NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College’s Dr. Karen Resendes, associate professor of biology, and Dr. James Rhoads, professor of political science, will continue the 2020 Titan Talksseries with “Breaking Bad & the Science of Cancer” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in Berlin Lounge located in Westminster’s McKelvey Campus Center.

Resendes, co-director of the Drinko Center, will discuss the science of cancer treatment. The talk will overview the similarities and differences that occur in the development of cancerous tumors, as the root cause of disease progression can vary widely, even within the same cancer type.

She will also introduce the range of treatment methods that may be employed in combating various iterations of the disease. The basic scientific research performed at Westminster that may one day impact future cancer treatment plans will be emphasized.

Rhoads, criminal justice/sociology and political science chair, will explore the hit American drama “Breaking Bad.” The show follows a mild-mannered high school science teacher who transforms into a merciless player in the local drug trade, driven by the desire to provide for his family after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Resendes, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2009, earned her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary. She holds a Ph.D. from Brown University.

Rhoads joined the Westminster faculty in 1992. He earned his undergraduate degree, master’s and Ph.D. from Kent State University.

Established in the fall of 2018, Westminster College’s Titan Talks is a three-part series featuring Westminster scholars and professionals and aimed at helping human beings develop their best selves and live lives with a mindful purpose.

Titan Talks are free and open to the public, but reservations are due by Thursday, Feb. 13. There will be light snacks at the event. To register, visit https://www.westminster.edu/alumni/events.

For more information, please contact Nicole Hunter, assistant director of alumni engagement and coordinator of Titan Talks, at 724-946-7373 or hunterna@westminster.edu. The next installment of Titan Talks will be in March.

Written by the Westminster Sports Information Department

GREENVILLE, Pa. – A total of 62 Westminster College student-athletes have been named to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll for the Fall 2019 semester.

The PAC Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes on varsity sports teams who have earned a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition. A total of 555 PAC student-athletes earned a spot.
 
Click here for the complete PAC Fall 2019 Academic Honor Roll.
 
The following is a listing of the 62 Westminster student-athletes recognized:
 
Name…Class….Major(s)…Sport(s)…Hometown / High School
Sam Accordino…So…Neuroscience…MSOC…Canfield, Ohio / Canfield
Benjamin Antal…Fr…Business Administration…FB…Ellwood City, Pa. / Riverside
Marie Barnard…Jr…Early Childhood Education, Special Ed…WXC…Millerstown, Pa. / Greenwood
Ian Barr…So…Biology…FB…State College, Pa. / State College
Maura Belding…Sr…Marketing and Professional Sales…WSOC…Columbiana, Ohio / Crestview
Camden Boggess…Fr…Biology…FB…Clarion, Pa. / Clarion
Chase Collison…Sr…Business Administration…FB Madisonburg, Pa. / Penns Valley
Joe Coveny…So…Business Administration…MSOC…Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhwak
Sadie Cunningham…Fr…Psychology…WXC…Webster, N.Y. / Webster Thomas
John Cybak…Jr…Environmental Science…FB…Massillon, Ohio / Tuslaw
Erynn Daubenmire…Jr…Mathematics…WVB…Mentor, Ohio / Willoughby South
Brendan Deluca…Sr…Business Administration…FB…Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk
Jaden Domaratz…Fr…Early Childhood Education, Special Ed…WSOC Springdale, Pa. / Springdale
Olivia Droese…So…Biology…WSOC…Pickerington, Ohio / Pickerington Central
Haley Farmerie…Sr…Business Administration…WVB…Manor, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic
Ryan Felter…Fr…Exploratory…FB…Pittsburgh, Pa. / Avonworth
Ashley Frank…So…Mathematics…WSOC…Mentor, Ohio / Mentor
Taylor Gatesman…Sr…Molecular Biology…WXC…Lucinda, Pa. / North Clarion County
Jocelyn Gillette…Jr…Business Administration…WSOC…Natrona Heights, Pa. / Highlands
Heather Haley…Sr…Psychology…WSOC…Canfield, Ohio / Canfield
Andrew Heider…Fr…Accounting…FB…Mechanicsville, Md. / Chopticon
Faith Howell…Jr…Early Childhood Education, Special Ed…WXC…Honesdale, Pa. / Honesdale
Mackenzie Hupp…So…Psychology…WSOC…Willoughby, Ohio / Willoughby South
Nick Iregui…Jr…Business Administration…MSOC…Gig Harbor, Wash. / Charles Wright Academy
Jad Jadallah…Fr…Molecular Biology…MSOC…Canfield, Ohio / Canfield
Sophia Kaplan…Fr…Exploratory…WSOC…Mentor, Ohio / Mentor
Kiki Kawarizadeh…Sr…Biology…WSOC…New Albany, Ohio / New Albany
Harrison Keenan…Jr…History…MXC…Cranberry, Pa. / Cranberry
Madeline Keenan…Jr…Broadcasting and Media Production…WXC…Cranberry, Pa. / Cranberry
Samantha Kelly…So…Political Science…WVB…Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford
Harris Kohl…Fr…Environmental Science…FB…York, Pa. / York Catholic
Hunter Linhart…Fr…Biology…FB…Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum
Dylan Magill…Jr…Marketing and Professional Sales…FB…Apollo, Pa. / Kiski
Alex Marzouca…Sr…Marketing and Professional Sales…WTEN…Kingston, Jamaica / Immaculate Conception
Cameron Mika…Jr…Accounting…FB…Apollo, Pa. / Kiski
Jacob Miller…Fr…Biology…FB…Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong
Haley Moore…Jr…Neuroscience…WVB…Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic
Mark Moran…Fr….Biology…MSOC…Silver Spring, Md. / Washington Christian Academy
Tyler Ness…Fr…Business Administration…FB…York, Pa. / Red Lion
Max Reamer…So…Financial Economics…FB…New Castle, Pa. / Shenango
Nathan Otero…Fr…Engineering Physics…MSOC…Rio Rancho, N.M. / V. Sue Cleveland
Julia Redilla…Fr…Biology…WSOC…Harmony, Pa. / Seneca Valley
McKenna Robinson…Jr…Early Childhood Education, Special Ed…WTEN…Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler
Mackenzie Rodarmel…Fr…Pre-Nursing…WXC…Montoursville, Pa. / Loyalsock Township
Jack Romocean…Fr…Business Administration…MSOC…Ravenna, Ohio / Southeast
Adam Saunders…So…Financial Economics…MSOC…Ellwood City, Pa. / Riverside
Katie Schrantz…Sr…Child and Family Studies…WXC…New Castle Pa. / Neshannock
Julia Serbati…Jr…Neuroscience…WTEN…Oil City, Pa. / Oil City
Charlotte Shunk…Jr…English…WSOC…Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley
Sara Small…So…Individual Disciplinary…WTEN…Beaver, Pa. / Beaver
Isabelle Snyder…Fr…Business Administration…WVB…Centerville, Pa. / Maplewood
Abby Steinbeck…So…Neuroscience…WSOC…Windber, Pa. / Windber
Marissa Stenglein…Jr…Early Childhood Education, Special Ed…WSOC…Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin
Amanda Stevenson…Fr…Pre-Nursing…WVB…Fairfield, Ohio / Stephen T Badin
Maya Thornton…So…Public Relations…WVB…Clarion, Pa. / Clarion
Kendra Trimbach…Fr…Biology…WSOC…Ballston Lake, N.Y. / Shenendehowa
Michael Tripp…Fr…Computer Science…MXC…New Wilmington, Pa. / West Middlesex
Kayla Trozzi…Sr…Psychology…WSOC…Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway
Evan Vent…Sr…Marketing and Professional Sales…MXC…Pittsburgh, Pa. / South Fayette
Ryan Vercammen…So…English…FB…Oakdale, Pa. / Chartiers Valley
Noah West…Jr…Biology…MSOC…Pittsburgh, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon
Joshua Wrightson…Sr…Neuroscience…FB…New Wilmington, Pa. / Wilmington

For more Westminster Athletics news, visit www.athletics.westminster.edu.

Written by the Westminster Sports Information Department

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Kamal Houari, the former Westminster College men's soccer coach who helped bring back the varsity program following three decades of it being discontinued, passed away on January 13, 2020.

Kamal started as the coach of the Westminster men's soccer club team in the 1980s, a team that was the rebirth of the men's varsity team that was discontinued following the 1951 season. The club team was formed due to the efforts of former Westminster Athletic Director Joe Fusco. In 1986, the program was elevated to varsity status and Kamal became the head coach. The new team played competitively in its first year back, including a shutout victory of Youngstown State University. Kamal remained a familiar face at Westminster as an official and working at various soccer camps. He was also a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) referee for many years.

"Not only was he an outstanding player (arguably the best player in Western PA collegiate soccer history), but a man of great character and gave so much time to coaching and officiating in the Western PA," said Westminster veteran head coach Girish Thakar.

The Westminster men's soccer program has gone on to win five Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships, appeared in four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournaments, and has had numerous individual and team awards and honors.  

Kamal, a native of Morocco, played soccer collegiately at Slippery Rock University where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame for his historic career. An All-American and three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honoree, Kamal is still SRU's all-time leader in assists. He also played on the school's first PSAC championship team. In addition to working at Westminster, Kamal worked at George Junior Republic for over 25 years and post-retirement for the Sharon Herald.

Slippery Rock has started a scholarship in Kamal's name. Please see below the information on how you can donate, and if there are any questions, please reach out Erin Bryer (ebryer@srufoundation.org, 724-738-4611):

Checks can be made out to Slippery Rock University Foundation, Inc. with "Kamal Houari Scholarship" in the memo line and mailed to:
Slippery Rock University Foundation, Inc.
104 Maltby Ave. Suite 100
Slippery Rock, PA 16057

Gifts can also be made online at https://www.srufoundation.org/give.html.  Select "other" from the drop down menu under "Designation" and you will be able to type in "Kamal Houari Scholarship." Please reach out to Erin Bryer to donate over the phone: Office: 724-738-4611, SRU Foundation Main Line: 724-738-2004.

For more Westminster Athletics news, visit www.athletics.westminster.edu.

Written by the Westminster Sports Information Department

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Titan Sports Hall of Famer Westminster College coach Gene Nicholson passed away on Monday, December 30.

Nicholson coached more sports (7) for more seasons (44) to more victories (more than a thousand) than anyone in the storied history of Titan athletics. Significantly, Nicholson guided Westminster student-athletes to national competition in seven different sports.

Nicholson was most known for his thirty years of coaching football for the Titans as the defensive coordinator and head coach. Nicholson was the head football coach from 1991-98, where he led the Titan football program to a record of 64-25-2 (.714) in eight seasons, including posting an undefeated regular season in 1992 and capturing the school's sixth NAIA Division II national championship in 1994. Nicholson served as the defensive coordinator on all five of the other NAIA national championship Westminster football teams and overall coached in nine NAIA national championship games. Nicholson was the only coach in the history of Titan football who was a member of the coaching staff on all six of the school's national championship teams. Nicholson was selected as 1994 NAIA/Rawlings Division II National Coach of the Year, while earning the same honor from American Football Quarterly. He was also selected as Coach of the Year in the Tri-State area by the Tri-State Football Officials Association.

In 2013, Nicholson finished his 13th season at the helm of the Titan men's golf program, where he was a three-time Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year and guided Westminster to three-straight league titles. During the 2004-05 season, Westminster captured five invitational titles, its third-straight PAC championship, and its first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships. Nicholson also pioneered the modern day swimming & diving program at Westminster, where he was the head coach from 1972-1985, that has gone on to much success.

In addition to football, swimming & diving, and men's golf, Nicholson also served as the head coach for tennis, wrestling, and track & field.

For more Westminster Athletics news, visit www.athletics.westminster.edu.

NEW WILMINGTON — After April Munson graduated with honors from Sharon High School, she enrolled in Westminster College, but things didn’t work out.

“I felt like I didn’t know what I was here for,” she said.

So Munson dropped out and went to work. Without a car, she was confined to working at places — McDonald’s in downtown Sharon and Quaker Steak and Lube — within walking distance of her home.

After she got a car, Munson expanded her occupational net to include retail work at the Grove City Premium Outlets and businesses in Ohio. But working several jobs fueled a desire for returning to college.

“That’s when it hit me,” Munson said. “I didn’t want this to be the rest of my life.”

It won’t be. Now 28, Munson is a junior at Westminster College. Read more. . .

A Drinko Center Travel Grant enabled senior biology major Taylor Gatesman to travel to Washington, D.C., to present her research at the American Society of Cell Biology meeting in December 2019.

Gatesman presented her honors research in the area of nuclear cell biology titled “Pcid2 Influences Brca1/Bard1 Localization and Centrosome Duplication through its Functions in Nuclear Protein and mRNA Export.”

Gatesman’s poster was well received both at the undergraduate poster session and the main session on nuclear transport, where she discussed her work with both U.S. based and international scientists.

“Being able to attend the conference and see what other students and institutions are studying provides an opportunity to explore a more diverse research setting,” said Taylor.

Gatesman conducted her research under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Resendes, associate professor of biology.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – February marks Black History Month countrywide and Westminster College is celebrating with a series of events recognizing African Americans’ achievements and central role in history.

Julius Boatwright, founder and CEO of the Pittsburgh-based Steel Smiling, will present “Mental Health and the African American Community” at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in Mueller Theater. Through his Pittsburgh-based organization, Boatwright works to bridge the gap between community members and mental health support with education, advocacy and awareness. Sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Westminster, this is event is free and open to the public.

Westminster’s Black Student Union (BSU) will present an educational series “What is Black History?” throughout the month discussing different topics and how they relate to black history. “What is Black History…Culture?” will take place Thursday, Feb. 6; “What is Black History…Love?” will be Thursday, Feb. 13; and “What is Black History…Alumni?” will round out the month on Thursday, Feb. 27. Each hour-long session will begin at 1 p.m. in the McKelvey Campus Center’s Mueller Theater.

Free blood pressure screenings for Westminster students and employees are also being offered throughout the month of February from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday in the Westminster College Wellness Center.

To culminate the month-long celebration, the BSU will present the third annual Ebony Ball, an evening of music, dancing and live entertainment. Open to all students, the event will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Witherspoon Room of McKelvey Campus Center.

For more information about any of February’s events, please contact Jeannette Hubbard, director of diversity and inclusion, at 724-946-7179 or hubbarj@westminster.edu.

Pictured above: Steel Smiling's Julius Boatwright

A Drinko Center Travel Grant permitted junior theatre major Ali Srour to travel to the University of Maryland to present his research at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in January 2020.

Srour presented the research and design work that he completed for the lighting in Theatre Westminster’s 2019 production of Hamlet, titled “Design-Tech-Management: Hamlet Light Design.”

Srour’s presentation was well received by professionals and the festival presented him with the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award. The award is annually given to students who exemplify the ideals of those who work in live entertainment technology.

“They were impressed by my ability to work the lights while acting in the show. They also liked my choice to present this research instead of my newer work, because I felt like Hamlet offered me a better learning experience to talk about,” Srour said.

He also gained helpful feedback from presenting his research and talking with professionals. Specifically, Srour learned to focus more on the background of his design choices and to more clearly communicate his intentions to others.

Srour attended the KCACTF region two festival, which hosted colleges from Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, western New York, northern Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Srour conducted his research under the mentorship of Christopher Strangfeld, performing arts technical director.

Three Westminster College music professors—Dr. Tim Winfield, Dr. Nancy DeSalvo and Dr. Dan Perttu—were featured on WFMJ Today, the early morning news program on the Youngstown NBC affiliate, on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Reporter Steve Vesey visited campus to interview the trio about their recently released album, Landscapes and Shorts. For more, click here.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. –  The Westminster College School of Music and the Westminster College Symphonic Band will present “An Obvious Love” in concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, in Will W. Orr Auditorium on Westminster’s campus.

The symphonic band will perform six pieces throughout the concert. Such works will include “Shine” by Michael Markowski, a prelude based on “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” by Alfred Reed, “Psalm for Band” by Vincent Persichetti, “Diamond Tide” by Viet Cuong, “An Obvious Love” by Gary Gilroy and “Reverberations” by Brian Balmages.

The band, which includes more than 60 students, is under the direction of Dr. R. Tad Greig, director of instrumental activities and professor of music. Shawn Sisler ’12, Westminster alumnus and director of bands at South Side Area School District in Hookstown, Pa., will serve as guest conductor throughout the Cuong piece. 

Greig, who also serves as head of music education, is an active guest conductor, clinician, lecturer and judge throughout the United States. A member of Westminster’s faculty since 1995, Greig earned an undergraduate degree from Grove City College, a master’s degree from Youngstown State University and a Ph.D. from Kent State University.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Grieg at 724-946-7279 or greigrt@westminster.edu. 
 

She appeared in the most watched "Survivor" season ever. And she became part of "Survivor" royalty when she returned, winning "Survivor: All-Stars" and being proposed to on live television by Boston Rob Mariano at the reunion show that followed. And although Westminster alumna Amber Brkich '00 (now Amber Mariano) went on to appear on two seasons of "The Amazing Race" with her new husband, she had steered clear of "Survivor."

But now the woman who once defeated Boston Rob is back alongside her husband for the all-champions season 40 edition of "Survivor: Winners at War," premiering at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 on CBS. 

Entertainment Weekly (EW) sat down with Amber on location in Fiji right before filming began to find out why she’s back, how she’s changed, and if she wants to beat her husband yet again. To read the full EW interview, click here.

Photo credit: Robert Voets/CBS

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. –  The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) recognized seven Westminster College students as winners of the 2020 Festival of Media Arts for their submitted creative works.

Junior English major Charlotte Shunk received the Award of Excellence in the feature scriptwriting competition for her screenplay entry, The Sound of Summer.

Broadcasting and media production majors received the Award of Excellence in the music video competition for their entry “I’m Coming Home.” The team—senior Jaclyn Bleggi and sophomores Constantine Kallaur, Joe Meinert, Nikyah Beckwith, Mason Flanigan and Jimmy Boyle—produced the music video for the first annual Titan Music Video Challenge in October 2019.

Dr. Deborah Mitchell, professor of English and film studies, served as Shunk’s faculty adviser. Bradley Weaver, lecturer of broadcast communications, acted as faculty adviser for the music video production team. Alumni Doltyn Snedden ’17 and JD Eicher ’09 returned to Westminster to mentor the students.

The Festival of Media Arts competition recognizes the best in faculty and student-produced media. This year’s competition featured over 1,700 entries from around the world. All winners will be spotlighted at the BEA annual convention in Las Vegas in April.

The entire list of winners for the 2020 Festival of Media Arts competition can be found here.

For more information regarding the winning screenplay, contact Mitchell at 724-946-7030 or dmitchel@westminster.edu. For more information regarding the winning music video, contact Weaver at 724-946-7238 or weaverbl@westminster.edu.

A Drinko Center Travel Grant permitted junior mathematics major Montana Ferita to travel to Denver in January 2020 to present undergraduate research at the Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM), the largest mathematics meeting in the world.

Ferita presented the research that she completed with two other group members during the undergraduate summer research program that she participated in at Valparaiso University throughout the summer of 2019. Titled “An Agent-based Model of Pollen Competition in Arabidopsis Thaliana,” the research focused on pollen traits in populations of Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowing plant in the mustard family.

Robert Swanson, Valparaiso professor of biology, had previously conducted a study with Arabidopsis thaliana that found pollen from two different populations produced disproportionate amounts seeds when used to pollinate the plants. Previous studies have suggested that traits can potentially differ between pollen populations, which could account for the behavior Swanson observed.

Ferita, along with group members Charlotte Beckford (Fordham Univeristy) and Julie Fucarino (Wellesley College), constructed an agent-based model in NetLogo, a programming language, to conclude what traits could have caused the disproportionate seed production. Such traits included proportion of pollen germinated, time to germination, pollen tube growth rates and bioenergetics.

Ferita and her group members presented their research at the conference’s more than three-hour long poster session, which featured more than 300 posters. Judges awarded their research an honorable mention.

“Being able to present at such a renowned conference is one of the most rewarding and humbling experience I have ever had,” Ferita said. “Attending the meeting opened my eyes to a wide range of relevant projects in my major along with learning more about what type of projects I want to pursue in the future.”

The conference’s graduate school fair also allowed her to talk to representatives from schools that she never would have considered attending post-graduation otherwise.

Ferita presented her research under the mentorship of Dr. Natacha Merz, associate professor of mathematics.  

The JMM, held this year at the Colorado Convention Center, is presented by the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America.

EW WILMINGTON, Pa. — Building on several already successful programs of study within the School of Communication, Westminster College is proud to announce a new major in creative media production.

The new major, offered beginning in fall 2020, will appeal to students who are interested in storytelling and visual communication. Students will train to become professional creative storytellers by learning to produce marketing materials, create graphics for multimedia use and create content for multiple platforms.

“Creative media production is an exciting area of growth and opportunity right now,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coker, vice president for academic affairs and enrollment and dean of the College. “The new major in our School of Communication will serve current and future Westminster students very well.”

In addition to the core School of Communication required courses of Media Writing, Mass Communications and Audience Research and Analysis, all creative media production majors will take courses in graphic and publication design, digital photography, animation, social media, radio and television fundamentals and filmmaking. They will also enroll in two additional electives.

“Our School of Communication students and alumni have won national awards—including Emmys—for music videos, documentaries and public service announcements. We’re excited to launch another major that will provide an even wider range of career options and opportunities to succeed,” said Dr. David Barner, professor of broadcast communications and chair of the School of Communication.

For more information about the creative media production major, please contact Barner at barnerdl@westminster.edu or 724-946-7239.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. –  The Westminster College Symphony Orchestra will present its winter concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, in the Will W. Orr Auditorium on Westminster’s campus.

The concert will highlight junior computer science major Braden Stesiak and senior music education major Maura Kardasz, winners of the School of Music Concerto Competition.

Stesiak will perform Édouard Lalo’s Cello Concerto, while Kardasz will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s “Andante and Hungarian Rondo” on bassoon.

The concert will also feature the “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1” by Edvard Greig, which ends with the popular “Hall of the Mountain King,” as well as Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to the “Barber of Seville.”

The orchestra will play under the direction of Dr. Daniel Perttu, associate professor of music and chair of the School of Music. He is serving as the Spring 2020 sabbatical replacement for Dr. Melinda Crawford Perttu, associate professor of music and director of the symphony orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Perttu at 724-946-7024 or perttude@westminster.edu.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa.— Four Westminster College students from the Westminster College Speech and Debate Society won awards at the Pennsylvania Forensic Association Championship TournamentFeb. 15-16 at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Julie Yesko, a senior English major from Greenville, placed fourth in Poetry Interpretation and sixth in Program Oral Interpretation.

Iris Davis Hall, a first-year communication studies major from Niles, Ohio, won the sixth place medal for After Dinner Speaking.

First-year students Izayah Bojanac and Evan Brochinsky took home the second place medal for Dramatic Duo. Bojanac is a biochemistry major from Harrisburg. Brochinsky, a double major in political science and PreK-4 early childhood education/PreK-8 special education, is from Bridgewater, N.J.

Westminster earned a fifth place overall placement at the tournament and placed first in the President’s Division, the category for schools with smaller numbers of entrants.

“I love seeing hard work rewarded,” said Dr. Randy Richardson, adviser of Westminster’s Speech and Debate Society and adjunct professor in the School of Communication. “It was a thrill to see all four Westminster students qualify for final round state championship competition, especially since three of the four were experiencing their first or second intercollegiate competition. Great day to be a Talkin’ Titan!”

Westminster will host the state championship tournament in February 2021.

For more information about the Westminster College Speech and Debate Society, please contact Richardson at 724-946-7348 or by email at richarrr@westminster.edu.

Student award winners from the Pennsylvania Forensic Association Championship Tournament are, from left, Iris Davis Hall, Evan Brochinsky, Izayah Bojanac and Julie Yesko.

NEW WILMINGTON, PA — The Westminster Entrepreneurship Center (WEC) will feature four entrepreneurs at its Entrepreneur Speaker Series and Networking Symposium on Saturday, Feb. 29, in the Witherspoon Room of the McKelvey Campus Center.

The day will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a reception and networking session for business leaders, mentors, WEC students, faculty and guests. The speaker series will take place at noon, followed by a 1 p.m. breakout session.

Featured speakers include former Tollgrade Communications Inc. chief executive Chris Allison; Barry Wolfe, a human resources leader in the engineering and manufacturing industry; Kelly Collier, entrepreneur and founder of ActivAided Orthotics; and Kimberly Zytnick, former president and CEO of Stratus Building Solutions.

Allison led Tollgrade for 16 years—10 of which as chairman and chief executive officer—from technology startup to public company to being recognized as one of the Best Small Companies in America by Forbes, Fortune, Business 2.0, Bloomberg Personal Finance and Industry Week. Before he retired in 2005, Tollgrade’s centralized telephone test systems reached $114 million and its value on the NASDAQ exchange reached $2 billion. He is currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence in the economics department at Allegheny College, where he is also a member of the college’s Board of Trustees. He is also a columnist for Pittsburgh Quarterly.

Wolfe, president of Sarver, Pa.-based Argos HR Solutions, sold his former company—Windfall Products—in 1999 for more than seven figures. With more than 25 years of leading human resources in manufacturing and engineering companies, Wolfe has delivered results in change leadership, leadership development, performance management, employee retention, recruiting, compensation and benefits management, strategic management and HR analytics. He is the author of “The Little Black Book of Human Resources Management” and is currently working on a second book.

Collier’s business ActivAided Orthotics was founded as part of a group senior project at Carnegie Mellon University. As biochemist engineers, the group sought solutions for shoulder and back pain and developed a device to alleviate pain. The business was sold in 2016. Today, Collier is the business development manager with UPMC Enterprises in Pittsburgh.

Zytnick served as president and CEO of Stratus Building Solutions, the fastest growing building services and maintenance franchise in the country, until 2013. In 2014 she started EverGreen Facility Services and sold the company in 2019. She recently joined Clinical Platform—a Pittsburgh-based company that develops mission critical information for patients, caregivers, doctors and nurses in the form of short- form on and offline video libraries—as its chief operating officer.

“The 2020 Westminster Entrepreneurship Center Symposium is going to be an unparalleled opportunity for students to come together with successful entrepreneurs as well as leaders in major corporation who have found incredible success,” said Eric Gaber, visiting assistant professor of business and the Scheller-Edwards Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Westminster College.

For more information about the event or the Westminster Entrepreneurship Center, please contact Gaber at 724-946-7161 or gaberea@westminster.edu.

NEW CASTLE, Pa. –  Three Westminster College history majors presented “The Life, Times and Trial of Susan B. Anthony” to the League of Women Voters of Lawrence County (LWVLC) Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the group's chapter meeting in New Castle.

Senior MacKenzie Marino of Pittsburgh and sophomores Ivy Withers of Petersburg, Ohio, and Gabrielle Lucas of Transfer addressed the organization’s founding 100 years ago, as well as the life of Susan B. Anthony, a women’s rights activist known for her role in the women’s suffrage movement. Feb. 15 marked the 200th anniversary of Anthony’s birth.

Marino discussed the context of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which allowed women the right to vote. She also talked about the 1920 creation of the League of Women Voters.

Withers delivered a brief summary of Anthony’s biography, and Lucas described Anthony’s 1873 criminal trial for illegal voting. The students also read excerpts from Anthony’s comments at her trial.

The students shared cake with the LWVLC after their presentation in celebration of the anniversaries of the league’s founding and Anthony’s birth. The league also presented Marino, Withers and Lucas with Susan B. Anthony coins to thank them.

For more information, contact Dr. Angela Lahr, associate professor of history, at 724-946-6246 or lahram@westminster.edu.

Above photo: From left, Betsy Demarest, vice president of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence County; senior history major MacKenzie Marino; sophomore history and political science major Gabrielle Lucas; sophomore history major Ivy Withers; and Linda Morrison, president of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence County

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. –  The Foster Art Gallery and the Department of Art and Theatre at Westminster College will host a gallery reception to celebrate the current solo exhibition Horses from Legend, Folklore, and Mythology by senior fine arts major Nicole Gardner from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1.

Gardner’s series, informed by historical research conducted alongside her studio work, was developed over the course of the past year.

“As a collection, each of my pieces represents a visual narrative that exposes the audience to myths from various cultures, time periods and religions,” said Gardner, a Westminster Honors student from New Wilmington. “I am illustrating a wide range of mythical horses beyond the unicorn and Pegasus.”

The gallery reception was scheduled to coincide with National Horse Protection Day, a day created to bring light to the plight of horses in America and beyond and help the thousands of unwanted horses in this country to find forever homes.

Gardner’s exhibition will run until March 27.
 
The gallery reception is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Summer Zickefoose, assistant professor of art and director of the Foster Art Gallery, at 724-946-7267 or zickefse@westminster.edu.

The Foster Art Gallery, located in Patterson Hall on Westminster’s campus, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Pictured above: Gardner’s Hippocampus; acrylic, watercolor, ink, charcoal on yupo paper

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College will host Future Titan Day for accepted students from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, in the McKelvey Campus Center.

The special day is only for students who have received an offer of admission to Westminster College.

Students will have the opportunity to connect with current students and campus experts, discuss the next steps in the matriculation process, discover more about campus life and student resources offered at Westminster and meet other admitted students and begin building relationships with future classmates.

To view the full schedule and register for the event, please click here.

For more information, please contact the Office of Admissions at 724-946-7100.