While 2021 kicked off with unprecedented conflict at the Capitol Building and the impact of a continuing pandemic, the IUP community kept moving ahead. Determined professors overcame obstacles to give students the strong education they came here for. Students met the challenges with hard work and resilience. Through it all, we embraced the need to learn from one another, better understand each other, and take action together to help all students succeed.
Our First Black Students: IUP Pioneers
Black history is often celebrated by recognizing trailblazers from Martin Luther King Jr. to Maya Angelou, from Sojourner Truth to Serena Williams. IUP, too, has its pioneers—its earliest Black students. Most became teachers or were trained to be. One was a champion for children's mental health.
Constitution in Crisis
The events in Washington, DC, on January 6 raised a lot of questions related to the Constitution, impeachment, and free speech. They're not simple questions with simple answers, but two faculty members in the Department of Political Science tackled some of them.
Black and Brown Men Pursue Excellence: UBORA Men
IUP's more than 200 clubs and organizations help students make connections, build friendships, and learn to lead. Each Wednesday this spring, one student group was profiled in a new series, Find Your People. First up was UBORA Men, a new organization that supports male students of color in the pursuit of excellence.
The Ethics behind COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
When America was only weeks into distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, much talk focused on who was first in line to receive the shot and why. Philosophy faculty member Leo Yan examined the ethical issues surrounding vaccine distribution with students in his courses and shared their reactions.
“Change the Course of This Virus”
IUP brought voluntary COVID-19 testing to campus, making it possible for students to get tested multiple times at no expense. Students and staff talked about the reasons why they felt a strong need to get tested and the positive impact it made on the safety of the campus and community.
Code Cracker
Dorothy Ramale '43, who turned 100 in April, was well-known as a math teacher and an IUP Alumni Association president. Until recently, many didn't know she cracked enemy codes for the US military during World War II. Her story was shared in honor of Women's History Month.
Mars—Water, Life, and What the Rover Can Tell Us
Geoscience's Ken Coles hasn't been to Mars, but he knows a lot about the Red Planet. Actually, he's written the book on it. Coauthor of The Atlas of Mars (2019), Coles eagerly followed news of the rover Perseverance when it landed on the planet and shared his insights into the mission and its value to Earthlings.
Do Research. Get Creative. Join U-SOAR.
Students conduct cutting-edge research and scholarship each summer through a program that offers them a stipend, workshops, and the chance to work independently or with a mentor. Not even a pandemic could stop this popular opportunity, which has been adapted so students can do it remotely.
Someone to Turn To: IUP Guides
Last fall, IUP launched its Guides program, assigning all new students—and others, by request—to faculty and staff members who could answer their questions and connect them with the right resources. Nearly a full school year into this effort, students and Guides weighed in on the program's value.
Mauro Wolfe '90: “Advance Your Own Career”
Born in Panama, Mauro Wolfe came to IUP in the late '80s from Beaver County. Now an attorney and a senior partner at Duane Morris in New York City, he represents clients all over the world. Last March, he shared insights from his career in an IUP virtual panel discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.