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Eleanor Gallati, left, with IUP President Michael Driscoll
IUP President Michael Driscoll with Frank Condino
IUP President Michael Driscoll with Frank Baker
IUP President Michael Driscoll with Dean Emerita Deanne Snavely

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees approved four resolutions on September 7 in honor of members of the IUP community, including two retired faculty members and two retired administrators.

The resolutions included approval of the naming of three rooms in John J. and Char Kopchick Hall and the athletics director suites in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Trustees approved the following resolutions:

  • Resolution for the naming of a classroom in John J. and Char Kopchick Hall in honor of the Baker family and in memory of Mary Baker;

  • Resolution for the naming of the Philip and Rose Condino and Thomas Michael Culhane Athletics Director Suite in honor of Frank Condino;

  • Resolution for the naming of a classroom in Kopchick Hall in honor and memory of faculty emeritus Walter Gallati;

  • Resolution for the naming of the Dean’s Suite in Kopchick Hall in honor of Dean Emerita Deanne L. Snavely.

Frank Baker, of Elderton, served as a biology faculty member at IUP for 30 years. He is the former owner of EcoTech Laboratory and is a trustee emeritus of the Thiel College Board of Trustees. His children, Douglas Baker and Rev. Kathleen Baker, are both graduates of IUP.

The family—Baker and his late wife, Mary Baker, and the children—made a gift to John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Building Fund, and a gift in honor of Carl Adams, professor and mentor to the Rev. Baker, a music performance graduate. The gift in honor of Adams will establish the Carl Adams Scholarship for Flute Performance, which will support students enrolled full-time pursuing a degree in music with a concentration in flute. Adams was a member of the IUP music faculty from 1980 to 1999.

The resolution recognized the family’s “significant financial contributions to the sciences and the arts.”

The resolution for the naming of the Philip and Rose Condino and Thomas Michael Culhane Athletics Director Suite in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex was approved in honor of Condino, who led IUP’s athletic program for more than 15 years during his 30 years as an administrator and coach at IUP.

Condino, who retired from IUP in 2014 as the director of Athletics, came to IUP as an assistant football coach and led IUP to 53 wins and two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships in six seasons. He was named assistant director of intercollegiate athletics at IUP in 1990 and was appointed director in 1999 after serving in the position on an interim basis for one year.

The resolution recognized “Dr. Condino’s commitment to IUP’s student-athletes was a driving force behind their success for more than two decades” and his service to the community, including through Hearts for the Hungry, Meeting God in Missions, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The athletic director suite is named in honor of Condino’s parents and the late former football player Culhane.

The resolution honoring the late Gallati, professor emeritus, recognized Gallati and his wife, Eleanor Mihalyi Gallati, a 1954 IUP graduate, for their “significant contributions” to the university. Gallati was a faculty member in the Department of Biology for 32 years and was chair of the department when he retired in 1989. The couple met as first-year faculty at IUP during convocation ceremonies.

The resolution also recognized the couple’s long-time service to the community, including with Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels.

The resolution honoring Dean Emerita Snavely, who retired from IUP in 2021, recognized her for “raising the profile of science and math at IUP and in the region” and for her “passion and dedication.” Snavely completed almost 38 years of work in higher education as a faculty member, administrator, and “inspirational leader for students and faculty,” trustees said. The resolution also recognized Snavely’s “instrumental role in bringing Kopchick Hall to fruition.”

In her honor, friends, alumni, and colleagues established the Deanne L. Snavely Kopchick College Student Professional Development Fund at IUP.

IUP broke ground in September 2020 for Kopchick Hall, a $90-million, 142,536-square-foot science and mathematics facility. Construction of the facility is nearly complete. Faculty and staff will move into the building in early spring 2024 and students will be in the building for classes for the spring 2024 semester.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see those individuals who know IUP best—alumni, faculty, and staff—honor the university with their treasures and their talents,” Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Constituent Engagement Jennifer Dunsmore said. “All of the individuals honored by these resolutions truly made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and were instrumental in the future of the university while working here, and they also created a legacy for the future. These recognitions are very well deserved.”

IUP continues to see incredible generosity and unwavering support for the university’s student-centered success initiatives—including increasing IUP’s affordability and value—and the university’s commitment to making a significant, positive impact on health and wellness, especially in Pennsylvania’s rural communities.