented by The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. (The Council), which runs Student Assistance Programs in most Bucks County school districts. Founded in 1975, The Council is a member of a nationwide network of National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Affiliates.

This event promotes peer-to-peer involvement in alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention within their communities.

Sponsors include Delaware Valley College, Jones Apparel Group, Wegmans, Giant, Clover Promotions and Hampton Inn.

The conference will offer workshops for teens and their advisors on topics such as: substance abuse prevention, addiction, self-esteem, bullying, healthy relationships, Internet safety, problem gambling prevention, youth leadership, sexting, how to be an LGBTQ ally, and natural highs.

The keynote speaker is Mr. Keith Davis, a former professional football player with the New York Giants and now a youth motivational speaker.

 He has presented in more than 5,000 schools worldwide covering 47 states and 44 countries.  Mr. Davis uses his own personal story of academic struggle and subsequent success to demonstrate to his audience that “you don’t have to be great to get started, you just have to get started to be great” and that “readers really do become leaders.”

He encourages each student to hang out with dream makers, not dream breakers and motivates youth of all ages to reach their potential both inside and outside of the classroom. 

His program focuses on inspiring students to see their potential and live for the future, not just for the moment.  Co-speaking with Mr. Davis is William Green, a former all-time leading running back at Boston College University and a former running back with the Cleveland Browns.

Green takes pride in being a gifted speaker who has presented in hundreds of schools, businesses, and conferences across the USA and internationally.

The audience will be energized and inspired by a special appearance by the dynamic Drummers With Attitude, a diverse group of student drummers and dancers from Bristol Township middle and high schools, led by advisor, Kevin Travers.

 For more information about the Lead On! Youth Leadership Conference, please call 215-230-8218 or visit http://leadonconference.org.

Delaware Valley College’s Block and Bridle chapter hosted its first annual Meat in the Middle day in front of the cafeteria on April 19, 2012.

Block and Bridle is a national organization for people who are interested in animal agriculture.

This event was designed to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers by having them “meat” in the middle to discuss current food industry topics. 

Many students around campus participated in this event by purchasing red t-shirts and wearing them on the day of the event.

A small committee of students reached out to the livestock industry for educational materials to share with the college community.

Pamphlets and brochures held information on the livestock industry and raising the best food-producing animals for consumers. 

Not only was there information from the livestock perspective, the students also gave out nutritional information about what meat provides for the daily diet.

The students made contacts with PA Beef Checkoff, PA Pork Producers Council and several other organizations.

They gave out honey ham sticks and bacon outside of the cafeteria and had livestock at the event.

“This event was a huge success,” said Devin Cunningham, a member of DelVal's Block and Bridle chapter.

She said the event was about reaching out to the campus community to discuss the importance of the food industry.

We hired the Karma Agency out of Philadelphia in 2010 to partner with us in realizing a new institutional identity. We are repositioning and rebranding the school.

Knowing that 100% of students go to the website to learn about us, we knew delval.edu was a key component of this work.

In the Fall of 2011, we looked for a web design agency to present an approach for redesigning delval.edu. With their work on higher ed websites like Harvard, Georgetown and the Maryland Institute College of Art,we selected Happy Cog, an industry leading web design studio with locations in New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, and Austin, TX.

Being teachers themselves, Happy Cog is a good partner for DelVal to collaborate with. In February, 2012, they came to DelVal to lead a workshop with administration, staff, faculty and students. Over 50 people have been involved in the process of discovering what delval.edu needs to be for the various audiences it serves: prospective students, parents and families, current students, alumni, press and media, community and college partners, and faculty and staff.

In the Fall of 2012, a new delval.edu will launch. This site will be best-in-class in higher education web design, and will focus on the people of DelVal. Happy Cog recently said "We have met and collaborated with DelVal staff, faculty, and students. Through these interactions we have experienced DelVal's vibrant and welcoming community, and its passion for making DelVal an exemplary place to learn and grow."

Students, staff and faculty at the web redesign kickoff meeting

This experience and the workshops and activities Happy Cog leads us through will help realize a website that will communicate the DelVal story for years to come.

This year, 32 teams of students from throughout the United States and Canada participated. The teams were divided up into four sections, so the DelVal team competed against 7 other schools.

Competing provided the students with an opportunity to prepare for the industry and learn through experience.

“Students hone their ability to work as a team and improve their time management, critical thinking and public speaking skills through participation in Dairy Challenge,” explained David R. Winston, coordinator of the 2012 contest and Extension Dairy Scientist-Youth at Virginia Tech.  “Employers in today's dairy job market seek to hire employees with excellent communication and dairy management skills, and NAIDC is a prime opportunity to advance these skills.”

Cornell, Virginia Tech, and the University of Wisconsin were in the same section as DelVal and were the teams that placed higher.

Competing students visit and evaluate a dairy farm.  They were given financial records, nutrition information, health records, production records, reproduction records, and business plans of the dairy.

They spent a couple hours at the dairy and a couple hours in a hotel room pouring through the information.  The students then performed a SWOT analysis of the operation.

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This type of analysis looks at both internal and external factors that affect the operation and its ability to be successful.

Students then prepared a 20-minute presentation for a panel of five judges and the dairy producer with recommendations based on the SWOT analysis.

DelVal’s team included: dairy science seniors Darla Romberger, Travis Whitcomb, Aaron Breneman and Ag Business junior Jack Egan.

His career took him everywhere from managing a bagel restaurant to fashion school before he found his passion and a field that fit him. He shared experiences from his career, both good and bad, on April 12 when he spoke at the college’s Student Center.

Cohen is CEO of IVD Solutions LLC, a company that does sales and marketing consulting for medical device and In Vitro Diagnostic companies.

“When I was sitting where you are now, I had no idea what I wanted to do, life throws you curves,” said Cohen. “Listening to people talk about their experiences may help you launch your own career.”

The Executive-in-Residence program brings worldwide business leaders to the college to spend a day with students. The program gives students a chance to hear honest advice from people with firsthand knowledge of the business world.

Thomas W. Watson, a 1957 graduate of DelVal, created the program. Watson is co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of Omnicom Group, Inc., a strategic holding company that manages a portfolio of global businesses. Watson also is dean of the company’s Omnicom University.

Cohen has experience working everywhere from startups to companies as large as Johnson & Johnson. He has led organizations and managed strategic business development and international business.

His lessons for students were:

1) Invest in yourselves and become lifelong learners.
“Keep your skills current or you’ll find yourself in yesterday’s business,” Cohen told students.

2) The path to success isn’t usually smooth, especially in the beginning.
“It is probably the exception when it is smooth,” said Cohen.
Cohen majored in chemistry in college and when he got out, he said it took him several years to find his footing.

His career journey even took him to the fashion industry. While working for his family’s women’s clothing business as a shipping clerk right out of college, he took fashion classes at night to learn what he needed to know for the business.

Later in his career, he was passed over for a marketing position at a company where he was working and decided to help a friend manage restaurants that served “anything on a bagel.” He lasted seven months in the bagel business.

During that time, some thugs showed up to tell him he had to use their trash service, he was robbed while making a deposit, and he found out his employees were stealing and selling large quantities of food from the restaurant.

3) Successful sales experience can get people to notice you.
He gained valuable experience in sales while working for the family clothing company. This experience served him well later in his career.

His family’s company didn’t do a lot of business in upstate New York, so his relatives sent him there to try to sell.

His family told him, “You can’t do much damage up there, go up there and sell.”

After his family sold the clothing business, he used his sales experience to land a job selling lab services to dentists, which got him a little closer to what he went to school for.

4) Build relationships.
He stressed the importance of building relationships with customers.

“You develop a network of people who can help you,” said Cohen. “Because of the relationships I have with people, I can go into a hospital and be welcomed into a lab.”

5) Mentors can help you succeed.
He encouraged students to find a mentor with a job they wanted to have next.

Cohen said he had a great mentor who taught him how to get in the door and get someone’s time when making a sales pitch.

6) Don’t be afraid to pick up and move for a great opportunity.
Cohen moved around a lot throughout his career. He even moved to Switzerland for a great position when his wife was seven months pregnant.

“To do things like that, to pick yourself up and move,” said Cohen. “It takes a person who thinks things are going to work out and if they don’t, you’ll recover.”

7) Admit when a position isn’t working out and know when to walk away.

He said it is hard to admit a position isn’t working out, but that students need to learn to do this to find a job that will be satisfying. He said try to fix the problem first, but if it can’t be fixed, move on. Cohen said students should find a position where they truly enjoy what they’re doing.

“Maybe you made a mistake, like I did going into the bagel business,” Cohen told students, stressing that there’s nothing wrong with changing directions to find happiness in a career.

Delaware Valley College recognized members of the college community for their achievements and honored the college’s history at the annual Founders’ Day celebration April 11 in Moumgis Auditorium.

“We gather today to recognize those who founded and sustained this institution,” said Board of Trustees Chairperson Dr. James Trainer, a DelVal alumnus. “…Those on whose shoulders we stand.”

Founders’ Day is held each spring to commemorate DelVal’s 116-year history. DelVal began in 1896, as the National Farm School, when Rabbi Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, a social activist and visionary, started a school to use education to empower people.

The day honors his life and work by highlighting the achievements of members of today’s college community.

The day also honors Dr. James Work, a Farm School graduate who became the college’s president in 1946 and oversaw its greatest growth.

College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan said that Dr. Krauskopf’s teachings and ideas had a major influence on the college’s core values.

“While Krauskopf was not present in the physical sense when the core values were written,” said Dr. Brosnan. “In a spiritual sense he filled the room.”

He said the ideas of the founder, such as treating all people as part of the human family regardless of race, class or religion, strike at the heart of the college’s first two core values.

“Pursue excellence” is another core value, alive at the college today, that Dr. Krauskopf lived. Dr. Brosnan said Dr. Krauskopf was committed to the pursuit of a better world and that today, it is hard to imagine how unpopular his ideas were during his time.

During the ceremony, top students receive honors and awards, including the Founders’ Day Award, one of the most prestigious at DelVal. It is given to students who demonstrate exceptional promise and a strong commitment to the college community.

There were 15 nominees and six finalists for the award.

Two seniors Darla Romberger and Zachary Gihorski were selected for the Founders’ Day Award.

Romberger is double majoring in large animal science with a livestock science and management option and dairy science.

She is part of a DelVal family, her father is an alumnus and her sister Kayla is a current student.
Even while double majoring, Romberger has maintained an outstanding GPA and managed to be actively involved in several campus organizations.

When Dr. Bashar Hanna, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, spoke with Romberger he said she reminded him “begrudgingly” of the A- she had earned. The humble student told the search committee that she had done “OK” for herself at DelVal.

By her standards, “OK” meant making the Deans’ List for seven consecutive semesters while being an active and engaged member of the college community.

Romberger was also named as The President’s Scholar, an honor that is new this year. The President’s Scholar is the student who has the highest GPA out of the College Scholars, students who were on the Deans’ List for seven consecutive semesters.

Romberger plans to earn her master’s degree after DelVal.


Zachary Gihorski, a Founders' Day Award winner. 

Gihorski, of New Jersey, is a Secondary Education Agriculture major, who has served as an orientation leader, vice president of the Inter-Greek Council and a member of the Race, Culture and Diversity Committee.

Gihorski was also the recipient of a national agriculture communications award in 2011.

He feels strongly about fighting hunger and helped mobilize students for the college’s charitable garden project, which will supply fresh produce to food pantries.

After DelVal, Gihorski wants to attend law school and become an advocate for farmers.

The team that chose the Founders’ Day Award winners met with students for interviews as part of the process.

“This is the hardest job on campus,” said Vice President of Student Affairs John Brown, who joked that he should get a raise for having to decide between the applicants. “You see the quality of the people we have to choose from.”

A biology faculty member, Dr. Gregory George, was honored with a D.V.C. Professorship Award at the ceremony. The professorship awards were made possible by the Harleysville National Bank and Trust Company.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Dr. Bashar Hanna with DVC Professorship Award winner Dr. Gregory George.

George will use the award for research on the American kestrel, which students will help with.

“One of the benefits of being a professor in the biology department is the opportunity to get students out in the field doing research,” said George. “This award will help with that.”

Students present awards to dedicated faculty, staff and administrators at the ceremony.

Every year, the Student Government Board recognizes three college employees for making a difference in the lives of students. Senior Class President Amanda Sidler presented the awards.

Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell Redding was chosen from the administration for making the college a better place for students to learn.

Assistant Professor of Animal Science Rodney Gilbert was selected for the faculty award. Gilbert serves as an advisor for Block and Bridle. Sidler said he was chosen because he is “always willing to help students.”

Student Involvement Program Coordinator Andrew Moyer was chosen from the staff by the Student Government Board for his efforts to increase student participation in campus life.


Moyer receives his award from Student Government President Amanda Sidler.

Seventeen students received Departmental Achievement Awards. These go to outstanding graduating seniors who have demonstrated strong leadership and good citizenship. The awards went to:

Teresa Brandt - English
Ariel Butera – Food Science, Nutrition, & Management
Sarah Del Casale – Business Administration
Meaghan Dunn – Animal Science
Christine Esterline - Agronomy
Dylan Fedell - Chemistry
Eric Gimbar – Agribusiness
Amanda Hendrick – Equine Studies
Danielle Hudak - Education
Caitlin McQueen - Biology
Darla Romberger – Dairy Science
Ellen Robinson – Continuing Education
Michael Rosenthal – Counseling Psychology
Kristen Ryan – Horticulture
Stephanie Sherman – Animal Biotechnology & Conservation
Harris Trobman – Ornamental Horticulture & Environmental Design
Dani Walton – Criminal Justice

Dr. Long, who will begin at DelVal on July 16, earned her B.A. in English from North Texas State University; she received her M.A. in English and Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of North Texas.

“Dr. Long is an experienced academic with the skill, knowledge and experience necessary for this very important position,” said Dr. Bashar Hanna, dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs. “In the course of her career, she has worked in the critical areas of experiential learning, study abroad and retention initiatives that keep students matriculating. She is also a proven leader and is the founding co-chair of the Pennsylvania Conference on English Education. Dr. Long will play a critical role in DelVal’s path to academic excellence.”

In her current role at Shippensburg, a position she has held since 2006, Dr. Long has overseen the coordination of the academic schedule; served as the college’s facilities coordinator, was responsible for coordinating a recent $7 million renovation of the art building; and served on a task force to create and implement a new student registration and orientation process.

She also brings valuable experience with accreditation bodies, including Middle States, NCATE, and state teacher accreditation and has demonstrated collaborative leadership in her current position and in national and regional organizations. She is currently the chair of the Ethnic Studies Division of the Modern Language Association and just resigned from her position as Chair of the Committee on Associate Deans for the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Long’s faculty experience includes serving as a lecturer and in adjunct positions at University of Texas at Dallas, North Lake College in Irving, Texas, and Texas Women’s University, before joining Shippensburg in 1995 as assistant professor of English. She earned the rank of professor in 2005. 

As a faculty member, Dr. Long’s administrative and leadership experience includes scholarly activity, active service and exceptional teaching credentials. She also has experience chairing committees on accreditation and faculty excellence.

“The selection of Dr. Long is the result of hard work by a dedicated search committee charged with bringing only the best people to Delaware Valley College,” said Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, college president. “Her key mission is to elevate our business and humanities programs to the same level, stature and reputation as agriculture and science. I know she is up for the task, and I look forward to working closely with her, as well as the other deans.”

“To help shape DelVal’s future as part of an accomplished, creative, collaborative high-performance team responsible for moving the strategic plan forward will be a special honor and a unique challenge,” Dr. Long said.  “Working with a dedicated group of faculty, across many disciplines, will also provide new and exciting opportunities for collaboration that will benefit DelVal’s students.”

Dr. Long currently has two books in progress, “The American Eve: Ecofeminist Approaches to American Novels” and “English Education, The Next Generation: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Teacher of English/Language Arts.”

Her writing has also appeared in numerous books and journals, including: Encyclopedia of American Indian Literature, Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender, American Periodicals, and English in Texas: Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English. She has also made over 30 national conference presentations.

With the appointment of Dr. Long, the college can now move ahead with its restructuring. DelVal’s main academic areas, in the process of development, are:

● The School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, headed by Dean Russell Redding;
● The School of Life and Physical Sciences, headed by Dean Benjamin Rusiloski;
● The School of Business and Humanities, headed by Dr. Long; and
● The Division of Graduate, Professional and Entrepreneurial Studies, headed by Interim Dean James Moryan.

The DelVal group visiting Alltech, an animal nutrition supplement maker, during the trip to Ireland. 

The trip was just one of the many opportunities that DelVal offers for students to learn through experience.

“The trip broadened our horizons,” said Jenny Allen, a junior agriculture education major. “The whole experience was very educational. You can read about topics, but once you have the hands-on experience of going and seeing them for yourself, you learn better that way.”

Dr. Pamela Reed, associate professor of animal science and chair of animal and dairy science, Dr. Thomas Slane, associate professor of agribusiness and Dr. Bruce Richards, an assistant professor of dairy science traveled with the students.

“The trip was mostly about hearing a different side of how dairy is done somewhere other than here,” said Dr. Reed. “… Any time students learn how someone else does something, it opens their eyes to alternatives.”

The group started in Dublin and visited several different dairy farms and various places such as Killarney, Limerick, and Cork.

They also went to Alltech, an animal nutritional supplement maker, took a tour of Pallaskenry Agricultural College and visited a Dairymaster, a milking equipment manufacturer, and an agricultural research center.

A dairy farm in Ireland.

Allen said the trip gave her a chance to see a different way of operating.

“The whole trip in general was a really good experience,” said Allen. “To go over to a different country to see how their dairy is run compared to ours here back home, how they do feeding, operations, housing, and the whole layout… it was a worthwhile experience for anyone who wants to be in the dairy industry.”

Dr. Reed said that the Irish dairy system uses grazing, which is low cost, but that the milk production from grazing isn’t as high.

“The whole Irish dairy system is very different than ours because it is all based on grazing and pasture,” said Dr. Reed. “They also have a milk quota system over there because they are part of the E.U., so students got to hear about that and the constraints.”

Seeing the agricultural college was one of Allen’s favorite parts of the trip.

“We got to look at sheep and beef operations to see how they were similar and different from ours (in the U.S.),” said Allen.

In between learning about how the dairy industry operates in another part of the world, the students got to see some of the beauty of Ireland and take in the sights.

The students had the opportunity to see some attractions including: the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and Blarney Castle, which was built nearly 600 years ago and is home to the Blarney Stone. They also went horseback riding, which many said they enjoyed.

A castle in Ireland that the students had the opportunity to visit on their trip.

DelVal student Brianne Bendl got some leadership and event planning experience by planning this year’s trip. Bendl worked with a travel organization to plan the club’s visit to Ireland.

“She did a really great job planning the trip and everything went very well,” said Dr. Reed.

The students who went on the trip were: Jenny Allen, Caitlin Barwise, Brianne Bendl, Aaron Breneman, Stephanie Brewer, Heather Brooks, Sarah Conover, Avery Corondi, Devin Cunningham, Meghan Farmery, Katie Frey, Regina Grover, Susanne Heller, Nicole Hood, Elizabeth Lutz, Samantha Martz, Jennifer Mlaker, Quinn Mitchell, Gabrielle Murphy, Darla Romberger, Kayla Romberger, Jillian Salzmann, Angela Scaramuzzino, Kaitlyn Supa, Aubrey Swanson, Taylor Thomas, and Travis Whitcomb.

The Dairy Society went to Ireland in 2006 as well. Dr. Reed said the Dairy Society usually tries to plan a trip every year. She said in past years, they’ve gone to California, Puerto Rico and Wisconsin.

“It is important for students to know that there are possibilities that they don’t think about when it comes to dairy and care,” said Dr. Reed of the reason for taking the trip.

From left: Linda Dalton (a DelVal alumnus) , Catherine Boyer, Michael Rosenthal, Wendy Wakefield, Jackie Shunkwiler, Barb Krier and Dr. Audrey Ervin.

The students worked with social justice-related groups at DelVal to facilitate some anti-bias initiatives and then had their work accepted to the national conference.

They were able to attend thanks to funding from a Delaware Valley College professional development grant.

Their presentation was entitled, “Hearing Our Voices: Using the Empowerment Process Model to Advance Social Justice Initiatives on Campus and Beyond.”

Dr. Ervin also presented, “Addressing Students’ Sexist, Racist and Heterosexist Microaggressions in the Classroom: Strategies, Struggles & Support.”

The students had the opportunity to learn about current issues in mental health, feminist psychology, activism and social justice at the conference.

They also attended workshops with renowned authors and social activists such as: bell hooks (who does not capitalize her name), Leonore Tiefer and Paula Caplan.

The counseling psychology majors networked with mental health professionals, spoke with graduate school training directors and attended presentations with prominent theorists and researchers in psychology.

Two of the students, Catherine Boyer and Barb Krier, were attending for the second time.

“The AWP conference was packed with opportunities to connect with professionals as well as students working and doing research,” said Krier. “The experience allowed me to grow as a student, develop professional contacts, and enhance my relationships with my classmates.”

Krier said she attended a workshop with professors who discussed how they included multicultural and feminist topics in their classrooms.

The event also included poster presentations by students, which Krier said allowed her to see many different and interesting areas of research.

Michael Rosenthal, another student who participated, enjoyed getting to know the speakers and the other conference participants.

“The conference allowed me to come into contact with many professionals in the field along with many key figures in the social justice movement,” said Rosenthal.

Rosenthal attended a workshop with bell hooks. 

"I decided to sit in the front row, bell hooks ended up learning my name. The next day, I walked passed her and we greeted each other and interacted," said Rosenthal. "A.W.P. allows for students like me, just learning about the field of psychology, to get the opportunity to speak with and learn from many professionals who have made major contributions to society and to the field.”

Rosenthal said that he was able to express his ideas and really participate at the conference.

“The conference broke down hierarchies and allowed people with different experiences in psychology to come together and learn from one another on the same playing field,” said Rosenthal. “I felt my voice was equally important as anyone else’s at the conference.”

Jackie Shunkwiler, another student from the group, will remember the trip long after she graduates.

“It is definitely an experience that I will never forget,” said Shunkwiler. “…I am definitely planning on attending next year’s conference.  The group that I went with even discussed going together again as a sort of ‘reunion.’”

The trip gave the counseling psychology students the opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn in an exciting way. Opportunities to learn through experience are a key part of a DelVal education.

“The theories, practices, activism, and more that I have been exposed to, the valuable knowledge that I have gained, and the ability to network with some indescribable women is something that I could never gain in the classroom,” said Boyer who enjoyed every moment of the conference.

Members learned about topics such as sympathy flowers, wedding and party trends, establishing a comfortable relationship between the client and designer, getting started in floral design and more.

“The members took back new design techniques and ideas, and a sense of pride knowing that they took their first steps into the floral industry,” said Floral Society President Mark Wade, a freshman ornamental horticulture major.

Four members from the group traveled to Sturbridge, Mass., from March 10-11 for the Northeast Floral Expo, a national florist trade show that is sponsored by the Connecticut Florists Association.

At the Expo, the Floral Society attended two seminars hosted by the American Institute of Floral Designers, a leading nonprofit dedicated to setting, maintaining and recognizing standards for excellence in the floral design industry.

One seminar focused on modern wedding and party trends. The other discussed floral design for sympathy and celebration of life work.

The students also spoke with people from companies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Hampshire at the expo and learned about how the wholesale end of the industry operates.

They met up with a grower from New York who talked to them about the number of floral designers who own shops and as well as how to get hands-on work experience learning to produce their own flowers.

Six students from the group visited Philadelphia March 21 for a floral design show that focused on weddings sponsored by the Delaware Valley Florist Association. The students learned about new trends in the industry and ways to make to the bride and bridal party feel more comfortable with the designer.

Floral designers, Ron Mulray and Adriene Presti, presented at the event.

The students visited a wholesale supply and product market and a giant walk-in flower cooler at the Philadelphia event.

Members had a chance to network with designers in the area to discuss future employment opportunities and to get career advice.

“We hope to attend more demonstrations and seminars to further our knowledge of design as well as retail sales,” said Wade of the club’s  plans.

Liszkiewicz traveled with a group of eight Honors students and two faculty members to Peru over Spring Break, in March 2012.  The trip was part of an Honors colloquium focusing on the unique history and culture of Peru.

The DelVal Honors program is an academic enrichment program open to approximately 50 students.  Outstanding incoming students are urged to apply to the program upon their acceptance to the college.  Students are selected for the Honors program by a faculty committee on the basis of prior academic achievement and broad academic and extracurricular interests. 

In addition to the foreign study opportunities, DelVal Honors students participate in interesting, interdisciplinary colloquia taught by the college’s best faculty and engage in independent exploration and enrichment activities.  

While in Peru, students explored the ruins of ancient civilizations, witnessed the impact of Spanish colonialism and experienced modern Peruvian culture. 

Among the highlights of the trip were: visits to the recently discovered 5000-year-old pyramids of Caral (the oldest known civilization in the Western Hemisphere), tours of historic Lima and Cusco, and visits to Incan cities of Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.

“We marveled at the quality of Inca craftsmanship, their technological and engineering brilliance as well as their quest to live harmoniously with nature” said Dr. Jack Schmidt, co-director of the Honors program and one of the organizers and instructors of the trip.  “We developed an appreciation for Incan civilization based on our studies of their history and culture prior to the trip, but the opportunity to walk among the ruins and to see firsthand the impressive stone carving, the terraced agricultural fields and the ingenious mountain irrigation system was astonishing.  We all left with an increased respect for this magnificent society.”  

In addition to touring historic ruins, the group also spent a day in the highland village of Misminay, a tiny agricultural community located above 12,000 feet in the Andes.

The group visited locals in their small one and two-room adobe houses and shared a meal of cuy (guinea pig), choclo (Andean corn), quinoa (a grain-like crop) and other traditional dishes with the community.

After lunch, the class observed local rituals and traditional farming techniques, as well as wool dying, spinning and knitting.  The group also tasted home-brewed chicha (fermented corn beer) and participated with community members in the ritual of chewing coca leaves.

“The day we spent with the Misminay community was, for many of us, the highlight of our trip,” said Dr. Tanya Casas, assistant professor of sociology and an expert in Andean society. “The men and women welcomed us warmly into their village with Andean songs and dances, and provided us with a glimpse into a way of living very different from our own. The people were much more in tune with their natural and social environment. Many of us marveled at the level of unity and cooperation members of distinct families displayed as they worked together to prepare for us a truly exquisite meal with products from their farms. At the end of the day they hugged us as we departed and, as is custom in Quechua, said ‘see you later.’”

As in previous Honors trips to Berlin, Rome, and Vienna, students formed close friendships with others in the group. 

“There is bond in the honors group that developed at airport layovers (the trip home went through 5 airports and lasted 29 hours) and Inca ruins,” said Liszkiewicz. “It was an amazing experience to travel out of the U.S. on a short spring break to make discoveries, friendships, and memories that will never occur on the small college campus.  It was an opportunity that I will appreciate, reflect on, and be grateful for years after I receive the DelVal diploma.”

For more information about the DelVal Honors program, contact Dr. Jack Schmidt at jack.schmidt@delval.edu.

» Check out our story on the Ireland trip!

Commencement begins at 10:30 a.m. and will be held in a tent on the campus quad.

Cawley was appointed to a vacant commissioner’s seat in 2005 and was elected to the position in 2007.  He was installed as lieutenant governor in January 2011 after running successfully on the Republican ticket with Tom Corbett, now governor.

He earned both a bachelor’s in political science and a law degree from Temple University.

In 2009, Cawley formed and co-chaired Bucks County’s Economic Development Advisory Board to bring influential members of the local community together to strengthen business initiatives and create jobs.

Early in his career, he served as chief of staff to State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson.

As a commissioner, he worked to help expand Bucks County Community College, which opened campuses in Lower and Upper Bucks.

He has been actively involved in supporting higher education and is a former trustee of the community college. He serves on Temple University's Board of Trustees as the Governor's representative.

At commencement, Cawley will be awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

An honorary bachelor’s degree will be awarded to Janet Manion, the chair and founder of the Travis Manion Foundation. Manion, of Doylestown, started the foundation to honor her son, a U.S. Marine lieutenant killed in Iraq. She was nominated for the prestigious Citizens Service Before Self Award presented by the Medal of Honor Foundation.

The Travis Manion Foundation honors fallen heroes and veterans and assists their families. It also provides character building programs for young people and grants for projects that “keep the spirit of service and love of country alive.”

A second honorary degree will be awarded to Rita Marini.

Marini, the wife of Gerard Marini ’52, a college trustee, has been an active member of the college community for more than 50 years. She is an honorary and active member of the DelVal Alumni Association and has attended Board of Trustees meetings for the past 21 years. She provides valuable input that has helped guide the college.

Marini left Brooklyn College when she was a junior to get married and start a family. She has completed both credited and non-credited courses at The New School in New York City. Active in many community organizations and charitable groups, she has served as co-chair of The Osteoporosis Foundation of St. Barnabas for the past 10 years.

Delaware Valley College alumni gathered for a networking reception and an Academic Leadership Forum at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia Friday, March 9.

The event was hosted by DelVal’s 1896 Society during the Philadelphia International Flower Show.

The 1896 Society honors those who demonstrate an outstanding financial commitment to the college. Members of the 1896 Society were asked to stand and be recognized at the event.

DelVal hosted a similar event for alumni at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pa., in January.

The Academic Leadership Forum included a panel discussion with Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Dr. Bashar Hanna, Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell Redding, and Dean of the School of Life and Physical Sciences and Interim Dean of the School of Business and Humanities Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski.

The panel shared updates on the college’s experiential learning program, the move to university status, the plans for the Life Sciences Center, the academic programs and more. They also took audience questions and comments.

Participants heard from a special guest, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society President Drew Becher.

Board of Trustees Chairperson Dr. James F. Trainer ’82 spoke about the history of DelVal’s involvement in the flower show. He said the college’s relationship with the flower show dates back to 1950.

“We have a long, storied and proud history with the flower show,” said Dr. Trainer.

This year, the college’s exhibit, which students helped design, build and staff, took three awards, including the prestigious Bulkley Medal of the Garden Club of America, which is awarded to an exhibit of exceptional educational merit.

“This association with the flower show for 62 years is really a testament to what we’re doing in the classroom,” said Dr. Hanna.

Alumni Association President Peter Duane ’72 enjoyed the event.

“I think it was very informative,” said Duane. “I applaud the leadership team for taking the initiative to bring the message outside the confines of the campus. It makes you sit up and think about the mission of the college, where it is heading and what you can do to help.”

President Emeritus Dr. Joshua Feldstein, an 1896 Society member, said it was a beautiful event and that he’d like to see more people attend.

Gail Barr ’80 said she enjoyed hearing about the history of the college’s involvement with the show.

“We didn’t know all the history of the flower show and DelVal,” said Barr.

She said she also enjoyed the networking reception, which she said gave her a chance to make a new business contact and see some old friends.

“This was the first time we’ve been to the flower show in at least 15 years,” said Barr.

Patti Zaknich, who came with Greg Holder ’90, said she thought the event was great.

“There were many different generations, different cultures… it is just a very diverse atmosphere,” said Zaknich.

Delaware Valley College’s Philadelphia International Flower Show exhibit, “The World Beneath Our Feet,” won three awards this year and will be on display until March 11 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Students help design, build and staff the exhibit each year.

The Philadelphia International Flower Show opened March 4. This year’s theme is “Hawaii, Islands of Aloha.”

DelVal’s exhibit features plant material on the exterior with a walk-through cave underneath showing soil profiles. On the outside is a water section with information about different types of fish and more. Participants who view the display can learn about topics such as soil, water and geology.
Participants walk through DelVal's exhibit.

The exhibit won the prestigious Bulkley Medal of the Garden Club of America, which is awarded to an exhibit of exceptional educational merit that helps to increase the knowledge and awareness of the public. The award is open to exhibits in the fields of horticulture, botany and conservation.

DelVal also won a Special Achievement Award of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania, which is awarded to exhibits of unusual excellence in the categories of conservation, education, horticulture and creativity.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society honored DelVal’s display with the Best Achievement Displaying Natural Ecosystems award.

Delaware Valley College's awards for the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show exhibit.

Students in DelVal’s Flower Show course work with other student and alumni on the exhibit. They started designing it in fall 2011 and began building it the second half of the semester.

The students in the Flower Show course are graded on everything from design to set up, and even being at the show.

For more information or to get your tickets to check out this year’s show and see DelVal’s exhibit visit: http://www.theflowershow.com/tickets/index.html.

One adult general admission ticket is $27 online. Box office tickets are $30 each for adults March 5-9 and $32 March 10-11.

Proceeds from the event support the work of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Dr. Allison Buskirk-Cohen, an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Delaware Valley College,  participated in the invitation only Oxford Round Table Childhood Education Conference  held at the University of Oxford March 11-15. She  presented a paper and led a discussion at the conference.

» Read about the experience on her blog

Dr. Buskirk-Cohen said the event included 27 paper presentations and 27 discussions about the papers with professionals from 22 different states within the U.S. along with participants from Australia, Israel, and Nigeria.

The Round Table, at Oxford’s Harris Manchester College, is an interdisciplinary, international event. The sessions are by invitation only.

“It was an incredible experience. There was just so much information presented from different perspectives, different areas of the world," said Dr. Buskirk-Cohen. "It really gave a global sense of what is happening and how we really need to work together to make children a priority."

Dr. Robert Pierson, chair of the Food Science, Nutrition and Management department at DelVal, participated in a previous Oxford Round Table.

The conference covered issues related to child and adolescent development, a topic that Dr. Buskirk-Cohen has researched and presented and published on.

She presented “Intimate Disclosure and Internalizing Symptoms among Best Friends of Young Adolescents” at the conference.

Dr. Buskirk-Cohen said that as children move into adolescence they become more likely to be at risk for internalizing problems such as anxiety and depression. At the same time, she said they are forming strong, supportive relationships that one would expect protects them from internalizing their problems.

Her paper examines the research in different areas on how teens talk about their problems to see where the research overlaps.

She enjoyed meeting new people and interacting with educators from other parts of the world.

"It was also really fun on a personal level, just getting to visit another institution in a different place, and seeing how students interact with their professors there," said Dr. Buskirk-Cohen. “I’m really excited to continue working with the people I’ve met. I’d really like to either bring some of them to DelVal or have some of our students visit other parts of the world to interact with them. This is the first step of an exciting process.”

Dr. Buskirk-Cohen led a discussion at the Oxford Round Table on a presentation by Patsy J. Robles-Goodwin, a Texas Wesleyan University associate professor and director of ESL/Bilingual Programs. Her paper is entitled, “Making an Impact on Latino Young Children's Decisions and Values about Environmental Issues.”

The conference covered topics such as: planning the pre-K-3 program, integrating service learning into the classroom, preparing for an early literacy foundation, connecting instruction and assessment, providing a program for learning-to-reason with numbers, and implementing national and state standards for early literacy.

The conference also explored early childhood literacy topics such as: modern literacy strategies, understanding the pedagogy of reading and writing, children’s language production, reading interventions and outcomes, and effective methods based on evidence from research.

Conference participants also learned about topics related to ways children are put in harm’s way as well, such as: abuse, child slavery and sexual exploitation, interests of parents versus children, and child care and the law.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about other development topics such as: effects of family relationships, how peer interaction influences development, cultivation of good morals, the influence of formal education and the consequences of motivation and emotion.

Dr. Buskirk-Cohen is excited to be able to share what she learned with her students and discuss her experience at the conference in class.

“I think it is really important to be able to bring information from all areas of the world to the classroom,” said Dr. Buskirk-Cohen. “…I think it is vital that DelVal interacts with people from around the world and that we take advantage of the opportunities to bring that knowledge and experience back home with us.”

The Oxford Round Table is a not-for-profit educational organization with working relationships at some of Oxford’s 38 colleges.

The newly tenured professors are: Dr. Ken Dedeian, from the Chemistry Department; Dr. Kim Kovath, from the Department of Animal Biotechnology and Conservation; and Dr. Veronica McGowan, from the Department of Computer and Business Information Systems.

“The tenure and promotion process reaffirms a faculty member’s commitment to his or her discipline, excellence in teaching and learning, and the broader community,” said Dr. Hanna. “I commend each member of this year’s tenure and promotion class for their dedication to the College and our students.”

The professors who were promoted and/ or approved for tenure are:

Dr. Steve DeBroux – Promotion from Associate to Full Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Biosystems Management
Since arriving at the college in 1993, Dr. DeBroux has made contributions to the college’s missions and goals by actively seeking opportunities to develop his teaching and advising skills; involvement in college background operations, including Co-Chair of the Middle States/Self-Study Work Group; participation in interdisciplinary activities, such as the Precarious Alliance Symposium Planning Committee and Coordinator of the Pizek/Diamond Polish Exchange Program; as well as helping the greater community. In 2009, Dr. DeBroux received the Forage and Grassland Teaching Award from the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council.

Dr. Ken Dedeian – Tenure and Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Dr. Dedeian has demonstrated a strong commitment to the college, its students, and the Chemistry Department. In addition to teaching labs and lectures, he is responsible for the administrative work of the department including drawer assignments, manual revisions and distributions, and instructor’s manual. He was instrumental in the redesign of the bench layouts for the lab renovations in Feldman 204 and Mandell 211/212. Dr. Dedeian is an advocate for professional development and is currently mentoring an Indonesian chemist on polymerization. Dr. Dedeian is well integrated with the college community and is admired and respected by members of other departments.

Ms. Breann DePietro – Promotion from Lecturer to Instructor, Department of Equine Science
Ms. DePietro coaches the college’s dressage team, which has been very successful. She also serves on three college committees and advises two clubs. She is the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Region C Representative, overseeing the competition calendar, memberships, points, and finances for the six schools within the region. As a member of the esteemed British Horse Society, Ms. DePietro holds her BHSAI and International Instructor Level 1 Certifications. In 2011, she earned the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Bronze Medal aboard two of the college’s horses. As a firm believer in professional development, she participates in USEF/USDF competitions and is currently enrolled in the USDF Learner Judge’s Program.

Dr. Kim Kovath – Tenure and Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor, Department of Animal Biotechnology and Conversation

Dr. Kovath is co-chair of the Animal Biotechnology and Conservation Department, primarily the Small Animal Science majors. She has consistently received positive feedback in her teaching evaluations and classroom observations. Not only has she mentored new faculty members, but also former students who are currently in veterinary school. Her service to the college includes recruitment and outreach, and she is actively involved in campus committees including the Experiential Learning Committee and the Curriculum Committee, and serves as Secretary to the DVC chapter of the AAUP,

Dr. Linda Maisel – Promotion from Associate to Full Professor, Department of English
Dr. Maisel has made outstanding contributions to her students, the department, and the college in the areas of teaching, service, and scholarship. Among her many accomplishments and achievements is her outstanding record as Chairperson of the Education Department for the past five years, in particular, her role in the successful redesign of the Education curriculum to meet PDE Chapter 49 requirements. She has been an exemplary faculty member who holds herself and her students to high standards and is a model of dedication to her profession. As a teacher, her primary focus is on writing courses. Over the years, she has revised assignments in Professional Communications to make them more relevant to real-life workplace situations. Dr. Maisel has served on numerous key college, faculty, and ad hoc committees, including organizer of the Gleaner High School Writing Competition.

Dr. Veronica McGowan – Tenure and Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor, Department of Computer and Business Information Systems

Dr. McGowan received her doctoral degree in the Academic Leadership Doctoral Program from Widener University in 2010. She fosters an active learning environment that models the incorporation of higher order thinking skills into classroom instruction which reflect PA Department of Education and field requirements and the college’s emphasis on experiential learning. She is committed to expanding the knowledge of and improving the use of web design for higher education. She has recently developed research strands addressing teacher preparation programs and teaching quality initiatives, particularly for mathematics and computer content areas.

Delaware Valley College has appointed Laura Owen, a CEO, and an alumnus of DelVal’s business administration program, to its Board of Trustees.

Owen, a resident of Olathe, Kan., has a strong personal connection to the college and brings experience in a variety of areas to the Board.

“It is a tremendous honor to be asked to serve on the Board of Trustees at Delaware Valley College, especially at this exciting time in DelVal’s history,” said Owen. “I am a 1979 graduate of DelVal, and my mother taught English here for many years, so it is particularly heartwarming to be a part of this very special place, once again.”

Owen is CEO of PontSalus, a firm committed to reducing healthcare costs and increasing access to quality healthcare, worldwide, by facilitating relationships with best-in-class healthcare leaders in North America (medical providers, medical universities, corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and government), to support healthcare transformation.

She was also the first woman appointed Kansas Secretary of Commerce, where she led international trade, business development, and travel and tourism, for the State of Kansas.

In addition to her service on numerous state boards and commissions, she served on the board of Heart to Heart International, a global humanitarian organization which delivers medicine and medical supplies to areas of need, for ten years.

In 2007, she was named to the “Women Who Mean Business” organization, by the Kansas City Business Journal.

Owen feels a strong connection to DelVal because she had a positive experience as an undergraduate and because her late mother taught at the college.

She was the DelVal Commencement speaker in 1991 and has remained an active and involved member of the college community.

In November 2011, she was selected as the 11th Thomas W. Watson Executive in Residence speaker. The series brings in business leaders to share real world experiences and lessons with current students. In her speech, Owen shared inspiring and thoughtful lessons from her life and career with current students and encouraged them to think of their lives as full of possibilities.

Her career has given her the opportunity to travel frequently and she is a big believer in making sure students have a global perspective. She feels that opportunities to travel help students develop a greater respect for other cultures and a greater understanding of global issues and opportunities.

She is also a big supporter of giving students opportunities to gain leadership experience.

One of her personal commitments, as a Board member, will be to assist with the development of a leadership program at DelVal, which would include classroom training, mentorship programs, internship programs, and guest speakers to share with students about what it takes to be an effective leader.

Renowned social justice educator, Jessica Pettitt, will present, “LGBTQ and Social Justice Issues: Inclusion, Advocacy and Empowerment,” at Delaware Valley College’s biannual multicultural forum March 5 in the Moumgis Auditorium at the Student Center.

The event, which begins at 4:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, is being sponsored by the Liberal Arts department, Student Affairs and Students for Diversity, a campus club. It is part of the college’s LGBTQ Week, which runs March 5-8.

LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning.

The event is part of a college effort to make LGBTQ issues more visible and part of DelVal’s proactive effort to create a campus culture that is welcoming and inclusive.

Dr. Audrey Ervin, a DelVal counseling psychology faculty member and licensed psychologist, said Pettitt’s approach takes the focus away from guilt and shows people how they can create positive change.

“She is funny, upbeat and really proactive and engaging about sending messages about social justice and really thoughtful ways of making a campus a safe place for everybody,” said Dr. Ervin. “I think she is going to be able to create a really exciting, fun environment.”

Pettitt earned a bachelor’s in sociology with secondary education certification from Hendrix College and a master’s in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina.

She is a renowned diversity educator and has been nominated for two years by Campus Activities Magazines for Best Diversity Artist.  She is a certified Mediator from Humboldt Mediation Services. 

She attended the Social Justice Training Institute  and has served as a lead facilitator for LeaderShape Inc. She brings 10-plus years in student affairs, five-plus years of national consulting work and two-plus years of stand up comedy experience to her presentations.

LGBTQ Week at the college will focus on the same topics Pettitt will discuss, “inclusion, advocacy, and empowerment.”

Recommended Readings for Pettitt’s presentation:

Available online at http://www.delval.edu/events/2012/04/multicultural_forum

(1) Jessica Pettitt, “Showing Up White,” October 2007.

(2) Andrea Smith, “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing,” “The Color of Violence: the Incite! Anthology, ed. INCITE! Women for Color Against Violence” (Cambridge, MA: South End Press, 2006), 66-73.

DelVal LGBTQ Week Schedule: March 5-8
“Inclusion, advocacy and empowerment”

March 5: Presentation by Jessica Pettitt on inclusion, advocacy and empowerment (Moumgis Auditorium, 4:30 p.m.)

March 6: Student Government Board Bias Incident Forum (Rosenfeld, 4:30 p.m.) -- presentation by Dr. Audrey Ervin and John Brown.
2nd Annual Drag Show (Moumgis, 6:30 p.m., presented by G.L.O.W., a student club).

March 7: Learn about healthy relationships in the LGBTQ community with Alison Bellavance, director of Education and Training at Planned Parenthood Bucks County and Planned Parenthood Northeast and Mid-Penn.

March 8: Fellowship and ice cream (Levin Dining Hall, 6:00 p.m.). Join the campus community in reflection of the week’s events.

The students competed in three competitions: oral presentation, livestock judging and quiz bowl.

DelVal took first place in oral presentations and livestock judging and took second place overall, losing to Penn State by only seven points. 

Other participating schools included: Penn State University, University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, Rutgers and University of Vermont.

“I am very proud of our students,” said Dr. Bruce Richards, assistant professor of dairy science. “It was great to see how excited the students got about it and I hope that next year the excitement continues and we take first overall.”

The DelVal group included:

Back row from left: Mr. Rod Gilbert, Lauren Wasser, Billie-Jo LaVan, Rachel Vaillancourt, Meghan Farmery, Thomas Diffendal, Aubrey Swanson, Logan Hall, Becca Goforth, Stephen Geib, Ingrid Levisay

Middle row from left: Devin Cunningham, Avery Corondi, Sam Marcus, Jessica Weston, Jenny Allen, Jack Egan, Darla Romberger, Sam Martz, Taylor Thomas, Taylor Bauder, Trish Hildebrand, Mr. Adam Conover

Front row from left: Michelle Eck, Kaitlyn Supa, Tabitha Dilks, Brianne Bendl, Rachael Kirkhoff, Kayla Romberger, Melissa Long, Rebecca DiFabbio, Beth Lutz, Carrie Hyduke, Brian Gould

For Quiz Bowl, students competed in teams of four and were asked questions about subjects such as poultry, dairy, beef equine, nutrition, reproduction, and other topics they’ve learned about in their animal science courses.

During the oral presentation competition one student from each team presented about a topic.

In the livestock judging competition, students were asked to assign scores to place several different species of livestock including: sheep, goats, standardbred horses, dairy cows, dairy heifers, and beef steers based on productive and trait characteristics

They looked at a group of animals in each class and rated the animals scoring them 1-4. Their scores were then compared to an official judge’s rankings.

DelVal student Darla Romberger’s oral presentation on dairy production and its effects on the environment took first place out of the entire competition. Another DelVal student took fifth in the oral presentation competition.

Romberger, a senior double majoring in animal science and dairy science, was excited to compete.

“I really like participating in judging competitions and quiz bowls like this,” said Romberger. “I enjoy mingling with other students while participating and competing at a higher level.”

Her presentation examined ways dairy farmers are working to reduce their carbon footprints.

One method she explored was a feed additive that is given to cows which causes them to produce less methane.

“I wanted to see what kind of research was out there to show ways that people involved in agriculture are working to be more environmentally friendly,” said Romberger.

Dr. Richards said that the competition gets students exited about learning and helps them develop valuable skills.

“It is good motivation for the students to work hard and it is also an opportunity for students to meet students from other colleges and challenges them in the pursuit of excellence,” said Dr. Richards. “It is another opportunity to work on such things as their oral presentation skills and developing communication skills.”

The students who competed were not part of a class. Students that were interested could sign up to go. Many were either part of Block and Bridle or Dairy Society, two student organizations, but there were some students that weren’t part of those clubs that were recruited.

Three advisors traveled with the students including: Assistant Professor of Animal Science Rodney Gilbert, Assistant Livestock Facilities Manager Adam Conover and Dr. Richards.

“The students worked very hard to prepare for the competition,” said Dr. Richards. “They started practicing last October and arranged their own practices for quiz bowl and livestock judging. I think their hard work paid off.”

He said this year’s group was the largest DelVal has taken to the competition and that this was the best the students have done in many years.

A December graduate of Delaware Valley College’s Teacher Certification Internship Program, she teaches computer classes entirely in Spanish at a bilingual K-8 charter school in Philadelphia.

“It is amazing to watch how Beth teaches her class in Spanish and how the young students respond to the content about computers,” said Bernie McGee, an adjunct who is responsible for observing DelVal’s TCIP students. “As a principal for over 20 years, Beth is the type of teacher I wanted in my schools.  She is energetic, competent and caring.  She provides the right ingredients to make learning fun and exciting for her students.”

Bethany Rickard, a graduate of DelVal's TCIP program teaches technology classes entirely in Spanish at a bilingual charter school in Philadelphia.

About the program

People who already have bachelor’s degrees can earn level 1 teacher certification quickly at DelVal by taking 21 required credits and completing an internship.

After completing required credits, passing Praxis exams and getting clearances, interns apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the intern certification.

TCIP Coordinator Kate Hinkle estimated that about 100 students per year enroll in the program. She said the approximate cost is $12,000.

DelVal has TCIP students working in public and private schools all over Pennsylvania and in New Jersey.

“They are especially appreciated in Philadelphia,” Hinkle said of the students. “They bring more than just academic knowledge to the classroom. A lot of the TCIP students in chemistry and the sciences have worked at drug companies… Schools appreciate that they can bring that experience to the classroom.”

DelVal has people with expertise in business, computers, information technology, math, English, agriculture, social studies, general science, biology and chemistry who come back to get the qualifications they need to lead classrooms.

Deciding to enroll

“I happened to catch the (TCIP) ad on the radio one day,” said Rickard. “Teaching wasn’t something I was considering, I heard how rapid the program was, called, spoke with people in TCIP and was enrolled within two weeks.”

Rickard, of Wayne, Pa., graduated from The University of Pittsburgh in 2005 with a bachelor’s in business with concentrations in marketing and Spanish.

Before getting certified to teach in Pennsylvania, she worked for an independent study abroad program, taught classes for a year in Spain and worked for various other educational programs. She always liked training other employees and really wanted to make a career out of teaching.

“I was certified (to intern) in under a year. That was fantastic,” said Rickard, who completed her TCIP courses from March to November 2010.

Teaching experience

In August, she started her internship at Eugenio Maria De Hostos, the bilingual charter school where she works now. She was hired for a regular yearlong contract position that more than fulfilled her internship requirement.

She loves teaching technology at the charter school.

“It’s great to be in a bilingual community,” said Rickard. “We all enter the school with the goal of making the kids bilingual and bicultural. I see endless possibilities for what we can teach them and what they can learn.”

Her experience at DelVal

Rickard said DelVal’s TCIP program helped prepare her to be part of this special mission.

“All my instructors were either teachers or administrators at local high schools,” said Rickard. “They were very knowledgeable about their subjects. They were very hands-on, very willing to help out. I’m still in touch with some; one actually wrote me a letter of recommendation and offered to help any time with my job search.”

A rewarding career 

The charter school is at the intersection of Cheltenham Avenue and Second Street. Rickard teaches students there a variety of skills. She also teaches two electives for sixth- to eighth-graders, a newsletter course and web design.

Students in the newsletter course create a publication in both English and Spanish. In the web design course, students learn about html, the programing code behind websites.

“The school hadn’t had a technology teacher for a few years,” said Rickard.

She took a few technology courses and taught herself programs with online resources.

“Technology is something I’ve always had an interest in,” said Rickard.

Her students have a variety of language backgrounds.

“There’s a pretty big mix. Some are English-as-second-language students, some are Spanish-as-a-second-language students,” said Rickard. “They come from the Philadelphia area. It is a charter school so they do need to apply to get in.”

She only speaks Spanish in her classroom.

“That can be a challenge because they sometimes don’t know what I’m saying," said Rickard. "It’s visuals, vocabulary, lots of hands-on work.”

Rickard perfected her Spanish by taking college courses, studying in Costa Rica her sophomore year of college and by teaching in English for a year in Spain.

Changing futures

She hopes the combination of being bilingual and having strong technology skills will help her students stand out from the competition.

“They’re getting their first applications for high school right now,” Rickard said in October 2011. “For some of the more specialized high schools, like the technology schools, it is definitely going to make the students much stronger competition. It also might help them to choose which high schools to apply to. They might find that they have a skill or knack for technology and get excited.”

One of her proudest moments was watching her kids learn html.

“Seeing seventh- and eighth-graders learn html (was rewarding); some adults don’t know how to do that,” said Rickard. “(I love) when you’re able to get them excited about the technology.”

The data came from the Commonfund Study of Endowments performed by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. NACUBO, based in Washington, D.C., is a membership organization representing universities and higher education service providers around the world. It works to advance the financial strength and business practices of academic institutions. The study looked at 823 schools in the United States.

“To have done better than more than 800 colleges and universities in endowment growth is clear recognition of our financial stability and the strides we have made in fundraising,” said Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, DelVal’s president. “We are on a very successful path right now and our intention is to maintain that pace.”

A $30 million gift in land and cash from The Warwick Foundation was a major reason for the increase. During fiscal year 2010, the NACUBO study found that the market value of DelVal’s endowment was approximately $15.5 million. In fiscal year 2011, the study set the value at more than $34 million.

The percentages listed for change in endowments include: the impact of withdrawals, payment of endowment management and investment fees, donor gifts and other contributions, investments gains and losses, transfers to the endowment from other institutional accounts, and estimated values of real estate and other assets which may have large increases or decreases.

DelVal announced that it will dedicate land on its main campus as a charitable garden to help supply food for local food pantries Feb. 3 at a hunger forum on campus. Dean Redding stands outside on DelVal's campus with student leaders who helped make the charitable garden project possible (From left: Tabitha Dilks, Logan Hall, Dean Redding, Zachary Gihorski and Lindsay Smith).

These are the faces of hunger, and they’re local.

Delaware Valley College partnered with the community to host The Hunger Nutrition Coalition of Bucks County’s Biennial Hunger Forum “Hope of the Harvest: Hunger No Longer.” The event, held on campus Feb. 3, aimed to strengthen partnerships, support the local agricultural community and improve the nutrition of local people in need.


Russell Redding, DelVal’s dean of agricultural and environmental sciences, announced in his keynote address that the college is partnering with the Bucks County Opportunity Council and Philabundance to create a one-acre charitable garden on its main campus.

The garden will help provide fresh, healthy food for families who are struggling in Bucks County and the surrounding area.

The initial garden will feature five priority crops: sweet corn, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and leafy greens.

The goal is to get plants into the charitable garden by May and harvest the first products in early July.


At the event, the Hunger Nutrition Coalition of Bucks County presented the results of a survey about hunger in the local area.

They surveyed families receiving services from 34 agencies in 2011. The survey found that the need for food among employed people has increased in the county and that visits to food pantries were up by 21 percent.

Dean Redding said that the need in the area is well documented.


“What do we do?” asked Dean Redding. “That’s what this forum is about.”

The event brought together a variety of perspectives, including people who work in agriculture, people who work for food pantries, in human services, for nonprofits, and community members who were curious about hunger.


Speakers covered topics such as: challenges that farmers face in the community related to donating fresh food, the ability to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for food pantries and the challenges with storing and moving these products off the shelves quickly.

Participants also worked together in small groups of 5-7, which were led by Hunger Nutrition Coalition members and DelVal students, to discuss the issues and share ideas.


DelVal student Zachary Gihorski presented details of the charitable garden project at the forum.

“Today I’m announcing something not covered in a red cape, but covered in hard work, dedication and passion,” said Gihorski, a senior agriculture education major.


Gihorski said work on the project started Oct. 1 and has involved student leaders from a variety of campus organizations including: the collegiate 4H chapter, Sigma Alpha, Inter-Club Council, Feel Good and Oxfam, as well as many other students.

He asked DelVal student leaders to join him on stage to be recognized as he presented.


“There are a lot of things happening on this campus that make you very proud to be here,” said Dean Redding of the students’ efforts.

The garden will help meet a critical need for fresh food for the charitable food system.


According to the Bucks County Hunger Nutrition Coalition survey, “97 percent of food pantry clients in our communities go without fresh fruits and vegetables if their local food pantry has none.”

“There’s a big need for more produce in the community,” said Mike Olenick, the opportunity council’s food and nutrition network manager. “This garden will be a big step forward to helping to meet that need.”


The garden will provide the specific foods that the food pantries need and give DelVal students a chance to teach local people about a variety of topics from nutrition to food production.

“A really big part of this is the education aspect,” said Gihorski. “We want to teach people…To do what a college is supposed to do and educate the people around us to the best of our ability.”


Gihorski said that DelVal will need the community’s support on the project.

DelVal students will be involved in the whole process  -- from planting, to harvesting, packaging and delivering the products.


Redding believes that giving students opportunities to use what they learn in class to solve community problems is a critical part of education and a cornerstone of the DelVal experience.

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with a partner like DelVal,” said Mike Olenick. “The agricultural resources that they offer as well as the energy that the students are putting forth…this is really a rare opportunity that we’re looking forward to getting started with.”


DelVal students from a variety of programs came out to participate in the forum.

“I thought it was really interesting,” senior Rebecca Furman, a food science major, said of the forum. “Hunger is something a lot of people don’t see and aren’t aware of. Education is important to get people to help and realize it’s an issue. There were a lot of people represented here today and a lot of great ideas."

“We’re honored to co-host the hunger symposium with the Hunger Nutrition Coalition because it will provide the opportunity for students to learn about the issue of hunger in our community,” said Redding. “And equally as important, we’re honored to help the community see where Delaware Valley College can help address this pressing social issue.”

At the forum, the Hunger Nutrition Coalition will present the results of a survey related to hunger. The survey, done every two years, will reveal that the local need for assistance is growing.

According to the survey, more people in the local community are relying on food stamps. In 2009, about 29 percent of the more than 6,700 people surveyed reported using food stamps. Last year, 34 percent of the 2206 people surveyed reported using the program.

The forum runs from 8 a.m. to noon in the Moumgis Auditorium in the Student Center. The event will work on strengthening partnerships to support the local agricultural community and improve the nutrition of local people in need. It will include breakout sessions and an interactive forum.

People who work in agriculture, human services, or for nonprofits, and community members who are curious about hunger in the area are encouraged to attend.

According to the coalition, 97 percent of food pantry clients in the community go without fresh fruit and vegetables if their local food pantry has none.

This event will cover topics such as: challenges that farmers face in the community related to donating fresh food, the ability to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for food pantries and the challenges with storing and moving these products off the shelves quickly.

The event will be an opportunity for the community to come together to look at the state of hunger in Bucks County and offer solutions.

This forum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

Participants are encouraged to register in advance online.

Delaware Valley College held a Town Hall Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 11 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pa., to give alumni out in that area a chance to hear about the college firsthand and join in on the conversation.

The college would like to host similar future events to make getting involved easier for people who aren’t living in the Doylestown area. The meetings will be held at fun events, so that alumni can spend a day enjoying an event like the farm show, learn about the strategic plan, and discuss the latest updates about the college all in one trip.

“The annual Farm Show provides a great opportunity to learn about what’s new in agriculture, meet new friends, eat some great food and plan for the year ahead," said Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell C. Redding, who hosted the event. "In addition to all these benefits, Delaware Valley College, has added this year, the opportunity for alums to participate in a conversation with College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan and the college leadership about all the exciting things happening at DelVal.”

Dean Redding shared that before he came to work for DelVal he would hear about an idea or a plan and come back to find that idea or plan being carried out.

“It was no longer about the strategic plan that someone was talking about,” said Dean Redding. “…It went from ‘we need to do that’ to ‘we are doing that.”

What he saw made him want to get more involved.

“I thought, this is a place that really has a bright future,” said Dean Redding.

College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, Dean of Business, Education, Arts and Sciences Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski and Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell C. Redding provided updates on topics including: facilities, academic programs, the financial state of the college, experiential learning, changes in leadership, the types of students the college is attracting, and more.

The panel then opened up the discussion for ideas, comments and questions from alumni.

Questions touched on a variety of topics ranging from parking issues at alumni events to programs for students.

Some shared general feedback about how they feel about the college and others made suggestions.

Doug Christie ’67, who leads DelVal’s farm management team, shared that he likes how students today can get to know their college president.

“Joe walks across campus today and the students know him by name, he knows them by name,” said Christie. “It’s a different atmosphere then when some of us were students.”

Jim Hoover ’61 shared that DelVal prepared him to succeed. His daughter graduated from DelVal also and even met her husband at the college.

“I really credit DelVal for a lot of the success,” said Hoover.

Another alumnus, who was a student from Dr. Rusiloski’s first chemistry class 17 years ago, shared her experiences with seeing recent graduates in her field. She provided valuable input about how to best prepare DelVal students for jobs in the dairy industry.

The meeting closed with a short video about the college.

“I thought it was very enlightening,” said Shaun Henry ’97. “It was the first opportunity I had to hear about the strategic plan firsthand.”

He particularly liked the video.

“The video was great,” said Henry. “…It tied agriculture and science to present day problems and solutions.”

Derrick Hudson ’97 said the event was “very informative and educational.”

“It almost made me want to go back to DelVal,” said Hudson. “There’s a vibe and an energy…I think I would want my kids to go here…There’s a lot of pride out there for DelVal.”

He is concerned about the name and hopes that the current name can be incorporated in some way when the college becomes a university. He worries that the reputation of the college might get lost if the name is changed.

Hudson, who is working in the golf course management industry, said DelVal has a strong reputation in his industry.

He liked the video and said that it was informative and “gets you energized and excited.”

It will be held in the Moumgis Auditorium (located in the student center) on DelVal’s Doylestown Campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be two keynote speakers, as well as morning and afternoon breakout sessions. In the afternoon there will be a “Women in the Green Industry” panel discussion. Bill Hendricks, owner of Klyn Nurseries in Ohio, will be a keynote speaker. He will present, “Shrubs for the mixed border…great complements to perennials.”

Klyn Nurseries is a wholesale nursery that supplies plant materials to contractors, retailers, and municipalities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Western New York, West Virginia and Kentucky. Hendricks is a renowned plant materials speaker.

Greg Hoover, of Penn State, will also be a keynote speaker. He will present, “Some Invasive Pest Species in Pennsylvania: Viburnum Leaf Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer and Thousand Cankers Disease.”

Angela Palmer, founder of Plants Nouveau, a company that introduces and promotes new plants, will teach participants about social media’s role in the industry.

Pete Landschoot will provide an update on recent issues relevant to turfgrass.

DelVal Associate Professor of Horticulture Dr. Jackie Ricotta will talk about capitalizing on the “grow your own food” movement, which continues to gain momentum.

Todd Hagenbuch, vegetation management specialist for Arborchem Products, will discuss invasive plants.

The event is a great opportunity to network with horticulturists.

The cost for the general public is $49 and includes light breakfast and lunch. Space is limited. Those who are interested in participating should call Scott Guiser at 215-345-3283 as soon as possible to reserve a spot.

DelVal students are welcome to attend for free if they bring student ID (however lunch is not included as part of the free registration).

Gihorski, of Port Norris, N.J., took first place out of 23 students from 20 states in the national competition. Garth Duncan of the University of Missouri took second and Kimberly Miller of Purdue University was named as an alternate.

Contestants were required to submit written plans showing how they would approach communicating the positive side of an identified issue.  The top two plans were selected with the winners advancing to Agriculture’s Promise, a conference to be held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5-7. 

After DelVal, Gihorski would like to attend law school to study environmental law and become an advocate for farmers.

He is passionate about helping others through agriculture.

Gihorski’s winning plan discussed how charitable gardens can help provide nutritious food for people who can’t afford to feed their families.

“This issue is one I have been extremely passionate about,” Gihorski said in his plan. “When I came to understand that so many members of my college’s local community were struggling to acquire the nutrition they needed to support their families, it motivated me to take action.”

In Washington, Gihorski will have the opportunity to visit the offices of senators and representatives and talk face-to-face with America’s leaders about important agricultural issues. 

He’s excited about the opportunity to go to Washington.

“To work on a project at your school and be able to go to Washington to talk about your idea is very unique,” said Gihorksi. "I’m excited about it and getting a chance to see how legislation works there.”

Gihorski said he’s found some great mentors at DelVal, including Russell Redding, the dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Dr. Mena Birett, of The Office of The First Year Experience.

Jami Willard, of Washington, and Kathryn Shallenberger, of Illinois, last year’s winners, facilitated the program. Willard noted “Zach is very meticulous and articulate.”

Agriculture’s Promise is designed to bring together agriculture’s future leaders and today’s decision makers to identify challenges and opportunities, examine them openly and develop a plan for moving forward with the goal of designing a framework to support agriculture’s future. 

The winner, determined at Agriculture’s Promise, will receive a lifetime National Young Farmers Educational Association  membership.  The home office for the organization is in Montgomery, Ala.

The Ag Communications program was sponsored by John Deere.  Dennis W. Kelly, representing John Deere, participated in the program. The event was hosted by the Missouri Young Farmers and the Farm Wives Association.

"The annual Farm Show provides a great opportunity to learn about what’s new in agriculture, meet new friends, eat some great food and plan for the year ahead," said Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell C. Redding, who is hosting the event. "In addition to all these benefits, Delaware Valley College, has added this year, the opportunity for alums to participate in a conversation with College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan and the College leadership about  all the exciting things happening at DelVal.   Please plan to attend and provide your insight on our future."

The Town Hall Meeting is an opportunity to meet the leadership team taking DelVal forward in the 21st century.

Panel discussion includes: College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Dr. Bashar Hanna, Dean of Business, Education, Arts and Sciences Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski and Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell C. Redding. A variety of Pennsylvania’s finest foods and beverages will be served.

Reservations are required. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Please reply by Jan. 6 by calling Kathie Cohan at  215-489-2397.

The Keystone Conference Center is located on the second floor above the Maclay Street Lobby of the PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.

This is a complimentary event.

Gemmill, of Conshohocken, is a former vice president and secretary of the Tasty Baking Company, a former vice president of Mellon Bank, a former vice president of university relations at Drexel University and a former Philadelphia assistant district attorney. She has served on numbers boards, including the board of Philadelphia University.

Eric Compton

Compton, of Doylestown, is the worldwide general manager for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson & Johnson company. He has also held several other senior leadership positions within Johnson & Johnson, including worldwide vice president of franchise strategic marketing at Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care, general manager at SymCare, vice president of New Ventures at Johnson & Johnson and vice president of sales and marketing at LifeScan. 

“I’ve been a resident of Doylestown for almost six years now and really love the community,” said Compton. “I was looking for a way to give back to Doylestown and get more involved in our higher education institutions.”

Compton said that the growth and diversity at the college made him want to get involved. He is eager to apply his background in the healthcare industry and business to help the college as it moves toward new majors and fields of interest.

Compton earned a B.A. in speech communications and economics from the University of Richmond and an M.B.A (marketing) from Kennesaw State University.

Elizabeth Gemmill

As a DelVal trustee, Gemmill is following in her late father’s footsteps. Kenneth Gemmill served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at DelVal from 1985-91. He and his wife, Helen Gemmill, founded The Warwick Foundation, which Elizabeth Gemmill recently headed. In 2010, in honor of her parents, The Warwick Foundation gave Delaware Valley College a transformational gift valued at $30 million.

The gift included the new 398-acre Kenneth and Helen Gemmill Campus.

When the gift was announced Gemmill said it represented her support of President Joseph S. Brosnan and the college’s strategic plan, and was a way for the foundation to honor her parents’ legacy. 

“I really like the plan. I think it is terrific,” said Gemmill. “I think it will continue to put DelVal on the map where it belongs.”

While serving as the board chair at Philadelphia University, she helped guide that institution as it went from a college to a university. Her experience will be valuable to DelVal’s plan to achieve university status.

Gemmill is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Boston University School of Law and has an M.L.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Philadelphia University and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Delaware Valley College.

When Ellen Robinson, a DelVal student, found out that in the egg laying industry a large amount of males were being destroyed the day they hatched, she decided to see if she could change the male:female ratio by altering the pH of  a solution used in the artificial insemination of the birds.

Warren Petrillo, a conservation and wildlife management student, spent his semester in local vineyards observing the kestrel, a small bird of prey that is declining in population, to try to gain information that could help with conservation efforts.

Kimberly Knower, a chemistry student, spent her semester trying to discover new alternatives to food dyes when she found out that some artificial dyes may be linked to disorders such as ADHD.

Delaware Valley College undergraduate students are taking an interest in problems and looking for ways to contribute to solving them through individual scientific research projects.

On Dec. 6 in the Mandell Science Building, 11 students from DelVal’s student research course presented their projects.

In the course, juniors and seniors spend a semester exploring topics of their choosing under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They form and test hypotheses and present their results to the college community. This year, students worked in groups of 1-2 students.
 

Mark McDevitt presenting his research on Aquaponics. Aquaponics is a method of growing plants and fish together. The waste from the fish helps to fertilize the plants.

The presentations lasted about 10 minutes each and were followed by questions from faculty and other students.

A representative from Bristol-Myers Squibb, a global BioPharma company, was in the audience to hear the students present. The company generously awarded a grant to DelVal to fund the student research course and two scholarships for students taking the course in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Robinson, under the guidance of Dr. Frederick Hofsaess, an animal science professor, worked with birds that were donated by Hybrid Turkeys in Canada. She raised her research group at DelVal and provided all of their care and vaccinations. She added aspartic acid to the turkey extender, a solution used to dilute and preserve turkey semen, to lower the pH from 6.5 to 6.

Robinson said that acidic conditions may be more favorable to X sperm while basic conditions may be more favorable to Y in mammals which are comparable to Z and W in turkeys. By lowering the pH, she hoped to produce more females and cut down on the amount of birds that are destroyed in the industry.

She is still waiting for her eggs to hatch and said it will be at least a month before she has her data.
Petrillo studied Kestrels because their population has been in decline due to loss of habitat and an increase in predators. Dr. Gregory George from the biology department was his mentor for the semester.

“A better understanding could potentially be of use for conservation efforts,” said Petrillo.

He observed them feeding their young at three locations and recorded the food type, sex of the parent doing the feeding and the length of time of the feeding.

Petrillo did his field research in two local vineyards and a residential site on Dark Hollow Road.

He found that females provided 84 percent of the feedings he observed and that almost every feeding was very fast, under a minute.

He also made a chart showing the prey selection of the birds.

Chemistry major Karlena Brown worked under the guidance of faculty mentor Dr. Melissa Langston with soil samples from Costa Rica.

DelVal chemistry student Karlena Brown working in the lab on her project for the student research course. 

Brown wanted to enhance the amount of calcium in the soil to help coffee farmers there.

She analyzed the sample using atomic absorption and found that the sample had about 125 parts per million of calcium originally.

She tried three methods including using a rain buffer, adding dry leaf ashes, and dissolving dry leaf ashes in acid. The first two tries actually lowered the amount of calcium. The third method worked and the calcium jumped to about 180 parts per million.

“My research did come out very well and I did come up with a recommendation,” said Brown, who will share her findings with Café Cristina in Costa Rica.

Other topics included: “The Spooky Horse; an Investigation of Physiological and Behavioral Causes” presented by Marina Wong and Alyssa Giulianelli; “Characterization of a Probable Novel Bacterial Species,” presented by Courtney Wolfe; “Identifying Bacteria that Produce the Phytohormone Auxin,” presented by Michelle Ocasio; “Aquaponics: Effects of Fish and the Study of Plants,” presented by Mark McDevitt and Joseph Mandara; “The Affect of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria on Spinach Grown in Various Salt Concentrations,” presented by Courtney Dickinson.

The course is one more opportunity for students at DelVal to learn through experience.

“The Student Research Course provides the opportunity for students to explore a research topic in more depth through creative problem solving using the scientific method,” said Dr. Cynthia Keler, a faculty member in the biology department. “In addition, this course provides the student with professional development opportunities.”

Students gain experience from the course that is valuable for graduate school, professional school or a career in academic or industry research.

By Annmarie Ely

Laura Owen, DelVal’s 11th Thomas W. Watson Executive in Residence, encouraged students to think about their futures as full of possibility and shared 10 key lessons from her own life that they should keep in mind.

Owen, a CEO and a 1979 graduate of DelVal, spoke to a full auditorium at the Student Center on Nov. 17.

Watson, a 1957 DelVal alumnus, started the Executive-in-Residence program to bring business leaders to the college to share their firsthand experiences with students. He is co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of New York-based Omnicom Group, Inc. and dean of Omnicom University.

The speakers give students an honest look at what it takes to build a successful career.

“We’ve had some really great speakers who don’t mind telling you about their mistakes as well as their successes,” said Larry Stelmach, a member of the business faculty who introduced Owen.

The speaker, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business from DelVal, told the students her ties to the college are close, in part because her mother was a DelVal professor.

Owen is CEO of PontSalus, a firm that shares U.S. healthcare resources with the world. At PontSalus she identifies healthcare needs of other countries, finds the right U.S. partner and builds relationships.

Before PontSalus, Owen was a founder and President/COO of ICOP Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICOP), a company that engineered and marketed mobile video products for first responders.

She was also the first woman appointed as Kansas Secretary of Commerce, where she led international trade, business development, and travel and tourism for the state of Kansas.

Her favorite professor, President Emeritus Dr. George West, was in the audience to hear her speech.

She said West always believed she had a bright future.

“The most important lesson I learned at DelVal, was that I was a possibility,” said Owen. “Dr. West believed in me at a time when I didn’t believe in myself. That gave me confidence that I carried with me.”

She wanted to pass that confidence on to current students.

“Today, I want to make you think about your possibilities,” said Owen.

She shared the 10 most important lessons she’s learned from her successes and failures. Owen told students learning these lessons would help open up possibilities for their futures.

Lesson 10: Know what you’re passionate about
Owen said, “We tend to excel at things we’re passionate about.” When she was little she told her dad very seriously that she’d own a cosmetics company one day. He laughed at the certainty in her voice, but encouraged her. When she gave real thought to what she wanted to do, she realized that running a business is what she’s always been passionate about.

Lesson 9: Forgive and move forward
“We have little power over the challenges life brings us in those first 20 years,” said Owen. “We have imperfect parents, imperfect siblings and an imperfect world…What we can control are the next 80 years.”

She said that many people never look past pain, such as abuse, or other bad experiences from their first 20 years. Owen said that to be successful, a person must forgive and move on.

Lesson 8: Know what you stand for

Owen said that, “If you don’t know where you draw the line, you’re going to cross it.”

In her early twenties she worked for a company that was illegally dumping waste at night. She knew it was wrong, but did nothing.

“I still feel guilt about that,” said Owen. “Hold yourself to a high standard…Write down your core values and live by them.”

Lesson 7: Stand out in a tough economy

Students today don’t need to be reminded that they face a challenging job market. Owen said that there will be greater demands as they look for their first jobs, but that there are ways to stand out.

“Read, be informed, know people, networking works…email blasts don’t work,” said Owen. “You don’t want to be one of the thousands of resumes that end up in the round file (trash can).”

She told students not to hesitate to ask people for recommendations or introductions and to always send a handwritten thank you.

She suggested students get creative by for example, making personal videos and attaching them to their resumes. Owen also encouraged students to work or study abroad because companies are becoming multicultural and multinational.

Lesson 6: People are the best resource in any company

Owen told the students “when you’re going to hire people, hire people you can learn from.” She said that she tries to constantly learn from the people around her such as her sons, who teach her about new technology.

She said a mentor is a great resource. She recommended indentifying mentors in the industries they’d like to pursue to find out what they can do as students to prepare for the positions they’d like to have when they graduate.

Lesson 5: 9/10 of success is just showing up (and asking for what you want)

Owen told students to take chances and ask even if they don’t think the answer will be “yes.”

When she was Kansas Secretary of Commerce she met the owner of Harrods, a famous department store in London. She wanted to feature Kansas companies in Harrods, but wasn’t sure how she’d do it and was feeling intimidated. She took a chance and asked anyway.

Harrods created a “Wizard of Oz” themed display featuring Kansas companies and some of those companies gained international opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had.

Lesson 4: Pay it forward

“You must stand for something bigger than yourself in life,” said Owen. “…There’s nothing wrong with doing well by doing good.”

She said the businesses that support causes and are active in their communities are often more successful because of that involvement.

Lesson 3: Life is not a dress rehearsal

Owen encouraged students not to wait too long before going for a dream.

“No one has all the answers, so many things we just had to wing it as we went,” said Owen.

She encouraged students to reach outside of their comfort zones, telling them the longer they continue without taking risks, the smaller the boxes they live in become.

“If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you take on?” she asked the students.

Lesson 2: Be intentional

“Have a plan,” said Owen. “You wouldn’t drive to California without a map or navigation device.”

She told students that their plans may change many times in their lives, but that they’ll always need to have one to move forward.

Lesson 1: Carry an umbrella

Owen said that in every life there will be storms or times where a person struggles.
Closing her company, ICOP, was one of those times for her.

“I felt like a failure. I didn’t know how I’d face my family and friends,” said Owen. “…One of the great lessons I learned was no one pays as much attention to our failures as we do, they are just a blip on the radar to them.”

After closing her company, she took a chance. She wanted to share U.S. health care with the world. She contacted the Vice Chairman of GE Healthcare.

He was interested in her idea and that’s how she got PontSalus going.

Her work takes her to place like Saudi Arabia and gives her a “unique opportunity to build bridges.”

“What started as a real stretch turned out to be the real deal,” said Owen. “Think big, embrace opportunities that you’re passionate about. Perhaps 30 years from now, you’ll be able to come back and address the students, have your loved ones there and see your favorite professor in the audience.”

The students were happy to hear someone give them useful advice for thriving in a challenging environment.

“I thought she was a very inspirational person because she took a lot of chances in her career,” said senior Ashley Ferguson.

By Annmarie Ely

Judy Meisel, an 82-year-old woman who spoke to students at DelVal’s Multicultural Forum, can remember the smell of death in the camps during the Holocaust, but she can also remember the sound of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice when he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

When she moved to the U.S., she joined the civil rights movement and began using her story to show people the dangerous consequences of hatred.

Meisel didn’t give a speech at the Nov. 15 forum. Rather, she held an intimate conversation with a standing-room-only audience.

“She has survived what we only learn about in history books,” said DelVal student Harris Trobman, a member of Hillel, as he introduced Meisel.  “This is a unique opportunity.”

Meisel walked toward the students and told them they could ask any questions they wanted, even if the questions were uncomfortable.

“I don’t like to stand at a podium,” said Meisel. “I like to see all of your beautiful eyes.”

She said when she remembers the Holocaust she thinks of the isolation she felt in the ghetto and in the camp, remembers her mother being taken to the gas chambers, all the hangings and the deaths.

At the time, she was a child, but the memories haven’t left her even though her hair has gone white.

She said sometimes she won’t sleep well without pills, but that she doesn’t like to take them.

Meisel said the memories are “always with me.”

In the camps she would put herself in a trance to smell flowers that weren’t there.

“With the stench of death around me I could smell the flowers,” said Meisel. “…We pinched ourselves to see that we were alive. To take one breath more was to fight the Nazis.”

When people ask if she hates anyone for what happened to her and to her family, she replies, that she “hates hate.”

“Hate stifles you,” said Meisel. “The ones that go around hating, the Aryan Nation, they’re nobodies… You can’t live and go around hating.”

Meisel asked if any students had Danish heritage.

“They saved my life,” said Meisel, who escaped to Denmark at 16. “I weighed 47 pounds. They put me in a hospital and fed me…They gave me a sense that I could trust human beings that weren’t Jewish.”

When she moved to the U.S., she got involved with the civil rights movement, which gave her some memories she describes as “unbelievable.”

“We all felt an African American family is not safe…a Jewish home is not safe,” said Meisel, who stayed with a black family the night before the famous March on Washington in 1963. “To see so many people together, white people, Japanese people, Chinese people… to hear ‘I Have a Dream’ was unbelievable.”

She still remembers the little details about that day, like what she ate and that it was hot out.

“Martin Luther King, we need what he taught,” said Meisel. “…He broke the shackles of indifference…The apathy that I see bothers me.”

When asked about deniers of the Holocaust she said that they are “out to try to kill her a second time.”

She talked about various deniers, including Arthur Butz, a tenured professor at Northwestern University.

She said Elie Wiesel, the author of “Night,” a famous book about the Holocaust, told her, “When you go out to speak Judy, everyone who hears you becomes an eye witness.”

Meisel encouraged students to respect each other’s differences.

“We’re not all the same, but we’re all made of flesh and blood,” said Meisel.

A student asked her if she ever thought people would stop killing each other.

“I should hope there will be peace one day,” said Meisel. “ I hope you young people will see to it because you have choices.  You can align yourself with peace or you can align yourself with the Aryan Nation or something like that.”

She said the most important step in the right direction is doing away with indifference.

“It is important that we at DelVal get enough knowledge to enrich ourselves,” said Shakera Robinson of Students for Diversity.

The night before, she attended the showing of the film “Tak for Alt (Thank you for Everything)” about Meisel’s life.

“It was empowering for me to watch,” said Robinson.

Students appreciated the chance to hear Meisel’s story.

“It really made a lot of sense and hit home for me, ” said sophomore Sarah Cimbol.

“I thought she was very inspiring,” said sophomore Elizabeth Fleming. “It really gives you a perspective of what she went through and how it still affects us today.”

The liberal arts department, Students for Diversity and Hillel hosted the Multicultural Forum. DelVal hosts Multicultural Forums twice a year.

What was once a vacant lot is now a small orchard that will provide fruit for a community in Philadelphia where affordable, fresh fruit is hard to find.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, eight students from two DelVal clubs, Oxfam and IMPACT, took the train to Philadelphia to volunteer with The Philadelphia Orchard Project.

Oxfam works to battle poverty, hunger, social injustice and other global problems. IMPACT is a nondenominational spiritual club.

The students helped weed to make room for new plants, dug holes for trees, planted trees and spent a day working along side people from various organizations in Philadelphia.

Sophomore Alex Heigh, an environmental design major, unloads some plants for the project. Alex is a member of Impact, DelVal’s nondenominational spiritual club and also serves on the Precarious Alliance Steering Committee.

The Philadelphia Orchard project helped create the community garden in a lot across the street from Temple Presbyterian Church. The site is within a short walk from Temple University.

Presbytery of Philadelphia, The Women’s Community Project and Temple Presbyterian Church sponsored the project.

Members of the Philadelphia Orchard Project came to help with the design, planting and maintenance training.

The Rev. Dr. Valeria G. Harvell, pastor of Temple Presbyterian Church, said that the fruit trees will produce fruit such as apples and pears for the community.

She said that when the Eastern North Philadelphia Coalition surveyed residents to find out what they wanted a few years ago, the number one request was affordable housing. The number two request was green space.

Dr. Harvell wanted to help give people in her area beautiful spaces to enjoy.

The church owned a small lot across the street, so, she decided to start there.

It will be years before the orchard produces fruit, but she expects that in the future the orchard will be “a beautiful thing for the community.”

“The hope is that it will grow so big that we can start a farmer’s market,” Dr. Harvell said.

Participating DelVal students included: senior Stephanie Walton, a small animal science major, junior Janelle Wommer, a zoo science major, sophomore Bathilda  Lake, a small animal science major, sophomore Katie Ellis, a wildlife management and conservation major, junior Caitlin Kenney, a wildlife management and conservation major, freshman Tommy Diffendal, an agriculture education major, freshman Jade Orth, a wildlife conservation and management major  and sophomore Alex Heigh, an environmental design major.

Janelle Wommer said she found out about the project by reading a magazine article on community gardens. Students from DelVal were eager to spend a day volunteering.

The orchard includes: apple, pear, goumi and cherry trees, perennials that attract pollinators, gooseberries and more.

The food will go directly to the church and the community.

Nora Lichtash, executive director of The Women’s Community Revitalization Project, an organization that helped with the orchard, said the area has a big problem with vacant land.

A November 2010 report prepared by Econsult for The Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia put the number of vacant lots at 40,000.

“That creates blight,” said Lichtash.  “People really need fresh, affordable food, the neighborhood is what is called a food desert (an area where affordable healthy, fresh fruit is hard to find).”

Unmaintained lots often become ugly places where people dump items illegally. They also contribute to problems with crime.

In November 2011, NBC reported that an 18-year-old woman was raped in a vacant garage in Philadelphia.

Efforts to find uses for and maintain the lots around the city do a lot to improve the lives of residents by making areas safer and more beautiful.

It will be a few years before the trees begin to produce fruit, but the community hopes to have vegetables next summer.

“It’s a really good partnership.” said Lichtash.

Lichtash said the lot where the new orchard is was vacant for more than 30 years.

The church had been taking care of the lot and wanted to take that stewardship further by putting it to use.

“I liked it a lot,” said DelVal student Bathilda Lake of the trip. “It was interesting to see how different it is in Philadelphia compared to DelVal and to see the community and the church.”

She said she definitely wants to participate again and might try to help out next year.

“I think the project is really pertinent to our majors,” said Lake. “ It’s really interesting to see how people plant things. It would be really neat to go back next year to see how much it grew.”

She thinks the fresh, local, fruit will help the community.

“I think The Philadelphia Orchard Project is doing a great thing,” said Lake. “In the city it’s hard to find fresh fruit…Even if you have a little community garden on a street corner in Philadelphia it goes a long way.”

For more photos of the students please visit DelVal's Facebook page.

The event is the first in a series and will focus on best practices for creating a positive employment experience for both employees and employers.

Bucks County’s Department of Mental health/ Developmental programs is collaborating with Networks for Training and Development, Inc. and DelVal’s counseling psychology department to host the event.

“We as a department believe that everyone is employable,” said Mary Beth Mahoney, a mental health administrator with the county. “And we ask that everyone embrace that philosophy.  . . . We want to change people’s attitudes toward people with disabilities.”

Denise Bissonnette, the keynote speaker, is an internationally renowned writer, trainer and speaker who inspires her audiences with visions of new possibilities while empowering them with practical tools.

“Denise has a national reputation and is a highly motivating speaker,” said Mahoney, who said her department is looking forward to having a long-term relationship with the college.

This event is perfect for job seekers, families, residential providers, day and employment providers, support coordinators, case managers, rehabilitation specialists, school staff and administrators.

To Register:
There is a $15 fee to attend. Lunch will be provided.  Participants can register online at www.networksfortraining.org/BucksKickOff.html  or by contacting the program at registrar@networkfortraining.org or 610-935-6624 ext. 926. The registration deadline that is listed on the brochure below has been extended. Space is limited, so register as soon as possible.

Event Schedule:

Beyond Barriers to Passion and Possibility: The Art of Creating Opportunity
9:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Beyond Traditional Job Development: Essentials of Employer Engagement
1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Full brochure:

http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/humanservices/mentalhealth/CelebrationofEmploymentBrochure.pdf

Signing the transfer agreement between Delaware Valley College and Bucks County Community College are (from left) Dr. Annette Conn, Bucks’ provost and dean of academic affairs, Bucks’ President Dr. James Linksz, Dr. Bashar Hanna, DelVal’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, Norm Jones, DelVal’s vice president of enrollment and athletics, and DelVal President Dr. James Brosnan.

Delaware Valley College and Bucks County Community College signed an agreement Nov. 8 granting many Bucks graduates automatic admission to DelVal.

The signers included Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, DelVal’s president, and Dr. James Linksz, president of the community college in Newtown.

“This is the future – the model that will make higher education affordable,” Dr. Brosnan said. “Agreements like this are critical to us.”

With the cost of a college education at an all-time high, Dr. Brosnan believes it will become more common for students to start their four-year degree at a less-expensive community college.

At Tyler Hall on the Bucks campus, Dr. Linksz told a group of assembled faculty and administrators, “There is nothing more important than keeping good relationships with institutions where our students want to go. We are pleased to be engaged with DelVal, to have the college as a partner and to allow students to have a good transfer.”

Dr. Brosnan thanked all the administrators involved in arranging the agreement.

“So much work goes on behind the scenes,” he said. “Everybody talks about signing these types of agreements, but making them work is what’s really important. You all have done that.”

On average, about 25 students from Bucks transfer to DelVal each year.  Bucks is DelVal’s primary feeder college.

Barbara A. Ford, director of transfer services at Bucks, said the agreement will make things easier on students. Because of it more courses will transfer.

“Our goal,” she said, “is to have a whole Bucks degree fit into a DelVal degree.”

Under the agreement, Bucks grads will be guaranteed admission as juniors into a parallel bachelor’s program at DelVal. For example, a Bucks student who earns a two-year associate’s degree in biology will be accepted into DelVal’s biology program. The same goes for business administration, chemistry, criminal justice, environmental science and other parallel majors.

Paperwork still is required, and the transfer must take place within one year of graduation from Bucks. A minimum GPA of 2.0 must have been earned for all majors except secondary education, which requires a 2.75 GPA.

The new agreement is an update of one signed between the colleges 10 years ago.

“It is great to be partners with such a strong institution,” Dr. Brosnan said.

Delaware Valley College’s graduate education department has established its own alumni network to provide graduates with a strong support system of other educators and put them in touch with key people at hiring schools and programs.

“The network will help to differentiate our program from ones we’re competing against,” said Interim Dean for Graduate, Professional and Entrepreneurial Studies Dr. James Moryan.  “One of the great ways people can find administrative jobs is to network.”

Graduates of DelVal’s Educational Leadership master’s degree program in education are qualified to take on leadership positions as administrators and supervisors at schools.  DelVal's Teaching and Learning master's degree program is designed for teachers seeking to enhance their skills who want to remain in the classroom.

Dr. Moryan said the network will put both types of graduates of DelVal’s education programs in better contact with each other and the adjuncts they took courses with. Many of DelVal’s education adjuncts are also working as superintendents, directors, business administrators or personnel people at area schools and programs.

“If we can put them in contact with each other, hopefully our adjuncts can know of our graduates and hopefully interview them,” said Dr. Moryan.

He said so far, he’s heard a lot of positive feedback about the network.

“We’ve gotten really good responses from our current students saying that this could open up a gateway for job opportunities,” said Dr. Moryan.

He said the network could also provide an opportunity for alumni to come back and see each other socially.

He is hoping to have the first event at a restaurant in November.

Former Director Dr. Lynn Davis is heading up the alumni network.

“We will send out letters to all our alumni to ask if they’d like to be a part of the project,” said Dr. Moryan. “Depending on the location of most people, we’ll pick a location for an event hopefully in mid November.”

He said the program would like to do two events a year, one in the fall and another in spring.

He said the program plans to work both in person and electronically to keep the alumni network “in the loop.”

For more information or to join: call  the office of graduate programs in education at 215- 439-4833.

DelVal biology, chemistry and food science students this fall came back to very different looking science labs.

Students in Room 104 of the Mandell Science Building can now watch their professor move diagrams around on a giant touch screen with two smaller side screens. The side screens can show the same thing as the main screen or something different. A projector allows small experiments to be shown on a screen.

Faculty can draw and erase right on the middle touch screen to mark up a diagram in class.

“A far cry from 1971-1975,” Maureen Dwyer Selvage ’75 wrote on the college Facebook page when she saw photos of the new labs.

The updated labs in Mandell opened to students at the start of the fall semester. Biology, chemistry and food science labs all have gotten some exciting updates.

“The college’s strategic plan calls on us to take our academic programs to a new level of excellence,” said Dr. Benjamin E. Rusiloski, dean of Business, Education, Arts and Sciences. “These laboratory renovations are an important component of this initiative. They will provide our students with laboratory research experiences that will improve teaching and learning and, at the same time, provide professional development opportunities for our faculty that will enhance their scholarly pursuits.”

On Oct. 25, a celebratory reception was held so all members of the college community could see the labs.

The college updated Mandell 104 (chemistry), Mandell 215 (biology), and Mandell 214 (interdisciplinary/ student research) with a $707,569 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Mandell 211 and 212 also were renovated using a $150,000 gift from the Mandell Foundation.

The biology and chemistry labs all have new casework, fume hoods, windows, ceilings, floors and lights. Mandell 214 also got a new incubator and a new growth chamber.

Mandell 104 will be used for biochemistry and student research. 

Mandell 214 will be used for student research. Mandell 215 will be used for botany, histology, embryology, senior seminar and student research. Mandell 211 and 212 will be used for analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis, physical chemistry and inorganic synthesis.

The updates to the food science labs were funded internally.  Student Initiative Funds were used for the improvements.

Dr. Robert Pierson, chair of DelVal’s of Food Science, Nutrition, & Management department, said the food science labs are not quite complete, but very close.

He said that food science labs were renovated extensively. Food science updates include items such as new scientific islands, a dehydrator, a vacuum packer, new tables and chairs, flat screen TVs, a new sink, a new stove, and more. The rooms were also freshly painted.

Dr. Pierson said the labs have been used extensively by the food science courses.

Some of the updated labs will be dedicated to student-faculty research, for some others student faculty research will be a component of the use.

“More inquiry based investigations are now taking place as part of the laboratory experience for our students,” said Dr. Rusiloski.

Dr. Robert Pierson, chair of the Food Science, Nutrition and Management department in an updated food science lab. 

Dr. Cathy Davies, a faculty member in the  Food Science, Nutrition and Management department, with some of the new equipment. 

By Annmarie Ely

How many know about DelVal? Hands shot up.

How many are planning to go to college? Hands shot up.

How many think you can’t afford to go? Hands shot up.

College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan asked these questions when he greeted about 40 culinary arts students from Dobbins Career and Technical High School of Philadelphia on Friday, Oct. 28. The students visited to tour the campus and get information about the college application process.

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Dr. Bashar Hanna shared his personal story as a first generation college student with the visitors from Dobbins. He also emphasized that students should always ask about merit scholarships.

For fall 2012, all freshmen, from any high school, in any major, who meet minimum requirements will automatically qualify for generous DelVal scholarships that will continue to be honored as long as the students maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA.

Students with at least a 3.25 GPA and a 1050 SAT score qualify for $12,000 per year automatically. Students with at least a 3.5 GPA and an 1150 SAT score qualify for $14,000 per year.

These rates are just for 2012. Offers for incoming 2013 freshmen may change.

“Education is the way up and the way out,” said Dr. Hanna, who told the students that people with a college degree earn on average a $1 million more over a lifetime than someone with only a high school degree.

Dr. Robert Pierson, chair of DelVal’s Food Science, Nutrition and Management department and a member of the Dobbins Advisory Board, helped to arrange the visit.

DelVal has a relationship with the high school through the college legacy program, which paid for transportation for the visit.

The legacy program at DelVal is a federal TRIO Program that helps students realize college dreams. The program offers comprehensive services to about eight Philadelphia schools, including Dobbins.

With budgets becoming increasingly tight, Dr. Pierson said a lot of high schools are cutting back on field trips and other fun experiences for students.

“Philadelphia doesn’t do many field trips anymore,” said Dr. Pierson. “The legacy program is paying for the bus to come out.”

He said he is grateful to the program for funding this opportunity for students.

Dr. Pierson wanted to invite the students to DelVal to see the food science program because he sees a lot of promise in them.

While in the past a lot of colleges didn’t recruit at technical high schools, Dr. Pierson said that is changing.

“The quality of students has gone up dramatically,” said Dr. Pierson. “These culinary students are very capable and they have a real love of food.”

After meeting the president, the students split up into small groups for tours of the campus led by current students. They saw a dorm, the library, the dining hall, the gym and more, in tours as small as three students.

After the tours, the students visited The Market for ice cream and had lunch. They also met with representatives from the college to learn about the application process and how to apply for financial aid.

Dr. Pierson hopes the visit helped the students, whether they want to come to DelVal or another school, by answering questions and providing support for moving forward to college.

Dr. Pierson would like to see DelVal become more diverse and hopes the partnership will help with that.

He also wants to make sure college is within reach for the students at Dobbins.

“A lot of these students have never seen a college campus,” said Dr. Pierson. “The idea of college can be intimidating. It’s a big deal to get them out here to see what the college looks like.”

Joshlyn Jenkins, a senior at Dobbins, liked what she saw on the tour.

“It’s really nice,” said Jenkins of the campus. “It’s kind of like staying at home. You have everything here.”

She’s excited about the freedom college will bring and the wide variety of activities she’ll be able to be a part of in college.

Dante Headen, also a senior at Dobbins, liked the college, especially the library.

Cedric Pearsall, another Dobbins senior, said the visit is going to make choosing one school harder.

“Now I’m torn between here and Universal Technical Institute,” said Pearsall.

He loves nature and hiking and was pleased to see how open and beautiful the campus is.

“I want them to meet other college students,” said Dr. Pierson. “Some of them are on the borderline. I want them to say, ‘I want to go to college’ and inspire them to follow through.”

Dr. Pierson was working to make the visit happen for a few years.

“It’s also about creating opportunities for these kids,” said Dr. Pierson. “If we can do a little towards that, I think it is a great thing.”

Delaware Valley College will welcome CEO Laura Owen ’79 as its eleventh Thomas W. Watson Executive-in-Residence on Nov. 17.

Owen heads PontSalus, a firm committed to making quality healthcare more affordable and accessible worldwide. The firm works with top healthcare leaders in North America, including medical providers, medical universities, corporations, not-for-profit organizations and government.

Owen will give a lecture presentation at 10:50 a.m. in Moumgis Auditorium on DelVal’s Doylestown campus.

After her presentation she will have lunch with the business administration faculty and students.

The event is free to the college community.

Thomas W. Watson started the Executive-in-Residence Program in 2005 to bring worldwide business leaders to the college.

Watson, a 1957 graduate of DelVal, is co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of Omnicom Group, Inc. and dean of Omnicom University. He founded the program to enhance students’ learning experiences by bringing in people with firsthand knowledge of the business world.

Before PontSalus, Owen was a founder and President/COO of ICOP Digital, Inc. a company that engineers and markets mobile video products for first responders.

She was the first woman appointed as Kansas’ secretary of commerce, where she led international trade, business development and travel and tourism.

In addition to her service on numerous state boards and commissions, Owen served 10 years on the board of Heart to Heart International, a global humanitarian organization that delivers medicine and medical supplies to areas of need.

In 2007, she was named to the “Women Who Mean Business” organization by the Kansas City Business Journal. Owen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DelVal. She and her husband, Dave, have five adult children. They live in Olathe, Kan.

Previous Executives in Residence include: Neil Clover, Sydney F. Martin, Richard Reif, Charles J. Alpuche, JM Herr, Pamela Sander, Howard Stoeckel, Phillip Clemens, Rob Dhoble and Thomas Watson.

By Annmarie Ely

DelVal alumni, students and friends came together for another successful Homecoming weekend Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

This year’s theme was, “Bright Lights, Big City.” Groups, clubs and organizations represented different cities in a parade that started on campus and went through the heart of Doylestown.

After the parade, DelVal showed its college pride at a pep rally in Work Gym. The rally featured performances by the dance team and cheerleaders.

Alumni gathered under a tent near the football field for food, music and fun on Saturday. They watched as the football team pummeled King’s College 54-13. The game was the eighth consecutive win for the Aggies, who are 8-0.

There was an alumni tent with hot dogs, snacks, crab cake sandwiches, desserts, a bar, a live band and other activities set up near the football field.

Bill Loesch ’57, of Jenkintown, Pa., and Joe Kuhta ’57, of Bridgewater, N.J., come out for the alumni tailgating every year.

“You get a chance to meet people you’ve never met before from other classes,” said Kuhta. “Everyone’s very friendly and they tell you what they’ve been doing.”

They were friends in college and both went into the animal health pharmaceutical business.

A caricature artist did portraits of the alumni and a face painter decorated the alumni and their children. Some alumni got their class years painted on their faces.

Loesch got a caricature showing him reeling in a big fish. The artist drew Kuhta wearing a DelVal shirt cheering for the school.

They had Dr. Joshua Feldstein as a professor when they were students and said they really enjoy seeing him.

“It’s a good school,” said Kuhta. “They’re very concerned about you and friendly.”

By Annmarie Ely

College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan chose Chuck Alpuche ’81, a retired PepsiCo executive and a member of DelVal’s Board of Trustees, to receive the President’s Distinguished Alumni Award for 2011.

Alpuche said he was deeply honored by the award.

“DelVal has a very special place in my heart,” Alpuche said. “It really prepared me for PepsiCo.”

The President’s Award highlighted the Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony Oct. 22 in The Shapiro Wing of the Joseph Krauskopf Library.

“I think this is one of the exciting parts of homecoming,” said Ray Funkhouser ’72, the alumni representative on the Board of Trustees who hosted the awards. “It brings pride to all of us when we see what our peers have accomplished in their careers and their lives.”

Dr. Brosnan said Alpuche has been a loyal alumnus and a good friend of the college. He was a commencement speaker and a Watson Executive-In-Residence speaker.

Alpuche helped the college greatly with the 2010 Precarious Alliance symposium, which dealt with the conflict between natural and human systems. The event brought more than 300 people together to discuss current issues related to the food system.

In addition to the President’s award, five others were given.

Robert Sabol ’63 received the Animal Science Award.

Sabol, a resident of Texas, started a company called STILLMEADOW, Inc. with his wife. He still works there full time with his two sons.

STILLMEADOW, Inc. is an independent contract research facility.

Sabol said he is forever grateful for his DelVal education. He remembers the opportunities to get work experience and to be involved in campus activities such as A-Day.

“There’s many choices in life,” said Sabol. “I came here and that was the best choice of my life… I’m always an Aggie.”

He said a DelVal alumnus is the head of his company’s chemistry department.

When the employee asked what being a DelVal grad had to do with Sabol’s decision to hire him, he replied, “Everything.”

“Working for me are a lot of Aggies,” said Sabol.

William Bartles ’69, also of Texas and an active trustee, received the Business Award.

Bartles has been a  college trustees since 2003.

He has taught at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas for the last 20 years.

Dr. Brosnan accepted on his behalf, saying that Bartles has done a remarkable job working with DelVal’s finance department.

“I have nothing but admiration for Bill,” said Dr. Brosnan.

Bartles credits DelVal with launching his career and getting him into graduate school.

“He’s been a really important person in my life,” said Dr. Brosnan of Bartles. “He helped mentor me from the day I arrived at the college.”

Lawrence Hepner ’74, who has been a DelVal faculty member since 1979,  received the Plant Science Award.

Funkhouser said Hepner “has had a tremendous impact on so many students that have gone here.”

Hepner said when he attended DelVal in the 70s, he knew he was going to get a really good education.

“The quality has remained very high,” said Hepner.

Jennifer Jesiolowski Smith ’90 received the Science Award.  Smith works with Godiva Chocolatier . She has made significant contributions to the food industry.

Jesiolowski Smith was part of an advisory panel that made recommendations for the supplier management section of the GMA-SAFE audit standards, which are used industry wide by hundreds of food companies to assess food safety and quality systems.

“The hands-on experience (at DelVal) really gave me the competitive edge when I was interviewing right out of college,” said Jesiolowski Smith. “As I was sitting across that interview desk I could talk about those experiences.”

Dr. Dominic Montileone received the Staff/Faculty Recognition Award for the positive impact he has had on the lives of students.

He has been a DelVal professor and administrator. He helped with developing academic programs and with the accrediting process.

He quoted Russell Conwell’s book, “Acres of Diamonds” saying, “You can travel the world searching for treasures only to find acres of diamonds in your own backyard.”

“DVC has been one of my acres of diamonds and continues to develop as acres of diamonds for future students and alumni,” said Dr. Montileone.

Funkhouser urged people to let the alumni association know about classmates who have done wonderful things with their lives, saying he knows there are “remarkable alumni that we just don’t know about.”

The Alumni Association also awarded four scholarships at the event.

Kayla Romberger received the Freshman Scholarship in memory of Nathan Brewer ’24, Stephanie Brewer received the Junior Scholarship in honor of Frank LaRosa ’52, Devin Cunningham received the Junior Scholarship in honor of Kevin Keim ’68, and Jessica Bensinger received the Aggie Spirit Scholarship in memory of Annette Capp ’79.

By Annmarie Ely

DelVal honored members of its 1896 Society, the top-tier of college supporters, at a gala held in the Pearl S. Buck House in Perkasie, Pa. on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Members comprise 9 percent of donors and gave 80 percent of gifts to the college last year.

There was a cocktail hour followed by a formal dinner. Tours of the Pearl Buck home were given to those who were interested.

The event has been growing and DelVal administrators are impressed with the generosity of alumni and friends.

“We used to hold this around one table, maybe 2… we have 180 people here today,” said Dr. James F. Trainer, chair of DelVal’s Board of Trustees. “We offer our heartfelt thanks for your generosity.”

College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan said he loves the event. He was excited to see more leadership donors, more volunteers and more caring community partners engaging with DelVal.

He said DelVal is an institution on the move and thanked 1896 members for being an important part of that momentum.

DelVal is doing well despite a challenging economic environment.

Dr. Brosnan said that while nationally institutions and organizations are cutting programs, DelVal is bucking major negative trends.

The college added six new faculty members, is refurbishing facilities, will construct a signature life science building and is adding programs, with one being a new master’s degree in teaching and learning.

Dr. Brosnan said that more students are applying to DelVal, so the college is being more selective. The average SAT scores are up.

Fall-to-fall retention is also up and DelVal’s six-year graduation rate is up 5 percent.

He also said that as of June 30 the endowment had more than doubled.

This year the college received the transformational gift from The Warwick Foundation, a $1 million gift from Joe Umosella ’63, $3.2 million from the state in support of the life science center, $383,000 from the Cargill Foundation and many other generous gifts that will support the college’s special mission.

The college’s annual fund has grown by 92 percent in three years. This unrestricted fund helps support academic programs as well as student life.

“This is all evidence of an institution that is on the move,” said Dr. Brosnan.

Dr. Brosnan recognized four trustees -- Bob Lipinski, Bill Mullin, Mike Moss and Kevin Keim -- who combined to give $100,000 as a challenge to all alumni, parents and friends to make a first gift or to increase their gifts.

The challenge resulted in more than $177,000 from new and increased gifts.

“I’ve given you a lot of statistics,” said Dr. Brosnan. “It’s not the numbers, it’s not the dollars, it’s how they’re being used. These dollars are going towards improving students’ lives.”

Alumni and friends not only give financially, they also give their time to make DelVal the place that it is. For this reason, the college recognized an exceptional volunteer with an award at the gala.

The Pat Hilton Award is given each year to a person who has devoted extraordinary time and service, on a volunteer basis, to DelVal. It is named in honor of Patricia Hilton ’76, a long-time trustee of the college and an active member of the college community.

The award was a surprise for recipient Jerry Fritz ’88, a loyal alumnus and a member of the President’s Advisory Council.

“You have been a thoughtful voice on the Council, providing insight on issues in strategic planning,” said Dr. Brosnan as he presented the award. “As needs arise you have responded consistently to help.”

Fritz, the owner of a Linden Hill Gardens and Jerry Fritz Garden Design, has put his 20-plus years of experience in the field to use at DelVal by helping with campus beautification projects. He’s also volunteered to help with the Annual Fund.

“Thank you so much,” said Fritz. “Our college is a phenomenal place… it is so nice to be among friends and professors that I had.”

New members of the 1896 Society were asked to stand and were applauded at the event. Among them were a some young faces including: Amanda Leirvik ’10 , Bryan Coleman ’10, Hakim Singleton ’10, Seth Maurer ’09, Christina Fortin ’08 and Bonnie Kizis ’09.

Senior class president Daniel Rivera, a business administration major, gave guests a personal look at what DelVal has meant to him as a student.

“DelVal has changed my life forever in so many ways,” said Rivera. “Both inside and outside of the classroom.”

He remembered taking the train to and from a center city internship.

“My first thought getting off the train (at DelVal) was, 'I’m home,” said Rivera. “Even though I live off campus.”

He said after a tour of DelVal he had an overwhelming feeling telling him “this is where I belong.”

He specialized in marketing, joined the equestrian team and started a new organization on campus.

“DelVal has given me opportunities to grow in ways I never thought I was capable of,” said Rivera. “I started as a boy and left as a man. A man proud to call Delaware Valley College my alma mater.”

He said as he is getting ready to graduate he feels like he is getting ready to leave home again

The target date for the first classes to begin is Jan. 3. The college is currently accepting applications for the new programs.

“In analyzing our strategic plan and looking toward the future of DVC, the Graduate Programs in Education office conducted a needs assessment of local educators in 2010,” said Dr. Bashar Hanna, vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty. “Based on that data and the vision for the college, a decision was reached to develop and implement these two new graduate programs. The research data also indicated that these two programs were of high interest to local educators. The data further indicated that these programs were not being offered by competing graduate programs.”

The new master’s degree is designed for both Pennsylvania and New Jersey teachers who are going to remain in the classroom and are seeking to enhance their skills.

“With its dual focus on educational research and practical application in the field of instruction, the Teaching and Learning master’s degree will allow educators to acquire the essential skills needed to plan and perform their teaching duties so as to reach all levels of learners while demonstrating the essential pedagogical skills needed to serve as model educators within their school districts,” Dr. Hanna said.

The supervisor of special education certification program is designed specifically for Pennsylvania special education teachers who wish to move up to positions supervising special education programs.

“The goal of this program,” Dr. Hanna said, “is to provide teachers with the experiences and skills necessary to become a supervisor of special education in the state of Pennsylvania. 

The new master’s program was approved over the summer and the special education certificate program was approved in September.

“The need was out there in the educational field to fill these kind of roles,” said DelVal Director of Graduate Programs in Education Dr. James Moryan. “Teachers are expected, and I think they look, to enhance their own content knowledge and pedagogical skills and districts look for advanced degrees in their educators.”

The programs are also part of the college’s move toward university status, which will enhance the programs offered in a number of departments

“The graduate program in education is looking to be part of the strategic plan for the college,” said Dr. Moryan. “This is a step in the direction of expanding the programs that we offer in order to help meet the requirements from the Pennsylvania Department of Education with regard to university status down the line.”

The master’s degree in teaching and learning includes 11 three-credit courses and takes about two years to complete.

Courses include: Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum, School Law, Teaching and Supervising Diverse Student Populations, Differentiating Instruction, Introduction to Statistical Data and Research, Learning as a Process, Foundations of Instructional Technology for Teaching and Learning, Principles, Methods, Development, and Assessment of Curriculum, Educational Trends and Development, and Action Research I and II.

In the action research course, an important component, teachers enrolled in the program will work with DelVal instructors on a research project of their choice.

For example, content specific teachers at the secondary level may do an action research project about how certain students are doing on particular skills in their classrooms. If students haven’t performed well on particular math skills, a teacher might choose to do a research project about how they’re teaching these skills or what elements students are or aren’t getting. The teacher might use pre and post testing on the same skills to see how much students have gained, graph the data, and make adjustments based on research.

The special education certification program includes five required three-credit courses followed by fieldwork.

Dr. Moryan said teachers who enroll in the program should be able to complete the program in as little as a year and a half.

Courses include: Teaching and Supervising Diverse Student Populations, Leadership and Management of Special Education Programs, Instructional Leadership and Supervision, Design, Development and Assessment of Instruction, Special Education Law, and Advanced Fieldwork.

The advanced fieldwork is similar to the action research. A student would find a mentor in his or her school district, pick a special education project to focus on and do a research project to enhance an existing program or develop a new program. Research might focus on a variety of administrative duties such as Individualized Education Plan development, scheduling or parental communication and contact.

Dr. Moryan said the college is anticipating a combination of both online and in-person courses will be offered for the master’s program. The special education certification program will be offered either in cohort format or on DelVal’s Doylestown campus.

Dr. Moryan said for districts with seven special education certification program students, DelVal would be happy to offer on-site courses. Discounted tuition rates may be available for cohorts.

Council Rock and Central Bucks cohorts have been established.

For more information or to apply for either of the programs: contact Ms. Pamela Heffner at 215-489-4469 or Pamela.Heffner@delval.edu or call 215- 439-4833.

From Left: Adam Makolewski (University of Podlasie), Natalia Kozdra (DelVal), Professor Halina Kaluza (U of P), Lukasz Czarnocki (U of P), Galen Weibley (DelVal), Ewa Krasnodebska (U of P), Dominika Mlynarczuk (U of P), Harris Trobman (DelVal), Darla Romberger (DelVal), Mrs. Diamond, Retired DelVal Dean Dr. James Diamond. 

DelVal held an Oct. 10 lunch in the student center for four students and one faculty member from The University of Podlasie in Siedlce, Poland. The students are participants in the Piszek/Evans/Diamond Exchange program.

They arrived Oct. 5 for a 10-day visit.

The program is in its fifth year. In May, four DelVal students traveled with DelVal faculty member Michael Fleischacker to Poland for the annual exchange.

“It is a great pleasure to be working with the program for the second year,” said Svetlana Shkitko, a DelVal faculty member who has served as the exchange coordinator for the past two years. “We had an exceptional welcome in Poland and it is a pleasure to be able to bring students from Poland to DelVal.”

DelVal students who participated in the program said what they most remember about the trip to Poland was the hospitality.

The students visiting from Poland are: Dominika Mlynarczuk, Ewa Krasnodebska, Adam Makolewski, Lukasz Czarnocki.

From top left: Lukasz Czarnocki (U of P), Dominika Mlynarczuk (U of P), Adam Makolewski (U of P), Professor Halina Kaluza (U of P), Galen Weibley (DelVal), Harris Trobman (DelVal), Jaimie Shipe (DelVal), Ewa Krasnodebska (U of P).

All four are studying agriculture. Agriculture professor Halina Kaluza is accompanying them.

“It’s a tremendous program,” said College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan of the exchange. “I think it is really growing and developing.”

The students from Poland spoke English and said that they take English in school starting in middle school.

When students from DelVal came to their university, they helped with the visit and traveled with the DelVal students.

When they came to the U.S., the students who went to Poland helped welcome them to DelVal.

It was Mlynarczuk’s first time visiting another country.

“The people here are very friendly and nice,” said Mlynarczuk.

Back home, she said, she participates in agriculture club.

She also worked with other students to help create a large-scale art project made of flowers in Warsaw this year to commemorate the Polish Presidency of the European Union.

Makolewski said he liked the U.S. and that everyone he met has been friendly.

This is his first time visiting the U.S. and he was excited to see Long Island and the Atlantic Ocean.

Krasnodebska enjoys traveling and said she has visited the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.

Galen Weibley, a DelVal student who traveled to Poland with the exchange, said the Polish students will be spending a night in one of DelVal’s residence halls.

“It will be a good opportunity to talk to other students (that they haven’t already met),” said Weibley.

On Oct. 6, the students visited Doylestown’s Mercer Museum and went on a campus tour. The college held a welcome reception in the Shapiro Wing of the library and a dinner that night at Chambers restaurant in Doylestown.

The exchange took the students to Philadelphia, New York City and The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, in Doylestown.

On Oct. 11 they visited Longwood Gardens. Later, the Student Government Board had a dinner planned where the Polish students would meet more DelVal students.

A visit to the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pa., also was on the agenda. The institute recently completed a 30-year study comparing organic farming to conventional farming. The study is the nation’s longest running side-by-side comparison and it found that organic farming is superior.

The Polish agriculture students will get to learn about this comparison during their visit.

Makolewski’s parents have an organic farm in Poland.

The students were very interested to learn about agriculture in the U.S., particularly genetically modified organisms.

During the lunch, they were able to talk to Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell Redding, who is a former Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture. He currently chairs a national Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture.

The exchange program was established in 2007 and is free for students. It is funded by the Copernicus Society of America, which was established by the late Edward J. Piszek.

Piszek started Mrs. Paul’s Kitchesn, a successful frozen food company that he later sold to Campbell’s. He was proud of his Polish heritage and gave millions to battle tuberculosis in Poland. He also spent $500,000 on a newspaper campaign to educate the public about Polish culture.

His daughter, Helen Piszek Nelson, had the idea to create the exchange program and worked with retired Dean Dr. James Diamond to get it started.

Mrs. Nelson became a member of DelVal’s Board of Trustees in 2011. She took part in the exchange events and met the Polish students and their professor.

Both Mrs. Nelson and Dr. Diamond feel that travel and being exposed to other cultures is an important part of an education.

“When students get a chance to go to other countries, meet people from other cultures, there’s a certain amount of global education that develops,” said Mrs. Nelson in an interview after joining the board. “I think that type of education is important in today’s world.”

Dr. Diamond loves Poland and the Polish people and is proud to see the program in its fifth successful year.

“The exchange was an idea that unfolded into a very successful effort,” said Dr. Diamond.

By Annmarie Ely

DelVal juniors Janelle Wommer and Heather Brooks started a new campus club, Oxfam, that will work to battle poverty, hunger, social injustice and other global problems.

The club was approved on Sept. 21 and has about eight members.

What’s Oxfam?

Oxfam International started in the U.K. in 1955 and was originally the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. Its name was shortened and it expanded its reach and goals.

Today, it is an international relief organization working with chapters in 15 countries to advance rights around the world. Oxfam works to give all people the ability to meet their basic needs, access to basic services, safety and a chance to be heard. The organization has a variety of campaigns that stem from these values.

Leadership Training

Oxfam chose Wommer, a zoo science major minoring in environmental science, to participate in its selective week-long leadership program in Boston. The program takes about 50 college students and trains them to start college Oxfam clubs.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t have what I have,” said Wommer.  “I thought it’d be really good to bring Oxfam to campus and show people that they can be part of such a powerful movement.”

She first learned about Oxfam at a Coldplay concert where the organization had a table.

She signed up for its newsletters and checked on internships. Before she knew it, she was headed to Boston.

She met people from other countries at the session, including a man who ran the Oxfam leadership training program in Japan. She was excited to be able to exchange ideas with people from different countries working for the same cause.

She met a man originally from Congo who came to the U.S.

“He was so much more passionate about it because he came from the type of  community he was working to change,” said Wommer.

She said the majority of participants were American college students.Wommer said the program had about 120 applicants and only chose about 50.

Oxfam paid for food, housing and transportation to Boston.

During a mock hunger banquet, participants were divided up based on how food is distributed around the world.

A small percentage got a full meal at a table. One group got rice and beans at the edges of the table. A large group, including Wommer, sat on the floor and got leftovers.

The banquet made her realize how many people go hungry. She heard stories of poverty that inspired her to take action. She said “small” salaries in the U.S. would make people wealthy in some developing countries.

Participants developed an action plan to take back to their colleges.

Bringing Oxfam to DelVal

Wommer encouraged Brooks, a friend, to get involved and together they started the club.

Brooks said she joined because Oxfam deals with issues she feels strongly about.

As part of their involvement, Wommer and Brooks attended a three-day Fair Trade Conference in Philadelphia in September. The fair trade movement attempts to cut out the middleman and get farmers better prices for commodities.

A Mexican coffee farmer spoke about the work that goes into producing a pound of coffee.

“It’s a lot of work and farmers often get nearly nothing for it,” said Brooks.

The farmer, who is participating in the fair trade program, also had an impact on Wommer.

“Now he has money to send his kids to school,” said Wommer. “He gave his daughter a better future.  When you get something fair trade you can really see how you’re helping people.”

Outside of the Oxfam club, Brooks coaches boys soccer and brings therapy dogs to visit nursing homes and children with disabilities.

The juniors are passionate about making a change through small choices like buying fair trade.

“A lot of people see issues like world hunger as too big and think they can’t do anything,” said Wommer. “You can use what you buy as your voice.”

Both students plan to continue their work after graduation.

“I’m interested in education,” said Wommer. “People aren’t going to want to change if they aren’t educated about the issues.”

The club meets Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Feldman 114. All students are welcomed to get involved.

Upcoming Oxfam Events:

Oct. 15-16: Raffle to raise money for South African famine relief at the Monster Pumpkin Madness festival at The Market.

Oct. 16: World Food Day, the club would like to work with the cafeteria to have
educational information on cafeteria tables.

Nov. 12: The club will work with The Philadelphia Orchard Project. The project revitalizes vacant lots to give people in low-income communities access to fresh fruit.

Murphy, a 2010 graduate of Red Lion Area Senior High School in York County, is a member of several campus organizations, including the Dairy Society and FFA. At home, she is a junior firefighter for the Airville Volunteer Fire Company and a member of the Chanceford Church Youth Group.

Upon graduation, she would like to attend veterinary school and eventually treat large animals.

In her latest achievement, Murphy was selected from among 33 contestants as the 2011-2012 Pennsylvania Dairy Princess. Winners are chosen based on their knowledge of the dairy industry, public speaking skills and personalities.

“I’m really excited about being selected,” said Murphy. “I’m excited to travel around the state with the other two girls (her alternates) as a team to help promote the dairy industry.”

Pennsylvania Dairy Princess & Promotion Services Executive Director Jessica Armacost said there are approximately 282 junior dairy princesses across the state, as well as county princesses and two alternates.

“She’ll lead that team,” Armacost said of Murphy.

“I feel that I’ve learned more about leadership through the program,” said Murphy. “I’m excited to help improve the dairy industry and serve as a leader for younger girls in the program. We will be showing good leadership skills to girls in the program age 8 and up.”

As part of her duties, Murphy will be invited to attend a Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference, is scheduled to kick off a 5K race to benefit osteoporosis research and will  help with an educational event that will bring inner city students out to farms.

Armacost said the program looks for candidates that are “warm and friendly,” who have “deep love of and loyalty for the dairy industry.”

She said competition winners “have to be well informed and speak with confidence to large groups with enthusiasm and passion.”

Murphy is a past county princess.

Candidates must come from a dairy background, own dairy animals, be employed by the dairy industry or an agribusiness that serves the industry or have a parent who works in the dairy industry or an agribusiness that serves it.

As a dairy princess, Murphy will serve as a spokesperson for the dairy industry and lead the other princesses.

The princesses help promote the industry through speaking engagements, school promotions, newspapers, radio and television appearances, meetings and special events.

Murphy works part-time at Pennview Dairy Farm. She is the daughter of Donna and Greg Kennard and Sheri and Patrick Murphy.

Her grandparents Harry and Beth Bickel own Alta Vista West, a 285-acre farm with 67 Holstein cows.

Disc golf is played with Frisbees instead of traditional golf balls and clubs. The goal is the same, to complete each hole in the fewest possible attempts. Players throw Frisbees at targets, which are often made of raised metal baskets.

The baskets for the courses have already been purchased and will be installed with concrete.

The 9-hole course will be located on Featherbed Hill, near the baseball field.

Students worked over the weekend of Sept. 23 to help clean the area to prepare for the installation of the course.

DelVal already has an Ultimate Frisbee Club and Dr. Tipping said there was a lot of interest in disc golf among those students.

He estimated that more than 30 students from the Ultimate Frisbee Club wanted to have the disc golf component. Disc golf won’t be its own separate club. It will be a new component of the Ultimate Frisbee Club.

Dr. Tipping  is hoping the course will be finished some time in the next few weeks.

“I’ve played disc golf for 25 years,” said Dr. Tipping. “I’ve played everywhere I’ve lived. I played a lot in California and Florida. There are some really good courses in the immediate area here.”

He said Tyler State Park has a great course.

Dr. Tipping said DelVal Athletic Director Frank Wolfgang purchased some equipment and approached him about building a course.

He said he got involved with the project primarily for the students.

“Disc golf is very popular on college campuses,” said Dr. Tipping, who pointed out that DeSales University has a course.

“I really enjoy the game and getting outside,” said Dr. Tipping.

The course would be open to everyone on campus, including faculty and staff.

Dr. Tipping said disc golf is a good college activity because of how inexpensive it is to play.

“Discs are cheap,” said Dr. Tipping. “Traditional golf you have to pay green fees, clubs are expensive…”

He said the Ultimate Frisbee Club plays in front of Lasker from 4:30-6:30 p.m. most days.

The staff of the Cornucopia dedicated the 2011 yearbook to Joann Donigan, a faculty member in the English department, during a ceremony at the Krauskopf Memorial Library on Sept. 15.

Even though she serves as yearbook advisor, the club managed to keep the dedication page a surprise.

“This was very secretive, she didn’t know about it the whole time,” said Yearbook Editor Brett Longcor, a media and communications major.

The staff came up with a fake dedication page and even worked with the printing company to keep Donigan from seeing the real one.

Mark Miller ’11, who served as a yearbook editor last year, came back to DelVal for the dedication. He was one of the people who wanted to dedicate the yearbook to Donigan.

Miller said the yearbooks usually are mailed to seniors in late August and go out to the rest of the college in September.

Donigan said she was speechless and honored when she opened the yearbook a few weeks ago to find the surprise dedication. It features a photo of her and a description of why the students chose her.

The students chose Donigan because they said she made college “a valuable, enjoyable learning experience.”

“She was the first teacher that got me involved with anything, because of her I met a lot of people on campus,” Miller said.

Longcor said he chose Donigan because she’s “very personable.” He said she even calls him to ask how he’s doing.

Donigan has been with DelVal since 1993. Before arriving, she taught at Muhlenberg College, Penn State University and Harrisburg Area Community College. She also taught high school.

She earned a B.S. in education from Duquesne University and an M.A. in English from the University of North Dakota.

The staff said that along with being a dedicated teacher, she is a dedicated advisor. Donigan is also an advisor for the Gay, Lesbian or Whatever club also known as G.L.O.W.

In the dedication the students wrote:

“Another way she helps students is by advising a club that works on promoting the celebration of who you are as an individual. This club is called G.L.O.W.”

Donigan said she enjoys serving as an advisor and spending time with students outside of the classroom.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Donigan. “This group of students has been one of the most dedicated, motivated groups I’ve had in a long time.”

The theme of this year’s Cornucopia is “breaking through.”

It reads: “Break away from the past, move into the future with the courage to believe in yourself and the ability to expand your horizons.”

Recent yearbooks have been dedicated to Director of Client Services James Linden and faculty members Dr. Richard Ziemer, Dr. Gary Fortier and Rodney Gilbert.

Selection for the National Teach Ag Ambassador program is a highly competitive process, with only 10 ambassadors being selected from a national pool of applicants.  Ambassadors are students currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in agricultural education who have a passion for the profession and the demonstrated ability to share the opportunities available through a career in agricultural education.

The 2011 Teach Ag Ambassadors will be responsible for working the Teach Ag booth at the National FFA Convention, where they will talk with attendees about the possibilities of a career in agricultural education. 

The National Teach Ag Campaign is an initiative to bring attention to the need for more agricultural educators in the United States.  It provides resources for those who wish to help promote the profession of agricultural education as well as for those who are interested in learning more about a career in agricultural education.  It is a project of The National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators.  The campaign is sponsored by Landmark Nurseries and the CHS Foundation as a special project of the National FFA Foundation, and also by Delmar Cengage Learning.

NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators.  It provides its’ nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.”  The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Kentucky.

As part of its determination, U.S. News gathered data from each school in 16 areas related to academic excellence.

“We are honored by the recognition and delighted that something this concrete exists to show parents and students our progress” said Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, president of the college. “Our focus and attention on academics has been clearly and consistently reflected in this year’s rankings.”

Dr. Brosnan said the jump of six places is an indication that DelVal has developed a degree of momentum that is likely to continue for years.

“It is great to be known in the North, but the test before us now is to become known beyond the region,” Brosnan said.

Asked about the significance of DelVal’s climb, Robert J. Morse, director of Data Research at U.S. News, said, “It definitely means there has been real improvement.”

As part of its strategic plan, the Doylestown college is expanding its academic offerings and seeking university status. It is building a $15-million state-of-the art Life Sciences Center and will be restructuring into three separate schools, with a fourth division handling graduate programs and an entrepreneurial unit.

Among the criteria that went into DelVal’s ranking were its student-faculty ratio of 15-1 and the fact that 70 percent of its faculty teach full time. The rank also reflects recent progress in its average freshman retention rate.

Details on the rankings can be found online at www.usnews.com/colleges. The 350-page 2012 edition of the Best Colleges guidebook will be on newsstands Sept. 20.

On its website, U.S. News says its rankings are helpful to college applicants because they are “based on accepted measures of academic quality chosen after careful reporting and research on measuring quality in education.”

The new campus was dedicated April 13. It was donated as part of transformational $30 million gift from The Warwick Foundation.

The courses include Field Soil Morphology and 2004 Soils. Weather related issues prevented courses from starting at The Gemmill Campus earlier. The campus will be used Tuesdays and Thursdays on a regularly scheduled basis. A shuttle takes the students to and from the new campus.

In Field Soil Morphology, students will describe and map soils, using the Gemmill Campus as their mapping project.

In the 2004 Soils course, Hepner’s basic soils class, students will learn about the physical and chemical properties of soils and how these properties affect land use, food and fiber production. 

A diverse group of students take this course, including students in agriculture, horticulture, environmental science, biology, animal science, wildlife management and landscape design.

Students will use soil-testing kits to take samples and build a soil quality index of the campus. They will learn testing procedures, and then work with the kits in the field. 

Hepner’s students will learn how physical and chemical properties come together to form a specific soil quality index for a site and how various land uses affect soil quality. 

Students who show a particular interest in soil quality will be invited to work with the Regenerative Land Institute and be part of the Gemmill master plan development project, as well as other projects the institute is working on.

Students can receive credit for working with the Institute.   

Various events and field trips have used the campus, but Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Russell Redding said Hepner is the first to use it for a structured course on a scheduled basis.  

“I think it has a lot of potential,” Redding said of the campus. “Certainly the teaching opportunities there are endless. You have soils, crop science… just go down the list of courses and majors here. … For many here there’s a connection to the Gemmill Campus. … What Larry is piloting is making it work. … As a pioneer, he will help demonstrate that it is doable.”

Redding is hoping that other professors follow Hepner’s example and take advantage of the new campus.

“There were some (faculty members) who explored an interest in it,” said Redding “I fully expect that there will be some faculty who will go out there for field trips (this semester).”

Hepner chose to use the campus because he saw a teaching opportunity in the large amount of land and the variety of land covers.

“There are a variety of soils that are over there, a variety of different land covers (crops, forests, pasture areas),” said Hepner. “It is an ideal setting for us to be able to do field soil mapping.”

Hepner said the campus fit the needs of his courses well.

“We can be both inside and outside,” said Hepner. “There’s a very nice large classroom setting in the house. We can use that as our home base and have classes in there and then do testing outside.”

Department Chair of DelVal’s Biology Program Ronald Johnson is also tapping the Gemmill Campus’ potential as an educational tool. On Tuesday, Sept. 27, Johnson took his limnology (scientific study of bodies of fresh water) lab students to The Gemmill Campus to collect water samples.

Johnson is excited to be able to expose his students to different bodies of water than they would usually get to see.

“It exposes them to something other than Lake Archer and Lake Galena where we’ve traditionally worked…,” said Johnson. “That was the exciting thing for limnology, the fact that we had ponds that were easy to get to that were different. They wouldn’t get to study farm ponds of that type without the Gemmill Campus being there. It just provides more opportunities.”

So far, he said, the class has been having a good time studying the campus.

“We had a great time on the ponds. We were able to get our boats out,” said Johnson. “We got into the upper pond and drove around to the smaller pond. We were able to get the students out in the boats doing some shoreline work, mapping work and identification work. They’ll be able to note changes and see trends occurring.”

The students started a survey of the ponds collecting water samples for nutrient analysis.

They are working with Johnson and Hepner to research the history of the land. After that research is complete, the students will begin conducting a survey of the fish populations in the Gemmill ponds.

This fall’s courses are just the beginning for the new campus. Included in the $30 million gift from The Warwick Foundation was a $10 million endowment to maintain the campus and support its academic programs.

Redding said there is still work to be done before there can be a wide variety of courses at the new campus.

“Clearly there are some accommodations needed at the Gemmill farm for us to have a full complement of courses there,” said Redding.

In the mean time he said, “Generally, any course that finds a connection to the campus, I hope they use it.”

“It is a great teaching tool,” said Redding.

The Education Policy and Leadership Center

“She was selected due to her work and role with developing our student teachers,” said Dr. Bashar Hanna, DelVal’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “This is great honor for Katie and the College.”

The center said Kennedy-Reilly stood out because of her leadership abilities and passion for education.

“Katie was selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) because her work record reflects strong leadership abilities and a concern for issues important to children and education,” said Mattie Robinson, co-coordinator of the fellowship program.

The EPLC works to improve classrooms by supporting educational professionals and raising awareness about the many public policy issues surrounding education.  

“EPFP Fellows participate in a rigorous ten-month professional development program in which they develop a broadened understanding of the policy process and education policy issues,” said Robinson. “They graduate armed with the knowledge they need to serve as effective leaders and advocates for education.”

As a fellow, Kennedy-Reilly will participate in a regional leadership forum and a national policy seminar. She will share her knowledge and experience with other fellows through presentations, projects and class discussions.

She will also attend nine full-day seminars in Harrisburg and do independent research.

DelVal nominated Kennedy-Reilly for the fellowship. As a faculty member in DelVal’s education department, Kennedy-Reilly helps student teachers become effective educators. She has served as a mentor for many DelVal students seeking careers in education.

Part of her role as a faculty member includes building a network of professionals around the state and staying up-to-date on policy issues so that DelVal students are properly prepared to enter the teaching profession.

Her work as a fellow will enhance the educational experiences of DelVal students who will benefit from her enhanced knowledge of current policy issues and new network of educational professionals.

In DelVal’s student research course, juniors and seniors spend a semester exploring a topic of their choosing under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They form and test hypotheses and present their results to the college community.

The experience gained from this course is valuable for graduate school, professional school or a career in academic or industry research.

“Science is at the core of nearly everything we do at Bristol-Myers Squibb,” said Frederick J. Egenolf, the company’s director of community affairs. “As a leading biopharma company, we are committed to making the study of science and technology exciting for students who may one day help us discover the miracle medicines of tomorrow.”

While the course is open to all majors, the grant funding and scholarships will go to students with projects related specifically to biology, chemistry, agriculture, animal biotechnology and conservation, environmental sciences and animal science.

The grant will allow students to explore projects that were previously too costly, covering expenses such as materials and equipment, and will allow more students to participate.

For some, the grant not only opens up research opportunities, it will make affording a college education possible. The two scholarships are coming at a time when financial aid is more important than ever.

Scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year to rising juniors or seniors who propose research projects.  Recipients have not yet been named. Two DelVal deans and the chair of the student research committee will choose the recipients.

The first group to participate in the course, five seniors, presented their work in December 2010.
Kelly Michel, a biology major, spent her semester dissecting animals to answer her questions about evolution.

“I had a lot of fun dissecting specimens,” Michel said. “I learned a lot about the specimen I was dissecting. I got to see the effects of evolution and I was able to improve my dissecting skills.”
Paoul Martinez, a small animal science major, spent his semester swabbing dog ears and studying the bacteria inside them.

Kimberly Bergen, an equine science and management major, found herself confronting a dish of MRSA, a type of bacterium that has become resistant to certain antibiotics. Her research compared the effectiveness of herbal remedies and prescription antibiotics.

They gave 20 to 30 minute presentations on their findings and took questions from faculty.
Representatives from Bristol Myers-Squibb have been invited to attend future student research presentations.

“Hands-on, inquiry-centered and experiential learning activities such as Delaware Valley College’s mentored student research helps motivated learners better understand and apply advanced scientific concepts and prepares them for challenging careers,” Egenolf said. “With its emphasis on life sciences and applied learning, Delaware Valley College is an ideal educational partner for us.”

Dr. Audrey Ervin, a member of Delaware Valley College’s counseling psychology department, took part recently in a ship-based forum on global engagement that brought together educators, scholars, entrepreneurs and political leaders.

She sailed as an advisor with Semester At Sea, an international study abroad program.

This year’s invitation-only forum, entitled, “Diplomacy and Dialogue: A Focus on Sino-U.S. Relations,” featured distinguished speakers and shipmates including past ambassador to China Stapleton Roy, CEO of Boeing Jim McNerney, co-founder of Chinaccelerator Sean O’Sullivan, co-founder of DHL International Chung Po Yang and American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad.

The shipboard meeting, which ventured from Boston to Montreal, provided a vibrant environment where leaders discussed economic, educational, political, social and environmental issues as they relate to China and the United States. Dr. Ervin participated in breakout discussions and attended presentations about how to best prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of living in an increasingly interdependent world.

Dr. Ervin, who has circumnavigated the globe and sailed on seven voyages with Semester At Sea, is the primary researcher in an ongoing study assessing how Semester At Sea impacts student growth and global perspectives. As a past voyage psychologist and core member of the Semester At Sea Psychologist and Mental Health committee, she mentored the oncoming mental health team for the fall 2011 voyage.

Committed to global education, Dr. Ervin encouraged two Delaware Valley College counseling psychology students to sail with Semester At Sea. Senior Mike Rosenthal sailed on the Spring 2011 voyage visiting Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Hawaii. Junior Ashley Grove is scheduled to sail on the Spring 2012 voyage.

Operated by the non-profit Institute for Shipboard Education, Semester At Sea is the world’s premier shipboard program for international study abroad in higher education. The mission is to educate students with the global understanding necessary to effectively address the challenges of today’s rapidly globalizing world.

Notable past speakers and shipmates have included Anwar Sadat, Indira Gandhi, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Julian Bond and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

• Athletics: Follow top stories, find upcoming games, and view team schedules and rosters.
• Campus Portal: Read announcements and access My Tools and Communities.
• College Hours: Check the operating hours for services like the bookstore and the Bursar’s Office.
• Dining Services: View the daily specials in Levin and the Pub.
• Feedback: Tell us what you think about DelVal Mobile!
• Library: Browse resources that the librarians recommend for specific courses and assignments.
• News & Events: Keep up with student activities, campus events, and college news.
• Social Links: Follow DelVal on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Get the app by either scanning the QR code below, or going to delval.boopsie.com.

By Edward Levenson

When Dr. Robert Pierson entered West Chester University 32 years ago, he majored in political science with the goal of becoming a lawyer and ultimately a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

But it was as a food science professor, not a senator, that Pierson addressed about 480 members of Delaware Valley College's Class of 2015 at the Freshman Convocation held Friday in the Moumgis Auditorium.

“Your journey ahead is full of unknowns. Embrace them and you will excel,” said Pierson, recipient of the college's 2011 Distinguished Faculty Award. Pierson was keynote speaker at the convocation, where college officials and student leaders welcomed the freshmen and encouraged them to make the most of their college years.

Pierson, who worked for restaurants and a food service company before joining the DelVal faculty in 2002, told the students that 96 percent of them are likely to end up in a career unrelated to their college major.

“The most important thing you get at DelVal is learning to learn,” Pierson said. “Education is not vocational. You're not learning how to do a specific job.”

He related how he studied Russian in college, although he was not particularly interested in that culture. However, the difficulty of learning that language helped him become a better student in other courses.

By challenging themselves, students will become “critical thinkers” and “problem solvers,” he said.

“If you graduate from DelVal, you'll never work for your living. You'll live for your work,” said Pierson, who is one the Philadelphia region's leading authorities on wine and winemaking.

College President Dr. Joseph Brosnan introduced a short video that described the breathtaking speed at which information technology is changing. Ironically, Brosnan pointed out, the 2008 video itself is outdated because it talks about MySpace, which has been overtaken by Facebook as the leading social networking site.

This year's freshmen, who were born when the Internet was getting off the ground, will be the first class to have the college’s new mobile app, the president said. It is available free at all app stores for all mobile devices.

The Class of 2015 will face a world in which there is intense international competition for everything, especially resources and jobs, Brosnan told them.

“You will live your adult lives in a global society,” he said. In this society, a college education is more important than ever, the president emphasized.
“Without good grades and a college degree, you will not be competitive in the job market,” he said.

John Brown, vice president of student affairs, told the freshmen their newfound freedom also means they have to make decisions that will affect their lives.

“You are the one who is solely accountable and solely responsible for these decisions,” he said, adding that DelVal professors and staff will help students make good choices.

Brown cited previous student surveys that show 80 percent of freshmen expect to make the honor roll while spending one to five hours a week studying. In reality, only about 25 percent of students make the honor roll, and academic success requires six to 20 hours a week studying.

“Learning is taking chances and engaging with other students in class. Learn what you can whenever you can,” he said.

Dr. Bashar Hanna, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty, told the students he looks forward to shaking their hands at commencement “three years and nine months” from now. 

“It's up to you. This is a journey you have full control over,” he said.

Two seniors welcomed the Class of 2015 by giving a student perspective on DelVal.

“The school offers some of the best hands-on experience you will find. You are a name here, not just a number,” said Amanda Sidler, Student Government president.

Sidler advised the freshmen to get to know the students sharing their dormitory and to participate in any of the 70 clubs and organizations on campus.

“By getting involved, being homesick will disappear,” she said.

Daniel Rivera, president of the senior class, said the college is like “one large family,” with faculty and staff acting as parents. Students have the responsibilities of going to class, keeping up their grades, cleaning their rooms and graduating in four years.

“Learn something new every day about someone or something,” Rivera said.

“Remember to have fun,” he added.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn firsthand about European history and culture” said Dr. Jack Schmidt.   ”They gain a much richer appreciation of the subject matter rather than learning from a book.”

Students can earn up to nine DelVal core curriculum credits by participating. They will meet for class on campus for two weeks beginning May 21, 2012 before departing for Europe on June 1.

While in Berlin, students will alternate classroom meetings with group excursions to key historic and cultural locations, with lots of time to explore this exciting city on their own.

They will be housed in the Industriepalast Hotel/Hostel located in the Friedrichshain section of Berlin.

Students will examine the region’s important political and cultural contributions, explore Germany’s key role in the development of modern Europe, and examine the relationship between the U.S. and Germany.

The courses will also expose students to art and music history, including key composers, artists and architects while providing a forum for exploring how history, politics, and culture intersect.

The program will be capped at 20 students. Participants will stay in dorm style housing at the hotel  in rooms accommodating up to eight students.

Dr. Jack Schmidt and Dr. David Snyder will lead the program. Students will pay $2,600 in addition to the standard tuition/fees.

The fee covers air transportation, airport transfers, housing, transportation within Germany, admission to concerts and historic sights, as well as travel insurance.

To participate a student must submit an application, a recommendation from a professor and current DelVal GPA by Nov. 15.

The Liberal Arts curriculum at the college exposes students to the richness, diversity and complexity of human history while promoting an increased self-awareness and concern for the role of the individual in society. Programs like the Berlin Summer Study Abroad program encourage students to develop a critical understanding of social, economic, political and cultural trends through immersion in a culture outside of the U.S.   

“Student groups travelling abroad often develop a sense of community and bring a new level of enthusiasm back to campus upon their return,” said Dr. Schmidt. “These students frequently express that the foreign travel experience inspired them to look at the world in a new and more-informed manner and they frequently express a desire to travel to other countries.”

To learn more or to apply contact: Dr. Schmidt at jack.schmidt@delval.edu.

The comprehensive, four-year institution is one of 220 The Princeton Review recommends in its “Best in the Northeast” section of its website feature, “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region.”

Robert Franek, Princeton Review's senior VP / publisher, said, “We're pleased to recommend Delaware Valley College to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degree. We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs.”

Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, president of DelVal, said he was very pleased the college was included on the Princeton Review’s top schools list, and glad to learn academics are at the center of the rankings.

“We are totally and completely committed to constant improvement in the quality of our programs and in the process of teaching and learning,” he said of DelVal.

The 220 colleges chosen as “Best in the Northeast” are located in eleven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the District of Columbia.   The Princeton Review also designated 153 colleges in the Midwest, 121 in the West, and 135 in the Southeast as best in their locales.

Collectively, the 629 colleges named “regional best” constitute about 25 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges. The colleges are listed alphabetically and are not ranked numerically. They can be viewed at www.princetonreview.com by creating an account only. You can see DelVal's standings on its own private page.

Delaware Valley College has a full-time undergraduate enrollment of about 1,700. It offers 25 undergraduate degrees, two master’s programs and continuing education. Located in Central Bucks County, about an hour from Philadelphia, it provides students with $20 million annually in financial aid and participates in the Yellow Ribbon program, which offers free education to qualifying veterans and members of the military.. The college's main campus is on 571 acres and its nearby Gemmill consists of almost 400 acres.

In addition to making the Princeton Review list, DelVal has appeared on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of best colleges and universities for the past eight years.

The Princeton Review, headquartered in Framingham, Mass., has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for 30 years through college and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring.

The college founder, Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf, regularly led Jewish worship services there and welcomed students of all faiths.

The chapel is a tangible part of the college’s rich history, so when it needed to be renovated many were eager to get involved.

Noryn Resnick and her husband David have spearheaded a restoration project. The couple and President Emeritus Dr. Joshua Feldstein have made significant financial contributions to help restore the building.

Professional historic restoration specialists assessed the chapel and the work required to restore it. They determined that the restoration would cost about $250,000.

So far, the committee has raised about $42,000, which covered the cost of having the building professionally assessed and putting a new slate roof on the chapel.

Resnick said one donation came from an elderly woman who had memories of the chapel from growing up in the area. She said it was interesting that the chapel has had such a connection to the Doylestown community.

Many members of the DelVal community have personal connections to the building as well. Resnick said some alumni have come back to get married there.

Resnick hopes to raise private donations to cover the cost of repairing and keeping the original stained glass windows, some of which she said are broken. She said the group would also like to replace the doors, repair the interior (including the walls, ceiling and plaster), solve drainage problems outside the building, make it handicapped accessible, fix issues with lighting and address other major items affecting the integrity of the building.

The study also addressed the building’s historical significance and found that the chapel was “inextricably linked” with the history of DelVal.

As the oldest surviving building on campus, some felt the chapel serves as a physical reminder of the remarkable achievements of the founder.

“The chapel stands today as a kind of institutional heart, representing the values of Rabbi Krauskopf and the experiences of the generations of students whose educations he enabled,” reads the report.

Resnick said she has put together a small committee to handle the fundraising and restoration efforts.

She is compiling a list of people who are interested in the project and plans to publish a periodic newsletter to keep them up-to-date.

Donations have come in from alumni and friends of DelVal as well as members of the surrounding community.

Resnick said the project began a little more than two years ago with the mission of reconnecting the college to its Jewish roots.

The chapel restoration project was identified as an integral part of reestablishing an appropriate Jewish presence at the college because of the role it played from the beginning.

In conjunction with the renovation of the chapel, those involved expressed an interest in using it to revisit DelVal’s Jewish roots. A chapter of Hillel, a Jewish student group, was established and asked to organize some of their events at the chapel.

In 2010, Hillel and chapel supporters held an Alumni Shabbat service in the chapel and caught the attention of local newspapers.

“Rabbi Krauskopf would indeed be pleased that a DelVal Jewish student group was once again using the chapel,” said Resnick.

Resnick said the Ida M. Block Memorial Chapel was named in honor of Dr. Krauskopf's sister-in-law and was central to life at the school at its founding.

She said students are interested in holding services in the chapel throughout the year.

How to Help: Contact Resnick at 413-548-3938 or naresnick@comcast.net to donate or share your photos, stories or memories of the chapel.

Dean Redding, Pennsylvania’s former secretary of agriculture, will serve as the group’s chairman.“This advisory committee will come together to continue investigating the challenges of coexistence among different forms of agricultural production,” Vilsack said. “I hope this committee will recommend workable solutions that will enhance the ability of all farmers to grow the crops they want in order to effectively meet the needs of their customers.”

Dean Redding said he was honored by the appointment and welcomed the challenge. “I believe my role as Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College, coupled with my production agriculture experience, education and public service as the former Secretary of Agriculture for Pennsylvania, will be beneficial to the Advisory Committee in tackling the issues around the use of biotechnology,” Dean Redding said.  “In each of my roles, I have had the opportunity to see the benefits of biotechnology and teach about its application in our industry and lives.”

He said it is his intention to bring a balanced perspective to the table to help the committee reach recommendations to better assist the USDA in developing policies for managing the biotechnology issue.

“This will not be easy,” Dean Redding said, “but it is necessary since agriculture is at the intersection of many of our contemporary issues – food production, food security, environment, health and energy.”

The committee, known as AC21, is composed of 22 members from 16 states. The members represent the biotechnology industry, the organic food industry, farming communities, the seed industry, food manufacturers, state government, consumer and community development groups, the medical profession, and academic researchers.

Member affiliations include the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis; the Organic Trade Association in Putney, Vt.; and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin.

Four DelVal students and a faculty member recently returned from a May trip to Poland, where they visited The Royal Palace in Warsaw, a mushroom farm, a robotic dairy farm, two agri-tourism farms and the U.S. Embassy.

The visit, from May 23 to June 1, was organized by the University of Podlasie in Siedlce, Poland, and the Piszek/Evans/Diamond Exchange program.  As part of the exchange, students from the University of Podlasie will visit DelVal in the fall.

Participating this year in the annual exchange were Jaimie Shipe ’11, a graduate of the food science program; Harris Trobman, a senior environmental design major; Darla Romberger, a senior double majoring in animal science and dairy science; Galen Weibley, a junior horticulture major; and Professor Michael Fleischacker.

“I would definitely recommend it,” said Shipe. “It was an awesome experience.”

The exchange between the two institutions was established in 2007 and is free for DelVal students.

Shipe wanted to participate because she was interested in seeing agriculture in other parts of the world.

“I’m going to be teaching agriculture in the future,” said Shipe. “I thought it was something that I could do to really further myself.”

Shipe said the program took her on a full tour of a meat packing plant where she learned how the meat is marketed. She also went to a fruit processing plant and got to compare the plant to ones in the U.S.

Trobman said he wanted to participate because he is of Polish descent.

“I wanted to visit Poland this year to help reconnect with my Polish ancestry as well as experience a new culture,” said Trobman. “I loved learning Polish, sharing experiences, and becoming friends with the Polish people.”

The group had dinner at an agri-tourism farm, which was a small dairy operation. The farm had a business kind of like a hotel where people could stay.

That evening, Shipe said there was a bonfire for the students with traditional Polish food.

The hospitality in Poland impressed the DelVal students. Weibley said his favorite place was the Polish students’ homes.

“The students and their families were very hospitable in showing kindness to the entire DelVal delegation,” said Weibley. “By far this was the best memory I had on the trip because we were able to see in the life of a student in Poland.”

Shipe said there were quite a few Polish students there for every activity.

“There was a lot of conversation about how they compared to what we would do here with agriculture,” said Shipe.

She noticed some differences between ways of life.

“They use technology, but not in the same way we do,” said Shipe. “Most of their assignments are turned in on paper.”

There are also academic differences. The Polish students come out of their program with bachelors’ and masters’ degrees.

The group went to Warsaw, the capital of Poland, for a few days. Shipe was reminded of the nation’s history during this visit.

“When you’re walking through any town or city in Poland, you have to remember that the Nazis destroyed it,” said Shipe. “Almost every building was a replica.”

The program also took the students to what was once a Nazi concentration camp.

“It was one of those things that I had wanted to see, but it was just really powerful when I saw it,” said Shipe.

The students learned a good deal about the nation’s history on the trip. Shipe said they also got to see an outdoor museum of agriculture with recreations of farms and buildings from different time periods.

Overall, the students said the trip was a great experience.

“The entire time we were hosted in Poland, we were met with some of the most sincere hospitality I have ever experienced,” said Romberger. “Even though at times I couldn't communicate with my host family (due to language barrier), they treated me as part of their family.”

Weibley said he would definitely recommend the exchange.

“I would highly recommend this program to students in agriculture that would like to see a different part of the world than they are accustomed to,” said Weibley.“I would also recommend that students who are interested help when the Polish students come in the fall. In the fall, I helped out and when I went to Poland, I stayed with the faculty member who came to the U.S. This helped with the transition to a new family since we already had a great relationship before I arrived.”

After participating, Romberger said she is eager to do more traveling.

“I had an idea of what this trip would entail, but it exceeded my expectations,” said Romberger. “This trip has sparked my interest to travel more frequently and experience agriculture in other foreign countries!”

The exchange is partially funded by The Copernicus Society of America, which was established by the late Edward Piszek. Piszek started Mrs. Paul’s Kitchens, a successful frozen food company that he later sold to Campbell Soup Company. He was proud of his Polish heritage and worked to educate people about Poland. His daughter, Helen Piszek-Nelson, had the idea to create the exchange and worked with retired Dean Dr. James Diamond to start the program.

Mathematics Professor Svetlana Shkitko currently coordinates the program.

By Edward Levenson

In a letter to Dr. Joshua Feldstein, a former student wrote, "God certainly had a plan for you the day you were born."

Lee Thompson's letter was among the tributes paid to Feldstein at a celebration of his 90th birthday at Delaware Valley College on June 12. More than 200 family members, friends, former students, professors, administrators, trustees and college staffers attended the dinner in the Moumgis Auditorium of the Student Center. The event was co-sponsored by the Feldstein family and the college, and organized by the younger of Feldstein's two sons, Dan.

Among the public officials in attendance were state Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, state Rep. Kathy Watson, state Rep. Marguerite Quinn, Bucks County commissioners Charley Martin and Rob Loughery, and Doylestown Township supervisors Barbara Lyons and Tom Scarborough.

Feldstein's actual birthday was April 12, but the celebration was scheduled after the end of the school year. The Bucks County commissioners and the Doylestown Township supervisors separately proclaimed Sunday "Joshua Feldstein Day" in his honor. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives issued a citation signed by the members of the Bucks County delegation.
Ted Feldstein, the honoree's older son, read a letter praising Feldstein signed by President and Mrs. Obama. An aide to Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick, who was unable to attend, presented an American flag flown over the Capitol to mark his birthday.

Feldstein and his wife of 66 years, Miriam, sat at the head table.

"He's truly unique," said President Dr. Joseph Brosnan, noting Feldstein has been associated with the college since arriving at the then-National Farm School in 1939 as a student from Lithuania, two weeks shy of his 18th birthday. After graduating in 1942, Feldstein remained at the school as an assistant instructor in agricultural machinery.

Through determination and ability, Feldstein moved up the academic and administrative ladder over the next 45 years, serving as president from 1975 to 1987. He was called back for two stints as interim president from 1994 to 1997, and remains an active member of the board of trustees.
"He has an incredible enthusiasm for life and everything around him," Brosnan said.

Dr. James Trainer, chairman of the board of trustees, said he came to know Feldstein in the early 1980s, when Trainer was on the DelVal student committee planning the Student Center. Feldstein successfully argued the center should have an all-purpose room that would serve as more than an auditorium. Trainer noted the plaza outside the center is named the Joshua Feldstein Campus Court.

"To me, he's been a mentor, a counselor, a confidant, and even more so, a friend," Trainer said.

Trainer, director of Planning & Assessment and special assistant to the vice president for academic affairs at Villanova University, said he would not have pursued an academic career if it hadn't been for Feldstein.

Dr. John Mertz, who was dean during Feldstein's presidency, said their relationship goes back about 50 years. Feldstein hired him as a laboratory technician while doing research on peach tree irrigation for his doctorate in horticulture (which he received from Rutgers University in 1962).

"Josh, as we know, is a very rare individual," Mertz said. "The man never loses his cool. He's very level-headed."

Dr. Richard Funt, a 1968 DelVal graduate, recalled how, as a student, he went into Feldstein's classroom one day to borrow a key needed for field work. Some students laughed because he was wearing a red plaid hunter's cap and a denim jacket.

Pulling out the original cap and wearing it at the podium, Funt related how Feldstein scolded the class: "You never put down a working man even if he's six feet down in a ditch with a shovel."
Dr. Thomas Leamer, DelVal president from 1997 to 2007, said he often turned to Feldstein for advice.

"He truly has Delaware Valley College in his heart and mind at all times," he said.

The highlight of Sunday's celebration came when Feldstein ascended to the podium, greeted by a standing ovation.

"This is a distinct honor," said the white-haired Feldstein. Projected on a screen behind him was an enlarged photograph of himself as a dark-haired 21-year-old graduate, from the 1942 National Farm School yearbook.

Feldstein told how his parents, fearing the rise of Hitler, arranged for him to leave Lithuania in March 1939 and immigrate to the United States. Although Feldstein intended to attend the National Farm School for one year and then transfer to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study engineering, his plans were dashed when his American sponsor died unexpectedly in November 1939.

After graduating in 1942, Feldstein was going to join the Army Air Corps. However, Farm School President Dr. Harold Allen had Feldstein reclassified as an essential worker so he could remain at the school as a post-graduate student and assistant instructor. If he had gone into the service, Feldstein reflected, he never would have met his future wife on a blind date on June 28, 1942.

Feldstein said Dr. James Work, who became president in 1946, kept the school going during the difficult post-war years and oversaw its eventual transformation into Delaware Valley College. Work retired as president in 1974.

"If it were not for James Work, we wouldn't be here today," Feldstein said. "I consider James Work as a Moses. One thing he did that Moses didn't do, he saw the promised land (accreditation in 1962). Like Moses, he also had a Joshua."

Feldstein said he wouldn't have applied for the presidency in 1975 if Work hadn't placed his name in consideration.

"I've had the opportunity to do many things. I'm most proud of being able to help young men and women," he said, adding that he helped make the college co-educational in the late 1960s.

Referring to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's quote that old soldiers "fade away," Feldstein concluded: "Good people who continue to do good should never fade away until they die. That's the way I'll go."

As the celebration drew to a close, photographs from Feldstein's life flashed on the screen: as a high school student in Lithuania, as a field hand at the National Farm School, as a classroom teacher, as a researcher and as president.

The entire audience joined in singing "Happy Birthday."

By Annmarie Ely

Delaware Valley College has appointed three new members to its board of trustees: Helen Piszek Nelson of the Copernicus Society of America, W. Thomas Lomax ’87 of The Lomax Companies and Charles J. Alpuche ’81, a retired PepsiCo executive.

The new members were chosen for their commitment to the institution and its future. All three have backgrounds in business and have provided leadership to efforts that improve the lives of others. The appointments were made May 20.

Mrs. Nelson is the daughter of the late Edward Piszek, who owned Mrs. Paul’s Kitchen before selling it to the Campbell Soup Co. in 1982.  In the 1970s he founded The Copernicus Society of America, an organization dedicated to promoting Polish culture in the United States. Mrs. Nelson is president and co-chair of the society, which partially funds the Piszek/Evans/Diamond Exchange program between Delaware Valley College and University of Podlasie in Poland.

Mrs. Nelson,  who has a bachelor’s in business administration from Gwynedd-Mercy College, said she joined the board because Delval is developing a more global approach to education.

“When students get a chance to go to other countries, meet people from other cultures, there’s a certain amount of global education that develops,” said Mrs. Nelson. “I think that type of education is important in today’s world.”

Mrs. Nelson serves on the President’s Council at Gwynedd-Mercy, is vice president of Emlen House Enterprises Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors at The Rodale Institute.

W. Thomas Lomax received his bachelor’s in Business Administration from Delaware Valley College in 1987 and his MBA from LaSalle University.

As an alumnus of the school, Lomax was eager to get involved.

“For the past year DelVal has come back on my radar because of some of the good things they’re doing and because of the strategic plan,” said Lomax. “If I can be of help in achieving the strategic plan, I’d be more than happy to help.”

He brings to the board more than 25 years of financial and business expertise. For the past 15 years, he has served as the chief financial officer/treasurer  of The Lomax Companies, where his responsibilities include setting financial and accounting policies.

During that time, he was a core member of the management team for Lomax Health Services, Inc. and Correctional Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

The Lomax Companies own and operate a variety of businesses and ventures.

The Lomax business was started by Thomas’ father, Walter P. Lomax, Jr., a doctor in South Philadelphia who provided medical care to underserved communities and later to prisons and Medicaid and Medicare patients. In 2002, the family business expanded beyond healthcare.

The Lomax family has provided philanthropic support to a variety of organizations and is dedicated to promoting health, art, culture and education in the African-American community.

Lomax serves as a trustee for The Lomax Family Foundation and is on the boards of Morehouse School of Medicine, First Savings bank and the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Foundation in Philadelphia.

Charles Alpuche earned his bachelor’s in business administration from DelVal in 1981 and his master’s from The University of Pennsylvania.

“I’m honored to be a board member,” Alpuche said. “I went to DelVal. I love the school and everything it has done for me. Now I want to do something for the school.”

In 2005, he was named senior vice president of Supply Chain Operations for Pepsi- Cola, North America, a unit of PepsiCo Inc. He retired in February.

Pepsi-Cola North America manufactures and distributes such brands as Pepsi Cola, Aquafina, SoBe and Tropicana.

Alpuche has been an engaged member of the DelVal community for a long time.

He was the 2000 commencement speaker and the fall 2008 speaker in the Thomas W. Watson Executive-In-Residence program.

In 2010, he played a vital role in making possible the college’s three-day Precarious Alliance symposium, which dealt with the conflict between natural and human systems. At the event, he spoke about PepsiCo’s “performance with a purpose philosophy.”

In the wake of hosting a May 25 conference on diversity, Delaware Valley College has renewed its standing commitment to tolerance, inclusion and respect for all.

“Embracing diversity is of utmost importance to the college,” said Vice President of Student Affairs John Brown.  “As the college becomes more diverse and understands many points of views, we become a stronger institution.”

Brown said the efforts he’s seen on campus have been encouraging. Students have also been encouraged by the college’s many programs to foster understanding and togetherness.

The 2012 Class President, Dan Rivera, is an openly gay student who considers DelVal a safe community that welcomes all. He has been class president since his freshman year and said his experience at DelVal has been a positive one.

“Our school is a place that takes diversity and inclusion as a serious matter,”  he said. “We have no tolerance for bias or hate against any people; however we cannot control the few individuals who make bad decisions and commit bias incidents, but we can teach them to become better people.”

Maintaining a warm, caring community that is inclusive for all people is part of the college’s strategic plan and a goal that is of personal importance to the college president.

President Joseph S. Brosnan lived in a Manhattan apartment before coming to the college in 2007. He said that as a group, the tenants in his building were extremely diverse.

“There were mixes and matches of all kinds,” Dr. Brosnan said. “We celebrated holidays together, did our laundry together.  We got to know each other and to recognize each other as people. We embraced differences and saw them as something that strengthened our community.”

He said to make that kind of mutual respect possible, people have to be exposed to diversity.

“Not all of us are,” said Dr. Brosnan.

That’s why at DelVal he’s working to make sure, as part of their education, students learn how to appreciate and respect differences. He wants to make sure students, faculty and staff at DelVal respect, appreciate and welcome everyone. For that reason, the college has an assortment of programs and practices that teach these values.

Among them are:

• A board-approved core value statement saying  the college respects all people and will treat everyone with care and dignity
• A Race, Culture and Diversity Committee: formed by Dr. Brosnan to help oversee the process of creating a welcoming, safe community
• A Bias Incident Response Team: If there is an incident of hate or intolerance this team helps the college deal with it. The team includes faculty, students, administrators and staff who meet with Student Affairs to find out why incidents are happening, examine trends and recommend consequences for students who commit acts of bias or hate
• A Stop the Hate program: a nationally recognized program that trains faculty, students and staff in inclusion and permits them to train others. DelVal has 22 certified Stop the Hate trainers who go out and do trainings on campus. The program will continue to unfold for years to come. Dr. Audrey Ervin, a counseling psychology professor, said the program is specifically designed to “impact effective, systemic, campus change.”
  » Learn more
• GLOW: a student club that fosters understanding and cooperation between students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. According to a member, in October 2010 the club organized a group of more than 200 students from across campus to wear purple to remember the suicides of gay teens. GLOW also organized a drag show and a day of silence. All three events were well received on campus, according to the club
• Hillel: campus club that explores Jewish culture
• Students for Diversity:  a club dedicated to the acceptance, understanding and recognition of diversity on campus
• A Minority Relations Council: includes students from Hillel, Students for Diversity and GLOW; The council keeps Student Government Board updated about events, issues and concerns
• Faculty with expertise in diversity issues
• “We are proud of our programs, proud of our students, proud of our faculty and proud of the environment we have created here,” said Dr. Brosnan. “We do everything possible to make the student experience memorable and worthy.”

Bill Manlove arrived at Delaware Valley College nearly 20 years ago as a coaching success story. Given the state of the football program at the time, he wanted to add another chapter.

Unfortunately, not many wins were included on those DelVal pages, but Manlove helped identify several things that were eventually adopted by the school that, in turn, helped lead to the Aggies' decade-long resurgence as a championship program.

Manlove, now 78, dedicated his life to coaching college football, and continues doing so to this day, having spent the last nine years as an assistant with the Aggies. On Tuesday, college football gave back when it was announced that he would be inducted into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF).

Manlove will be inducted as a member of the Division Class, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

Included in the class are former Dayton coach Mike Kelly and former players Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State), Charles Haley (James Madison), Mike Favor (North Dakota State), and Mickey Kobrosky (Trinity, Conn.).

Also going in is a Division I class that included Desmond Howard, Barry Alvarez and Gene Stallings. The Enshrinement Festival will be held in South Bend, Ind., July 15-16.

“I sure didn't get it based on my winning record at DelVal as a head coach,” said Manlove, who lives in Doylestown. “When you take a job, you're supposed to get the job done right. I think the best thing I did was tell them what they needed to do, and they did some of those things and it worked.”

While Manlove won just 10 games and lost 29 during his four years (1992-95) on the DdelVal campus, he had already racked up 211 wins in 21 years as Widener University's head coach.

The winningest coach in Widener history, he led the Pride to two national championships, seven Division III playoff berths, 10 Middle Atlantic Conference titles, and a streak of 21 straight winning seasons from 1970-90. He was a two-time ABC/Chevrolet Division III Coach of the Year and nine-time MAC Coach of the Year.

“The first thing I did when I went there – no one in the league had really recruited and I had been at Lafayette for two years before that and learned a little about recruiting,” said Manlove. “We weren't getting any players. I said, ‘We have to go out and look for them. We have to get better players.’

“Then we adopted a system and didn't change it. We lived with the system. We made some adjustments, but we always stayed with it. And we kept getting good players.”
Manlove points out some of the memorable Widener moments:

• The 1977 national championship. “We never anticipated being that good. We just blossomed as the season went along.”
• The 1981 national championship. “That was a shocker. We had our best talent in 1980 when we went to the semifinals, were ahead of Dayton 24-0 but lost 28-24. We lost 22 or 23 players from that team, but the next year, our kids didn't know how to lose. In the playoffs that year, we were behind in all three games, but came back to win.”
• The 1990 team. “It was one of our most rewarding years. We weren't very good but we lost only two games and tied one. We only scored 17 offensive touchdowns, but we played great defense and probably set a special teams record when we scored eight or nine touchdowns.”

Manlove probably could have won 300 games had he stayed at Widener, but, he said, “it was time to move on. I think I outlived my usefulness at Widener. Plus, I wanted another challenge. I love challenges. DelVal was a good challenge.”

Delaware Valley hadn't had a winning season on the football field since 1985 when Manlove got to town, but even he couldn't manage to give them one, so he left to resurrect a program at La Salle University that had been dormant since 1941. It took him just four years to post a winning season with the Explorers.

“The best way to describe Bill is, he's an unbelievable football coach, but he's that much better a human being,” said DelVal head coach Jim Clements. “He's the nicest guy I have ever met and he would do anything for you.”
In 2001, Manlove returned to the DelVal sideline as an assistant to then-coach G.A. Mangus and discovered some of his recommendations for turning around the Aggies had been implemented.

“I was the only full-timer; everybody else was part-time,” he said. “I said we needed more full-timers.”

DelVal now has the equivalent of four to five full-timers in addition to Clements.

Manlove also wanted some things done differently with financial aid packages, not specifically targeting football players, but in general. He also said the facilities needed to be improved, and DelVal has done that with a re-sodded playing field and refurbished locker rooms. It also didn't help Manlove's cause that there were four college presidents in his four years as head coach.

“Continuity was necessary,” he said. “We had trouble retaining players early on.”

When Mangus left Delaware Valley, his successor, Clements, opted to keep Manlove on staff. Clements had been recruited to Widener by Manlove and played his freshman year there under him.

“When I came to DelVal, I was really fortunate to reconnect with Bill as a coach, but, more importantly, as a man,” said Clements. “I am extremely fortunate to have Bill Manlove with me as someone to lean on, knock things around with on offense, defense, special teams, Xs and Os, and even the running the daily football operations, its pitfalls, its ups and downs.”

Said Manlove: “I just wanted to come back because I felt it could be good. Given the right circumstances, it would be good.”

He was right.

Listen to a Podcast interview with Manlove

Dr. Hanna is a graduate of Temple University, where he earned his B.A. in biology, his M.A. in developmental biology and his Ph.D. in developmental neurobiology.

“Dr. Hanna has a deep and diverse academic background that will be a critical asset for DelVal,” said College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan. “He will be a primary force in the implementation of the strategic plan.”

At Ithaca College, a selective school in New York with approximately 460 full time faculty members and about 6,850 students, Dr. Hanna provided leadership in the areas of academic assessment, academic enrichment services, grants and sponsored projects, fellowships and scholarships and the college’s Integrative  Learning Initiative (IC)2 through his position as associate provost.

Before that, Dr. Hanna served as dean of Arts and Sciences and interim provost at Kutztown University. He was the founding dean of Academic Affairs – Pennsylvania at DeVry University, as well as associate dean of Science and Technology and assistant vice provost at Temple University.

In addition to being an accomplished administrator, Dr. Hanna loves teaching. He was a lecturer at Ithaca College, a biology and mathematics instructor at Temple, and a National Science Foundation teaching fellow in Philadelphia and Camden.

He hopes to continue to teach because he believes that being in classrooms helps administrators relate more effectively to faculty and students.

“I think it is incumbent on any academic administrator  to continue first hand contact with the students in the classroom,” said Dr. Hanna.

He said this will allow him to bring first-hand knowledge to conversations with faculty.

The second reason he thinks it is important to continue teaching is, “the students  are who you ultimately serve,” and  not having contact with them is a “lost opportunity.”

Dr. Hanna said he was drawn to DelVal because of the founder’s passion for helping people out of hard economic circumstances and providing opportunities through education.

“One of the first things that I looked at, being the product of a blue collar family, was DelVal’s noble mission,” said Dr. Hanna. “And having that mission withstand the test of time was tremendously attractive.”

He’s coauthored books on topics ranging from nutrition and wellness to college algebra.

He has also published work and presented at conferences on wide range of topics such as: online learning, strengthening academic departments by empowering faculty and staff, collaboration between two and four year colleges, ethical challenges facing higher education, better ways of teaching mathematics, minority student retention, improving retention through peer mentors and more.

His first order of business in July will be to get to know the community and build support for the strategic plan.

“The first and most important thing is to get to know my faculty and staff colleagues,” said Dr. Hanna. “I want to get to know our faculty and staff and begin  working with them to identify their  passion so they can fully embrace  the strategic plan and help us implement it. I’m delighted to be joining the college at such an important and transformative time.”

May 21 wasn’t the end of the world, but it was the end of college for graduating seniors at Delaware Valley College.

Commencement speaker Lynn Doyle, an accomplished journalist and nine-time Emmy winner who has interviewed Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and former President of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev, made light of the doomsday predictions saying, “If in fact this is the last day on Earth, I couldn’t think of a better place to spend it.”

At the 112th Commencement, more than 400 students were awarded undergraduate degrees, 75 received graduate degrees and two associate degree were earned.

Honorary doctorate degrees were given to Doyle and to former DelVal President George West.

Robert Pierson, a food science, nutrition and management professor, received the distinguished faculty member award for excellence in teaching, his availability to students, and his contributions to the campus.

Doyle is the host and executive producer of “It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle.” She has more than 30 years of television news experience and covered national presidential elections, presidential inaugurations, the 9-11 tragedy, two wars and the impeachment of a president.

She was humbled when college President Joseph S. Brosnan described her career while awarding her an honorary degree.

She said when she was sitting at her own commencement it never occurred to her that she’d have such a successful career.

She urged DelVal graduates to take as much advice as possible while they are young and to learn from other people’s mistakes.

Then, she took the opportunity not to highlight her many accomplishments, but instead to highlight some of her biggest mistakes so that she could share important lessons with the graduating seniors. She told the Class of 2011 that the kind of person you become matters much more than the career you build.

She said when she met Gorbachev for the interview he was charming and she thought “this is going to be the easiest 60 minutes of my life.”

That was until she found out he wanted to do the interview in Russian.

“Guess who doesn’t speak Russian?” said Doyle. Since she was prepared with a translator, the interview turned out fine.

Another time, came much earlier in high school when as a varsity athlete she approached a newspaper editor demanding to know why women’s sports weren’t being covered.

He replied, “Well little lady because we don’t have anyone to cover them.”

Doyle was hired that day to cover women’s sports. Her father’s first questions was, “How much are you getting paid?”

She’d neglected to ask and it turned out she was getting paid 25 cents an inch.

“Know what you’re getting paid,” she told the seniors.

One of her most important “not so highlights” came when she was newspaper editor, doing whatever she could to make her paper interesting.

No details were off limits for Doyle. She put the facts out there, including specific details about deaths from crime reports, to sell papers.

Circulation tripled, but when a grief stricken woman with swollen eyes came shuffling through her door asking to speak to the editor, she said she got a wake up call.

The woman was the mother of a murder victim. She was angry saying “you told the world what she went through” and “people will remember her as a victim.”

“If I could take back that moment I would,” said Doyle. “I added compassion to my repertoire that day. You are a person first and you need to be a compassionate person.”

2011 Class President Dariyen Carter told the graduating class that DelVal students are anything but typical. He used his speech to point out the types of students that he is proud to have gone to school with.

“DelVal students, despite this tough job market, are being offered jobs even before they are handed their diplomas,” said Carter.

He said that more than a dozen of his classmates are going to vet school. He also highlighted the success of the sports teams, the thousands of dollars that DelVal students have raised for good causes and the continuing education students who work full time jobs while pursuing degrees.

“When we all have said our goodbyes and wiped away the last joyful tears, we will remember the times we’ve shared,” Carter said.

The 2011 Vice President, Jamie Shetzline, asked, “Wasn’t it just yesterday we were confused freshman?”

But she added, “We all will find our way, just like we did on our first day.”

Dr. Brosnan, in his address, said, “As a class you’re extra special to me because we started at the same time…You were newly minted freshmen and I was a newly minted president.”

He said he could not be prouder of the graduating class and talked about individual members, including Paoul Martinez, Nancy Mullen and Daniel J. Harrington.

Martinez knew he wanted to be a veterinarian since second grade, Dr. Brosnan said. His mother always told him, “Work hard now so you don’t have to work so hard later.”

He took her advice challenging himself and taking difficult courses. In the fall, he will start veterinary school at Ohio State.

Mullen is a nontraditional student and the youngest of 15 children. A business owner before entering college, she lost her flower shop after a divorce. When she hit age 50, she asked herself, “Where am I going from here?”

Dr. Brosnan said the answer was DelVal and a degree in counseling psychology. Next fall she will attend West Chester University, seeking a master’s in sociology.

Harrington, a criminal justice major and a wrestler, never intended to go to college but was aggressively recruited by DelVal’s wrestling coach.

In his sophomore year, he injured his neck and back in an auto accident. He had to sit out the season. In his junior year, after six months of rehab, he withstood the constant pain and became an All-American wrestler for the second time.

Dr. Brosnan said success is a complex formula, a combination of the advice you get and the type of person you are.

“The world is yours to conquer and enjoy,” he said. “Go out there and never stop learning. I’m so proud of all of you.”

In receiving his honorary degree, President Emeritus West was recognized for more than 40 years of service to the college, for starting new academic programs and leading DelVal through tough economic times.

After receiving the distinguished faculty member award, Dr. Pierson said, “This could easily have been any of the other faculty members here. It’s a more dedicated group of people than I ever could have imagined…This is home for me. I didn’t find home until I came to DelVal. I love what I do here.”

The personal connections at the college were evident on stage. Instead of the typical handshakes, some students received hugs from faculty and staff,  even the president, after being handed their diplomas.

Delaware Valley College is developing a new alliance with the Dublin Technology Enterprise Center, where the college will begin running M.B.A. courses May 23.  DelVal also will be exploring opportunities for student consulting and internships with small business partners.

“We’re very excited about this alliance with The Dublin TEC Center. It represents another example of the continued growth of the DelVal M.B.A. program,” said Tom Kennedy, director of the M.B.A. program at Delaware Valley College. “The alliance ties in with our new entrepreneurship specialization. I’m excited about this opportunity because we believe that entrepreneurship could contribute to the resurgence of the American economy.”

The Dublin TEC Center was established 15 years ago to help businesses get started and grow. The center has been home to more than 100 companies, housing about 25 at any given time. Some of the companies are small businesses that plan to stay small while others have goals of reaching $100 million or more in revenue.

Kennedy  said the new alliance is one more step forward for the college’s strategic plan and move towards university status. He  said strengthening and expanding graduate programs is a key part of this plan.

At 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, The Dublin TEC Center will host a 15th anniversary celebration where Kennedy will announce the alliance.

State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney is expected to attend the event where he will be honored with an entrepreneurship award.

The first phase of the launch includes an entrepreneurship class at the center that begins May 23.

“Not only are we teaching classes there, but there are opportunities for internships and opportunities for our M.B.A. students to be helpful to small businesses,” said Kennedy.

He said DelVal M.B.A. students may be able to help small businesses grow by providing consulting services.

Kennedy  said he is excited about the diversity of the tenants in the center and the opportunities for DelVal students to learn about different types of businesses. DelVal is especially interested in developing relationships with the alternative energy companies housed in the Dublin TEC Center.

Current tenants in The Dublin TEC Center include companies such as: Alternative Energy Polymers, LLC, OmniWind Energy Systems, Mystic Silk Screen Printing, Keystone Preservation, Bucks County Intermediate Unit, Susan Hanson (a licensed social worker and therapist), Wells Fargo Equipment Finance and much more.

Dressage team members, from left, Katie Kashner, Alyssa Giulianelli, Caroline Fenkel and Carly Hartdorn 

By Annmarie Ely

The DelVal Dressage team was named Reserve National Champion at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association National Championships in Newberry, Fla., on May 1.

Four DelVal riders, Caroline Fenkel, Alyssa Giulianelli, Katie Kashner and Carly Hartdorn, traveled to Florida with Coaches Angelo Telatin and Breann DePietro for the national competition.

“I think that it (the win) has really put us on the board,” said DePietro. “When Angelo first started coaching the team a few years ago our college was not very well known and now DelVal is a well recognized name in intercollegiate dressage.”

The “reserve” title goes to the second place finisher. This is the highest placing for both DelVal and the region.

Equine Studies student Caroline Fenkel, a first level rider, won her class.

DelVal competed against 12 of the top ranking college teams in the country. Lake Erie College took first place. Also competing were: Otterbein University, Johnson & Wales University, The University of Findlay, The University of Florida, Averett University, Virginia Intermont College, University of Massachusetts, Centenary College, Mount Holyoke College and University of California Davis.

DelVal has placed third twice in the past.

The word “dressage” comes from the French word meaning “to train.” In this type of riding, horses are guided through complex maneuvers by their rider’s subtle movements, such as the change of their rider’s weight or slight movement of the hands or legs.

The competition was full of emotional ups and downs for the team.

“It was very exciting,” said DePietro. “We didn’t find out until 8 that night that we’d won.”

Due to an error in calculations, the judges initially announced DelVal as fifth. When the correct score came in the team was thrilled.

“The students were jumping for joy,” DePietro said.

In addition to ribbons, engraved leather halters, riding breeches, gloves, and dressage whips, the team won a trophy that was too big to carry home on the plane.

“We’re very proud of the girls and extremely excited for the future,” said DePietro.

The coaches tried to get the riders to focus on positive thinking. At the airport they started talking about how “you have to imagine things going well.”

“The girls would all muster up their positive thoughts whenever someone was competing,” said DePietro. “Even when we experienced a set back they’d still bounce back and say, ‘we have to try even harder for the next one.’ ”

A lot of preparation went into the competition. Usually the team practices once a week, but when the riders found out they qualified for nationals, practices were upped to three time a week.

Riders had to try different horses because at the competition they ride on a horse they’ve never seen before with only a 10-minute warm up.

This was the first time any of the riders had been to nationals.

Fenkel, who won the individual competition, is minoring in psychology. She wants to go to graduate school to pursue a career in equine assisted psychotherapy.

Kashner, a graduating senior, is managing a driving stable and teaching lessons at a farm.

Giulianelli, an equine science and management major, is interested in pursuing a career in equine breeding.

Hartdorn, an equine studies junior, is interested in training horses.

Individual Results in team competition:

Caroline Fenkel: 2nd place in First Level
Alyssa Giulianelli: 3rd place in Upper Training Level
Katie Kashner: 8th place in Lower Training Level
Carly Hartdorn: 10th place in Introductory Level

DelVal students (from left to right) Erin McGettigan, Greg Mullin, Felicia Erdie-Lilly, Bob Mergner and Kim Zampirri competed in an online business simulation game. They were ranked in four categories each week. Their simulated shoe company, Lucky Laces, was fourth out of 5166 teams during the week of April 4 in the return on equity category.

By Annmarie Ely

DelVal students competed this spring in The Business Strategy Game, an international online business simulation competition that ranks teams in four categories each week.

During the week of April 4-10, the DelVal team behind Lucky Laces, a simulated shoe company, came in fourth in the return on equity category, beating 5,162 teams. DelVal students Erin McGettigan, Greg Mullin, Felicia Erdie-Lilly, Bob Mergner and Kim Zampirri ran Lucky Laces.

Teams from about 313 colleges competed during the week of April 4-10.

Another DelVal team ran the simulated shoe company Kow-bung-a Kicks, which was ranked number 16 out of 5,166 teams in the stock price category during the same week. Lee Laveson, Tony Phillips, Matt Mullin, Nicole Bennett and Susan Grady made up that team.

DelVal has never had teams score this high.

“Every week on Sunday, we’d know if we made it into the top 100,” said Mergner.

For overall score, during the week of April 4, DelVal’s Lucky Laces was ranked 96th. About 50 schools, including Gywnedd Mercy College and La Salle University, tied DelVal in overall score.

“What was especially gratifying is here you’ve got a mixture of students (continuing education and day students),” said Larry Stelmach, associate professor of Business Administration. “It just speaks to the type of people who come to DelVal and how well they work together.”

He said he was impressed by how well the students made business decisions.

The teams were graded and presented results on campus May 4, as though they were facing a real boardroom. College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan attended the presentations, acting as a “board member” and providing feedback.

The students from Lucky Laces said they’d definitely recommend the competition to other students and that it would be something they’d be bringing up on job interviews.

“We learned how to work together to make decisions,” said Mergner, a graduating accounting student. “It’s a good thing to refer back to in an interview. A lot of employers ask you about what you’ve done as a team. I’ll definitely bring this up.”

Each week was one year in the simulation, teams all started at year 10 with the same resources. Students would login to find all the information on their companies, the prior week, all the information that would be available to a real company.

“We planned our years in advance,” said McGettigan. “We looked at how our decisions would affect us two years from now.”

They had to make decisions such as setting the stock price, whether to go green, whether to purchase celebrity endorsements, what markets to cater to, and much more.

Lucky Laces did decide to bid on celebrity endorsements, which were given fake names such as “Oprah Letterman.” They bid on three celebrities because they were trying to cater to the North American market, which they said was most receptive to endorsements.

“I loved our team,” said Erdie-Lilly.

“We had a great group dynamic,” said Mergner. “I was surprised how competitive I got.”

The team said a big part of why they got along was that they all took criticism really well.

“The competition gave us a lot of motivation,” said McGettigan, a graduating business management student. “We wanted to be the best, not just in our class.”

“I feel like the experience has made me kind of want to start a business a little bit more,” said Mergner. “It gives you a better perspective of the business world.”

Lucky Laces had plants in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Their stock started at $30 per share and by year 17 (week 7) was up to $368 per share.

Their image rating went into their overall score and stemmed from everything  from whether they went green, gave to charity, or had well trained employees.

The team said they hit a 99 percent image rating at one point.

“Of course everything costs money, said Mullin. “So that was part of the balancing act.”

McGettigan said the game was like the “grand finale of all of college” where he was able to test everything he’s learned from English courses to business courses.

After commencement, Erdie-Lilly and Mergner will be job hunting. McGettigan will continue to work for Teva Pharmaceuticals. Two years ago he ran for Quakertown Borough Council. He plans to use what he’s learned from the experience to pursue a career in politics.

Director of Continuing Education Robert McNeill said the competition is a good way for students to learn about the business world.

“Hopefully this experience will be a great reflection on the college,” said McNeill.
 

MLB Network President and CEO Tony Petitti at DelVal's 2009 Commencement

The MLB Network, under the leadership of Tony Petitti, who serves on the President's Advisory Council, has received two Sports Emmy Awards.

Given May 3 by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Emmys went to “MLB Tonight”, which is Major League Baseball’s signature nightly studio show, and to Bob Costas, host of MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas and play-by-play voice for Thursday Night Baseball.

“MLB Tonight” won as Outstanding Studio Show, Daily.

For the veteran Costas, it was his 22nd Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality- Studio Host. He received that for his work with both MLB Network and NBC Sports.

Petitti, MLB Network President and CEO, said “MLB Tonight” has been the core of MLB Network since it came on the air in January 2009.

“It represents our goal to bring fans the most comprehensive baseball coverage every day, and we are honored to be recognized by our peers in the industry with this award,” he said, adding.  “I’d also like to congratulate our colleague Bob Costas, who we are proud to have as part of MLB Network, on his recognition for his work as studio host, which has set the standard in the sports TV industry.”

Petitti is a member of DelVal’s President’s Advisory Council, a group that confers with Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan on affairs of the College. In 2009, he was  the College’s commencement speaker and received an honorary doctorate.

The 32nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards, held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, recognize outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast throughout the 2010 calendar year.

MLB Network features live games, original programming, highlights, and insights and analysis from experts such as Costas, Harold Reynolds, Al Leiter and Peter Gammons. MLB Network is distributed to approximately 57 million homes throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

In his 2009 commencement address, Petitti told DelVal graduates it is difficult to determine where a career will take you. Although he went to Harvard Law School, he worked in law only five years and then went to ABC Sport to do a job he didn’t know existed when he was in college.

First place winners (from left) Amanda Faust, Chris Becker, Mike Marsicano, Will Betts

By Annmarie Ely

DelVal students Chris Becker, Will Betts, Amanda Faust, Mike Marciano took first place in a team soil judging competition this past weekend.

A group from DelVal traveled to Oregon State University to compete with roughly 200 students from about 20 colleges and universities from across the nation. Students climbed into pits to examine and describe Oregon’s soil, which contains components such as volcanic ash.

Soil judging helps determine what soil is made up of and what uses it is best suited for.

The contest brought together the best teams from the regional level. Competitors included schools such as Auburn University, Clemson University, Texas A&M, North Carolina State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Penn State.

Schools competed in two contests. In one contest, students worked as a team to identify and classify soils on the basis of characteristics. In the other contest, which DelVal took sixth place in, individual scores of four team members were added together.

Lawrence Hepner, a faculty member in DelVal’s Natural Resources and Biosystems Management department, said DelVal is, “no stranger to the elite 21 (soil judging teams). We’ve been there a few times and in fact won the national championship in 1970.” 

DelVal also won the Northeast regional soil judging contest this year.

For news coverage of the competition check out:

http://www.ktvz.com/video/27734154/index.html

http://news.opb.org/article/national-competition-digs-central-oregon-dirt/ 

Senior Victoria Gasser works with Maggie in identifying numerals

Delaware Valley College may soon enter the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to Assistant Professor Angelo Telatin, senior Victoria Gasser and an 8-year-old mare named Maggie.

On May 2, under Victoria’s guidance and with assistance from Telatin, Maggie did something unusual for a horse. She identified 21 numerals in a minute’s time.

If Guinness certifies the results, Maggie will have bested the record held by Lukas, known widely on the Internet as the World’s Smartest Horse. Lukas has identified 19 numerals and is the official record holder.

Telatin, a world-class animal behaviorist, said he was pleased with Maggie’s performance.

“We were lucky that she wasn’t distracted by the witnesses, cameras and media,” he said, all of which were required by Guinness. “She loves to do this task with Victoria. She went right out there and stayed focused.”

Telatin will send his documentation – signed statements, photos, video and more – to Guinness and await its decision.

“What happened was important, but it’s not just about having the record,” Telatin said. “What’s nice is having an imprimatur of all the time I’ve spent studying horse behavior and training.”

In the mid-day sun, in an enclosed area outside the Equestrian Center, Telatin and Victoria set up a card table. On it they placed four pieces of wood with the carved numbers, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Maggie was brought out. By the rules, she was not restrained in any way. Two local veterinarians were there to certify that, and to make sure the animal was not abused or coerced.

Victoria, an animal behavior major from Wilmington, Del., stood by the table with a bag of animal treats. She and Maggie had practiced this many times before. When Maggie approached the table, Victoria gave her a treat and called out one of the four numbers in random order.

Using her nose, Maggie pointed to the correct number. Victoria provided another treat, called out another number, and the pattern was repeated 21 times in 60 seconds.

That breaks Lukas’ record by two.

“She works for food,” Telatin joked to the small crowd.

Telatin has been working with Victoria all year in an effort to beat the record.
"There's no question she's very intelligent," Victoria said of Maggie, a Clydesdale-Thoroughbred cross.
The biggest concern now is making sure all the proof of Maggie's accomplishment is accepted by Guinness, Telatin said.
“I feel good on one side but on the other hand I'm a bit anxious because I don't have the stamp in my hand yet.”
He said he did not know how long the process would take.

Dr. R. Scott Hanson, a DelVal lecturer, has spent more than a decade studying the neighborhood of Flushing, in Queens, New York. He believes it may be "the most extreme case of religious diversity in the world."

He shared his research with students at the Liberal Arts Multicultural Forum on April 21 in Mandell 114.

Dr. Hanson joined The Pluralism Project at Harvard University in 1994. He earned a master’s in religion from Columbia and a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago. He has worked at Brown University as a research associate and has taught at Philadelphia University, Binghamton University-SUNY and Temple University.

His work has been featured in The New York Times and on PBS. His upcoming book, "City of Gods: Religious Freedom, Immigration, and Pluralism in Flushing, Queens, New York City, 1945-2001" explores his research in further detail.

Dr. Hanson said that what makes Flushing unique is the density of the religious diversity.

Flushing is about 2.5 square miles and includes nearly 200 different places of worship, such as Japanese, Chinese and Korean Buddhist temples, a Taoist temple, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, mosques, more than 100 Korean churches and synagogues.

He said the neighborhood "presents a remarkable opportunity to study what happens when so many different religions are forced to coexist."

Dr. Hanson quoted Voltaire saying one religion would lead to despotism, two would lead to violence, but that 30 coexist peacefully.

He did point out that city people value privacy and that there is not much interaction between groups. He said he spoke with a woman from Flushing who said her parents only associated with a particular landowning class of people of the same national origin.

Dr. Hanson is optimistic that as the students grow up in local schools and become familiar with Flushing’s rich history of fighting for religious freedom, a joint sense of community could develop.

In 1657, the people of Flushing drafted a document called the Flushing Remonstrance calling for religious freedom. The home of a Quaker man who appealed to have the remonstrance upheld in 1663 after being banished from Flushing for his religion is now a historical site. Bowne House is called a "national shrine to religious freedom" by some.

"In a world where Islam is unfairly equated with terrorism a renewal of respect for these principles is important," Dr. Hanson said.

He said change is coming and that other parts of the nation will start to deal with similar issues.
"The good news is, it’s going to be okay," said Dr. Hanson.

Ms. Doyle has been in journalism over 30 years and has won a host of awards, including nine Emmys. She has interviewed such people as former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Gov. Ed Rendell. Her specialty programs include “50 & Fabulous,” “America’s Next President,” “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and the “Focus on Women” series. 

The “Your Call” show now appears on both the Comcast and Verizon FIOS systems.  In June 2010, it was picked up by Retirement Living TV, which is available nationally to more than 14 million homes.

In addition to addressing the graduating class of 2011, Ms. Doyle will be awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Letters. Receiving an honorary doctorate in Business will be Professor Emeritus George West, who retired in 2010 after 41 years with the college.

West was DelVal’s president for five years. He was a dean, a department head and a business professor.

A third honorary doctorate, in Humane Letters, was awarded to Elizabeth H. “Betsy” Gemmill on April 13 during Founders’ Day services at the college. Ms. Gemmill is an attorney, business woman and philanthropist who leads the local Warwick Foundation, started in 1961 by her parents, the late Kenneth and Helen Hartman Gemmill.

Commencement begins at 10:30 a.m. in a tent on the campus quad.

DelVal awarded Elizabeth H. "Betsy" Gemmill an honorary doctorate degree and recognized its most promising students at the annual Founders Day celebration April 13 in Moumgis Auditorium.

“Your life is a masterwork of involvement and activism,” college President Joseph S. Brosnan told Ms. Gemmill as he awarded the degree.

Ms. Gemmill is an attorney, business woman and philanthropist who leads the local Warwick Foundation, started in 1961 by her parents, the late Kenneth and Helen Hartman Gemmill.

“The unwavering attention you have shown to causes big and small is unambiguous testimony to your desire to make a better world for all.” Dr. Brosnan said.

He told Ms. Gemmill that the example of her parents “was a legacy you would take to heart and carry on with unrelenting vigor. Their causes would become your causes; their unfinished mission your passion.”

In September, the Warwick Foundation awarded DelVal a $30 million gift that included the Gemmill family’s former homestead, a 398-acre property in Warwick Township, Bucks County. Since then, Ms. Gemmill said, she has been amazed at the “outpouring of love and support for the college” that she has heard from people.

She said the first letter she received praised the work of the turf management program for preparing skilled, professional graduates that do quality work. She said again and again she heard positive feedback about other majors.

Ms. Gemmill said when she talked to students she heard how rich their educational experience was.

“Each student told me about a professor who had influenced their lives,” said Ms. Gemmill. “The personal connection between faculty and students here is incalculable and priceless.”

She said she heard from a parent who loved coming to DelVal for sports games and being a part of the college community.

Ms. Gemmill said the parent asked if she “understood the magic on this campus” and she replied that she was just beginning to understand it.

“DelVal is full of extraordinary people of good will,” Ms. Gemmill told the large audience of proud parents, students, faculty, administration, staff, alumni and friends of the college.

She said the day was a time to appreciate the vision of the founders and help make sure that vision continues to flourish.

Honorary degrees usually are awarded at commencement in May. The college chose Founders’ Day to honor Ms. Gemmill because she will be away during commencement.

Her father, Kenneth Gemmill, received an honorary degree from DelVal 20 years ago. He was one of the county’s best-known tax lawyers, loved the college and served on its board of trustees.

Ms. Gemmill joked that she and her father were possibly the only father-daughter duo to receive degrees from DelVal that they did not have to work for.

“I want to thank DelVal for such a great honor,” she said.

Founders’ Day is held each spring to commemorate Delaware Valley College’s beginning in 1896 as the National Farm School. The Farm School was founded in Doylestown by Rabbi Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, a social activist and visionary. The day also honors Dr. James Work, a Farm School graduate who became the college’s president in 1946 and oversaw its greatest growth.

During the ceremony, top students receive honors and awards, including the Founders’ Day Award, one of the most prestigious at DelVal. It is given to students who demonstrate exceptional promise and a strong commitment to the college community.

There were 22 nominees and nine finalists for the award.

This year, seniors Jaimie Shipe and Katy Provenzale tied for the award. Shipe is a food science major who loves to educate people about agriculture. Provenzale, voted the 2009-2010 R.A. of the year, is a marketing major minoring in ornamental horticulture.

“These are incredibly talented young people,” said Vice President of Student Affairs John Brown.

Shipe thanked DelVal for her college experience.

“My experience here has been outstanding,” said Shipe. “I want to thank all of the faculty who have made it that way.”

The Student Government Board  recognized three college employees for making a difference in the lives of students. Senior Class President Paoul Martinez presented the awards.

Admissions Office Manager Pam Gazda was chosen from the staff for her dedication to the student body. Martinez said Gazda is always positive and willing to help students.

“She is often the first person people contact when they are looking into DelVal,” said Martinez. “We could not have put a better foot forward.”

Dr. Steven DeBroux was selected for the faculty award. Dr. DeBroux serves as an advisor to two student clubs G.L.O.W. (Gay Lesbian or Whatever) and Agronomy Club. Martinez said he was chosen for providing both interesting classes and helping  student organizations.

Director of Financial Aid Joan Hock received the administration award. Martinez described her as a “caring” and  “approachable” person. He said Hock is “a monumental help to student projects such as A-Day.”

Fifteen students received Departmental Achievement Awards. These go to outstanding graduating seniors who have demonstrated strong leadership and good citizenship. The awards went to:

Mark Alexander – Criminal Justice
Matthew Barto – Ornamental Horticulture & Environmental Design
Christopher Becker – Agronomy
Carly Bombolevicz – Food Science
Patrick Cocchiarella – Horticulture
Megan Coombe – Large Animal Science
Jennifer Cornbower – Chemistry
Kellen Jarrett – Business Administration
Scott Kresge – Education
Nancy Mullen – Liberal Arts
Sarah Repsher – Animal Biotechnology and Conservation
Lisa Schmitt – Agribusiness
Brittney Soban – English
Megan Smith – Dairy Science
Lindsay Whitelock – Biology

By Annmarie Ely

Dr. Baruch Blumberg, the 1976 Nobel Prize winner who discovered the hepatitis B virus, died April 5 after serving 14 years on Delaware Valley College’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Blumberg was a resident of Philadelphia and helped found The Hepatitis B Foundation in Doylestown.

“We are honored to have had such a distinguished member of the scientific community take an interest in Delaware Valley College,” President Joseph S. Brosnan said. “Dr. Blumberg shared his intellectual curiosity and love of the sciences with the college community. As an institution with a growing reputation in the sciences, we are privileged to have Dr. Blumberg’s example for our students to follow.”

The hepatitis B virus, which Dr. Blumberg both discovered and helped develop the vaccine for, is a virus that attacks the liver. Infection can cause liver damage, liver cancer and death. It can be spread through contact with blood and bodily fluids, from an infected mother to a child and through sex with an infected person.

Dr. Blumberg discovered hepatitis B while studying different populations around the world to try to determine why some people were more likely to get sick. His research took him to places such as India, Brazil, Africa and Australia. While examining the blood of an Australian Aborigine, he isolated a protein that was part of the hepatitis B virus.

In 2002, he wrote a book about his discovery called “Hepatitis B: The Hunt for a killer Virus.”

“The world has lost an extraordinary human being and an exceptional scientist who devoted his life to conduct research for the benefit of mankind,” said Dr. Joshua Feldstein, president emeritus of Delaware Valley College. “His dedication and accomplishments have inspired other scientists to pursue research to prevent and cure deadly diseases. I will always remember his friendship and the privilege to discuss with him topics of mutual interest. Delaware Valley College has lost a distinguished person who was the first Nobel Laureate to serve on the Board of Trustees.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, from the time routine hepatitis B vaccination began to 2007, reported incidents of acute hepatitis B infection had dropped by more than 94 percent among children and adolescents. The rate among the general population had dropped by about 75 percent by 2007.

After Dr. Blumberg identified the virus, tests were quickly developed to screen blood donors for hepatitis B, which greatly reduced transmission of the virus through blood transfusions.

“I think of course Dr. Blumberg was one of a kind and his work is some of the most important in science and in medicine,” said Dr. Timothy Block, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. “For our foundation he was an inspirational and motivational leader. He met with our faculty and students, many of which were DelVal students. He loved DelVal. He loved its students and its mission.”

His work improved the lives of countless people around the world. The Washington Post reported that since the vaccine became commercially available in 1982 more than 1 billion doses have been administered around the world.

Dr. Blumberg was born in New York on July 28, 1925. He graduated from Union College where he studied physics in 1946 and earned a medical degree from Columbia University in 1951. He earned a doctorate in biochemistry from Oxford University.

He was passionate about research and its possibilities for improving human lives.

“Anyone who has been immersed in the world of a busy city hospital, a world of wretched lives, of hope destroyed by devastating illness, cannot easily forget that the objective of big-medical research is, in the end, the prevention and cure of disease,” said Dr. Blumberg in his autobiography for The Nobel Prize.

He joined Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1964, where he served as associate director for clinical research, vice president for population oncology and distinguished scientist.

In 1997, he joined DelVal’s Board of Trustees.

In 1999, he became the first director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute at Ames. He served as director there until 2002.

The center studies the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

Dr. Blumberg liked to ask questions such as “Are we alone?” “What is life?” and “How did life originate?”

He served as president of the American Philosophical Society and would often cross disciplines bringing quotes from philosophy into his scientific lectures.

“His curiosity was endless. It took him to space. The Earth wasn’t enough for him,” said Dr. Block.

Dr. Blumberg was in California doing what he loved when he passed away. He was attending a conference at NASA’s Ames Research Center when died from what is thought to have been a heart attack.

“They say one person can change the world. He really did,” said Dr. Block. “Nothing will be the same with out him, but so much has changed because of him. He will always be an example and an inspiration to us all.”

Dr. Blumberg is survived by his wife Jean, his four children and nine grandchildren.

Seniors Jamie Shetzline and Scott Kresge

Students thank donors, tell how scholarships changed their lives

By Annmarie Ely

Scholarship money helped a local DelVal student go from gathering change just to have enough to eat to entering a prestigious Ph.D. program.

Jamie Shetzline ’11, who spoke at DelVal’s annual Scholarship Donor Appreciation Dinner on March 30, put a face on the importance of scholarships.

“I know everyone is very grateful for the scholarships you provide,” said Shetzline, a self described “local girl” who has been accepted into Clemson University’s chemistry Ph.D. program.

She didn’t start out with a lot of money to put towards her education. Her mother suffered from health problems and was unable to work.

“There were times when my mom and I would gather change just so we could have food,” said Shetzline. “I had a rude awakening coming to me. I had no idea how I was going to pay for college.”

Shetzline said she got into a routine of going to the financial aid office to apply for scholarships if she came up a couple thousand dollars short. She always got the money she needed to fill those gaps.

The determined student said some of the financial pressure eased after she landed a full time co-op position at Merck. In order to keep her scholarships, she worked while continuing to go to school full time.

“None of this would’ve been possible without scholarships. I wouldn’t be graduating, I wouldn’t be working at Merck and I wouldn’t be getting my Ph.D.,” said Shetzline. “I know everyone here is grateful for every single cent.”

She plans to work for Clemson and, in exchange, the university will cover the cost of her education there.

Shetzline is just one of the students at DelVal receiving scholarship support.

The university holds a dinner each year to honor the students and thank all of the donors. This year, about 130 people attended. Approximately 70 of the guests were scholarship recipients. Endowed scholarships ranging from about $75 to more than $10,000 were awarded to recipients.

“This is one of my favorite events because we really get a chance to honor you folks for what you’ve accomplished,” said College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan. “Scholarships make higher education more affordable and more accessible…all the folks in this room, they’re our future.”

Another graduating senior, Scott Kresge, told the donors how scholarships made his story possible. Both of his older sisters were already at DelVal when it was his turn to look for colleges. At first he said he didn’t want to attend DelVal under the watchful eyes of his siblings.

In the end, it was between Penn State and DelVal because those were the schools with the best programs for his major.

He decided that the idea of having his sisters keep an eye on him was a lot less frightening than the idea of being lost at a school as big as Penn State, so he came to DelVal.

“That was a nice 1-2 punch for my parents,” said Kresge. “I was the third in college at the same time.”

He is now student teaching at Upper Bucks County Technical School and starting his search for full time work.

“The thread tying that all together has been financial aid,” said Kresge.

Kresge said scholarships significantly reduced the amount of student loans he had to take out allowing him to focus on his passion for teaching.

He said he can now look to lower paying school districts that might need teachers because he doesn’t have to worry about paying back a lot of debt right away.

Students who receive scholarships often come back and make major contributions to help other people.

Dr. Joshua Feldstein, a former college president who attended the dinner in Moumgis Auditorium, was supported by scholarships when he came to the college as a student in 1939. Today, he helps make sure deserving students can afford an education by providing scholarship funding.

“The only way we can remain viable as an independent institution is through scholarships,” said Dr. Brosnan. “There’s a great deal at stake.”

With less government support coming in for both students and institutions he told donors “the support you’re providing becomes more important every day.”
 

By Ed Kracz

It used to be easy to sum up the athletic program at Delaware Valley College.

“It was always wrestling and the rest,” said Matt Levy, who is certainly qualified to make such a statement. He has been the school's sports information director for the past 19 years and recently added assistant athletic director to his duties.

All that has changed, as the 16 other programs now regularly find their way into the sports spotlight.
Wrestling still crowns multiple All-Americans each year and keeps stacking winning record upon winning record, first under longtime and now legendary coach Robert Marshall and, for the past nine years, under Brandon Totten.

But King Wrestling has had to share its throne, first with football, now with men's basketball, which played in its first Division III NCAA tournament game on March 4 after earning an automatic bid into the field of 61 teams by winning the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Division championship.

Women's basketball, women's soccer, field hockey and a cross country/track and field program led by multi-talented runner Caitlin Dorgan have, at various times the past few years, barged into the kingdom, too.

And that's just fine by everyone involved.

“It's good to see us all have success,” said football coach Jim Clements. “I hope it continues and some other sports get on board and we can dominate the whole conference.”

Most of all, the surge can be summed up in one word: coaches.

“We have some of the best staffs around,” said Levy. “They're hard working, aggressive and they're always looking to improve their team and the desire to win.”

The coaches aren't bringing in just athletes, either. In many cases, they are getting students who happen to be athletes.

For three straight years, DelVal has had one of its athletes named Scholar Athlete of the Year in a particular sport by the MAC.

In 2008, it was Ralph Stambaugh in football. Two years ago it was Bethany Pavlik in field hockey, and last year field hockey did it again when Katy Provenzale was named Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The word student-athlete has taken on true meaning at DelVal when you consider that the college had 60 student-athletes named to the MAC All-Academic team two years ago, the most in school history. There were 53 named to the same team last year.

Bringing in athletes who are capable of cutting it in the classroom is one reason Clements said the football team has excelled since 2003, after decades of losing.

“The key to our program is we win with seniors and we have done a great job retaining our kids, so the freshmen become sophomores, the sophomores juniors and the juniors seniors,” said Clements. “If we can retain them, we can be more successful, so the first thing we identify is academics, kids who are serious on and off the field.”

Finding the athletes, otherwise known as recruiting, is something that has served the men's basketball team well under third-year coach Casey Stitzel, who not only helped guide the Aggies to their first trip to the Division III NCAA Tournament, but also won a school-record 17 games this season.

“The talent level needed to increase,” said Stitzel. “That was my goal since day one. When you're not successful, you could have Bobby Knight as your head coach, but if there's no talent on your team, you won't win basketball games. The talent had to get better.”

Increasing the talent level is what has worked for the women's program, allowing coach Laura Hogan to make the conference playoffs seven times in the past 11 years and the field hockey team, under Carol Di Girolamo, to reach the conference semifinals the past two seasons.

Of course, if recruiting were easy then DelVal would have been at the top of its athletic game much sooner.

There are still certain obstacles, the biggest of which may be the fact that Division III schools are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships.

“That means you have to outwork people,” said Stitzel. “There are so many Division III schools just in this area alone that you really have to shine above the rest. Like everything in this world, to do that you have to sell yourself and you have to outwork people.”

Said Clements: “When you recruit at DelVal, you have to know who you are recruiting. Some kids want bells and whistles. We recruit a kid who is interested in winning, interested in coming at a high level and competing day in and day out in practice, guys who are hungry, guys who want to win.”

In addition to selling themselves as quality individuals passionate about the sport they coach, coaches say they also highlight with recruits the college's expanding menu of majors.

Graduate programs have expanded and new majors have been added in the past decade, including sports management. The new selections are not to be outdone by the unique majors the college has offered forever.

Dorgan, for example, came to DelVal because she wanted to study animal behavior and run, too.
“Not many schools had both, they had either one or the other,” said Dorgan.

Choosing Delaware Valley proved to be a winning combination of academics and athletics for Dorgan. Now a senior, she is on track to graduate in May and, this past fall, she became the first cross country runner from DelVal to win the MAC championship. At the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships she placed 28th, and she became the first runner in DelVal history to earn All-America honors.

“It's been awesome,” Dorgan said of her experiences at the college.

“In terms of agriculture, you look at DelVal or Penn State,” said Levy. “Well, if you're an athlete, you know which one of those schools you're more slotted for. Sometimes I think what helps us is if someone is interested in what our niche is, with some unique majors, sometimes you can get some outstanding student-athletes that way.”

Something that may get overlooked in the recruiting process, but something the coaches are well aware of, is the selling to recruits of the school's location, in Doylestown, a suburb of Philadelphia. While not in the city, the city can be reached easily enough with  SEPTA’s Lansdale/Doylestown line that goes in and out of Philly throughout the day and night and has a stop right on the school's campus.

“Doylestown is the best college town, the best area in our conference,” said Clements. “It's the safest, you can get to the city but you're not in the city. Bucks County is beautiful. It's a great recruiting tool because it's a diamond in the rough.”

Even Stitzel, who went to and graduated from Widener, didn't know much about this jewel of a town, and he grew up in Quakertown, just a 20-minute drive from Doylestown.

“The more I learned about DelVal, the more majors they are offering like sports management, education, criminal justice – things that weren't offered when I was recruited here in high school in 2000 – and the more I learned about the campus, I didn't realize how nice it was, and how nice Doylestown is,” he said. “Once I started noticing all the things the school has to offer, wow, I thought, if I could sell myself, we might really have something here.”

What Delaware Valley has now, thanks to the surging athletic program, is an energized student body.
Dorgan, for one, has seen the affects more positive results on the playing fields and courts has had on her classmates.

“People are getting more involved with the sports here because they are getting better,” she said. “My freshmen year, the basketball team has skyrocketed in improvement and I'm seeing more people in the stands. Freshman year, it was nothing like it is now.”

For the MAC men's basketball final on Feb. 26, there were an estimated 1,000 fans in attendance, and a campus-wide email went out imploring students to wear black and turn Work Gymnasium into a “blackout.”

“I've never seen anything like that gym on (Feb. 26),” said Levy. “There were students everywhere.”

Not only are students becoming fans, but so, too, are community members, something Levy hasn't been able to help but notice since his wardrobe consists of all-things DelVal. Just about every stitch of clothing he owns has the school's name on it somewhere.

“I've been out just shopping with my kids and people will see me and say what a great football season you had, or they'll ask if I go to DelVal or if I work at DelVal then they'll say what a great football team we have,” he said. “There has just been more recognition of DelVal because of our sports.”

Faculty, staff and students involved in Stop The Hate program

By Annmarie Ely

Participants in the DelVal’s Stop The Hate program met with members of The Race Culture and Diversity Committee March 24 to share outcomes from their training sessions and discuss concerns.

Stop The Hate is a nationally recognized educational program to stop bias and hate incidents on college campuses. The purpose of bringing the program to DelVal is to create a campus environment that is affirming and welcoming for everyone.

At the dinner meeting, college President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan praised the work of the group, saying its formation was not only the “right and good thing to do,” but that it would “strengthen the institution in a tremendous way.”

He said program trainers would change individual lives for the better in ways they may never realize.

“I’m very moved to see this,” Dr. Brosnan said of Stop The Hate.

Dr. Audrey Ervin, of the counseling psychology department, was the first person from DelVal to become certified by the nationally recognized program.

After Dr. Ervin’s training, DelVal decided to bring the program to campus on a much larger scale.

DelVal selected 21 additional representatives to become certified Stop The Hate trainers. Representatives were chosen through a competitive process and were intentionally drawn from all areas of the college, including faculty, staff, administration, and student groups.

Trainers participated in a three-day intensive Stop The Hate Train the Trainer Program. They were then sent out to train different areas of the college.

Dr. Ervin said the program is specifically designed to “impact effective, systemic, campus change.”

Training for trainers focused on 12 different modules.

Some of the modules include: hate crime law, bias and hate crime issues, reporting hate incidents, characteristics that motivate people to hate and preventing hate incidents.

The program is not a one-time training and will continue to unfold over the next few years.

“People really wanted to talk,” said Professor Dr. Tanya Casas, who trained administrative assistants.

Alexis Islinger, of Student Affairs, said, “People shared personal experiences and what they’d like to see us doing…They had ideas about getting involved in the community and schools.” Islinger will present Stop the Hate material to the All Greek Council.

Vice President of Student Affairs John Brown has been working with the Cabinet. He is planning how the orientation leaders and resident advisors will be trained. There is also some discussion about training new students.

Students who are certified trainers will present to Greek life.

Resident Advisor Sarah Gardner said her dorm was “bustling with ideas about how to implement the program.”

Professor Brian Lutz, of the English department, “hopes the changes become systemic.” Lutz would like to see the program carry over into the curriculum. He is pursuing the idea of requiring English courses that would expose students to more diversity.

Security is planning to train its staff about the proper procedures for identifying and reporting hate crimes and bias incidents.

Janet Klaessig, of the library staff, will train the Student Conduct Board. She plans to give the students scenarios to discuss. She will also go over 10 ways to stop hate on college campuses.

In May the campus will host an educational event for the community that will include trainings and a speaker.

“I didn’t attend the training sessions, but I wish they had them back in the ’60s when I went to school,” said Board of Trustees Member William Wilson ’62. “I really applaud you and the work you’re doing.”

 

 

Dr. Audrey Ervin used a grant to take
students to a national conference.

Dr. James O’Connor received
support for his new play.

Dr. Donna Kochis will visit Sing Sing Prison, the locale of a book
her students are reading.

Twenty eight DelVal faculty members have been awarded a total of almost $55,000 in professional development grants that will allow them to bring fresh ideas and approaches to their classrooms.

In September, President Joseph S. Brosnan announced that $125,000 would be made available for the grants. The investment in faculty development was part of the college’s strategic plan that called for academic expansion and the attainment of university status.

Every grant applicant was approved for funding, which will continue to be available on an ongoing basis.

“The fund enables the faculty to not only remain active professionally and advance themselves, but it enables them to bring experience back to the classroom in both lectures and laboratories to give our students opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have had,” said Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski, dean of Business, Education, Arts and Sciences. “The president and academic administration are so pleased to be able to support the faculty in their professional development.”

Grants will be used to get new certifications, attend conferences and meetings, present research, take classes, conduct new research, produce creative works, and even visit a prison.

In the past, faculty members had to apply for such funding from their limited departmental operating budgets. The new funding offers much more opportunity for development and comes from the college’s operating budget.

“It’s really a new endeavor for us,” Dean Rusiloski said. “We’re really being open to look at professional development on all levels.”

Dr. Audrey Ervin, of the counseling psychology program, used a $1,500 grant to take a group of her students to the annual Association for Women in Psychology conference. Four of the students who went did a presentation on multicultural counseling and awareness on college campuses.

“I’m very proud to be part of an institution that is proactively investing in the research of faculty,” said Dr. Ervin. “I was able to present my research at competitive national academic conferences, but most importantly I brought my students at this last conference.”

Dr. Ervin, who received several grants, said the funding allowed her students to go to the conference and network with other professionals, speak with directors of graduate training and meet with the theorists they read about.

“The faculty development funding seems like a really good fit as we make that shift from college to university,” said Dr. Ervin.

Other recipients include:

• Dr. Donna Kochis, chair of the criminal justice department, who will visit Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, N.Y., the locale of a book her students are reading.
• Angelo Telatin, director of equine studies, who will lecture at the Equitana Equestrian Sports Worlds Fair in Germany.
• Dr. Barbara Muse, chair of the Natural Resources and Biosystems Management department, who will travel to Honolulu to attend  a joint meeting of the American Phytopathological Society and the  International Association for Plant Sciences.
• Dr. Ronald Petruso, a chemistry professor who will use the grant for research on making biodiesel fuel from tobacco leaves.
• Assistant professor Veronica McGowan, who will use a grant to become a Certified Online Instructor.
• Dr. James O’Connor, of the media and communications department, who will produce a play with his grant.

The paper is available for download on the Expo's website.

Student Melissa Milanese has received a $2,000 Thomas W. Watson Executive-in-Residence scholarship in honor of  Neil Clover, chief technology officer at Arup Americas. 

Milanese, of Philadelphia, is a junior majoring in Business Administration with a specialization in Sports Management. 

Clover spoke in February at DelVal and met with finance and management classes as well as with several student organizations as part of the Watson speaker series. The series was established in 2005 to bring worldwide business leaders to campus. Clover spoke on the art of aligning business practices with technology as well as providing students with sound career advice as they make the transition from college to the workplace.

His company, Arup, is a global engineering and professional services firm with offices in 35 countries. It first gained international attention with its work on Australia’s Sydney Opera House. More recently, it did work on several of the signature buildings at the Beijing Olympics.

The Watson program’s founder, Thomas W. Watson, is a DelVal alumnus and co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of Omnicom Group, Inc., a strategic holding company that manages a portfolio of global businesses. Watson also serves as dean of Omnicom University.

The series gives students a chance to learn about the trends, ideas and emerging issues influencing the world economy.

Past Watson speakers have included Richard Reif, president and chief executive officer of Doylestown Hospital; Rob Dhoble, president of Omnicom Group’s Diversified Agency Services Healthcare; and Sydney Martin, former president and chief executive officer of The Sytex Group, Inc.

We've received three awards so far!

• Award of Distinction (2nd place)
• PHS Sustainability Award
• Special Achievement Award of the Garden Club Federation of PA

Neil Clover ’89, an executive with the company that helped design Australia’s Sydney Opera House, will visit campus February 24 as a Watson Executive-in-Residence speaker.

“He’s a very successful executive in corporate America, and a DelVal graduate, which truly benefits our students,” said Business Department Chair Ermira Gegvata.  She said students relate well to high-achieving alumni.

Clover, 44, is chief technology officer for Arup Americas. He will speak at 10:50 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 24, in The Moumgis Auditorium. The event is free for the DelVal community.

Gegvata said Clover will talk about finding a niche or a need in a business, about being innovative and having an entrepreneurial spirit. He also will teach students how to market themselves.

The Executive-in-Residence program began at DelVal in 2005 under the guidance of Thomas W. Watson, who continues to sponsor it. He is co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of Omnicom Group, Inc., a strategic holding company that manages a portfolio of global businesses. Watson also is dean of the company’s Omnicom University.

Clover, the 10th Watson speaker, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DelVal in 1989 and a master’s in management from LaSalle University in 1995.

His employer is an internationally known firm of designers, planners, engineers and technical specialists. Arup, founded in 1946, has offices in nine U.S. cities and 32 foreign countries.

In addition to providing the structural design for Australia’s signature building, the Sydney Opera House, Arup did design work for the Pompidou Center in Paris, the California Academy of Sciences and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

As CTO for the Americas group, Clover leads a tightly focused group of IT professionals that support and develop enterprise business applications, collaborative solutions, voice and data networking, data center operations and over 300 engineering applications.

He has had particular success in simplifying and reducing IT complexity to cut costs, strengthen reliability and enhance performance while improving flexibility and delivering applications that drive bottom-line results.

Clover said he found career success quickly, but never had a master plan. Rather than focusing on what job title he wanted, he said he focused on finding challenging work. His philosophy paid off. When he challenged himself, his career advanced naturally and quickly.

He has worked for AT&T, Langeveld Bulb Company and Tyco International. Clover joined Arup in 2007. He is based in the Greater New York City area.

The day before he watched the Super Bowl at The White House with President Obama, Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., stopped by DelVal for a visit.

Key members of the college and the Doylestown community greeted the Pennsylvania senator in the Krauskopf Library. It was a cordial, informal session that did not involve politics or campaigning. A native of Scranton and the son of former Gov. Robert Casey Sr., the senator mingled with individual guests then addressed the group of about 40 and took questions.

He was introduced by college President Joseph S. Brosnan, who pointed out that both he and the senator have Catholic educations, and that Casey started his career as a teacher.

“Not only is he well educated, he was also an educator,” Dr. Brosnan said.

Casey went on to practice law but his first job was teaching fifth grade in inner city Philadelphia for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Knowing that DelVal intends to build a life sciences center, the senator lauded the plan as a good investment in the nation’s future. The life sciences, he said, are curing diseases and creating jobs.

On education in general, Casey said that his commitment “goes from early childhood to higher education.”

The senator said a lot of important decisions related to education are happening right now. Reviewing and revising No Child Left Behind was one of the tasks Casey mentioned.

He said the country needs to make a stronger commitment to early childhood education to compete on global level with countries like India and China.

The senator made it clear that even in a time of tight budgets, education must remain a priority.

“It is very easy to talk about cuts,” said Casey. “If cutting means you’re going to cut 70,000 to 75,000 teachers, I’m not sure that makes sense. Cuts have consequences.”

Casey also talked about his experience during President Obama’s State of the Union address.  Democrats and Republicans were asked to sit together to symbolize efforts to work together.

Casey, Pennsylvania’s senior senator, paired up with Republican Pat Toomey, the state’s junior senator. But their efforts at bipartisanship failed when the House floor quickly filled up and the two were unable to find seats together.

Casey said getting to know people on a personal level is key to working together.

“Working together is not like two robots meeting,” said Casey. “You’ll work together if you know something about each other.”

Casey mentioned the recent drop in unemployment, but said the nation still needs to add jobs.

“We’re still climbing out of the ditch,” he said. He sees the nation as recovering, but with a long way to go,  which is “another reason we need to work together.”

On the turmoil in Egypt, Casey said that it had been a “horrific couple of days,” but that “we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel.”

He said he hopes for an orderly transition that will do everything possible to keep extremism out.

On Afghanistan and Pakistan Casey said, “We have to get it right,” but that funding for such conflicts is running out.

One guest, Doylestown Township Supervisor Barbara Lyons, gave Casey a break from tough questions and asked, “What do you like to do when you’re not a senator?”

Casey, it turns out, has recently developed an interest in Pennsylvania history from about 1790 to The Civil War. One lesson he learned: “Nothing has changed about politics or human nature.”

He also said he was looking forward to spending time with his family and heading to The White House for The Super Bowl with his daughters.

The students worked with children at Enfield to create paintings and other creative works. The project culminated in an art show that featured the work of the budding young artists.

The competition was inspired by the T.V. Show, "Chopped," and four pairs of students were given 30 minutes to prepare a dish for a panel of judges using three surprise ingredients.

The event, which included desserts like fondue and cheesecake, was sponsored by the Office of Career & Life Education in honor of Women’s History Month.


The panel included: Dr. Dorothy Prisco, a special assistant to the president and the former vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, Dr. Tanya Casas, an assistant professor of liberal arts, Dr. Mena Birett, associate dean from the Office of the First Year Experience, and Tracy DePedro, director of the Office of Career & Life Education.



OCLE Coordinator Priscilla Jackson and Experiential Learning Advisor Deanna Mastropietro introduced the panel and served as moderators.
 

Jessica Pettitt, a social justice educator, who presented at DelVal stands in front of lists of terms  participants thought of when they thought of the words "lesbian," "bisexual," "transgender," and "heterosexual." 

Jessica Pettitt, a social justice educator who spoke at Delaware Valley College, told students to take out their cell phones and save her number so they could text her their questions.

“Think of me as your social justice educator in your pocket,” said Pettitt, who spoke March 5 in Moumgis Auditorium in the Student Center.

Pettitt presented, “LGBTQ and Social Justice Issues: Inclusion, Advocacy and Empowerment,” for DelVal’s biannual multicultural forum. The presentation was part of LGBTQ Week which began March 5 and continues until March 8 at the college.

LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning.

The event was free and open to the public and was sponsored by the Liberal Arts department, Student Affairs and Students for Diversity, a campus club.

Pettitt is a renowned diversity educator who brings 10-plus years in student affairs, five-plus years of national consulting work and two-plus years of stand up comedy experience to her presentations.

She said if she did her job right students would think about the subjects that were discussed after they left and have questions. She said that she’d be happy to answer them through texts.

Pettitt had the crowded auditorium form 10 groups and write words that came to mind on pieces of paper with the words “heterosexual,” “lesbian,” “gay,” and “transgender.”

A group of students has a discussion at Pettitt's presentation.

“I’m not here to blame anybody,” said Pettitt. “I want us to talk about what is in our heads.”

She pointed out to the students that they might have struggled more to come up with words to put on the heterosexual sheet.

She asked the students to look at the sheets and discuss how the terms on each were different and how they were similar.

For the transgender list, students noticed that the terms they thought of were much more surface based or related to appearance.

They also noticed that specific names of people or characters showed up on the bisexual and transgender lists, but not on the straight lists.

Pettit said often because people know one person who is bisexual or trans they assume that other people who identify as bisexual or trans are going be to the same way.

Pettitt encouraged students in a very neutral way to think about their opinions and ideas, but didn’t tell them one way of thinking was the right way.

She said she didn’t come out until 27 and when she finally did no one was surprised.

“My grandma was like, ‘duh,” said Petittt.

She said that everyone is at their own place in figuring out their beliefs or identity and that “we need to respect people where they’re at.”

Students list words that came to mind when they heard the word "transgender."

“Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have,” said Pettitt. “…What I challenge you to do if you’re straight is to make this straight week…If you identify as straight or heterosexual I want you to think about what makes that hard for you and what makes that easy…. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans, I want you to think about what makes that hard for you and what makes that easy.”

She also encouraged students to think about the stuff that came up in their heads that they “self edited” or didn’t write down.

Students seemed to appreciate her humor and her open approach to discussing the issues.

“I thought it was a good way to show it is not just one side or the other side,” said Scott Straubinger, a sophomore majoring in zoo science. “We just all need to work together. I thought the activity was a good way to pull out any issues.”Pettitt had students compare the lists they came up with and asked them to think about how the lists were similar and how they were different.

Richard Hendricks, a sophomore biology major, was also happy with the presentation.

“I came on my own rather than having to be here for a class,” said Hendricks. “Whether you are here for a class or not, I think it was good that everyone had a chance to hear from both sides with a speaker that was very neutral.”

Nicole Fournier, a freshman counseling psychology major, said Pettit’s presentation made her think about her own experience as a straight person.

“What really hit me was when she said how people identify is really important,” said Fournier. “I never really thought about identifying myself as straight… I’ve never been asked, ‘Are you straight?’ ”

She said she also never realized that there were derogatory terms for straight people.

Pettitt’s presentation offered an environment where participants could say anything that came to mind and talk about it.

“If we listened to each other and talked and were prepared to be wrong,” said Pettit. “We might have a real conversation.”

DelVal students competed for prizes including an iPad, a Kindle Fire, and gift cards in the annual Sober Olympics Thursday, March 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Student Center.

The event was made possible by The U~ChooZe Committee. U~ChooZe works to promote healthy choices within DelVal's community by engaging students in peer-to peer messaging and by providing activities that teach students about the effects of alcohol and drug use.


Approximately 75 students attended and about 45 competed.

Students wore Fatal Vision goggles that simulated some of the effects of alcohol on vision and balance. They had to walk a straight line, shoot baskets, ride a tricycle around a course of cones and complete other tasks while wearing the goggles.

College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan attended the event and awarded the prizes to the winners.

Dr. Brosnan said that he thinks the Sober Olympics is a great event and that it is important to provide students with alternatives to alcohol.

The 2012 Winners were:

Gold Medal/iPad Winner: Jennifer Forgash
Prize sponsored by the Office of President Brosnan

Silver Medal/Kindle Fire Winner: Elizabeth Cheeseman
Prize sponsored by Public Safety and Security Dept., Steve Johnson

Bronze Winner/$100 Amazon Gift Card Winner: Amira Moore
Prize Sponsored by Judy Le Vien in Health Services

The event also included live music, prizes, and refreshments from Planet Smoothie.

Representatives from The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania provided confidential alcohol awareness information, education and screenings.

DelVal’s dining services provider, Parkhurst, sponsored a cooking competition inspired by the TV show “Chopped” Feb. 29 in the campus dining hall.

Teams of DelVal food science students were given three surprise ingredients and thirty minutes to prepare a dish for a panel of judges.

Lindsay Prior, a graduate of DelVal’s food science program, planned the event. She worked for the company as a student. Parkhurst hired her full-time when she graduated to manage student involvement programs.

The teams each had to use beef, cabbage and molasses in their dishes.

John Selser and Chris Whitley, two food science juniors, had the winning dish, a beef and cabbage stir fry.

The winning dish will be served for one evening at the dining hall.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Whitley. “It was cool showing off our skills to the college…A lot of people came out.”

Selser, his teammate, said that he watches cooking competitions on TV and was excited to actually be able to take part in one.

“Just having that pressure on you to cook was my favorite part,” said Selser. “It was good that instead of watching it at home we were actually doing it.”

Erica Blazer and Laura Shane took second and the other three teams tied for third.

Other participants included: Kurt Yasenchak, Rebekah Miller, Mike Benson, David Gates, Ariel Butera and Rachel Antenucci.

General Manager Tony Williams said that Parkhurst is working to increase opportunities for student involvement through dining services. The dining hall is hoping to do more cooking competitions in the future.

The annual fashion show included a variety of categories this year including: Fashion Don'ts, Carnivale Party, International Clothing, Jungle, Seasons, Remembrance, Accessories, Couples, Monochromatic and Black and White.

A model walks the runway during the Black and White formal wear portion of the show. (Photo courtesy of Bill Hock Photography)

Students for Diversity works to create an inclusive community and maintain respect and understanding of diversity on campus. The club is open to all students.

Models chose their own outfits to fit the themes of different parts of the show this year.

For “Fashion Don’ts” a model strutted down the runway in a strange mixture of winter and summer apparel before the MC stopped her and went through what was wrong with the outfit.

In “Accessories” models had brightly colored or unique accessories that popped.

“Remembrance” brought a more somber mood to the show. For this theme, models remembered people who passed away with their outfits.

Models remembered people such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and soldiers.

A model dressed as Michael Jackson walks the runway. (Photo courtesy of Bill Hock Photography)

For the “Monochromatic” part of the show models dressed from head to toe in all of the colors of the rainbow.

The Step Team performed during intermission.

Audience members were given raffle tickets at the door and the winners were surprised to find out they won the chance to walk the runway.

Shanice Irvin, a criminal justice sophomore and a member of Students for Diversity, was in charge of public relations for the show. She said the students put a lot of work into the show each year and will start planning next year’s soon.

Amira Moore, a biology senior, ran the show for the second year this year.

She said the club would love to explore partnerships with Doylestown stores to display items in future shows.

Moore said her favorite part of the event is meeting new people.

“We get to know so many different students on campus that you wouldn’t meet through other events,” said Moore. “…We try to be like a family.”

She said the event is also “something overall that the campus looks forward to.”

Students for Diversity has more events and programs planned for the semester.

The club will be participating in a leadership conference and working with Links, a volunteer service organization of women "who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry."

In March, the students will be meeting with high school students to help them with planning for college.

The club is also planning a Washington, DC trip.

Club President Shakera Robinson, a senior business major, said the group had great models this year that really got into walking the runway.

“We try to tell everyone involved, ‘yes this is serious, but let’s have a ball,” said Shakera. “I love being around the people, the fast pace of it and the step show.”

Former NFL player Dennis O'Sullivan came to campus to talk to athletes about how drugs and alcohol interfere with performance. He is shown here with DelVal baseball player Dan Spall, a freshman from Jackson, N.J.

Former NFL player Dennis O’Sullivan isn’t an alcoholic, but alcohol has had a major impact on his life and athletic career. On Jan. 27, O’Sullivan told a crowd of about 100 DelVal students in Moumgis Auditorium about how alcohol and drug use interfere with performance.

The event  was made possible by DelVal's U-ChooZe committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. U-ChooZe works to promote healthy choices within DelVal's community by providing peer-to-peer messaging and fun, educational activities to teach students about the effects of alcohol and drug use.

The group applied for the grant from the NCAA and raised additional funds to bring O'Sullivan to campus.

“Your performance will never be what it should be (as an athlete or a scholar) if you drink,” said O’Sullivan. “…You don’t have to be an alcoholic for alcohol to have a huge impact on your life.”

O’Sullivan, who drank socially during his career with the Jets and Texans, left football due to an injury.

He later learned that alcohol can impact a person’s peformance the day after drinking and even increase a player’s risk of being injured.

O’Sullivan shared a study of sports-related injuries that found drinkers were more than twice as likely to get injured. The injury rate for drinkers was 54.8 percent and only 23.5 percent for nondrinkers.

He said he shares his story and the information from the studies because he wishes he would’ve had that information.

“You have an open book test,” he told the DelVal athletes in the audience.

O’Sullivan is the vice president for professional and college development for the American Athletic Institute, a sports consulting firm that offers insight and educational programs on a variety of issues from alcohol and drug abuse to sportsmanship and hazing.

O’Sullivan used photos of DelVal sports teams throughout his presentation as well as real stats from DelVal’s seasons.

He went through the ways going out and consuming three or more drinks in an evening can affect the body.

He discussed how heavy drinking interferes with hormones, blood sugar and can even prevent the body from getting enough REM sleep.

In one American Athletic Institute study he shared, researchers took muscle biopsies from an athlete before and after training. They found that one night of heavy drinking could ruin the positive effects of two weeks of intense training (on an athlete’s muscle).

He also spoke to the students about some studies related to THC and athletes. He said THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, can stay in a person’s system 60 days after smoking and impact performance.

“Do we have any cheerleaders in here?” O’Sullivan asked the students. “Who do you want catching you? Someone who is going to be a little slower?”

O’Sullivan showed a Sports Illustrated photo of swimmer Michael Phelps wearing eight gold medals next to a photo of Phelps smoking.

He cautioned students against looking at Phelps as an example of an athlete who was able to smoke and compete. He said Phelps was caught smoking after he won the medals, while he was taking time off from swimming.

In response to other athletes that have done well while using alcohol or drugs, he asked students to think about how good those athletes could’ve been if they were sober.

“What is an acceptable performance?” O’Sullivan asked the students. “We may have someone on the basketball team that scores 12 points a night. That sounds great, but if that person should be scoring 15, suddenly that doesn’t sound so great.”

He told the students to find out how good they could be without alcohol or drugs.

“I promise you, you’ll never look back and say, ‘I wish I drank more in 2011-2012,” said O’Sullivan. “It’s not going to happen…You might look back and say, ‘What could I have done at DelVal if I didn’t drink as much?”

He pointed to the late Mickey Mantle’s baseball career as an example. Mantle was a heavy drinker who regretted his alcohol abuse and the toll it took on his body later in life.

“As good as he was, he could’ve been that much better,” said O’Sullivan.

Inspired by Elizabeth Royte’s “Bottlemania” and the recent on-campus water tasting, the DelVal Book Community hosted a water talk Oct. 18. with mini lectures on water-related topics. The event was held from 5-7 p.m. in Mandell 114.

DelVal English Professor Dr. Michael Stamps said “Bottlemania" was selected as a kind of prelude to the Precarious Alliance symposium that will be held at DelVal in fall of 2012. 

“The previous Precarious Alliance was an exciting and important event that brought to campus an array of international scholars, scientists and experts on food production in the U.S. and abroad,” Dr. Stamps said. “… So, the choice of ‘Bottlemania’ plays into the next symposium, which will be focusing on water, water rights, water issues, and this will give us just a little foretaste of that.”

The talk covered topics including: E. Coli contamination in water, the chemistry of water’s taste, water’s role in keeping people healthy and water quality on campus.

Assistant Professor of Dairy Science and Animal Nutrition Dr. Bruce Richards spoke about a strain of E Coli called 0157:H7 that former USDA Soil Scientist Frank Pecarich, one of Royte’s sources for the book, claimed could survive wastewater treatment.

The book said that the strain, which can cause symptoms from bloody diarrhea all the way up to kidney failure, death, and in rare cases strokes, is more common in corn-fed cows. Dr. Richards wanted to know if that was true and if so, why cows are fed corn.

He did find that the strain is more common in corn-fed cows, but did not find cases of contamination from drinking water that was properly treated. In one case he found a 2-year-old became sick when she drank from an unchlorinated well. The well was near a cow pasture and surface water contaminated the well. In other water contamination cases that he found, the water wasn’t properly treated.

He said cows are fed corn because corn-fed cows are more efficient than grass-fed cows. They reach their end weights faster using significantly less resources, including significantly less water while producing less waste.

He also spoke about preventing infection.

Dr. Edward Sambriski, a chemistry faculty member, examined the science behind water’s taste. He said taste is complex and involves smell as well as “mouth feel.”

He said water’s acidity affects flavor. A pH of 5-6.7, for example, would produce a slightly sour flavor, while a pH of 7.3-7.8 produces a hint of sweetness.

He also showed that taste sometimes has a lot to do with what a consumer thinks they’re getting.

Dr. Sambriski delighted the audience with a video by the comedic magician team of Penn & Teller. In the video, guests at an upscale restaurant are given samples of a “variety” of fine waters that are presented in a way similar to how wines would be presented. The guests describe how much better the waters are than tap only to find out that all of the “varieties” have come from the same hose out back.

He also shared a 2001 “Good Morning America” blind water taste test that found that 45 percent of participants preferred New York City tap water over three types of bottled water.

Assistant Professor of Food Science, Nutrition and Management Dr. Cathy Davies, spoke about water’s role in maintaining a healthy body and in the shelf life of certain foods. She said products with a higher water content often have a shorter shelf life.

She said water is needed to regulate temperature and transport nutrients around the body, helps remove waste, and serves other important purposes.

She said without water a person can die in three or four days, while a person can survive without food for 10-21 days.

Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Colin Chambers ended the talk by discussing the safe, free water available from DelVal taps. He went through the source of the water, what the water is tested for and how frequently the water is tested.

The conversation about water at DelVal is just beginning.

In October 2012 the college will host a Precarious Alliance symposium entitled, “The Value of Water: Everything Flows from Here,” that will cover water related issues and explore themes including water technology, the idea of water and water and the Earth.

The Precarious Alliance series was established by college President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan as a way to encourage civil dialogue between people from all sides of the issues. The events bring in nationally known experts from a variety of fields to seek interdisciplinary solutions to current problems.

While each year the Precarious Alliance explores sustainability from a new angle, the key question remains the same: How can people meet their needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?

The symposium’s keynote speaker will be author Charles Fishman, who wrote “The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water.”

Students for Diversity of Delaware Valley College joined several Philadelphia colleges such as Drexel, Penn State, The University of Pennsylvania, Temple, Villanova and local companies and organizations on an 8-mile walk that started at the art museum. 

The club's Vice President of External Affairs, Jessica Mason organized shifts of students that collected donations and registered students to participate in the Aids Walk.  The club would like to thank students, staff and faculty for contributions!  

A special thanks to everyone who from DelVal who walked: Shakera Robinson, Amira Moore, Jessica Mason, Kristina Guillan, Shanice Irvin, Sarah Ongaro, Michael Rosenthal, Victoria Yi, Crystall Singleton, Heather Melgar, Reyna Torres, Zuleyma Torres and Priscilla Jackson.

Check out the Networking for Youth slideshow.

“This conference is part of Delaware Valley College’s initiative to reach out into the community to be good partners and good neighbors,” said College President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan. “DelVal understands your critical mission and the need for well trained professionals in your field.”

Licensed psychologist Reb Brooks, a member of the team that planned the event, said that in the ’80s there were several suicides among young people “that really rocked the local community.”

In reaction, he said, Central Bucks School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Laws organized a local group to improve counseling services, and the Networking for Youth Conferences were born. The conferences bring together mental health providers to discuss current issues and strategies for effectively working with today’s youth.

They were held until about 2009, when budgetary issues shut them down.

Brooks said when he got the call from DelVal about having the conference this year he was thrilled.

“Our ability to connect with DelVal has been fantastic,” said Brooks, who has taught at the college for over 24 years.

DelVal has a bachelor’s degree program in counseling psychology and will soon add a graduate program. Students will choose from two specialized tracks, including one in child and adolescent psychology and a second in social justice and community counseling.

DelVal Counseling Psychology faculty member Dr. Audrey Ervin, a licensed psychologist and one of the event organizers, said the conference was about bringing together the people who “help youth thrive in a complex world.”

Dr. Ervin said she wanted people who work with youth to “come together as community” to share struggles, resources and information.

The event brought together school counselors, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health providers, educators and others to discuss current issues and strategies for effectively working with young people.

Topics included: psychiatric medications, peer relationships, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered & queer youth, eating disorders and self-injury.

The keynote speaker, child psychiatrist Dr. Jieun Kim, entitled her talk, “Psychiatric Medications for Youth: All Your Questions Answered.”

She was inspired to pursue child psychiatry because her son struggled with Asperger’s syndrome, a disorder that affects social skills and communication.

With help, he was able to improve and is now a successful high school student looking toward college.

Dr. Kim trained at Temple University’s Hospital in general psychiatry, and completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She served as the medical director of child and adolescent psychiatric services at Temple University Hospital, and as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Temple University Medical School. Dr. Kim now works in private practice in Bucks County.

She shared stories about clients she’s worked with from a 13-year-old girl who had a plan to shoot bullies at her school to a 14-year-old boy who was writing his mother’s college essays for her. She also shared drawings by children and teens she’s worked with.

She convinced a boy who witnessed his mom being threatened by his father at gunpoint to express his feelings by drawing. She said children will often express feelings in images that they won’t talk about.

She said successful treatment has to combine both medication and talk therapy and that early intervention is key. Dr. Kim also said that for treatment to work, therapists, doctors and parents have to be in sync.

Dr. Allison Buskirk-Cohen, a DelVal counseling psychology faculty member and an event organizer, encouraged participants to look for new ways to help youth.

“We need new ideas to challenge old ways of thinking,” said Dr. Buskirk-Cohen.

Participants seemed to enjoy the event.

“It was great. The (keynote) speaker was very informative and spoke about relevant topics,” said Sarah Mitrovich, a Cold Spring Elementary School guidance counselor. “It was a nice opportunity to network with other professionals.”

Sherry Kayser, a student support teacher at Cold Spring, also enjoyed the event.

“The insight into peer relationships will help me when trying to help our students navigate social situations,” said Kayser. “I liked how Dr. Buskirk-Cohen talked about children trying to reach a level of popularity and giving them different avenues to meet their needs (what they hoped to get from being in a popular group).”

DelVal students played an important role in making the conference possible. Counseling psychology students wearing blue t-shirts greeted and helped direct guests, the food science students baked fresh muffins and other breakfast items and the ornamental horticulture students designed the centerpieces.

DelVal counseling psych students, who are required to complete 500 hours of work experience, were able to network with area mental health professionals at the event.

Breakout sessions included:
“Peer Relationships: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly,” presented by Dr. Allison Buskirk-Cohen

“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer Youth,” presented by Dr. Audrey Ervin

“Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders: The identification, Early Intervention and Collaborative Treatment of Individuals with Eating Issues,” presented by Kristin Kwak, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.

“Self-Mutilation: Identification, Explanation & Intervention,” presented by Reb Brooks, M. Ed.

Interested in psychology? Learn more about the counseling psychology bachelor’s degree program at DelVal.

Participants visited stations around the auditorium to get short lessons about different cultures. Activities included painting boomerangs, making masks, making paper cranes, a weaving lesson, a salsa contest and more.

The event was hosted by Students for Diversity, a DelVal campus club. 

The festival begins a week of events at DelVal hosted by various campus organizations. Come check out one or all of the events that run until Friday, Oct. 7.

TUESDAY - Oct. 4, 2011
Bollywood Dance Lessons
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
MOUMGIS (APR) AUDITORIUM-sponsored by MRC

WEDNESDAY - October 5, 2011
Cultural Enrichment Workshop - Dr. Ervin presents "White Privileged"
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
MANDELL 114 (SMART ROOM)- Sponsored by MRC

Mr. John Clayton presents “LGBT person in the workforce and church”
5:30 p.m.
ROSENFELD  - Sponsored by GLOW

Slam Poet - Carlos Robson - SAC
8 p.m.
MOUMGIS (APR) AUDITORIUM- Sponsored by SAC

THURSDAY - October 6, 2011
Hispanic Heritage Night
7 p.m.
Faculty Dining Hall– Sponsored by SFD

FRIDAY - October 7, 2011
Movie Night
5 p.m.
Centennial movie theater 

Bonfire, food, moonlit hayride
7 p.m.
Meet at the library  – Sponsored by MRC

The book “Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle Over America's Drinking Water” by Elizabeth Royte inspired Stamps and the DelVal Book Community to host a water tasting on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in Levin Dining Hall.

“We had a great turnout,” said Stamps. “We served 30 different brands of water to as many as 250 students.”

Water is a topic that the campus as a whole will be working to draw attention to for the coming 2012 Precarious Alliance. The October 2012 symposium will examine water and will draw people from all sides of the issues to find solutions to reduce or reverse negative trends.

To tie into this event, Stamps selected “Bottlemania” as one of the DelVal Book Community Books. The community brings the campus together by having people across the campus read the same texts and then offering opportunities for discussion.

"Bottlemania" looks at the bottled water industry and asks why people in the U.S. pay for a product that often is similar to what flows from their own home faucets. The book also highlights some of the problems caused by bottling water.

According to one expert Royte interviewed, “the total energy required for every bottle’s production, transport and disposal is equivalent, on average, to filling that bottle a quarter of the way with oil.”

Participants sampled a variety of fine bottled waters at the free event, which served as a fun social experiment devoted to one of the central dilemmas addressed by the book: Why do Americans consume so much bottled water when water from the tap is cheaper, better regulated, and often better tasting?

Participants sampled a diverse variety of domestic and international bottled waters -- still waters, effervescent waters, spring waters, filtered waters, even waters from local wells.

The event also included informative mini-presentations.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Edward Sambriski taught students about “the chemistry of water’s taste.”

DelVal's Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Colin Chambers presented “Procedures and Regulations Related to Campus Water Quality.”

The event was just the beginning of the conversation about water at DelVal. DelVal is already planning for its second Precarious Alliance symposium which will focus on water. For updates and registration information check out http://www.precariousalliance.org/ closer to the fall 2012 event.

Writer Melissa Harris-Perry, speaking at a DelVal-hosted conference, discussed diversity in the U.S. by weaving together moments from American life that included fist bumps, Kanye West’s comments, set design and an African American kindergartener who asked to touch President Obama’s hair.

At The Bucks County Diversity Conference, held May 25 in Moumgis Auditorium, Harris-Perry asked the audience to look at the system behind discrimination and learn to communicate between groups.

The event was organized by The Bucks County Human Relations Council, The Bucks County Behavioral Health System, Magellan Health Services and DelVal.

Harris-Perry is a regular contributor on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” an author and a professor of politics and African American studies at Princeton University.

She is the daughter of a white former Mormon woman and an African American man.

Harris-Perry doesn’t want her students to forget the past.

At Princeton, upon hearing hard-working young people say they felt like slaves, she gives them a sense of how untrue that statement is. She shows them a photo of a beaten slave’s scarred back and one of two men being lynched. 

Harris-Perry, who told the audience to expect difficult images, used those photos in her slideshow.

She asked the audience to look at the crowd that came to watch the lynching. In the photo, people are looking at the camera, apparently unafraid of being depicted as racists or even accessories to murder.

In making a contemporary contrast to that, she mentioned how President George W. Bush said the low point of his presidency was when singer Kanye West called him a racist.

“People should acknowledge the positive in that statement,” Harris-Perry said. “He was saying the very worst thing someone could call him was a racist.”

While most people are no longer proud to be racist, she said there is still a good deal of discrimination.

She pointed to schools that in some ways are still segregated, to issues of freedom and jobs, to the struggle for cultural autonomy and against secondary marginalization.

Harris-Perry said people need to learn to communicate effectively across races.

When she saw an image of President Obama fist bumping his wife Michelle, she thought it was fantastic that a president and his wife could do something that natural in public.

Then some people started calling it a “terrorist fist bump.”

“It was so bizarre,” said Harris-Perry, who makes light of the disappointing moment by telling her 9-year-old daughter, “Give mommy the terrorist fist bump.”

She said that automatic images, or schemas, come to mind when someone says a word, and asked the audience to imagine an apple. 

Some imagined red, some green and some thought of laptops.

She said years ago you couldn’t think of a laptop when someone said “apple” because they didn’t exist. Similarly, she said the idea of a black president didn’t exist for some people before Obama.

She said that when he ran for office a lot of people were looking at him and consciously thinking “he has good ideas,” but subconsciously thinking, “not the president” because he didn’t match their schemas.

“If you lived in the U.S. and I said president, you would imagine older, white gentlemen…In so many ways, Obama is a new kind of apple” said Harris-Perry. “It alters our schematic reference of what a president is.”

She said the Obama campaign used set design to help with this. Harris-Perry said that in Denver the Obama campaign built a set that looked like The White House and put the candidate in front of it to help people change their schemas.

She said Obama didn’t tear down the barriers in the nation and that her daughter would still grow up in a world with racism and sexism, but would probably find it odd that people had anxiety about the first black president, “just like we find it odd that people had anxiety about the first Catholic president.”

She showed a newspaper with the headline, “Racial barrier falls in decisive victory.”

She said people can go over, under and through a barrier, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the barrier has fallen.

“We’re so compelled by anecdotes,” said Harris-Perry.

see She then showed a photo of the president letting a little boy touch his hair. The African American kindergartener had asked the president to bend down so that he could if he had hair like him.

While she was touched by the story, she cautioned people to be careful when they think about role models.

“I don’t think the reason that no black people had been president is because we lack the imagination,” said Harris-Perry. “Role model language assumes that inequality is primarily a lack of vision.”

The diversity conference also included breakout sessions on topics such as immigration, Islam, older adults, LGBTQI culture, military culture and strategies for preventing and responding to bias.

South African-born musician Mogauwane Mahloele closed the event by playing instruments he has been making since he was a child.

The conference was sponsored by PECO, Wells Fargo, First Federal of Bucks County, 3rd Federal Bank, Comcast and The Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Cartel, a pop rock band from Atlanta, Ga., and We Shot the Moon, a band from San Diego, Calif., played to a crowd of about 550 spectators April 29 in the James Work Stadium on the DelVal campus.

Student Activities Council, A-Day and Student Government Board voted to select the band for this year’s A-Day concert.

“They’re the perfect group for college tours,” said S.A.C. President Kim Somerville. “That’s what they do most. They really enjoy it.”

The event was free for students and $10 for guests. The crowd was made up of about 450 students and about 100 guests.

The bands played mostly original songs. Cartel covered the song “Wonderwall” by Oasis and a member jokingly sang a little of T-Pain’s “Buy you a drink” to an audience member. Cartel’s hit song “Honestly” got the crowd on its feet and jumping around on the bleachers.

The band was a crowd pleaser, making the audience laugh with quick one-liners in between songs.

The opener, We Shot the Moon, was made up of a variety of personalities from the key board playing front man dressed in a full suit and tie, to the tattooed drummer dressed in a white sleeveless undershirt.

“Delaware Valley College way to bring it tonight,” We Shot the Moon wrote on its Facebook page after the concert. “We had such a great time. We should do these things more often.”

Somerville said there was a lot of excitement among the students when the band was announced. The campus held an “unveiling” where it was announced that Cartel would play.

“A big Cartel fan came in (to the unveiling) singing their songs,” said Somerville.

The concert was a hit with students.

“I really liked them,” said sophomore zoology major Patricia Klein about We Shot the Moon. “I already knew who they were. They were really nice people. I got to meet them before the show.”

“They kind of sound like a couple of alternative bands that I listen to,” Adam Pesta, a senior Ag. business major, said about Cartel. “I think the concert is a great addition to A-Day weekend.”

It was a pretty cold night. DelVal sophomore Rachel Gentlzer and her roommate shared a blanket at the event.

Gentlzer, a zoo science major, said she’d only heard one or two Cartel songs before the concert.

“I’m going to have to go look them up, maybe buy their CD,” said Gentzler. “I think it is really cool (that DelVal hosted the concert). I don’t really get to go to concerts, so it was great having one on campus.”

The two students said both bands were really good. The roommates said concerts give them “something to look forward to.”

Students got in touch with the band via Facebook after the concert to thank them for coming to DelVal.

“You guys were awesome at DelVal this weekend,” wrote Megan Elizabeth on Cartel’s Facebook page. “It was great meeting you.”

Another audience member, Lauren Wasser, wrote, “Thanks for coming to Delaware Valley College. I’d never heard of your band before, but I am now definitely a big fan!”

“Thanks you so much for coming to DelVal,” wrote Alicia Corle on the band’s page. “You guys were awesome and so down-to-earth. I’m definitely going out to get some CDs.”

The students said that A-Day weekend is a chance for the college to open its doors to the public.  They said that concerts, like the A-Day concert, that are open to the public could bring in high school students and give them a chance to check out DelVal.

Who would students like to see next? Depends who you ask. The two roommates would like to see Rascal Flatts or Evanescence.

“I hope this will be a continuous thing,” said Erica Schwartz, assistant director of Student Activities. “Not only for A-Day, but for something for students to look forward to as the end of the year big thing that happens on campus.”

DelVal honored student writers and artists at the 2011 Gleaner Gala April 21 in The Shapiro Wing of the library.

The Gleaner is DelVal’s student-run literary magazine. Each year, the college celebrates the release of the new issue and presents student awards at the Gleaner Gala.

The magazine accepts entries from college and high school students, and from staff, faculty and administrators at DelVal.

Dr. Karen Schramm, the club advisor, opened submissions to the entire college community.

“It is important for the whole college community to be involved,” said Dr. Schramm. “I think it is a nice, diverse collection this year.”

People from a variety of majors submitted pieces on a wide range of topics.

Dr. Schramm said the magazine used to be about the size of a thin Reader’s Digest. Today, it is a standard size magazine.

Dr. Schramm is a poet herself and said that leading the club “just seemed natural.”

Students chose the winners who received cash prizes ranging from $25 to $75.

Dr. Schramm said this year the magazine received more than 100 writing submissions and more than 300 art submissions.

“We like to have short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction… We try for variety,” said Dr. Schramm.

She said the magazine looks for entries that “speak to the younger generation.”

This year, she noticed that The Precarious Alliance, a three-day symposium on the conflict between human and natural systems, has stimulated interest in writing about sustainability.

The Gala event is an exciting day for high school students and their teachers. Each year the magazine invites the English teachers of the high school winners.

Alise Peckjian, a junior from Lower Moreland High School, said a teacher encouraged her to enter The Gleaner Writing Contest her freshman year.

“I’ve been doing it on a yearly basis since then,” said Peckjian, whose poem “Overture of Colors” appears in this year’s Gleaner. “I’ve always loved to write. It’s a chance to really put out what I’ve created. I’m always honored to come back to DelVal every year.”

One winner was Theodore Caputi’s “The Raise,” a short story about a disgruntled stock boy. Caputi attends Council Rock High School Noth.

Dr. Linda Maisel, who coodinates The Gleaner High School Writing Competition, said “The Raise” was chosen because it “captures the frustrations of youth in a humorous self deprecating manor.”

Dr. Schramm said the students have “lovingly tended” the 110-year-old publication and that its “garden of voice and verse flourishes” today.

“The students are a pleasure to work with,” said Dr. Schramm. “They are the reason I’m here.”

Co-Editor Chance Dearolf, a junior media and communications major from Bensalem, said this year has been the best year out of the three he’s worked on The Gleaner.

Dearolf found out about the publication his freshman year. He said he likes that The Gleaner gives the college a chance to show off its English program.

“The Gleaner is about getting people’s voices out there,” said Dearolf. “People who might have been on the fence about showing their artistic sides.”

Literature Prize Winners:

First Place - “Perseverance” Anonymous
2nd Place -“Red Lights” By John Giusti
3rd Place-“Even I” By Amy Keiter

Art Prize Winners:

1st Place: Kelsey Krammer
2nd Place: Ashley Decker
3rd Place: Sarah Repsher

High School Winners:

Sarah Shaddock (Council Rock North High School) “Billboards”
Monique Briones (Central Bucks South High School) “Laundry”
Alex Graham (Pennridge High School) “Yellow Girl and Her Bucket”
Alise Peckjian (Lower Moreland Township High School) “Overture of Color”
Hannah Kruman (Council Rock North High School) “Wafting Way”
Concetta Sloss (Wissahickon High School) “All I Have”
Mac Finley (Pennridge High School) “Cat-Sitting for My Neighbors”
John Verdieck (Coatesville High School) “Postmortem”
Theodore Caputi (Council Rock High School North) “The Raise”
 

“When I accepted the job of president in 2007, I had great aspirations for Delaware Valley College,” President Joseph S. Brosnan said. “Never once did I think that four years later I would be standing at a podium seven miles away dedicating a new 398-acre campus.”

The college intends to use the campus as a “living lab” for its science programs and for other academic purposes.

The land is the former homestead of the Gemmill family. It came as part of a Warwick Foundation gift valued at $30 million. The gift was awarded in September.

Elizabeth H. “Betsy” Gemmill, daughter of Kenneth and Helen and a foundation trustee, attended the dedication along with other family members, including Helen Gemmill, Diana Norris Merchant and Benjamin Gemmill, three grandchildren of Kenneth and Helen who serve as foundation trustees.

Betsy’s daughter Holly Richardson, Kenneth and Helen’s grandchild John Norris, and

Lisa Gemmill, who was married to Betsy’s late brother William, also attended.

Kenneth and Helen Gemmill had a kinship with DelVal and a love for its mission.

Betsy thanked her family saying, “This wasn’t a solo project.” She said her parents greatly valued education.

Her mother was an English teacher. Her father, one of the country’s best-known tax lawyers, loved DelVal and served as chairman of the board of trustees from 1985-1991.

“I know in your hands we are going to educate hundreds of thousands of people,” said Betsy.

She said she looks forward to seeing future generations go to the college and that maybe she’ll even see her grandchildren attend DelVal.

Dr. Brosnan has called the Gemmill gift the “gift of a lifetime.” He said the new campus will help the college move forward as it advances toward university status and strengthens its academic programs.

The campus includes well-maintained buildings, fertile fields and beautiful orchards.

The property is at 741 Grenoble Road, off  Almshouse Road. It is a working farm valued at more than $15 million.

As part of the $30 million gift, The Warwick Foundation provided $10 million for operating costs of the new campus and another $5 million in unrestricted funds.

The gift is already having an impact on the college. The Gemmills’ generosity has allowed DelVal to move forward with building its life science center and is supporting the development of graduate programs.

“This is a setting that will inspire students now and for generations to come,” Dr. Brosnan said. “Students will study here, they will learn here, they will meet here. They will do research in this living lab and discover things not found in a classroom.”

President Brosnan called the gift a “supreme gesture of kindness, support and generosity.”

“You have helped Delaware Valley College begin a new era in education,” he told the family. “And in the process made Bucks County stronger.”

Earlier in the day, the college presented Betsy Gemmill with an honorary doctoral degree as part of its annual Founders’ Day celebration.

Betsy’s commitment to the community extends far beyond DelVal. Her work has positively impacted many other organizations such as: The University of Pennsylvania’s museum, the Philadelphia Y.M.C.A. and The Academy of Natural Sciences to name a few.

Dr. Brosnan said the gift is going to help the college achieve things that “in the past could only be dreamed of.”

Neil Clover ’89, a former mailroom clerk who became an executive at an internationally recognized firm, said that to succeed “you have to be willing to jump in when faced with situations that scare you.”

On Feb. 24, Clover shared some friendly advice and lessons he’s learned with DelVal business students as part of the Watson Executive-in-Residence Program.

Clover is a chief technology officer at Arup, a global engineering and professional services firm with offices in 35 countries. Arup first gained international attention with its work on Australia’s Sydney Opera House.

He was the 10th speaker in the Watson program, which began at DelVal in 2005 under the guidance of Thomas W. Watson ’57, who continues to sponsor it. Watson is co-founder and vice chairman emeritus of Omnicom Group, Inc., a strategic holding company that manages a portfolio of global businesses. He also is dean of the company’s Omnicom University.

Clover earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DelVal and a master’s degree in management from LaSalle University in 1995.

As CTO at Arup Americas, he is responsible for Information Technology. At Arup he has successfully cut IT costs, strengthened reliability, enhanced performance and improved flexibility by reducing and simplifying technology.

Prior to joining Arup, Clover was chief technology architect at Tyco International. He began his career 20 years ago with AT&T /Bell Labs.

Working on the Sydney Opera House, Australia’s signature building, was a defining moment in his company’s history. Design of the building began in the early 50s. Arup was engaged early in the process of bringing architect Jorn Utzon’s daring vision to life.

“Everybody was scared,” said Clover. “People didn’t know if it would stand.”

He said he could relate to the fear people at Arup must have been feeling at that point in history. As a young employee at AT&T, he managed the technical staff that did IT work for the company’s high-profile clients including Merrill Lynch.

“Merrill Lynch was my Sydney Opera House,” said Clover. “I was scared to death.”

Mistakes could have cost the company millions of dollars.

“Throughout your life, you’re going to see things that are going to scare you career wise,” said Clover. “My advice is to jump in.”

Clover urged business students to look for gaps or needs that they can meet for a company. He told students they shouldn’t be afraid to share a valuable idea if they have one.

“Every grad has great suggestions,” said Clover. “Don’t be afraid to make them, but think about the context of it.”

Clover can relate to what students are facing today. When he started his career, the economy wasn’t great and there weren’t many jobs.

His father told him, “just get in the door, you can make the difference later.”

He started in the mailroom of AT&T and could tell you anything you wanted to know about Wite-Out.

His job was to purchase pads of paper, correction fluid and pens. He started buying computers for the company and had idle time in between tasks. Clover used this time to assemble the computers, saving AT&T $400 a machine. He got the other employees to help.

The mailroom taught Clover to enable those around him and to jump in to meet a need.

“Don’t wait to be invited or you’ll never be invited,” said Clover.

He compared “jumping in” at work to being an eager football player. He said the players sitting on the sidelines with their helmets off don’t get called in, but the player next to the coach who has his helmet on, eager to play, does.

Clover is always trying to learn how to do things better and said lifelong learning is necessary to succeed in companies that are constantly evolving.

A positive attitude is also key to success, according to the executive. He told students, “use the effort you would use complaining about something to fix it.”

“If you have a positive attitude people will want to see you succeed,” said Clover.

The Executive-in-Residence program allows students to network with highly successful people. Omnicom’s Watson, the founder, attends each speech and talks to the students.

“If you knocked on Omnicom’s front door you’d have a hard time getting an hour with Thomas Watson,” said Clover. “Take advantage of access.”

Watson asked Clover what he asks during job interviews. He said he would ask applicants, “Who do you cheer for, the Road Runner or the Coyote?”

“We started hiring the Coyote answers,” said Clover.

The resilient type of person he looks for would, like the cartoon Coyote, “get right back in there without hesitation” after being squashed repeatedly.

Senior accounting major Felicia Erdie enjoyed the speech.

“He had a lot of good advice for us to take away when we graduate,” said Erdie.

She said the most important advice was to “jump in.”

Watson, who helps choose the program speakers, said of Clover, “All the advice that he gave, he’s really a living breathing example of.”

Kelly Michel, a biology major, spent her fall semester dissecting animals to answer her questions about evolution.

Paoul Martinez, a small animal science major, spent his semester swabbing dog ears and studying the bacteria inside them.

Kimberly Bergen, an equine science and management major, found herself confronting a dish of MRSA, a type of bacterium that has become resistant to certain antibiotics.

On Dec. 8, the first group of students to go through DelVal’s new student research class presented their projects in the Mandell Science Building.

The students worked independently with a faculty mentor during the fall semester to explore topics of their choosing.

Five seniors presented topics. The presentations lasted between 20 and 30 minutes and were followed by questions from faculty.

Topics included: the evolution of circulatory systems, a comparison between herbal remedies and prescription antibiotics, the effects of row spacing on soybean yield, a hydrogen fuel cell analysis and a study of bacteria in canine ears.

Kelly explored evolutionary changes of the circulatory system by dissecting four different animals. She worked under the guidance of Dr. Kathryn Ponnock. Kelly dissected a dogfish shark, a pigeon, a cat and a jawless fish called a lamprey.

She created diagrams of each animal’s circulatory system and highlighted differences. Her PowerPoint included photos of the different stages of the dissections. She used a laser pointer to identify the various parts of each animal’s system and differences among the animals.

“I had a lot of fun dissecting specimens,” Kelly said. “I learned a lot about the specimen I was dissecting. I got to see the effects of evolution and I was able to improve my dissecting skills. I learned when to cut a lot. When not to cut. Which parts are fragile….”

The pigeon was a challenge. Kelly only had about a week to work with it before it grew mold. She said she found it interesting how compact the pigeon’s system was in relationship to the size of its body.

Kimberly wanted to see if herbal remedies “actually worked.” Her research, under the guidance of Dr. Cynthia Keler, compared the effectiveness of herbal remedies and prescription antibiotics. Her hypothesis was that herbal remedies wouldn’t work as well to treat bacterial infections.

Kimberly looked at types of bacteria that cause food poisoning, staph infections and strep throat. She got to work with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that has developed a resistance to antibiotics.

“MRSA was my favorite one,” said Kimberly.

Kimberly researched which antibiotics and herbal remedies are typically used for each type of infection.

She then grew samples of each type of bacteria to see the effects that each treatment would have.

Interestingly, with the MRSA sample garlic was somewhat effective. Kimberly showed a PowerPoint of dishes of MRSA. In the photo with the garlic, there was a ring around the garlic where MRSA was not growing.

Other remedies that Kimberly looked at included: ginseng root, tea tree oil and echinacea.

The most effective herbal remedies overall were fresh garlic and tea tree oil. The antibiotics were the real winner though.

Kimberly said her research proved her original hypothesis, “You need antibiotics. You can’t just rely on herbals.”

Jamie Shetzline, a chemistry major, analyzed a hydrogen fuel cell under the guidance of Dr. Henry Luftman. A company called Future Fuel Now provided all the equipment.

“The black box is where the magic happens,” said Jamie of the fuel cell.

Jamie identified several issues with the fuel cell. She found that the cell had the potential to cause corrosion in an engine.

Todd Hunsicker, a crop science major, studied the effects of row spacing on the yield of soybeans. His mentor was Dr. Steven DeBroux. He used his grandfather’s farm to grow the soybeans using three different spacing sizes.

Paoul studied samples from dog ears to find out how prevalent certain types of bacteria are and how effective six different antibiotics are on them. Martinez took samples from 50 healthy dogs and 32 dogs with infections.

The new course is one more opportunity for students at DelVal to learn through experience.

“It gives them the opportunity to do something that they wouldn’t be able to do in a typical classroom setting,” said Dr. Ponnock “They work very closely in a mentoring process with a faculty member, which is very beneficial.”

Dr. Ponnock said the course also helps students better understand of how scientific research is conducted outside of the classroom.

DelVal student Rebecca Furman (center) with Polish students (from left to right) Dominik Ostrowski, Milena Pycka, Kinga Raczynska, Konrad Krzysztof Protaziuk.
 

By Annmarie Ely

On Oct. 7 DelVal held a reception in the library to welcome four students and one faculty member from The University of Podlasie in Siedlce, Poland. The students are participants in the Piszek/Evans/Diamond Exchange program.

They arrived on Oct. 6 and will be on campus until Oct. 15.

“The purpose of the program is to introduce our students to the international community and enhance their awareness of different cultures,” said DelVal Professor Svetlana Shkitko, coordinator of this year’s exchange. DelVal students who participated in the trip to Poland said it was a once in a lifetime experience.

The visiting students are: Kinga Raczynska, Konrad Krzysztof Protaziuk, Milena Pycka and Dominik Ostrowski. Three are majoring in agriculture and one in zoo technique. Environmental design professor Krzysztof Starczewski is accompanying the students.

Their college has a five-year program. When they graduate they will have earned master’s degrees.

On Thursday the students visited Doylestown’s Mercer Museum and toured both the college’s main campus and the new Gemmill Campus in Jamison.. Student Ambassadors Valerie Betts and Mike Malvoso provided the tour. Later that week the Polish students attended the Precarious Alliance symposium, which was held on campus

Other places to visit include New York City, Philadelphia, Longwood Gardens, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown and Giorgi Mushroom Foods.
Ostrowski and Protaziuk are interested to see Central Park and Ground Zero in New York.
On Oct. 14 there is a dinner on a boat on the Delaware River for the students and their host families. This year’s host families include Director of Major Gifts Susan Blazer, Jan and Grace Wolters, Wanda Kempisty and Dr. James Diamond, retired dean of agriculture and environmental sciences, and his wife Elizabeth Diamond.
The exchange program was established in 2007 and is free for students. It is funded by the Copernicus Society of America, which was established by the late Edward J. Piszek.

Piszek started Mrs. Paul’s Fish, a successful frozen food company that he later sold to Campbell’s soup. He was proud of his Polish heritage and gave millions to battle tuberculosis in Poland. He also spent $500,000 on a newspaper campaign to educate the public about Polish culture.

His daughter, Helen Piszek Nelson, had the idea to create the exchange program and worked with Dr. Diamond to start the exchange.

Becky Furman, a junior majoring in food science and nutrition, was excited to meet the Polish students.

“I got all of their contact info,” said Furman. “We are going to stay in contact this week via Facebook.”

Furman is applying to go to Poland in May. “I really want to go because it is a great opportunity,” she said. “I love other languages and countries and I’ve always wanted to travel, but haven’t been able to.”
 

Major General Ronald L. Bailey of the United States Marine Corps, speaking as part of Delaware Valley College’s first Multicultural Week, said diversity strengthens a nation and success comes from a positive attitude coupled with action and confidence.

Bailey, in charge of Marine recruiting for the western U.S., is one of the highest-ranking African American officers in the armed forces. He spoke about diversity and leadership on Oct. 11 at Moumgis Auditorium, addressing an audience of staff, faculty, students and members of the public.

He frequently mentioned the importance of “honor, courage and commitment,” the hallmarks of the Marine Corps, and said leaders must use action and attitude, not words. Leaders should have a plan, he said, be accountable and organize and execute priorities effectively.

Most important, leaders should stay positive because “optimism is a force multiplier,” he said.

Bailey said leaders should think “it can be done” and look at how actions are not about them, but about the greater institution or group. He said sharing credit “makes the team stronger.”

He stressed the importance of holding on to integrity. “You have to give it away, no one can take it,” said Bailey.

With respect to diversity, Bailey called it a “strength” and the basis for the “greatness and uniqueness of our country.”

As an example, he mentioned the Navajo Code Talkers who used their native language to transmit military communications during World War II.

“It takes courage to see someone that is different,” said Bailey. “And see the strength that they bring.”

Bailey said Americans are joined together by a common heritage of fighting to be free.

Among the themes of his speech were self-confidence, determination and an unwillingness to quit. The major general spoke of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was told he had the aptitude of an elevator repair man and was not cut out to be an actor. Stallone refused to listen and after watching a fight where an unknown named Chuck Wepner knocked down Muhammad Ali, he went home and in three days wrote the script for the Academy Award-winning movie “Rocky.” “The rest is history,” said Bailey. “Just think if he’d accepted the fate that he was going to be an elevator repairman.”

He urged the audience to matter. “Living a life that matters does not just happen,” said Bailey. “It takes courage and commitment.”

During a question and answer session, Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan, president of DelVal, asked Bailey how he dealt with discrimination in his own life.

Bailey said he deals with it as soon as he sees it. “If I see discrimination, I’m going to let you know about it,” Bailey said. “ I fight it like an enemy and you don’t want to be my enemy.”

Bailey said that as he looked at each one of the audience members, he knew they would do the same.

At the end of the talk, the audience stood and applauded.

“I thought his speech was very motivating,” said Melissa Bond, a Doylestown attorney who serves on Dr. Brosnan’s President’s Advisory Council.

Meredith Buck, of the Bucks County Bar Association’s committee on diversity, said she enjoyed the way Bailey tied together elements of military leadership and civilian leadership.

Bailey’s awards include Defense Superior Service Medal with bronze oak leaf, Legion of Merit w/combat V, Meritorious Service with 2 gold stars, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star, the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation and the Combat Action Ribbon.

He was brought to campus for Multicultural Week with the help of college trustee Michael Moss and the Students for Diversity. Multicultural Week events continue through Oct. 15. The events are meant to foster awareness of our diverse world.

“Multicultural week offers the college community the chance to learn about the many different students, faculty and staff that are part of our institution,” said John Brown, vice president of Student Affairs. “It also will certainly enlighten us all about the importance of inclusion and diversity to a strong community. I encourage all of our community to find an event that they may be interested in.”

At the Aug. 27 Convocation, members of the campus community gave students advice on how to be successful both academically and socially in college and in life.

DelVal Distinguished Faculty Award Recipient Rodney Gilbert was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Dorothy Prisco, dean of faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs, said Gilbert was chosen because of his devotion to the education and success of his students.

Gilbert told students about experiential learning and urged students to take responsibility for their success. “The teacher opens the door, the student must enter,” he said.

Dr. Brosnan discussed the “ambiguous future” and the “information overload” facing today’s students.

He said people are likely to change jobs 16 to 18 times by age 50, and change careers as many as six to eight times over a lifetime.

The president told students that their future careers might not even exist yet. “Think about Facebook,” said Brosnan.

In addition to ambiguous futures, he said that students today are faced with “an avalanche of information” that they must learn to sift through to find what is “meaningful, practical and wise.”

In order to thrive in these conditions, Brosnan suggested students “learn how to learn” and continue learning throughout their lives.

He said that the personal attention and small classes at DelVal will not only teach students subjects like biology, but will help them become lifelong learners capable of adapting to a changing world.

“Life is a process of filtering and evaluating, and if you let the right things in you are very likely to succeed in whatever it is you do,” he said.

Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Robert Yapsuga presented the class of 2014 and entertained students with facts about their class.

According to Yapsuga, 499 freshman are attending DelVal this year. There was a positive reaction from the males when Yapsuga announced that 300 of the 499 were female.

DelVal drew freshmen from 20 states and one from the United Kingdom. The most popular male name among the class is Mathew and the most popular female name is Sarah.

Dr. Yapsuga ended with a playful statement congratulating the new students for the “great judgment” they showed by coming to DelVal.

Vice President of Student Affairs John Brown went through reasons students chose the college. Academic quality was among the top reasons. According to Brown, 82 percent of DelVal freshman thought they might graduate with honors. Of last year’s class, 28 percent actually did.

He then urged students to connect outside the classroom, highlighting upcoming opportunities like One Book, One Campus and Multicultural Week.

“Get involved here and learn about people who may be different than you,” said Brown.

Associate Dean of The First Year Experience Dr. Mena Birett discussed resources like The Office of the First Year Experience that are available to help new students adjust. She assured freshmen that they would encounter people willing to help “who really love what they’re doing.”

Student Government Board President Paoul Martinez and 2011 Class President Dariyen Carter provided the Student Welcome.

Martinez ’11 reflected the thoughts he had at his own convocation, like being excited to be on his own and wondering how he’d fit in.

“I encourage you to get involved,” sad Martinez. “I’m not just saying that because they tell me to.”

Carter had students look around at each other, “go ahead look” he pushed, telling students they were in a new place with people they’ve never met. “Welcome to college,” said Carter.

Carter said communicating with family helped him adjust when he was a freshman.

“Call, text, Skype, Twitter…Whichever way you do it, do it,” he said. “Let them know you cleaned your dorm.”

Carter told students to find their place, but not to be afraid to change the campus to create that place.

“One voice can make anything happen on this campus,” said Carter. “Welcome home.”

Thursday, Aug. 26 was new student move in day at Delaware Valley College, or as it is better known, “Arrival Survival.”

Faculty, staff and students of the college made the transition a little easier for the newcomers by helping them unpack.

Dr. Mena Birett, associate dean of Student Affairs, helped coordinate the event.

“Arrival Survival gives new students and their parents a feeling of comfort and connectivity to the college,” she said.

The event started at about 8:30 am with a checked in at the student center, where information tables were set up.

By 9 a.m. a steady stream of students and parents were moving into the dorms.

Volunteers wearing gray Arrival Survival T-shirts with cartoon characters crammed into a car on the back were spread out around campus to help unpack cars.

A mom from New York who was moving her son into Ulman like the T-shirts so much she snapped some photos of Arrival Survival crew members unloading her car.

Ken Lee, a professor in the Information Technology Department, was a member of the welcome crew.

“It’s fun to help them,” said Lee, who likes participating because it gives him a chance to meet the new students.

Lee made frequent trips between parents’ cars that were packed full of shoes, clothing, electronics and snacks using a small hand truck to bring crates of water bottles, duffle bags and plastic containers into Ulman.

Lee was not the only friendly face on campus. Approximately 100 volunteers registered to participate in Arrival Survival this year.

Orientation leaders and RAs were among the large group that came out to help.

“We need to show the students how much we appreciate them and value their decision to come here,” said Bob Yapsuga, vice president in charge of enrollment. “Arrival Survival is just a small way to show that.”

Denise Schoenewald, an employee in the Accounts Payable department, has participated in the event for the last four or five years. She was there to offer a big smile and friendly conversation to nervous students.

Schoenewald likes welcoming the new students and thinks the day is important.

“It definitely leaves a good first impression with parents and students,” she said. “ I like to meet the new students and calm some fears.”

RAs wearing blue T-shirts were ready to pick up where the Arrival Survival members left off. They walked around the dorms welcoming the new students.

“I decided to be an RA to help freshmen adjust to being away from home,” said Amira Moore, a junior.

Moore was impressed by Arrival Survival as a freshman. “I remember I put my stuff on the ground and they were already going inside with it,” said Moore, who was thankful for the help.

Another RA, Carly Bombolevicz, a senior, was happy to be a part of the event this year.

“Arrival Survival shows a sense of community,” said Bombolevicz. “Since we are such a small school we are able to portray that really well.”

Bombolevicz and Moore said that the freshmen are typically nervous and have a lot of questions. According to Moore and Bombolevicz, the number one issue is figuring out how to arrange the room.

After the move in, President Joseph S. Brosnan hosted a parent’s reception on the lawn outside the president’s house. Tables with flowers and information about DelVal were set up and refreshments were provided.

Dr. Brosnan opened his welcome by announcing that DelVal had been named as a top school by both the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

DelVal also made the “Great Schools, Great Prices” list put out by U.S. News & World Report, he said.

The Princeton Review ranking was based on feedback from current students who were impressed by the quality of the faculty and the personal attention they received.

“I hope you got to experience that hospitality and personal attention today,” said Dr. Brosnan.

By Edward Levenson

The head of a national wildlife conservation group told this year's Delaware Valley College graduates that their future success depends on more than academic achievements and work experience.

"Don't forget this important advice: Do what you love! Because that's the secret to any truly meaningful career path," Dr. Michael Hutchins, executive director and chief executive officer of The Wildlife Society, said in his address at the college's 111th commencement on May 15.

"I've always had a deep and abiding love for nature and, frankly, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. It's a passion I've had since I was a kid," said Hutchins, who received a doctorate from the University of Washington in 1984 and has headed The Wildlife Society since 2005. The society, based in suburban Washington, D.C., is an international nonprofit scientific and educational association that promotes the preservation of wildlife.

Listen to Michael Hutchins' speech.

Download speech.

View the Commencement 2010 Video

Members of the Class of 2010 -- the largest in the college's 114-year-history -- and hundreds of family members attended the two-hour ceremony under a tent on the Quad. Of the record 455 graduates, 362 received bachelor's degrees, 90 master's degrees and three associate's degrees. Baccalaureates were awarded in 18 disciplines, but four dominated: animal biotechnology and conservation, animal science, biology and business administration.

The college conferred honorary degrees on James L. Linksz, president of Bucks County Community College since 1992; and Bruce Katsiff, chief executive officer and director of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown since 1991.
Linksz, described as "a bedrock force in Bucks County education," received an honorary doctor of letters in recognition of his key role in expanding the Newtown-based college to campuses in Upper and Lower Bucks and launching online courses.

Katsiff, who holds a master's degree in fine arts from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., was cited for his major contribution to the growth of the museum's facilities and endowment and transforming it into "a regional force in the world of art." He was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters.

In his speech, college President Dr. Joseph S. Brosnan described four graduates who exemplify the diverse backgrounds and goals of DelVal students. They are: Elsbeth Centola of Bend, Ore., a biology major; Douglas Bocchino of Randolph, N.J., an ornamental horticulture major; Megan Barilla of Coopersburg, Pa., a counseling psychology major; and Debora Childs of Jamison, Pa., a mother of five and a food science major.

Other members of the Class of 2010 also have compelling stories, the president said.
"All will make a mark. All have potential, and all will realize it in some way -- whether you are aware of it or not," he said.

Listen to President Brosnan's speech.

Download speech.

Dr. James F. Trainer, chairman of the board of trustees, drew approval from the audience when he described the graduates as a "good-looking, smart class."
Hutchins told the graduates that his 30-plus years in wildlife conservation included tracking giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands, banding Megallanic penguins in Argentina, scuba diving with manta rays on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and searching for rare Javan rhinoceroses in the jungles of Indonesia.

"I worry that the next generation will not have the opportunities that I have had to experience nature -- or even the desire to do so," said Hutchins, who earned his doctorate by studying the behavioral ecology of free-ranging Rocky Mountain goats introduced into Olympic National Park in Washington. Hutchins, who spent 15 years as conservation director of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, has written more than 200 technical and popular articles and books on wildlife management and science.

He urged students, whatever their discipline, to get involved in promoting wise environmental practices that ultimately will benefit humans and wildlife alike.
"We must all be optimists, and there is still much we can do if we act now," said Hutchins, who is active in the National Global Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center.

During the ceremony, the Distinguished Faculty Member Award was presented to Rodney Gilbert, assistant professor of animal science and a faculty member since 1973. The award recognizes teaching excellence, ability to relate to students and contributions to the college.

George F. West, who is retiring after 41 years at DelVal, was named emeritus professor of business administration. West also served as college president from 1991 to 1994.

Class President Amanda Leirvik, an animal biotechnology major, told her classmates, "From the first campus tour, I fell in love with DelVal." She said her affection for the school only grew during her four years on campus.

Peter Duane, a 1972 DelVal graduate and president of the alumni association, paid tribute to the members of the Class of 1960 in attendance. He noted they were the last graduates of the National Agricultural College, which was renamed Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture later that year.

He told this year's graduates they will be part of the fine reputation the college has achieved.

"We all want to protect that investment and see that investment grow," Duane said.

Click here to see the 2010 Founders' Day Slideshow

By Edward Levenson

The student winner of Delaware Valley College's 2010 Founders' Day award says his biggest contribution to campus life was motivating other students to participate in college activities.

"I contributed a lot of positive attitude on campus. I got people involved in activities they would not have joined without a push," said senior Joshua Detwiler, a dairy science major from Carlisle, Pa.

Detwiler was presented the college's most prestigious student award at the annual Founders' Day Convocation April 28 in the Moumgis Auditorium. A committee of faculty and administrators chose him from among nine nominees as the senior "who has demonstrated outstanding leadership ability and involvement with the campus/surrounding community throughout (his) tenure at Delaware Valley College."

"I was shocked," Detwiler said afterward, adding that he considered all the nominated seniors as qualified for the honor. The other four finalists were Douglas Bocchino, Elsbeth Centola, Amelia Davis and Bethany Pavlik; the remaining nominees were Elizabeth Gerhard, Victoria Kinden, Taryn McCaffrey and Wesley Sharp.

Dr. James Trainer, chairman of the board of trustees, paid homage to the two men regarded as the college's founders. Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf started the National Farm School in 1896 with the goal of teaching Jewish immigrants farming as a means to escape crowded cities. Dr. James Work, a 1913 graduate of the school, served as a trustee from 1923 to 1977 and as president from 1946 to 1974, during which he transformed the college from a two-year technical school into a four-year accredited academic institution.

"For 114 years, Delaware Valley College has been rooted in the arts and sciences. It has been about nothing but pragmatism," said Trainer, a 1982 graduate. "We act as one learning community in one purpose."

Trainer conveyed congratulations to all the award recipients from college President Dr. Joseph Brosnan, who was unable to attend because he is recovering from hip replacement surgery.

John Brown, vice president for student affairs, described the achievements and qualifications of each of the nine nominees for the Founders' Day award.

"These are all highly qualified, highly motivated, highly involved students," he said.

Detwiler, the winner, served as a resident assistant, student herd manager at the campus dairy and president of Block and Bridle, the student livestock club. For two years, he ran the dairy show on A-Day. He earned a 3.75 grade point average and said his most challenging course was animal anatomy and physiology.

During his sophomore and junior years, he was a member of a college team that traveled to other states to judge dairy contests. Detwiler, who grew up in a rural area, said he chose to attend DelVal because its small size enables students to get individual attention.

At the same ceremony, Detwiler also received the Dairy Science Departmental Achievement Award. He is listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges.

After graduation, he will take a job as a support technician at the Lancaster Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Manheim, Pa., working both on computers and in the field to assist dairy farmers.

Before the Founders' Day award presentation, other honors were bestowed on students and faculty members:

Twenty-four students were recognized for making the Dean's List for the last seven consecutive semesters. Lindsey Peed topped the list with a cumulative grade point average of 3.94.

Thirteen seniors received Departmental Achievement Awards, marking their leadership and academic achievements in specific departments as well as their overall contributions to the college and the community.

A total of 107 students were acknowledged as members of Delta Tau Alpha, the National Agriculture Honor Society.

There were 105 junior and seniors named in Who's Who among Students in American Colleges, based on their outstanding scholarship, participation and leadership in extracurricular activities, service to the college and future potential.

Dr. Frederick Hofsaess, a professor of animal science, was honored with a 40-year service award. Hofsaess, who graduated from DelVal in 1967 with a B.S. in animal husbandry, earned his master's and doctoral degrees at Virginia Polytechnic University and State University. He joined the DelVal faculty in 1970. "I wouldn't still be doing it if I didn't find it rewarding and to the benefit of students," he said.

Dr. Reginald Hoyt, co-chair of the Animal Biotechnology & Conservation department, received the Harleysville National Bank and Trust Company Professorship award.

Student Government Awards were presented to three college employees to recognize their dedication to students: Henry Schmieder Arboretum horticulturalist Mary Boyle, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Christopher Tipping and Assistant Director of Student Involvement Erica Schwartz.