Indiana University of Pennsylvania has received $1.34 million from the US Department of Education to develop the Crimson Hawks Bridge, a multi-year program to help individuals with intellectual disabilities gain skills, experience, and credentials to live independently and successfully transition to the workforce.
The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences congratulates our students named as IUP Provost Scholars.
Twenty-five undergraduate and graduate students across multiple disciplines are recipients of fall 2025 student research grants.
Applied Archaeology graduate student, Emma Lashley won the 2025 Pennsylvania Historical Association Magruder-Newman Prize for Best Student Paper Presentation
Howard M. “Skip” Kingston ’73, M’75—an IUP distinguished alumnus and scholar in residence in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics—has earned his fourth R&D 100 Award, one of the world’s most prestigious recognitions for technological innovation. The award honors Thor’s Hammer, a breakthrough technology that increases the sensitivity of any mass spectrometer by roughly 100-fold.
Andy Henry, a senior undergraduate student in the Health and Physical Education Teacher Education program, was recognized as the 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Future Professional Award.
IUP voice students of Joseph Baunoch, Erin Koolman, and Oliver Lo competed for the Tri-State National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Audition on November 8, 2025 at Duquesne University. There was a total of 160 contestants, and among the 40 finalists selected from the nine colleges, IUP voice students won a total of 12 awards in their categories.
Indiana native and Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate Lisa Estrada, a nationally recognized healthcare executive, risk and compliance leader, attorney, and strategic advisor, has joined IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine team as an executive in residence.
At the annual SAHE Thanksgiving celebration, the program honored students with two major awards: the Get Involved! SAHE Student Leadership Award, presented to Nyekeya Hardy, and the Nancy J. Newkerk Scholarship, awarded to Abigail Hancox and Tristan Pfeiffer. These recognitions celebrate students’ outstanding contributions to the SAHE community and the broader field of student affairs.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Career and Professional Development Center has announced its fall 2025 Outstanding Organizational Partners, who join the CPDC’s Partner Hall of Fame.
Tuba and euphonium players from IUP and Slippery Rock University met at Butler High School on Sunday, November 16, to share an afternoon of music-making. Soloists from each school performed in a master class and received feedback from teachers Phil VanOuse (SRU) and Zach Collins (IUP).
Four students in the IUP Tuba and Euphonium studio visited three Indiana County schools on Friday, November 14. Alistair Horton (senior), Jessie Reed (junior), Hayden Cooper (sophomore), and Nate Vinson (sophomore), along with Zach Collins, professor of tuba and euphonium, visited Marion Center High School, Indiana Junior High School, and United High School.
A group of health and physical education students recently represented IUP at the Pennsylvania chapter of the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE PA) Conference.
A research paper coauthored by two Indiana University of Pennsylvania students, Micaela Jebitsch and Emily Schumacher, with IUP economics faculty member James Jozefowicz has been selected for publication in an international economics journal.
Four IUP students in the Cook Honors College from the Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology and the Department of Finance and Economics have been selected from a pool of exemplary nominees to be the fourth cohort of the IUP Justice Research Fellows at the Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center.
Matthew Vetter (Department of Language, Literature, and Writing) has been awarded a research grant from the Wikimedia Foundation (the nonprofit behind Wikipedia) as part of an international team of scholars and free knowledge advocates.
These students have been recognized as Provost Scholars for fall 2025.
Eric Crawford, an IUP psychology major and sociology minor who has completed two years of research through IUP’s Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, was invited to present his U-SOAR research to an upper-level sociology class.
Students and faculty from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences participated in the annual meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology annual meeting in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Todd Thompson (Language, Literature, and Writing) recently published a new article, “Mr. Seward’s Real Estate Transactions’: Comic Imperialism in the Reconstruction Era,” in a special issue of Studies in American Humor.
Undergraduate student Belinda Lin Xu presented her summer research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she investigated the role of the protein NONO in enhancing oncolytic virus therapies for glioblastoma.
Mimi Benjamin, SAHE professor, delivered the keynote at the National Learning Communities Association conference in Ames on Nov. 4, sharing how learning communities function as a “blueprint for home” at the intersection of belonging, engaged learning, and gathering.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s student alumni association, the IUP Ambassadors, is turning its winning streak into an opportunity to help IUP students facing food insecurity. For the third consecutive year, the IUP Ambassadors donated its Homecoming parade first-place float prize of $800 to the IUP Food Pantry and Help Center.
Associates for Student Development hosted “Finding Your SAHE Why” on November 3, bringing current SAHE students together with SAHE alumni for a purpose-focused conversation on career direction in student affairs.
Members of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine leadership team were invited presenters for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s 2025 Summit, “Together We Thrive, Building Inclusive Excellence Across the State System,” held virtually and at PennWest Clarion on October 29 and 30.
Brown's Farm was a racially integrated settlement near Johnstown that was inhabited from the early nineteenth through mid-twentieth centuries. Abdul Jones is presenting a series of talks on his thesis research at the site.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor of Organ and Keyboard and Director of IUP’s Organ Studio Christine Clewell and six IUP Organ Studio students were invited performers at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Connecticut, on October 20, followed by a Manhattan Pipe Organ Study and Crawl on October 21 and 22.
Jonathan Warnock, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, published with co-authors on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current during the last interglacial.
Professor Emeritus of Biology Tom Simmons moderated a session and was an invited speaker at the 52nd annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Vector Control Association held in State College from October 20th to 22nd, 2025.
Following a blind peer-review process, the IUP Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the conference on March 21, 2026. Among the more than 200 member institutions in the Eastern Division, the IUP Wind Ensemble is one of only five juried ensembles invited to perform at this prestigious event.
Emily Briggs is a navigator, and she has a navigator. That’s because, in addition to helping students, she’s a graduate student in the Applied Archaeology master’s program. That’s a destination she never saw for herself, but she’s excited for what’s ahead.
Retired chemistry professor Pothen Varughese has turned his passion into five gold medals in National Senior Games men’s doubles pickleball. Combining his love of science, sport, and community, he helped build Indiana’s thriving pickleball scene and continues to inspire others to stay active, connected, and lifelong learners.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts Chef Thomas Barnes is featured on episode 103 of the CAFÉ Talks podcast.
John Wesley Lowery, professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, was the opening keynote speaker at the Association of Title IX Administrators and the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment joint annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, October 14.
Art and Design professors Sean Derry and Sharon Massey were invited to present at the upcoming Global Impact Forum: Workforce Readiness in the Age of AI and Automation summit, taking place at the David L. Lawrence convention center in Pittsburgh November 3-5, 2025.
Christine Clewell, assistant professor of organ at IUP, was featured as a guest performer for the inaugural concert celebrating the installation of a newly relocated Wicks Opus pipe organ at Worthington Lutheran Church in Armstrong County on Sunday, October 12.
The Peer Educator and Engagement Coordinators are making their mark on campus by sparking meaningful conversations in fun, approachable ways. This past week, PEEC held a FLY Friday Pop-Up featuring a Question of the Day focused on community standards and Homecoming.
Associate Professor of English John Yu Branscum and former instructor Yi Izzy Yu are releasing their new book, "Stars That Pause: 2,000 Years of Asian UFO Encounters & Lore," on October 15.
Undergraduate student Parker Bradley’s publication on antibacterial photoactive ruthenium complexes in the highly regarded journal Inorganic Chemistry Communications highlights his growing success as a young researcher.
On October 9, 2025, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Warren State Hospital formalized a clinical training affiliation agreement for future students at IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Among a selected group of 17 national organizations, IUP was awarded a major grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology RAMPS program to address the shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans has been recognized by the Educational Policy Leadership Center as a 2025 Educational Policy Leadership Program Alumni Award recipient.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s annual Homecoming celebration on October 4 is expected to draw thousands to Indiana, including for a special event in celebration of IUP’s sesquicentennial. IUP’s Homecoming celebration will feature a special “Fifth Quarter” concert, featuring Pittsburgh rock favorites—and IUP alumni—the Clarks and special guest Chris Higbee.
Danijel “Dan” Babić, a first-generation college student, has forged an inspiring path from IUP physics to aerospace studies in Barcelona, Spain.
IUP’s Office of Social Equity and Title IX sponsored the attendance of IUP administrators and students at the 2025 Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held September 15, 16, and 17 in Pittsburgh.
Tracey Cekada, chair of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering, is a guest for Building PA Podcast’s latest episode, “From Classroom to Career: The Path of Safety Professionals at IUP.”
Applied Archaeology faculty in the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department joined colleagues from across the nation in an article on archaeology workforce readiness.
Professor Emeritus John Taylor, along with colleagues, published a new study that provides insights into the geologic evolution of central Yukon, Canada, over 500 million years ago.
Dr. Amanda Poole, Professor of Anthropology, co-authored a peer-reviewed article titled “Smugglers vs. Students: Migration Deterrence and Understandings of Risk Among Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia.”
The Office of Student Inclusion and the IUP community extend heartfelt gratitude to Chief Timothy Stringer and the IUP Police Department for their generous support of the Food Pantry & Help Center.
Funded by IUP's Title III grant and organized by the University College's Title III Grant Program, ACUE courses continue to add valuable professional development to the IUP community. Two courses were offered this summer: "Fostering a Culture of Belonging" and "Designing Student-Centered and Equitable Courses."
14 members of the IUP community completed the June Virtual Life Design Studio training this summer, bringing the total to 24. Life Design is being infused into several aspects of IUP students' learning experience, such as the Career and Professional Development Center's programming and our new UNIV 101: First Year Learning course.
Amanda Poole, Professor of Anthropology, published a feature article in The Migration Information Source titled “Severe Repression in Eritrea Has Prompted Decades of Exodus.”
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has received $2 million from the National Science Foundation to help academically talented and financially challenged students earn data science degrees.
The Dessy-Roffman Myth Collaborative at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with IUP's Literature and Criticism Program, will offer the inaugural fall semester German Lecture Series starting on September 17.
Ben Ford, faculty in the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, was recently sworn in as a member of the Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees. He is filling the submerged archaeology position on the board.
Composition and Applied Linguistics doctoral student Iwona Ionescu published an article in Praxis 22.3 (2025), titled “Mapping it Out: Rhizomatic Learning of Peer Embedded Tutors for Composition Classes—A Case Study,” exploring how embedded tutors for first-year composition classes develop their expertise outside the formal training sessions.
Andrew Zhou is guest editor of a special issue of the international journal Molecules on novel nanomaterials for sensing, showcasing interdisciplinary research that advances chemical, biological, and environmental sensor technologies.
At its meeting on September 4, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees accepted the mission statement of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Matthew Nice was interviewed in the September 2025 issue of Counseling Today Magazine. In the interview, Nice discusses his research on young adult mental health and the implications of the college experience on mental health.
Director of Communications for Student Affairs Caitlin Aiello is offering open office hours via Zoom every week for student groups interested in further promoting their events and achievements.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Police Academy, located in IUP’s Robertshaw building, will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a special open house event on September 27 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The open house is free and open to the community.
A broad range of research opportunities is available to Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics students, from national laboratories and medical research centers to academic conferences and industry-level training programs. Collectively, their accomplishments underscore the department’s commitment to preparing undergraduates for graduate study, professional careers, and meaningful contributions to science and society.
The Office of the Provost has announced the promotion of several faculty members to full professor effective for the fall 2025 semester.
A total of 33 undergraduate students were selected to participate in IUP’s 2025 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, in which selected undergraduate students, working with a faculty mentor, to do original, inquiry-based research or creative endeavors and to participate in enrichment programs related to research success.
The following was shared with students on August 29, 2025:
Six students in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s College of Health Sciences participated in an international conference in China on medicine and health through the US-China Youth Program on Health Sciences and Culture, and an IUP faculty member was an invited presenter for the conference.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Segar was an invited panelist for a state-wide Higher Education Summit, held August 12 in Harrisburg.
John Wesley Lowery, professor and SASSDA assistant chair, was a guest on ATIXA’s “More Likely Than Not” podcast.
Dean’s List recipients for the summer 2025 semester at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Congratulations to Robert Nocco for his award recognition from the American Society of Safety Professionals.
Congratulations to IUP Safety Sciences PhD candidate Nicholas Sexton for being recognized by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals with the Kyle B. Dotson Emerging Professional Leadership Award.
The Board of Certified Safety Professionals recognized the MS in Safety Sciences program at IUP with the Graduate Safety Excellence Award.
William Sugg, who has more than 15 years of experience in music education at the secondary and university levels with competitive and high-profile marching programs, has been named interim director of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Marching Band and associate director of Bands.
In July, IUP hosted students from the Pottstown and Norristown school districts for a summer camp through the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will launch a new forensic sciences major for fall 2025.
IUP piano professor Henry Wong Doe and British cellist Michael Kevin Jones have released their third duo album on HR Recordings, featuring the cello sonatas of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Prokofiev.
On July 11, the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency distributed a news release about the identification of a World War II soldier who died in December 1944, crediting the work of an Indiana University of Pennsylvania field school in assisting in identifying the late soldier’s remains.
For the second year, Indiana University of Pennsylvania is helping area high school teachers learn new ways to help their students fly—both literally and figuratively. From June 23 to 25, IUP hosted a workshop on uncrewed aircraft (drones) for 18 teachers in 16 Pennsylvania school districts and educational organizations
John Wesley Lowery presented a keynote address at ASCA’s Florida Summer Virtual Conference on legislative and public policy updates.
IUP Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas C. Segar was an invited presenter for a national conference sponsored by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Criminal Justice Collective Chairs’ Workshop.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been selected by the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc. to continue its field study in Germany at the site of a December 1944 crash of a World War II B-17 airplane.
Mimi Benjamin, professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, and Tom Segar presented “IUP's Crimson Scholars Circle: A Student Affairs/Faculty Partnership for Continued Improvement” at the NASPA Region II conference.
Mimi Benjamin co-authored the recently published “Sport Management Themed Living Learning Communities: Enhancing the Academic and Social Development of College Students.”
Indiana University of Pennsylvania hosted 22 area high school students and 14 of their teachers for the collaborative Healthcare Education and Learning Pathways (HELP) Summer Experience on June 2 and 3.
The Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department congratulates our students for being named to the Dean’s List for spring 2025. Students receive this recognition for each semester in which they earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher while taking a minimum of 12 credits.
Miko Rose, the founding dean of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, will be a panelist during the Rural Economic Development Summit on June 3, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
Dean’s List recipients for the spring 2025 semester at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Organization for Student Success awarded Marquice Jones, an IUP psychology major from Harrisburg, a $500 scholarship for academic achievements.
The winners of the 2025 Howard Z. Fitzgerald Philosophy Essay Contest
As the first Crimson Scholar to graduate, Victoria Alao leads the way for others who have benefited from the program’s support.
Jada Chvilicek, Mason Cymbor, and Veronica Duran-Paramo (Spanish Education Certification, ‘25) have been awarded the Global Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish.
The Department of Finance and Economics congratulates James Jozefowicz for being voted the Eberly College of Business’s “Best Instructor of the Semester” for spring 2025. The award recipient is selected on the basis of current student voting.
Nearly 1,500 new graduates were honored during three commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, at the Kovalchick Complex. Experience Spring 2025 Commencement through the photography of Brian Henry.
The Student Affairs in Higher Education program honored graduating students and recognized a graduate and an alumna for exceptional accomplishments and contributions as part of the department’s annual banquet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, coordinated by Associates for Student Development.
The Department of Language, Literature and Writing held the annual IUP Spring Methodology Conference on Foreign Language Teaching on Friday, April 25, 2025.
The Department of Finance and Economics congratulates the undergraduate student recipients of the 2024–25 annual FIEC departmental graduation awards.
On May 8, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees presented a resolution of appreciation to Jerry Pickering for his 25 years of service to and leadership of the Allegheny Arboretum.
On May 8, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees honored Shagufta Haque for her service on the Council with a resolution of appreciation and the naming of a seat in IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in her honor “for extraordinary service as a university citizen and student trustee.”
International student and American Language Institute instructor Alexandra Krasova spoke at commencement and is the recipient of the Graduate Student Outstanding Research Award, the IUP Outstanding Leader Award, the Promising Future Interdisciplinary Researcher Award, and the Teaching Associate Faculty Recognition Award.
Sanda Andrada Maicaneanu recently published three collaborative research papers exploring the environmental and electrochemical applications of natural materials like clays and zeolites, advancing sustainable solutions in water treatment and sensing technologies.
Daniel Alex Heckert, Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor of sociology, has been selected as IUP’s 2025–26 Distinguished University Professor.
Faculty and students from the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department traveled to Denver to participate in the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting. They chaired sessions, presented on their ongoing work, participated in the SAA Ethics Bowl, and represented IUP and the Applied Archaeology program at the Cultural Resource Management Expo.
IUP’s Iota Mu Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Hispanic Honor Society, celebrated its fifty-second initiation ceremony on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The Department of Finance and Economics wishes to recognize the upcoming May 2025 and August 2025 Economics/Honors concentration anticipated graduates.
Students in an advanced chemistry lab experienced a unique opportunity to sample and analyze their own blood for numerous persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The results, while surprising to the students, are more common than most realize.
IUP’s Women’s Club Volleyball team won its first National Collegiate Volleyball Federation championship at the national tournament in April. This club team is entirely student-run, including raising funds for tournaments and the national competition.
Each of the three commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, 2025, will have a graduate and undergraduate speaker. Find out what they say representing their graduating class means to them.
For its outstanding community outreach work in 2024, IUP’s Institute for Cybersecurity was awarded eighth place in the 2024 national CAE-CD Community Outreach Competition Initiative. The CAE community consists of about 500 institutions of higher education from across the nation.
On Friday, April 25, the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics hosted the fifty-seventh annual Academic Achievement Awards ceremony in Kopchick Hall.
The Beta Gamma Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, held an initiation ceremony on April 24, 2025. During this ceremony, 19 education majors were initiated, and KDP members recognized faculty with awards.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has announced recipients of the University Senate Awards and the list of new faculty emeriti for 2025.
During the thirty-first annual Research Awards Reception at IUP, three Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences faculty members were recognized for outstanding scholarly activities.
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence honored public officials at an April 2025 ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, which included multiple authorities with graduates from the IUP Planning program in leadership positions.
Dakota Dickerson, a student in the applied anthropology master’s program, won the judge’s award, and Ashley Moll, a student in the biology master’s program, won the people’s award during IUP’s Three Minute Thesis event held during IUP’s annual Research Appreciation Week.
The Department of Finance and Economics is pleased to recognize economics majors Emily Schumacher and Micaela Jebitsch, who shared the results of their research completed as part of the econometrics course sequence in economics at the 2025 Pennsylvania Sports Business Conference, “Inclusive Leadership in Sports.”
The IUP Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management student chapter of Meeting Professionals International showcased their exceptional skills by organizing a networking event for Global Meetings Industry Day on April 7, 2025.
David Yerger has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Garvin-Kort Faculty Award for Research in Economics. Generous donations from 1981 IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient John Kort ’74 and the late Alexander Garvin, economics faculty 1969–98, provide support for faculty research.
Matt Vetter (Language, Literature, and Writing), with co-authors Brent Lucia and Varshil Patel, published “The Dystopian Imaginaries of ChatGPT: A Designed Cycle of Fear” in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. The article offers a critical analysis of dystopian narratives that emerged as a response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Five IUP archaeology graduate students from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences received awards and scholarships at the ninety-fourth annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
David Wachob, professor and chair of the Career and Wellness Education Department, recently visited the Saint Francis International School in Rome, Italy, to secure a student teaching agreement for IUP students.
IUP Professor Mike Sell and doctoral students Rachel Schiera and Zeeshan Siddique argue that reading, writing about, and talking about great works of literature enables us to improve our ability to make good decisions.
Patti Miller (English Composition and Applied Linguistics doctoral candidate) recently published an article in Peitho (winter 2025) titled “Nevertheless, She Resisted: Feminist Ethos and Agency in ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’.”
Kevin Patrick and John Benhart, of the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department, attended the National Association of American Geographers conference in March 2025.
IUP’s twentieth annual Scholars Forum celebrated two decades of student-led research and innovation, highlighting standout projects from the Media Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics—including an award-winning medicinal chemistry study by Justin Fair’s research group.
The Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department had 56 students who presented at the twentieth annual IUP Scholars Forum on April 9, 2025. They gave both oral and poster presentations, and two applied archaeology graduate students participated in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition.
As part of the 2025 Research Appreciation Week schedule of events, Department of Finance and Economics faculty member David Yerger received the Dean’s Award from the Eberly College of Business.
IUP archaeology graduate students from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences traveled to Dubois, Pennsylvania, to present their work at the ninety-fourth annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
The following information was shared with students on April 10, 2025:
IUP Anthropology faculty Amanda Poole and Abigail Adams, along with four IUP undergraduate students, participated in an academic panel at the eighty-fifth annual Society for Applied Anthropology Meetings held March 25–29 in Portland, Oregon.
Chemistry majors Nicholas Wright and Camryn Roche received top honors for their exceptional undergraduate research at the fifty-sixth annual Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists Research Conference, held April 5, 2025, at Bloomsburg University.
Four IUP Women’s Leadership Awards were presented to six women staff, administrators, and faculty at the Reception to Celebrate Women and the Women’s Leadership Award Ceremony on April 2, 2025. These awards celebrate the outstanding leadership and accomplishments of women employees to advance gender, sexual, and cultural inclusive excellence at IUP, in the communities, and in their professions.
Anna Cutshall, a biology major and business administration minor from Homer City, was selected for the 2025 Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student.
Faculty and students of the IUP Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department traveled to Erie, PA to present at the Northeast-North Central Regional Geological Society of America Meeting. Their talks highlighted their ongoing research and demonstrated the diversity and synergy within the department.
On March 28–29, 30 students from the PA Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement (PC4A) competed in a Jeopardy-style Capture the Flag competition, hosted through Hack the Box.
Two standout undergraduate student researchers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Parker Bradley and Symia Taimuty-Loomis, were selected to participate in the 2025 Undergraduate Research at the Capitol event.
Crystal Machado from the Department of Professional Studies in Education and Yao Fu from the University of Wisconsin presented a paper titled “AI and Bloom’s Taxonomy: Scaffolding Pre-service and Inservice Teachers’ Use of Artificial Intelligence for Learning and Teaching” at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, on March 20, 2025.
Chemistry junior Parker Bradley presented his research on anticancer ruthenium-platinum bimetallic complexes at the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania event on March 25, 2025, engaging with legislators and showcasing his work conducted under Avijita Jain in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Criminal Justice Training Center has received Training Academy Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
Mimi Benjamin and John Wesley Lowery presented at the 2025 NASPA Conference in New Orleans. Benjamin shared research on peer mentoring for underrepresented students and co-lead a session on research-to practice in student affairs. Lowery copresented on the 75-year partnership between HBCUs and NASPA, highlighting their historical contributions.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will celebrate innovation, student and faculty research, and alumni success during IUP’s 2025 Research Appreciation Week, planned for April 7 to 11.
IUP students, including advanced undergraduate and graduate students, joined Dr. Palmiotto in the field with their archaeological colleagues from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program. There the team conducted investigations of sites within Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve in Charleston County, visited the iconic Fig Island Shell Ring complex, and met with representatives of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN).
Riley Sullivan, an undergraduate researcher, presented his study on sustainable activated carbon biochar at Pittcon 2025, showcasing its potential for wastewater treatment.
H. M. (Skip) Kingston, a distinguished chemist and IUP alumnus, has returned to his alma mater as a scholar in residence. His pioneering research, philanthropic contributions, and mentorship are advancing scientific innovation at IUP, particularly in healthcare diagnostics and rural medicine, while equipping students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge analytical techniques.
IUP’s Applied Research Lab, a research consulting center that assists the IUP research community as part of IUP’s Research and Innovation, was approached by the Altoona Curve’s management team for a research project to analyze attendance rates for Altoona Curve games.
Rosemary Engelstad (clarinet professor, IUP) and Amanda Morrison (clarinet professor, Slippery Rock University) were selected to perform a recital at the SHE: Festival of Women in Music. At the festival, they performed a recital of music compositions for two clarinets by Theresa Martin (Appleton, WI), including Paradigm Shift, a work commissioned by Morrison (lead commissioner) and Engelstad in 2024.
Emmanuella Musiime, a Curriculum and Instruction doctoral candidate, and Crystal Machado from the Department of Professional Studies in Education presented a paper titled “Teaching Online: A Qualitative Exploration of Faculty Wellbeing and the Injustices They Experience in Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Hybrid Courses“ at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education on March 19, 2025.
In celebration of the hard work and dedication of its employees, Indiana University of Pennsylvania presented the first “One IUP” Award to the Office of Financial Aid during IUP’s annual Employee Service and Leadership Awards event held March 26, which also celebrated employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service.
A record-breaking dozen PhD students from IUP’s Literature and Criticism program took center stage at the fifty-sixth annual Northeastern Modern Language Association (NeMLA) conference, held in Philadelphia March 6–9.
Robert Orth, managing director of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center, is the 2025 Social Sciences Career Pathways Speaker.
Professor Emeritus John Taylor and colleagues published a new study based on faunal collections from a 50-meter interval of the Jones Ridge Limestone in easternmost Alaska. The study provided new, detailed faunal range data across the base of the North American Ibexian Series and geochemical data that confirm an associated shift in ocean chemistry.
Now a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University, Emma Bouchard ’22 focuses on leveraging machine learning to design chemical probes for studying enzyme catalysis, with an emphasis on automation and AI-driven solutions.
IUP piano professor Henry Wong Doe presented a session during the Pedagogy Saturdays portion of the Music Teachers National Association annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 15, 2025.
Professor Emeritus John Taylor published a new study on the taxonomy and stratigraphic distribution of Lotagnostus (Agnostida: Agnostidae) and associated trilobites and conodonts with IUP alumni James D. Loch ’83 and John E. Repetski ’69.
Two professors published a study on using a Facebook group to connect college students from the US and Israel. The group helped students have cross-cultural conversations, learn from each other, and grow professionally. The study shows that social media can be a useful tool for learning beyond the classroom.
At the 2025 Eastern Educational Research Association Conference, Chin-Yi Huang, a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Instruction program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, presented their research on “A Bibliometric Analysis of TPACK Research in Higher Education: Mapping Trends, Themes, and Applications (2014–2024).”
The National Hispanic Institute has recognized IUP student Marisol Gonzalez Flores as one of its College Students of the Year 2024.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Michael Driscoll and IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose are featured on “Our Region’s Business,” a news show jointly produced by the Allegheny Conference and Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV.
For the past two summers, artist Sean Derry has lived on the south side of Kachemak Bay while carefully deconstructing a homesteading cabin dating from Alaska’s statehood. Sean’s exhibition “From Always Until Now” opened at Bunnell Street Arts Center on March 7 and will remain on display until April 2.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s English Graduate Organization will offer its 2025 Conference, “Landscapes of Language and Literature,” on March 21 and 22. The conference will be offered both in person in IUP’s Sprowls Hall and via Zoom. It is free and open to the community.
IUP will celebrate employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service to the university during the Employee Service Awards brunch in the Blue Room on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Matt Vetter, with co-authors Jialei Jiang and Zachary McDowell, recently published an article titled “An Endangered Species: How LLMs Threaten Wikipedia’s Sustainability” in the journal AI & Society.
The Associates for Student Development 2025 Résumé Project has officially wrapped up, and ASD has received all final submissions.
On February 15, 2025, the IUP Hackathon Team participated in the Nation Center of Academic Excellence – Northeast Cyber Competition. The team secured a first-place finish in the CTF section and ninth place overall against 12 other cyber teams from US colleges and universities.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has named Edel Reilly to the position of dean of the College of Education and Human Services. She transitioned to this role on February 8.
The Keystone Wind Ensemble received an invitation to perform at the 2025 Texas Bandmasters Association Conference, July 24–26 in San Antonio, Texas. It is anticipated that over 6,500 people will attend the conference, including 2,400 band directors and more than 600 industry-related exhibitors.
Jackson White, a political science and economics honors double major in the Cook Honors College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was approved to serve as a student trustee on the IUP Council of Trustees by the Pennsylvania State System Board of Governors at its meeting on February 6.
John Wesley Lowery presented legislative and public policy updates at the ASCA annual conference in Portland. He received the inaugural Legacy of Excellence Award for his significant contributions to student conduct. A long-time ASCA member, he has received multiple awards and presented policy updates over 20 times
David Wachob, professor and chair of the Department of Career and Wellness Education, recently visited the Robinson School in San Juan, PR, to secure a student teaching agreement for IUP students.
Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management students Jade Peffer, Sky Eakin-Irwin, Sarah Johnson, and Ben Salvo, with faculty member Stephen B. Shiring, volunteered to work the information booth on Gobbler’s Knob for Groundhog’s Day 2025.
Following an eight-year hiatus, the Keystone Wind Ensemble returned to IUP in November 2023 to present a reunion concert. Based on the success of that performance, the ensemble returned in November 2024 for a second performance. Approximately 60 musicians returned to IUP for a series of rehearsals that culminated in a performance on November 3, 2024.
The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences congratulates our students named as Provost Scholars. To be named a Provost Scholar, students must have earned a minimum of 45 semester hours at IUP with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Provost Scholar recognition is given only once during a student’s time of study at IUP.
The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences congratulates our students for being named to the Dean’s List for fall 2024. Students receive this recognition for each semester in which they earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher while taking a minimum of 12 credits.
Mimi Benjamin, Claire Hamshire, and Alan Soong Swee Kit published a study in Teaching and Learning Inquiry on peer mentoring for underrepresented students in the UK, USA, and Singapore. They developed a model highlighting social connections, shared experiences, and trust as key to belonging
Ronnie Fleck and Evan Sala were the top performers in the fall 2024 CFA Society Pittsburgh Collegiate Stock Picker Challenge session, beating out 191 students from more than 15 local universities in the largest competition to date.
On January 11, Culinary Academy faculty Chef Thomas Barnes and Chef Erin Reed attended the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA, accompanied by select culinary and baking students.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Culinary Arts Ice Carving Club will be creating its annual tribute to Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day with an ice carving of Phil on Gobbler’s Knob as part of the community Groundhog Day celebration.
Matt Vetter, with co-authors Jialei Jiang and Brent Lucia, published a new article titled “From Hype to Practice: Reinterpreting the Writing Process Through Technical Writing Students’ Engagement with ChatGPT” in the journal Technical Communication Quarterly.
Following six years of “exemplary service to Indiana University of Pennsylvania,” Vice President for Administration and Finance Debra L. Fitzsimons has accepted the position of chief financial officer at Allegheny College in Meadville, IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
A team of IUP students presented their research at the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI), a grant-funded program of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The 2024 ACRI conference, held December 6–7 in Washington, D.C., featured projects from students representing 15 colleges and universities. These projects addressed a range of pressing regional issues, from economic revitalization to environmental sustainability, showcasing innovative, community-centered solutions.
Dr. Amanda Poole, Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, recently participated in the 66th African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, Illinois, from December 12–14, 2024. The ASA Annual Meeting, the largest gathering of Africanist scholars in the world, is the flagship event of the association and brought together over 2,000 scholars and professionals under the theme Global Africa.
The Student Managed Investment Portfolio organization just wrapped up another successful semester in fall 2024. The club welcomed numerous new members as analysts, many of them first-semester freshmen, who brought renewed energy to the organization.
The IUP Economics Club wishes to thank the alumni and other guest speakers who met with students during the fall 2024 semester! From each one, students learned valuable insights about career pathways, tips for greater academic success, and networking suggestions.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Criminal Justice Training Center has finalized an agreement with CNX Resources in Canonsburg to serve as the Pittsburgh region’s satellite site for the Center’s municipal police academy (Act 120) training.
IUP alumnus Dominic Rocco ’23 and Department of Finance and Economics student Gabe Kengersky presented breakout sessions as part of the Future Business Leaders of America Region 3 Leadership Conference held at IUP for high school students on December 16, 2024.
Treylor Shirley ’21 successfully concluded the 12-week NMT Capstone Semester at Penn State while he was at IUP. This life-altering experience kindled his enthusiasm for nanotechnology, prompting him to strive for a master’s degree and presently a PhD at Penn State.
John A. Mueller, SAHE professor emeritus, will receive ACPA’s 2025 Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award at the association’s annual convention in February 2025.
Officer Brayden Bumgardner was recently sworn into service by Indiana County Magisterial District Judge Anthony Sottile III.
Undergraduate students receive recognition on the Dean’s List for each fall, spring, or summer term(s) in which they earn at least a 3.25 GPA based on at least 12 credits of graded (not P/F) undergraduate coursework, or a combination of graded graduate and undergraduate coursework.
Bryna Siegel Finer, Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, has been selected as the incoming co-editor of the journal “Peitho.”
Bryna Siegel Finer, Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, published a new book with Peter Lang, “Confronting Toxic Rhetoric: Writing Teachers’ Experiences of Rupture, Resistance, and Resilience.”
The IUP Men’s Rugby Club, a significant part of IUP’s sports legacy, recently added another feather to its cap by winning its fourth national championship. Head Coach Seth Erwin was asked about the sport, its history at IUP, and the team.
Celebrate the achievements of our graduates with a photo gallery capturing memorable moments from our Winter 2024 Commencement Ceremony. Relive the joy, pride, and excitement of this special day!
The Pennsylvania Drone Association selected Indiana University of Pennsylvania for its 2024 Ellie Education Award, recognizing IUP as “an educational institution that has helped to elevate the drone industry in our commonwealth in a meaningful and significant way. “
Caleb Rokosky and Jessica Delaney shared their experiences from the Kopchick Summer Internship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at a November 1 presentation, highlighting how it boosted their academic and professional development. Funded by John and Char Kopchick, the internship offers valuable research opportunities for IUP students in relevant programs.
Kristopher Marinas, 32, will be honored during IUP’s December commencement for graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average—all while working as a full-time night shift custodian in the university’s Administration and Finance Division.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold a commencement ceremony on December 14 for 563 graduates who have completed academic requirements for their degrees in December and January 2025.
Three students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania have been selected for IUP’s Justice Research Fellowship program offered through the IUP Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center.
In conjunction with IUP’s Giving Tuesday/Month of Giving initiative, IUP Ambassadors donated $800 from the group’s Homecoming parade first-place float prize to the IUP Food Pantry and Help Center.