Freshman Carla Maestre will compete in the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championships from May 14-17 at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover, N.C.

She qualified for the championships as an individual after tying for sixth at the NCAA East Super Region Championships held earlier this month in Noblesvile, Ind. 

Cal U was striving for a fifth consecutive team appearance at the national competition, but the Vulcans finished fifth at the regional contest.

The top three teams and the top three golfers not with a team from each of the four super region championships advanced to the NCAA National Championships.

Maestre is Cal U’s first individual qualifier for the NCAA Championships since 2009.

Four-time All-American Aaron Dinzeo and standout freshmen Julie Friend and Summer Hill will compete in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships from May 22-24.

The championships are being held at Grand Valley State University’s Track and Field stadium in Allendale, Mich.

Dinzeo, a junior, will compete in the 10,000-meter run at 8:10 p.m. on May 22 and the 5,000-meter run at 8:05 p.m. May 24.

In 2013, Dinzeo placed fifth and seventh in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA outdoor and indoor national events, respectively. He is also a two-time cross country All-American.

Hill will run in the 1,500-meter preliminary event at 5:25 p.m. May 22. Friend will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminary at 7:10 p.m. the same day.

If Friend advances, the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals will be held at 7:25 p.m.  May 23. Hill will hope to make the 1,500-meter finals, which will take place at 5:45 p.m. May 24.

Follow all Cal U sports at www.calvulcans.com.

Congratulations to the Class of 2014! Look back at Cal U’s 178th Commencement with photos of our undergraduate and graduate ceremonies. Or browse the Cal U Flickr site for more photos of Cal U events.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that Dr. Carol Bocetti, an associate professor at California University of Pennsylvania, is a recipient of its most recent Recovery Champion award.

The award honors Fish and Wildlife Service employees and “partners-in-mission” who have made outstanding efforts to help threatened or endangered fish, wildlife and plant species reach the point where they are secure in the wild and no longer need protection — the goal of the federal Endangered Species Act.

Recovery actions may help to prevent extinctions, conserve or restore habitat, conduct scientific research, or promote public awareness, the Fish and Wildlife Service says.

Bocetti, a member of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Cal U, received the 2013 award for her work with the Delmarva Fox Squirrel Recovery Team.   She has been working with the team since 1995.

The Delmarva fox squirrel, a silvery grey rodent that can weigh 3 pounds and grow to 28 inches long, first was listed as an endangered species in 1967. Today, more than 20,000 fox squirrels now inhabit the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The Fish and Wildlife Service expects to “de-list” or remove the Delmarva fox squirrel from the list of endangered species, saying it is “confident of its sustained viability” in the wild.

This is the second Recovery Champion award for Bocetti, who was received the 2011 award for her conservation work as leader of the Kirtland’s Warbler Recovery Team. That once-endangered songbird, breeding only in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario, also has been brought back from the brink of extinction.

“I am not aware of a Recovery Champion chosen with so few years between the awards,” says Ann Haas, an endangered species program specialist with the Fish and Wildlife Service. “Although Dr. Bocetti is not unique in this recognition, she is surely a rarity.  She deserves applause for sharing her expertise for the benefit of another species in another region.”

Bocetti joined the California University of Pennsylvania faculty in 2004 after spending 18 years as a researcher in the field of conservation biology and wildlife ecology. She involves Cal U students in her research, including her work with Delmarva fox squirrels.

“The mentoring potential in both the classroom and in the field is currently the highlight of my professional life,” she says. “I was so excited to learn I’d again received this award!”

See a complete list of the 2013 Recovery Champions award winners.

The California University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association will recognize some of Cal U’s most distinguished graduates when it presents its 2014 Awards of Distinction at a luncheon at 11 a.m. June 7 in the south wing of the Convocation Center.

California University has approximately 55,000 living alumni. The awards, presented annually since 1967, recognize service to the university and professional accomplishments by members of that group.

The 2014 Cal U Alumni Association Awards of Distinction wards will be presented to these recipients:

• John R. Gregg Award for Loyalty and Service: Dr, Adelaide Guesman ’38 (Jefferson, Pa.)

• C.B. Wilson Distinguished Faculty Award: Dr. Donald Thompson (California, Pa.)

• W.S. Jackman Award of Distinction: Vanessa DeSalvo Getz ’93 (Carnegie, Pa.)

• Michael Duda Award for Athletic Achievement: Dennis Laskey ’84 ’06 (Dunlevy, Pa.)

• Pavlak/Shutsy Special Service Award: Dr. Bruce Barnhart ’83 ’89 (Brownsville, Pa.)

• Professional Excellence Award: Karen Smith ’83 (Bear, DE)

• Young Alumni Award: Bryan Burnstein ’05 (Las Vegas, NV)

• Meritorious Award: Renette Oklewicz ’69 (Reston, Va.)

Ticket price for the luncheon is $25; the event is open to the public. For reservations, contact Montean Dean at 724-938-4418 or dean@calu.edu.

More than 17,000 recent graduates of the 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, will be getting a message from their institution’s president over the next few days. Just a helpful hint, if you will, for those still looking for their first job out there in the “real world.”

The message is intended to let them know about JobGateway, a free, Web-based application that matches employers’ needs with the skills job seekers possess. It is offered by the state Department of Labor and Industry, and even gives those who use it the opportunity to practice their interview skills online and share their recorded sessions with others to receive immediate feedback.

“This is just another thing we can do to help ensure our graduates have success in their lives and careers,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “We’re glad to be partnering with the state in this effort.”

Employers can post their job openings for free on the JobGateway site. The program will sort and filter potential applicants based on the profile elements included in the job listings; then automatically refer the candidates who best match the posting criteria.

Job seekers can create and/or post their resumes on the site, also for free, and automatically receive the job postings that best match their preferences. Once registered, an individual’s information is used to find those matches, typically from among more than 170,000 job openings.

Cal U students and graduates also have access to Hire CALYOU, an online career center that includes job postings and a space to upload your resume for employers to review. Hire CALYOU also includes tools that allow job seekers to take a career assessment, practice interviewing skills, view resume samples and a salary calculator, and more.

Looking for a job? Go to www.jobgateway.pa.gov.

The University Data Center announces a planned Banner outage starting at 5 p.m. Friday, June 6.  Banner student information services will be restored before 8 a.m. Monday, June 9.

All Banner services — including the Vulcan Information Portal — will be unavailable during this time.

Access to Desire2Learn (D2L) will not be affected.

This planned Banner outage will allow University Technology Services to perform necessary maintenance and implement system upgrades. If you have questions, please contact the UTech Services Help Desk at 724-938-5911, Option 1.

Open house — M.A. in Social Sciences: Applied Criminology
6-8 p.m. June 27
Cal U Southpointe Center, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, Pa.

Prospective students may attend an open house to learn more about Cal U’s master’s degree program in applied criminology, a 100% online program designed to enhance career opportunities in law, criminal justice, forensics and related professions.

Program director Dr. John Cencich, a career law-enforcement professional and a former senior United Nations war crimes investigator, will discuss the 33-credit program, as well as employment opportunities in criminology.

Light refreshments will be served.

Abut the program

The Master of Arts in Social Science: Applied Criminology allows students to develop a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge and research skills, then apply that theoretical framework to real-world situations. The curriculum also covers ethical and legal aspects of criminology.

The program is offered through Cal U Global Online, ranked among the nation’s best providers of online degree programs. Students may begin the program in the fall or spring semester.

RSVP

For more information about the program, or to register for the open house, call the Global Online office at 866-595-6348 or e-mail appliedcriminology@calu.edu. 

Intermediate Unit 1 and California University of Pennsylvania have announced a five-year agreement that will allow students who have achieved English as a Second Language (ESL) certification through IU1 to receive 18 credits in Cal U’s online Master of Education in ESL program.

To be eligible, an applicant must meet the admission requirements and be accepted by Cal U’s School of Graduate Studies and Research. The M.Ed.-only (without certification) program in ESL is offered through Cal U Global Online, which provides online programs at the university.

The new agreement gives students the opportunity to continue their graduate-level education at Cal U, while recognizing the achievements of those in the IU1 certification program.

It also provides both institutions with more precise guidelines for advising students who are interested in pursuing the master’s degree in ESL offered through Cal U Global Online.

Continuing collaboration

The credit agreement continues a collaboration that supplements the “Cal U/IU1 ESL Professional Development Project,” which trains personnel to support English language learners in Pennsylvania’s public schools.

The project is funded by a $1.8 million English Language Acquisition: National Professional Development Grant awarded in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition.

At IU1, the grant supports development of a model continuum of professional development opportunities for pre-service teachers, new teachers, experienced teachers, principals, assistant principals and paraprofessionals who are teaching English-language learners.

The grant also gives teachers-in-training at Cal U the opportunity to complete state-mandated coursework in teaching English-language learners.

Learn more

Students who wish to learn more about the credit agreement may contact Jenny Lent at jenny.lent@iu1.org or Patricia Hazen at patricia.hazen@iu1.org; or Cal U Global Online at calugo@calu.edu.

About Intermediate Unit 1

Intermediate Unit 1 is a public educational service agency dedicated to providing quality leadership and services to the schools and communities of Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties. IU1 offers direct student services in the areas of special education, nonpublic education, adult basic literacy and English as a second language (ESL). It also provides staff development, consulting and technology services, consortia purchasing opportunities and grant-supported programs, and it acts as a liaison to help school districts meet state Department of Education mandates. Learn more at www.iu1.org.

Open house — M.A. in Social Sciences: Applied Criminology
6-8 p.m. June 27
Cal U Southpointe Center, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, Pa.

Prospective students may attend an open house to learn more about Cal U’s master’s degree program in applied criminology, a 100% online program designed to enhance career opportunities in law, criminal justice, forensics and related professions.

Program director Dr. John Cencich, a career law-enforcement professional and a former senior United Nations war crimes investigator, will discuss the 33-credit program, as well as employment opportunities in criminology.

Light refreshments will be served.

About the program

The Master of Arts in Social Science: Applied Criminology allows students to develop a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge and research skills, then apply that theoretical framework to real-world situations. The curriculum also covers ethical and legal aspects of criminology.

The program is offered through Cal U Global Online, ranked among the nation’s best providers of online degree programs. Students may begin the program in the fall or spring semester.

RSVP

For more information about the program, or to register for the open house, call the Global Online office at 866-595-6348 or e-mail appliedcriminology@calu.edu. 

Students in grades 6-8 blend summer fun with project-based learning at Innovator Wednesdays, a weekly day camp beginning June 18 at Cal U’s Center for Innovation at Southpointe, in Canonsburg, Pa.

Classes will be conducted by Cal U personnel who are certified teachers. Sessions include hands-on, project-based learning that focuses on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Students may register for individual Innovator Wednesday sessions or sign up for the entire 10-week program. These topics are scheduled:

• June 18 — Space Travel
• June 25 — Engineering
• July 2 — Architecture
• July 9 — 3D Printing
• July 16 — App Development
• July 23 — Robotics
• July 30 — Universe Sandbox
• Aug. 6 — Simple Machines
• Aug. 13 — Civil Engineering
• Aug. 20 — Space Engineers

Parents may drop off children from 8-8:30 a.m. at the Cal U Southpointe Center, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, Pa. Pickup time is 3:30-4 p.m.

Cost is $20 per session, or $180 for the 10-week program.

Snacks are provided, but children should bring their own lunch.

Register now

Registration is ongoing, but space is limited. For a link to online registration, e-mail Christopher Allen, community education manager, at allen@calu.edu.

Questions? Contact Allen at 724-873-2765.

Eight Cal U students are exploring Turkey on a 10-day trip organized by Cal U’s Office of International Programming and sponsored by the Turkish Cultural Center of Pittsburgh.

Today’s report comes from Istanbul, a world city at the junction where East meets West. The writer is Emily G. Dickey, a communication disorders major with a minor in Spanish:

Merhaba!

Today (Tuesday, June 17) was a great first (full) day in Turkey!  We did a lot of touring around Istanbul. At the start of the day we ate a breakfast unlike any breakfast I've ever had in the U.S. It was very eclectic, including bread, olives, a strange juice, warm yogurt and milk, French fries, watermelon, more olives, lots of vegetables, and little green sour plums. 

The first place we went to was a miniature museum, called Miniaturk, to learn about the history and background of many of the sites we would see later. It had dozens of miniature models of buildings all throughout Istanbul and the rest of Turkey. Some of us went to a photo place there and got dressed up in traditional Turkish garb. After that we went to a mosque. … The stained glass windows were awesome and the architecture was amazing. 

We ate lunch at a restaurant next to the mosque, where we fed chicken to a cat under the table. There are many cats around Istanbul. … Next we went to Taksim Square, where the protests were last year, and we walked down a walkway lined with shops. 

Then we had another short ride to go to our boat tour. … We went right under the bridge that connects Europe and Asia. After that we went to dinner at a restaurant called Vefa, which means Loyalty, where we had a lot of good food, and of course Turkish tea. After a short break at the hotel we went on a walk to find Turkish ice cream, which was a great end to our day.

Some other interesting things we saw and learned today:

• There are many Syrian refuges in Turkey because of the violence in Syria. 
• Turkish toilets are very different from American toilets.
• Some French words are used in Turkey, such as merci (“thank you”).
• People eat dinner late in Turkey, around 8:30 p.m.

These students have earned a place on the Spring 2014 dean's list at California University of Pennsylvania.

Dean’s list students are attending full-time and have earned a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher this semester.

View past dean's lists:

• Fall 2013
• Spring 2013
• Fall 2012
• Spring 2012

The Pennsylvania Resources Council is seeking volunteers to assist with a Household Chemicals Collection hosted by Cal U in the Adamson Stadium parking lot at Roadman Park. The event is planned for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. July 12.

The collection will give community members a safe, environmentally friendly way to dispose of household chemical waste, such as cleaners, automotive fluids, paints, pesticides, pool chemicals and more.

See a list of acceptable/unacceptable items.

How you can help

Volunteers are needed to check trunks, fill out receipts, direct traffic and perform other general duties. Assignments will be made at the brief volunteer training session that will be held before the event.

These volunteer shifts are available:

• All day– 7:15 a.m.-1:30 pm
• A.M.– 7:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• P.M.– 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Collection event volunteers will receive, free of charge:

• Breakfast snacks and lunch.
• Disposal of household chemical waste (up to 10 gallons, a $20 value).

Volunteers will receive detailed information about the Household Chemicals Collection during the week of July 7.

Register to volunteer

To volunteer, send your name, phone number and e-mail address to Michael Stepaniak, environmental programs coordinator for the Pennsylvania Resources Council, or call or call 412-488-7452.

Freshman runner Julius Rivera will compete in the 200-meter dash at the International Association Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Junior Outdoor Championships beginning July 24, in Eugene, Oregon.

Rivera qualified for this event after posting a time of 21.43 seconds at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships, which took place earlier this month in Morelia, Mexico.

All-American freshman Julie Friend will serve as an alternate in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Junior Outdoor Championships following a third-place showing earlier this month at USATF Junior Outdoor Championships.

Learn more about the IAAF world event

                        

The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has approved a modest $198 tuition increase — $99 a semester — for the 2014-2015 academic year, virtually assuring that all 14 State System universities, including Cal U, will remain the lowest-cost option among all four-year colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.
 
The base tuition rate for full-time, resident undergraduate students attending any of the State System universities this fall will be $3,410 a semester, or $6,820 for the full academic year. Nearly 90 percent of PASSHE students are Pennsylvania residents and about 85 percent attend full-time.
 
“PASSHE universities offer tremendous value to students and their families, providing a unique combination of high-quality educational opportunities and the most affordable cost available,” said Board of Governors Chairman Guido M. Pichini.

Increase matches inflation rate

The tuition increase approved by the Board essentially matches next year’s projected rate of inflation of about 3 percent.

This marks the eighth time in the last 10 years the State System has been able keep the increase at close to the inflation rate. It has been able to do so despite the fact that funding from the state has been held steady for four consecutive years and now stands at just slightly above the amount that was received in 1997-1998  — 17 years ago.

As funding support has declined over the last decade, the universities have eliminated or avoided more than $250 million in operating costs from their combined budgets through efforts such as strategic sourcing, energy management, automating processes and services, reducing staffing levels and eliminating noncore and lower-priority programs and functions.

The universities will need to make additional combined reductions totaling about $30 million this year in order to balance their budgets.

State funding holds steady

The 2014-15 state budget passed by the Legislature and awaiting Gov. Tom Corbett’s signature includes about $412.7 million for the State System, the same amount it has received each year since 2011-2012, and about $90 million less than the System received in combined state and federal funds in 2010-2011.

“Our university leadership, especially our presidents, should be commended for the tremendous work they have done to contain their institutions’ costs and to become even more efficient in their operations during these challenging times,” Mr. Pichini said.

While struggling to keep their costs under control, the universities have continued to enhance the quality of programming they offer, with the vast majority of their academic programs earning or maintaining accreditation from professional organizations nationally. The universities also are offering more advanced professional degrees in response to growing workforce demand in areas including healthcare and science-related fields.

“The universities are doing what they need to do to meet the needs of students and their future employers,” said Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “As those needs change, our universities are realigning and redesigning programs and developing new programs that will help ensure students gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their careers and personal lives.”

With the tuition and other anticipated fee increases, the average total cost of attendance for a full-time, resident student at a State System university next year – including combined tuition, fees, room and board – will be about $18,500.
 
Full-time, nonresident tuition will range from about $7,160 to $17,050.

This information was provided in a news release from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. To read the entire release, which includes information about flexible tuition plans, new degrees and presidential contracts at PASSHE universities, click here.