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.
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.
Students who were recognized as IUP Provost Scholars for fall 2024.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Education has been successful in helping a fifteenth international student—Sylvia Mukasa, from Nairobi, Kenya—secure an Emergency Student Fund Award from the Institute of International Education Emergency Fund.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Koren has been selected for the Pennsylvania Business Central’s “Foremost Under 40 2024.”
Edited by Andrew Zhou and his colleague, the newly published book “1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications” showcases breakthroughs in the use of advanced one- and two-dimensional nanomaterials for sensor technologies.
Miko Rose, the founding dean of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, will join KDKA Newsradio host Larry Richert and Rich Fitzgerald on The Big K Morning Show on Wednesday, November 27.
John Lattanzio, Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, published a mathematical text titled "Essential Linear Algebra." The 824-page textbook is adaptable for use in both introductory and advanced courses and serves as an invaluable resource for the fundamental aspects of linear algebra.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been recognized by the All In Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 All In Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.
Mattie Updyke, a second-year Student Affairs in Higher Education student, received the 2024 Nancy Newkerk Scholarship for outstanding contributions to student advocacy, especially supporting LGBTQIA students. The award was presented during the annual SAHE Thanksgiving celebration, recognizing Mattie’s commitment to student growth, inclusion, and collaboration in higher education
Parker Bradley, an undergraduate from the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, earned recognition as one of the Top 10 Undergraduate Poster Presenters at the American Chemical Society's Central Regional Meeting.
Francis Allard has been awarded a Research Grant for Foreign Scholars by the Center for Chinese Studies in Taiwan.
Kalynne Ziegler, a senior undergraduate student in the Health and Physical Education Teacher Education program, was recognized as the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Future Professional Award.
Asher Skiles '24 presented his innovative research on chiral active matter, using hexbug chains to model microtubule dynamics, and shared insights on REU applications and his transfer experience to the University of Pittsburgh at a recent event hosted by the Pre-Engineering and Physics Clubs.
Mike Sell shared his thoughts on the role of intertextual reference, collaborative dramaturgy, and tabletop roleplaying games on the most recent "Dungeons + Drama Nerds" podcast.
A local performance of "Fiddler on the Roof," produced by the Hope Springs Eternal Holocaust Project, featured several people with IUP connections.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania students Erika Jackson and Monserrat Lopez Villagomez, president of the IUP Latino Student Organization, presented “Uniting Through Culture: How Student-Led Programming Led to 200+ Attendees” at the 2024 PASSHE Summit: Uniting for Inclusive Student Success.
Dana Driscoll (professor of writing, Department of Language, Literatures, and Writing; director of the Center for Scholarly Communication) and Islam Farag (doctoral candidate, Composition and Applied Linguistics PhD program) published about the Jones White Writing Center's Graduate Editing Service in the latest issue of The Peer Review.
Erin Reed, a chef instructor at IUP's Academy of Culinary Arts, recently took top honors at the American Culinary Federation's Pastry Chef of the Year competition, in Phoenix, Arizona. Each of the three finalists were tasked with entering two plated desserts in the competition, and the judges picked Reed's as the best. Learn more about Chef Reed and her big win in this video.
Recently retired biology professor and university volunteer Tom Simmons moderated a session and gave two talks at the fiftieth anniversary Pennsylvania Vector Control Association meeting.
The IUP Literature and Criticism program was well-represented at the recent Festival of Monsters conference hosted by the University of California Santa Cruz’s Center for Monster Studies, October 16–18.
Miko Rose, founding dean of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, has been named one of Pennsylvania’s Fifty Over 50 by "City & State Pennsylvania."
IUP piano professor Henry Wong Doe performed a solo recital at the Beckwith Recital Series, University of North Carolina Wilmington, on Friday, October 25, 2024.
Twelve IUP archeologists participated in service events at Historic Hanna’s Town in Westmoreland County and at the historic Lebanon Cemetery in York, PA, on Saturday, October 26.
Abigail Hancox, a first-year student in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, has been appointed to the PASSHE Chancellor Search Committee. She also serves on the Board of Governors and studies public affairs at the master's level.
A pair of communications media majors, Emily Marines and Riley Yonchiuk, joined a rare club when they handled the play-by-play and color commentary duties for the streaming broadcast of the IUP vs. Clarion football game at Miller Stadium.
"Untold Stories of Pennsylvania Parks and Forests" launched with a new website and presentations at the Pennsylvania Historical Association annual meeting.
Amanda Poole, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, joined colleagues around the world for a virtual panel discussion on October 16 focused on her cowritten ethnography, "Hosting States and Unsettled Guests: Eritrean Refugees in a Time of Migration Deterrence."
An Indiana University of Pennsylvania student has been named to the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Board of Governors, the chairman of the IUP Council of Trustees has been reappointed to the Board, and an IUP alumnus has been appointed to complete an unexpired term on the Board.
The following message was shared with all students on October 21, 2024:
The latest research from Devki Talwar, Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, explores the thermal and vibrational behavior of carbon-based superlattices composed of binary materials.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Miko Rose, the founding dean of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, was an invited presenter for the 2024 Osteopathic Medical Education Conference, the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians.
IUP's "The Pathfinder" has debuted a new website that will house recent issues of the publication, in case you missed your weekly email.
Chauna Craig (Department of Language, Literature, and Writing) was recently awarded a competitive arts residency this past September at Craigardan, an interdisciplinary residency program located in Elizabethtown, New York.
Mimi Benjamin, professor of Student Affairs in Higher Education, served as a keynote speaker for the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International/Residential College Society’s joint conference in Portland, Oregon, on October 8, 2024.
IUP Anthropology faculty recently published research about the resolution of skeletal commingling in an invited issue of the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
Francis Allard and Ben Ford, both anthropologists in the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, recently presented their research as public lectures.
Family and consumer sciences education senior, Trinity Boland, won first place at the Salvation Army’s Runway Repurposed fashion show in Pittsburgh on May 22, 2024. Trinity submitted an original design and participated in the runway event.
Alexis Shirk, a family and consumer sciences education undergraduate student, received the 2024 Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Undergraduate Scholarship award.
Michelle Tweardy, Family and Consumer Sciences Education program coordinator and faculty member, represented the Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences National Leadership Summit.
IUP music alumni Dennis ('75 MA '82) and Elizabeth Cramer ('76) and David Earnest ('23) recently performed for "Last Fridays at the Museum," sponsored by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA.
Luke Nicosia M'24 published his thesis research in Westmoreland History. The research focused on an archaeological investigation of New Alexandria, PA, to understand how the damming of the Loyalhanna River affected the town.
Shijuan Liu gave an invited keynote speech at the 2024 ChinaCALL Conference and International Congress on English Language Education and Applied Linguistics, held in Beijing, China, August 23–25.
What if your internship could take you from the classroom to the White House? For Kiyana Tucker, it did! Her internship quickly became more than just an addition to her résumé, developing into an experience filled with professional growth, hands-on experience, networking opportunities, and personal enrichment.
Todd Cunningham, who has nearly three decades of experience in higher education information technology, most recently as executive director of Information Technology Services at IUP, has been named IUP’s chief information officer.
Anthropology faculty members William Chadwick and Andrea Palmiotto from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, were honored to be invited by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to the National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 20, 2024.
The PA Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement (PC4A) has awarded scholarships to five community college transfer students, providing one year of free tuition in AY 2024–25.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Associate Vice President for International Education and Global Engagement and Executive Director of the American Language Institute Michele Petrucci has been honored for excellence by the Pennsylvania Council for International Education.
Francisco Alarcón of the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences has been selected to serve a four-year term on the Haimo Teaching Award by the Mathematical Association of America.
Mimi Benjamin, professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, has been appointed to the NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education 2026 National Conference Leadership Committee.
The Office of the Provost has announced the promotion of several faculty members to full professor effect the fall 2024 semester.
The Force is definitely with Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Thomas Oraskovich, a senior sociology and political science major from Homer City. Oraskovich completed his second year in IUP’s Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (USOAR) program with his research project, “Rebels vs. Terrorists: Star Wars Rebels and Political Implications.”
A social studies education major and political science minor from Pittsburgh had the experience of a lifetime this summer as an intern in the office of Senator John Fetterman in Washington, DC.
Silas Gesser, a senior in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management bachelor’s degree program from Westmoreland County, has been awarded the prestigious Statler Foundation’s Scholarship of Excellence.
Cellist Linda Jennings and pianist Chindarat Charoenwongse will present the first recital of the IUP season in Gorell Hall on Tuesday evening, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. The program will present traditional works alongside newer works, including Claude Debussy’s sonata, the slow movement of the Rachmaninoff sonata, and works by David Maslanka, Chen Yi, and Samuel Magrill. The recital is open and free to the public.
Mike Driscoll is not a university president by design. In high school, he took an interest in engineering and computers, so he went off to college to be an electrical engineer. But as it often does, life took another turn.
Mike Sell (Department of Language, Literature, and Writing) and co-editor Megan Amber Condis (Communication Studies, Texas Tech University) have published a collection of scholarly essays about the stories we tell with, about, and around video games.
IUP was well-represented at the thirty-eighth annual Pennsylvania Economic Association Conference held in Slippery Rock, PA, from May 30 to June 1, 2024.
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.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Kristie Frederick Daugherty’s “flash” on the night of the 2024 Grammy Awards has resulted in 113 contemporary and nationally acclaimed poets—including six Pulitzer Prize writers—coming together for an anthology of poems based on songs by musician Taylor Swift.
Dean of Students Adam Jones answers questions about his position, his experience, and why a student may reach out to him. He also provides valuable advice to students about getting the most out of their college experience.
Zach Collins, professor of tuba and euphonium at IUP, recently published four new compositions with Cimarron Music Press.
IUP piano professor Henry Wong Doe recently completed a three-concert tour of New Zealand, performing on July 20, 21, and August 3. He performed two separate programs at three cities in the North Island: Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, the capital city of Wellington, and Warkworth (one hour north of Auckland).
Summer-long research projects undertaken by students participating in the Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program will be on display at this free event.
Jonathan Lewis, professor of Geosciences, was granted a National Science Foundation award for a third STEM Student Experiences Aboard Ships (STEMSEAS) project.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s joint podcast, "Rural Health Pulse," continues with an episode on Pennsylvania's evolution and current state of emergency medical services with B.J. Pino and Reba Johnson of Citizens' Ambulance.
Donovan Daniel, of Indiana, Indiana University of Pennsylvania director of student leadership and a two-time IUP graduate, has been selected to present through the TEDx program.
A year-long program developed by a team at Indiana University of Pennsylvania to recruit and retain talented teachers was selected for recognition by PA Needs Teachers in its Solutions Playbook, published recently by Teach Plus Pennsylvania and the National Center on Education and the Economy.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Culinary Arts Chef Instructor Erin Reed is the American Culinary Federation 2024 Pastry Chef of the Year.
Zach Collins, professor of tuba and euphonium at IUP, released an album of hymn arrangements for five-part tuba ensemble on Summit Records, titled "Firm Foundation."
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has received $20,000 in funding from the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) for a new initiative to inspire the next generation of special education teachers.
The renowned River City Brass Band of Pittsburgh, the only full-time professional brass ensemble in the United States, recently released an album featuring the music of 1965 IUP alumnus, Jim Self.
IUP music alumni, George Alberti '11, Mike Waddell '12, Zack Grass '14, and Logan Carnes '19, released album Keystone Kitchen, an album of new works for tuba-euphonium quartet, in June 2024.
This past May, Rosemary Engelstad was an artist-in-residence at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in Boscawen, NH. During her residency, she collaborated with Slippery Rock clarinet professor, Amanda Morrison, on their new project, the Grant Avenue EFX Clarinet Duo.
This summer, the IUP Music Department hosted 118 campers for the third annual Summer Music Camp.
In June, Indiana University of Pennsylvania hosted a workshop on uncrewed aircraft (drones) for teachers in eight area high schools who are teaching the aviation curriculum in their schools. The workshop focused on how teachers can integrate drone education into the curriculum. Teachers represented districts in Allegheny, Clearfield, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties.
Alida Merlo, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Distinguished University Professor and professor of criminology and criminal justice, is the 2024 recipient of the Bruce Smith, Sr. Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Science.
Here is an alphabetic list of students who graduated from IUP in May 2024.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Anthropology faculty have 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 near Frankfurt, Germany, at the site of a crash of a World War II B-17 airplane.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s joint podcast, “Rural Health Pulse,” continues with an episode on genomics research and rural health with IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Nick Jacobs
On June 10, Abigail Adams participated in a "Fireside Chat" to commemorate Pride Month for Anthology, a multinational company that encompasses Blackboard, Campus Management, Campus Labs, and iModules.
Associate Professor Diane Shinberg presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America in Columbus, OH, on April 18, 2024.
The 2024 Ricupero scholarship recipients are Baking and Pastry Arts students Myia Page from Emlenton, PA, and Kelsey Young from Tionesta, PA.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s joint podcast, “Rural Health Pulse,” continues with “Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases” with IUP biology professor Thomas Simmons.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Miko Rose, the founding dean of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, has been elected as a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists by the Fellows of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists/American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists.
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.
John Benhart, professor of regional planning in IUP’s Department of Geography, Geology, Environment, and Planning and director of IUP’s Geospatial Intelligence Certificate programs and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Certificate programs, is an invited panelist for the second annual Aerium Summit and will be a panelist for a program at the thirty-third annual Showcase for Commerce.
Christian Vaccaro, professor in the Department of Sociology, co-authored "Exploring Humor in Child Welfare Casework: Laugh to Get Through It or Cry Forever" with Lisa Landram, alumna of the Administration and Leadership Studies in Nonprofit and Public Sectors program (PhD ’20). Landram is an incoming assistant professor of social work at Mary Baldwin University.
Mimi Benjamin was a guest on this week’s episode of the "Student Affairs NOW" podcast. She and her co-authors discussed their new book, "Living-Learning Communities in Practice."
Matthew Vetter (Department of English) has been awarded a research grant from the Wikimedia Foundation (the nonprofit behind Wikipedia) as part of an international team that includes Brett Buttliere (University of Warsaw) and Sage Ross (Wiki Education Foundation).
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has announced recipients of the University Senate Awards and the list of new faculty emeriti.
At the May 9 University Faculty Achievement Awards Dinner, Mimi Benjamin received the University Senate’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the university community or to the recipient’s professional community at large. Benjamin joined the faculty in 2013.
The Department of Foreign Languages congratulates our students who are graduating with a certificate, minor, or major in one of the languages we are offering.
Comm Media faculty member Rachel Fox won a spot at Delectable, a juried national exhibition of food-themed artworks held at the d'Art Center in Norfolk, VA.
Comm Media PhD candidate Lori Smith Roles recently published a book review in "Popular Culture Studies Journal."
The Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education honored graduating students and recognized two graduates for exceptional accomplishments and contributions as part of the department's annual banquet on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Comm Media faculty member Zack Stiegler has been awarded the 2024 Faculty Scholar Award.
Comm Media faculty member Mark Piwinsky has been working with different student teams on various projects in the Indiana community.
For the second year in a row, Comm Media's doctoral student Nafisah Sulaiman has won the Dean's Award for Excellence for a paper presented at this year's IUP Scholars Forum.
As Indiana University of Pennsylvania honors its 1,100 students receiving bachelor’s degrees during commencement ceremonies on May 11, it will celebrate a total of 48 students who completed those degrees with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Winners of the 2024 Scholars Forum were celebrated at a recent reception held in the Blue Room of Sutton Hall.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will honor 1,566 graduates during commencement ceremonies on May 10 and 11 at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex and will honor Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Indiana resident Ellen Sylves Ruddock, a 1966 graduate of IUP, with honorary Doctor of Public Services degrees.
Lorraine J. Guth, Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor of counseling, has been selected as IUP’s 2024–25 Distinguished University Professor.
From IUP's first Black professor to alumni working in the outdoors and faculty and students digging for dinosaur bones, here's a look back at some of the stories that show some of the many great things––and great people––at IUP.
In fall 2023, nine IUP students interpreted for 20 new employees at Indiana factory Specialty Tires of America, hired directly from Mexico through the company's participation in an H-2B work visa program.
James Jozefowicz has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Garvin-Kort Faculty Award for Research in Economics. Generous donations from Distinguished Alumni Award recipient John Kort ’74 and the late Alexander Garvin, economics faculty 1969–98, provided support for faculty research.
Erika Jackson, a senior psychology honors program major in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Cook Honors College and IUP’s nominee for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Ali-Zaidi Award, has been selected for a scholarship as IUP’s nominee by IUP Provost Lara Luetkehans.
Four undergraduate students recently represented Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol (URC-PA) symposium on Tuesday, March 19, in Harrisburg, PA.
Mimi Benjamin, professor in the Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education, co-authored "Living-Learning Communities in Practice: A Guide for Creating, Maintaining, and Sustaining Effective Programs in Higher Education," with Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas and Jody Jessup-Anger.
Stephanie Onkst was selected as one of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education Foundation Scholarship recipients for the spring 2024 semester.
This fall, Caio Gomes, who will graduate from IUP next week, will head to law school at Yale University. If you ask him the secret to his success, he will say IUP played a key part in it.
Students in IUP Art and Design faculty Sharon Massey and Sean Derry’s 3D Design and Digital Fabrication class will compete in the eighth annual Design Stars of IUP on May 7 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Waller Hall theater at IUP.
On April 11-23, the new IUP Graphic Design and Illustration program hosted the first Slenkfest, named after IUP’s first graphic design professor, Robert Slenker. Slenkfest combined current IUP students and alumni working in the field of visual design.
In mid April students and faculty from IUP and Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg gathered in Carlisle for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Undergraduate Anthropology Conference.
The Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics and Engineering presents its 56th Annual Academic Achievement Awards.
Zeeshan Siddique and co-authors Mehebub Sahana, lecturer of geography and environmental planning, University of Manchester (UK), and Sanjida Parveen (PhD), postdoctoral candidate in the Department of English at the University of Manchester, published a book chapter in the scholarly collection "COVID-19 in South Asia: Society, Economy, and Politics."