Women's History Month Panel discusses "Success and Achievement"
A women's panel on campus spoke on "Success and Achievement" March 18 - one of many Penn State Abington events celebrating Women's History Month. Panelists shared insightful stories of their career paths, influential mentors, and challenges of being a women in the workplace.
Abington professor running National High School Dance Festival in Phila
Dr. Kathryn F. Kearns, assistant professor of Integrative Arts, has taken a sabbatical this year from her teaching responsibilities, but in no way does that mean she’s taking it easy. Kathryn is busy running the 9th annual National High School Dance Festival this week, held at the University of Arts in Philadelphia. The event starts Thursday, March 13, 2008 and runs through Sunday, March 16.
Kathryn founded this prestigious, bi-annual dance festival 18 years ago. Fifteen hundred high school students from across the country and as far away as Australia will be in Philadelphia to share ideas, learn about scholarships, take classes and perform. The National High School Dance Festival is the largest of its kind, showcasing “concert dance,” and offering over $1.3 million in scholarships.
Kathryn has been teaching dance at Penn State Abington for 31 years and is the director of the student Dance Company.
Mid-Atlantic Women's Studies Conference
Penn State University, Abington College, March 29, 2008 more info
Penn State Abington will also be hosting an Art Fair featuring women artists and their wares on Saturday, March 29, 8:30am - 1:30pm in Rm 108 Lares Building. The Fair is free and open to the public; many arts and crafts will be for sale. For information, contact Alia Tahvildaran.
Maggie McDermott graduates Penn State Abington at age 68
When Maggie McDermott graduates with over 125 other students on Dec 21, she’ll hold the distinguished title of being one of the oldest graduates, at age 68.
Maggie took advantage of Penn State Abington’s GO-60 program, which offers tuition- free classes for people age 60 or over. Before starting classes in 2000, Maggie was apprehensive, wondering if she would be the oldest in class.
“I wondered if the kids would look at me as a grandmother and ignore me,” says Maggie. “My first class was Evolution of Jazz. I was definitely the oldest, but I didn’t feel funny or alone at all. I learned a lot from the younger students.”
Before starting classes at Penn State Abington, Maggie had a career with the U.S. State Department, retiring in 1998. She lived all over the world supporting U.S. ambassadors and other state department officials as an Office Management Specialist. Washington, D.C., Switzerland, Tunisia, France, Africa’s Ivory Coast, Qatar, Belgium, Jamaica, and Australia were all places she called home during her 36-year career.
Now with a Psychological and Social Sciences degree under her belt, Maggie’s moving on to career number two. With help from Abington's Career Development Center, Maggie is looking for a job in social service, hospital or hospice.
Artist Faith Ringgold visits Penn State Abington Nov 13
Ringgold, known for her painted story quilts - art that combines painting, quilted fabric and storytelling - spoke of career beginning in the '40s through the present.
Her advice for up and coming student artists: "Don't skip any steps. You need to do more work."
Her wide-ranging presentation of her more than 50 years of art included notes early 1960s political imagery and first hand accounts about the civil rights movement.
Her inspiring, humorous and very human stories illustrated her life's work as an artist, activist, author, teacher and parent.
Jim Ellis, subject of the film Pride, inspires Penn State Abington
"If you follow your passion, you never work a day in your life."
Jim Ellis entertained and inspired on campus October 18 describing how he became a nationally-recognized swimming coach and youth mentor in one of Philadelphia’s most impoverished neighborhoods from the early '70s to present.
He noted that anyone can overcome adversity and negativity with positive role models. He encouraged young people to "dare to be different in a positive way."
Ellis founded the Philadelphia Department of Recreation Swim Team in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia in 1971. Today, it is the city's nationally recognized competitive swim team, the nation's best predominately African-American team, and has become a model for urban swim programs around the country.
His first visit to Penn State Abington, Ellis mentioned "you have a nice little secret back here."
Penn State Abington art student's work displayed at Philadelphia gallery
Adam Rosenberg, a senior art major at Penn State Abington, remembers as a youngster when he and his mother went to Lancaster to see about getting a family dog, and left empty handed.
"It was a puppy mill, and we were shocked and saddened by the conditions these dogs were living in. We decided against buying a dog there," he said.
So when Rosenberg, 25, was approached by the Fostering Undergraduate Exposure on Location (FUEL) Gallery, 249 Arch Street in Philadelphia, to do a painting portraying the cruelty of puppy mills for a controversial month-long animal rights art viewing there titled, "Puppies are Biodegradable," he couldn't say no.
"I'm not an animal rights activist, but I am an animal lover and I couldn't pass up the chance to paint something this important," said Rosenberg, of Philadelphia. His painting, "The Dogs of Lancaster," will be on display through the end of July. He said it is likely the painting will be purchased and included in a traveling art show once the current showing concludes.
AccuWeather donates antique barometer to Penn State Abington
Dr. Joel Myers, founder and president of AccuWeather, Inc., donated an antique English barometer from his collection to the Penn State Abington campus June 4, 2007. Dr. Myers, a former student at the campus, received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology all from Penn State and is a University Trustee for the past 25 years.