February 8, 2017

t-notes archive

Next Issue: February 15, 2017

Thiel Happenings

Greenville philanthropists receive Distinguished Service Award

Thiel College President Susan Traverso, Ph.D., awarded John ’71 and Nancy (Gibson) Hauser ’75 the Louis and Barbara Thiel Distinguished Service Award during today’s Founders’ Day celebration.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Thiel community mourns passing of longtime Professor of English

Professor of English Mark DelMaramo, Ph.D., passed away early Friday, Feb. 3 after a fight with cancer. DelMaramo, 57, a native of Erie, Pa., was a member of the Thiel College faculty since 1989.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

President Traverso outlines strategic vision with Thiel 2021 launch

President Susan Traverso, Ph.D., presented the plan for the College's vision, mission and strategy for the next five years to the campus community with the launch of Thiel 2021 Wednesday morning in the Sawhill-Georgian Room.

“This plan affirms and strengthens the College’s identity and mission as a liberal arts institution,”  Traverso said. “Building on the Thiel 2016 Campaign, we will continue to invest in programs and facilities. Students, though, are at the center of the vision of Thiel 2021.” 

Among the initiatives she discussed are the potential addition of a fifth-year master's degree program, a stronger first-year program with the goal of raising first-to-second-year retention to 73 percent, and the creation of an alumni center.

Traverso said strengthening student retention and recruiting motivated students will help the College reach its enrollment goal of 1,100 students by 2021.

The launch continues at 4 p.m. today where Traverso will present the Thiel 2021 plan to staff and faculty who were not at the morning meeting.

DRC offers link to explore student disability issues

Director of the Disability Resource Center Tami Micsky discusses important issues regarding her office in the “Disability Resource Center Minute” monthly in T-Notes. If you have any questions, contact Micsky at ext. 2063.

“Disability doesn’t make you exceptional, but questioning what you know about it does.” — Disability activist Stella Young 

Ask questions. Seek information. Whether you are a staff, faculty, parent, or friend you can find answers at the National Center for College Students with Disabilities. The website offers an online clearinghouse with information on disability in higher education, mental health, American Sign Language and deaf culture, universal design and more. The website also has a link for Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring, an online group by and for students with disabilities.  

Student News

Martin shares ideas on being a lifelong learner 

Jack Martin ’79 shared with the senior seminar class of Professor David Miller ’61 how his obsession for knowledge led him to achieve noteworthy milestones in his professional career. He also stressed the importance of a business being involved in the community and the relationships that can come from that involvement.

“Jack talked about the details of running a funeral home and how owning a funeral home contains three key areas. These include medical, which includes the knowledge and techniques to take care of a body after death; and counseling, which includes helping the family get through the grieving and being there to make the funeral the best it can be. Lastly is business, the financial and managerial aspect of running a business. Jack attributes his success to a few things one of which is constantly being present and engaging the community.” — Dan Wiegmann ’17

“Jack had some great insight about how to be a successful businessman. The first thing that caught my attention was that Jack never stopped wanting to learn. He spent a lot of his adult life getting new degrees or licenses, purely for the love of learning. This skill definitely helped him to succeed.” — Amanda Zimmerman ’17

“The dinner was very fun. I got to pick the menu and give the invocation this week which was a cool experience. The three cakes for dessert topped with cotton candy was a big hit. It was nice to have one table because we all got to converse with each other. The dinner conversation was very funny. Jack had a lot of interesting stories that he told. It is nice to get to know the speaker in the dinner setting rather than just listening to the formal lecture.” — Jaclyn Kuzma ’17

“Marketing and advertising are extremely important aspects of the business. For my age group, deaths are most likely to be caused by car accidents as a result of texting and driving. It is necessary to change your business for the changing customers and changing of time.” — Sara Matczak ’17

“If you own a business, you need to be well known and involved in the community. If your customers care about something, you better care about it too. Personalization is key in social businesses. You can differentiate your business by creating relationships with clients.” — Carly Romano ’17

“Jack started his presentation off by stating that he had a profound interest in standup comedy. He also had mentioned that he teaches a death and dying class centered on heroin abuse to high school students. This program has gained national interest, as he discusses the effects of heroin on the body.”  — Cody Patterson ’17

Geramita wins special award at PIMS graduation

Michael P. Geramita ’17 earned special honors at 154th commencement exercises of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science on Jan. 20.

Geramita graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Thiel College and an Associate Degree in specialized technology, funeral service arts and sciences from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Geramita was honored with the Eugene C. Ogrodnik Entrepreneurial Award. Named for the institute’s president the, “award is presented to the student who, as recognized by the core business faculty of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, is deemed to best exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and the greatest potential to impact the funeral services industry at large.”

The award carries a prize of $1,000. Geramita is pictured with Ogrodnik.

Established over 30 years ago by Professor of Economics & Business Administration and Norman P. Mortensen Chair of Economics David M. Miller ’61, Thiel College has had a cooperative partnership with the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, whereby students attend Thiel College for three years and the Institute for a year, after which time they receive a Bachelor of Arts from Thiel a certificate from the institute.

 

Special Notes

HR Notes

Thiel College welcomes ...

and says farewell to ...

Health tips

View the linked fliers for quick reads and insights on several health-related topics. 

Last week's tips

Student Life Emergency Pantry

The Student Life Emergency Pantry continues to accept donations. The pantry is accepting student referrals.

Please refer any students in need to Tami Micsky, Chris Cianci ’96 or Melanie Broadwater ’96.

Events

Campus Events

VOCES8 Con Spirito concert
Thursday at 7 p.m.
David Johnson Memorial Chapel

Internationally-recognized vocal group VOCES8 will perform a free classical/choral performance.

TCTV Madden Tournament
Friday at 7 p.m.
Stamm Lecture Hall, James Pedas Communication Center

TCTV is holding a Madden tournament for students. The championship game will be played on the big screen in Stamm Lecture Hall.

For more information, contact Corey Lang ’18.

Thiel Forum
Feb. 16 at 4 p.m.
Stamm Lecture Hall, James Pedas Communication Center

The presenters for the next Thiel Forum are Admissions and Dietrich Honors Institute intern Kourtney Polvinale ’16, who will present her talk, “Thou art That,” A Divine Revelation in the Hindu Belief System, and Assistant Professors of Biology Delbert Abi Abdallah, Ph.D., and Christopher Fonner, Ph.D., who will discuss biology lab research and the progress of the GNC Faculty/Student Research Institute.

For more information, contact Mary Theresa Hall, Ph.D., at ext. 2154.

Ongoing Events

Worship on Wednesdays
Today at 4 p.m.
David Johnson Memorial Chapel

All are welcome for hymns, prayers, a message and Holy Communion during this weekly service.  

For more information, contact Pastor Jayne Thompson at ext. 2130.

Aikido classes
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Johnson Community Center lobby

Aikido classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays during the academic year except on holidays and College breaks. 

Etc.

Tomcat Tributes

Tomcat Tributes are designed to recognize the teamwork Thiel College employees exhibit each day. Employees can nominate co-workers for recognition in four categories (Random Act of Kindness, Going the Extra Mile, Had a Great Idea, Just Because).

Going the extra mile
Nominee: Shannon Reesh
Comment:
 Shannon often goes above and beyond to ensure our International Students feel at home. On top of all of her administrative duties, she has established the Host Family program and the Conversation Leaders. Her passion for students is contagious and her work often goes unrecognized.

T-Notes Publishing Schedule

The next issue of T-Notes will be out Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Send your submissions by noon Monday, Feb. 13 to tnotes@thiel.edu.

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