Pitt Johnstown Mag Summer 2010 ver4 - Pitt-Johnstown Home Page ...

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Greater Connections
With our Communities
Once described as “the best-kept secret,” Pitt-Johnstown continues to reach out
to our community as a leading contributor to the area’s educational, social,
cultural and economic development. For example, did you know that more
than 36,000 people visited the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center last year?
Or, did you know that our annual PITT-nic in the park attracts more than 800
people each year?
Last year, more than 100 high school students from five school districts
attended the annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Day, which included demonstrations and hands-on activities to stimulate
interest in careers in the STEM areas. The number of students participating in
our dual enrollment program, providing high school students with an
opportunity to earn college credit at Pitt-Johnstown, more than doubled to 13.
Through efforts led by Drs. Mary Lavine and Dennis McNair, Pitt-
Johnstown hosted the annual Climate Change Forum (previously known as the
Global Warming Solutions Forum) in March. The theme of this year’s event
was “International Perspectives.” In addition to presentations by several Pitt-
Johnstown faculty representing a number of disciplines across campus, the
event featured Ed Perry, a retired aquatic wildlife biologist with the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, and alumna Jessica Bellas, who facilitated sessions for the
Clinton Global Initiative-Asia while living in China. Plans are already
underway for next year’s event. More information is available at
www.upj.pitt.edu/ClimateChange.
Alexander Hamilton was the featured “great American” at the 13 th annual
Great Americans Day Citizenship Forum. Dr. William Pencak, professor of
history and Jewish studies at Penn State University, spoke before a packed
house including students from nine local school districts. Special thanks to
Skip and Adelle Picking for their generous support in making this annual event
possible.
Be sure to visit our web site (www.upj.pitt.edu) to view our calendar of
events!
Far right: Pam Sabol, Beverly Walerysiak, and Willie
Myers get ready to serve more than 800 hot dogs at last
year’s PITT-nic in the Park. The annual event is a
signature component of our
Homecoming Celebration, and
provides an opportunity to return
to our roots in downtown
Johnstown. Right: Dr. Spectar,
PJ the Mountain Cat, and Sherri
Rae were among the volunteers
welcoming visitors to the PITTnic.
PITT-Johnstown
2010
Distinguished
Alumni Award
Recipient Chet
Thomas,
executive
director of
Proyecto Aldea
Global,
delivered the
GLOCAL
Society Lecture.
Photo by Andy Marchese
Joshua Cooper
Ramo, the
international
bestselling
author of The
Age of the
Unthinkable, was
the featured
speaker at the
Pasqeurilla
Lecture Series.