However, signs of permanence are appearing on the horizon with Gannon’s search for new deans for the College of Engineering and Business and the Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences.

Two search committees, composed of faculty and staff, are currently in the process of interviewing applicants for the open positions.

Carolynn Masters, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the university is looking to hire candidates who have the skills and the passion to be visionary leaders, moving the colleges forward and aligning them with the strategic plan the university has in place.

“We want deans who are able to move the curricula innovatively,” Masters said. “They need to be up to date and responsive to the competitive and changing market needs.”

Masters, who had previously served as the dean of the MCHPS, said her job was demanding, yet rewarding.

“I loved my job, and it wasn’t easy,” Masters said. “The ideal candidate would be a good communicator, and someone who stays upfront and knows what new things are coming.

“The marketplace is constantly going through rapid changes; the dean of a college needs to stay on top of them and respond quickly to the environment we live in.”

Sara Palmer, a senior physical therapy major who plans on pursuing a master’s degree in physical therapy as well, said she would like the new dean to expand the facilities available to the students.

“We are usually paired off in the lab,” she said. “The tables are barely enough for us.”

Palmer said she would also like more one-on-one time with professors in labs to allow for a better learning experience.

Ken Brundage, chair for the College of Engineering and Business Search Committee, said the prospective dean needs to be able to lead the development of academic programs, strengthen existing ones and work with faculty on creating an integrated and shared vision of the College of Engineering and Business.

Brundage said the position received the responses of 50 applicants from all over the world. The 14 members on the search committee evaluated the applications and conducted preliminary interviews over video conferences with several applicants.

Three candidates made the final cut for the CEB dean position, while the search for the dean of MCHPS dean yielded four applicants. They are currently participating in the final stage of the interviews through scheduled sessions open to the faculty, staff and students.

Two applicants — Jeffery L. Ray, Ph.D., and Alexander Domijan Jr., Ph.D. – for the College of Engineering and Business, have been interviewed for the position by faculty, staff and the search committee. The third candidate for the position, William L. Scheller II, Ph.D., will be interviewed in an open session at 3 p.m. Thursday in Room 101 of the Zurn Science Center.

Masters said the university is looking for a dean who is able to move the College of Engineering and Business, with its two disciplines, collaboratively.

“They need to capitalize the strengths that we have that other universities don’t,” Masters said.

These include the Erie Technology Incubator and the Small Business Development Center.

The four candidates considered for the MCHPS positions, Susan Muller, Ph.D., Susan Meyer, Ph.D., Raymond Zetts, Ed.D., and Steven Mauro, Ph.D., have all been interviewed.

Masters said the candidates had strong leadership qualities and academic backgrounds and a commitment to students.

“They came from teaching positions and made their way up to administrative positions,” Masters said. “They know what it is for a college to be student centered.

“They also know how to be the faculties’ champions, too.”

HIBA ALMASRI

almasri002@knights.gannon.edu

This article has been edited on May 8,2013. The previous version of the article mentioned three candidates for the MCHPS dean position, while four candidates are being considered for the position.

Ruth joins Robert H. Phelps, Gannon Class of 1939, who received a Pulitzer for Public Service in 1975 for his work managing The Boston Globe’s coverage of school desegration.

Ruth, who graduated from Gannon in 1972, learned April 15 that he had earned a share of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his research and editorial work with Tampa Bay Times co-worker Tim Nickens. The two men led the Times’ campaign to reestablish discussion of reinserting fluoride into the water supply of Pinellas County, Fla., home to 700,000 residents. Dentists claim that fluoride can prevent tooth decay in small doses.

In 2011, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners voted 4-3 to remove fluoride from the county’s water supply. The vote took effect at midnight, Dec. 31.

Ruth described Pinellas County as fairly Republican, but with firmer leans to the middle than the right.

Ruth’s and Nickens’ intentions were two-fold: to objectively research both sides of the fluoride issue and then determine whether the opposing view accurately represented the majority view of Pinellas County, as the 2011 commissioners’ vote suggested.

The research and interviews led Ruth and Nickens to attribute the vote to the vocal campaigning of “a large minority” of Pinellas County Tea Party activists.

“Four county commissioners allowed themselves to be cowed by this loud and ill-informed group of people,” Ruth said. “Both on the reporting side and the opinion side, we thought that was ill-informed and wrong.”

As the November 2012 election neared, Pinellas County residents had been drinking fluoride-free water for almost a full year. County commissioners Neil Brickfield and Nancy Bostock – who accounted for two of the four votes to remove the county’s fluoride – were up for reelection.

According to Ruth, his and Nickens’ editorials – along with the reporting of the rest of the Tampa Bay Times newsroom – were textbook examples of the press acting as the watchdog of government.

“We did what a good paper and edit page should do, we crusaded against these two commissioners,” Ruth said. “On election day they were voted out of office.”

Republicans Brickfield and Bostock were defeated by Democrats Janet C. Long and Charlie Justice. The new commissioners assumed office on Nov. 20, and both politicians had voiced their support of restoring fluoride to Pinellas County water during their campaigns.

The board voted a week later to reverse the 2011 verdict, 6-1. Fluoride reentered the county’s water on March 1.

Commissioner Norm Roche, who first broached the fluoride issue, maintained his opposed vote.

Commissioner John Morroni changed his 2011 opposed vote and this time supported the return of fluoride. He told the Tampa Bay Times his 2011 vote was based on the influx of emails he received in support of the ban. He said at the time he perceived the opposition as the majority opinion, which supports the motivation behind Ruth’s and Nickens’ editorials.

Ruth, 63, said he never imagined winning a Pulitzer Prize, much less for editorial writing, since Ruth is mainly a columnist.

“My columns tend to be more biting and satirical, so there’s an irony that I received a Pulitzer for editorial,” Ruth said.

Ruth said his and Nickens’ work got the attention of Pulitzer because of the impact the editorials had on the community.

“What a Pulitzer board is looking at is this effort, did it bear fruit?” Ruth said. “In this case, yes it did.”

Ruth called the award the “capstone” of his career, but despite being recognized he said won’t do anything differently.

“You can’t spend so much time in this business and not feel that it validates your career,” Ruth said. “In my heart my soul I take it that way.

“I’m in the home stretch of my career, whatever work I continue to do, I would hope that it respects this honor that I have been fortunate to receive.”

Since entering the field in the ‘70s, Ruth has worked for papers that utilized lead type and has seen the birth of the digital revolution.

“Newspapers have to continue to provide information to the public in a digital form,” Ruth said. “There’s a misconception that newspapers are a dying breed, but in middle markets, those papers do pretty well.

“As long as you continue to put out good journalism, there will always be a demand for it.”

Ruth offered his advice to the Class of 2013, stressing the necessity not to accept or refuse a job because of the salary, but based on the satisfaction working stirs in the individual.

“If you enjoy it, the money will always take care of itself,” Ruth said. “I’ve been doing this now for 40 years, and I can count on one hand the number of times I said, ‘Oh, I have to go to work.’ I’ve had a tremendous time.”

DAN KUBACKI

kubacki001@knights.gannon.edu

The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Erie Insurance Arena.

Several events will be taking place leading up to the event, starting with the U.S. Army Commissioning Ceremony at Room 209 in the Waldron Campus Center. The day continues with the Baccalaureate Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Peter Cathedral at 230 W. 10th St.

Faculty will gather at 1:15 p.m. at the lower level of the Erie Insurance Arena where they will be able to get ready for the ceremony.

Cindy Kurczewski, a records specialist in the Registrar Office, said 767 students were graduating in this ceremony. A total of 65 international students – from countries like Canada, Saudi Arabia, India and South Africa – are also receiving their diplomas.

Of the 767 degrees awarded, Kurczewski said, 435 are bachelor’s degrees; 261 are master’s degrees; 41 are doctor of physical therapy; 28 are associate degrees and two are Ph.D.s.

Kurczewski said the numbers may vary slightly when the actual ceremony takes place because of last-minute issues, yet she said she tries her best to communicate the procedures with the students.

“Some people say they wanted to attend but something comes up,” Kurczewski said. “I do everything I can to try to let people know that this is what they need to know.”

Sister Mary Ann Dillon, R.S.M., Ph.D., will be giving the commencement speech. She is a Mercy Sister who serves as senior vice president of mission and sponsorship of Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania in Conshohocken, Pa.

Several seniors are feeling mixed emotions about leaving the university they spent their years in, but many of them have already made plans for the future.

One of these is Lauren Sazama, a senior communications major, who said she had conflicting emotions of enthusiasm and fear of what’s ahead.

“I am very excited but I am nervous because I don’t want any adult responsibility,” Sazama said. “But it is very exciting because I am moving on to the next chapter of my life.”

Sazama said her immediate goal was to teach English in China, for which she began filing the paperwork. Sazama also plans on joining the Navy next year.

Other students like Jonathan Simmons, a senior criminal justice/political science major, are not quite ready to leave the educational sphere just yet.

Simmons plans on going to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in criminal justice. His experience at Gannon has been fully rewarding, he said.

“I feel it’s a big accomplishment in my life to graduate – it’s one of the things you look forward to in life,” Simmons said. “Gannon has given me many great memories and many great friends.

“I’ve been very privileged to have attended it the last years.”

HIBA ALMASRI

almasri002@knights.gannon.edu

According to Ken Brundage, director of the Nash Library, development of the renovation plan began with a feasibility study and was followed by the Gannon community participating in a survey and sharing its input.

However, plans have stalled since that phase – primarily because the university cannot renovate both the Carneval Athletic Pavilion and Nash Library simultaneously.

Linda Wagner, vice president of Finance and Administration, explained the Gannon administration’s normal procedure is to decide which projects in the strategic plan should be addressed in the coming year.

Their decision is based on a series of scores, covering key rubrics, including “mission fit,” “strategic importance,” “student experience,” “estimated net revenue” and “risk,” or the risk of proceeding or not proceeding.

“The last time we went through that process, the top two projects were really the library and the rec center,” Wagner said. “The rec center renovation just slightly outranked the library.”

Ultimately, the renovation of the Carneval Athletic Pavilion was determined to have greater net revenue potential, based on recruitment, retention and the greater Erie community.

Hannah Smerker, a sophomore biology/pre-medicine major and current vice president of academic affairs for the Student Government Association, said she was looking forward to the renovations of the CAP but would have also liked to have seen the Nash Library updated sooner.

“It’s hard to say which project – the rec center or the library – should have been completed first, because each student’s priorities are different,” said Smerker. “I am disappointed that the library won’t be finished before I graduate because the current library doesn’t provide the best environment for productive studying.”

Still, not all students share the same optimistic outlook. Tom Stiller, a junior social work major, argued that tuition reductions should take precedence over updates to buildings such as theCAP.

“I think renovating either is an unnecessary waste of resources that Gannon will have us pay for by making our education there more expensive,” Stiller said.

The tentative plans for the library renovation, which Brundage described as “the academic heart of a university,” include an entrance on Sixth Street as well as on Sassafras and a “learning commons” that Brundage articulated as an update to center the space around how students use it now.

“The student learning commons concept accepts that students have different learning styles and that even the same student has a different set of needs depending on what they’re working on,” Brundage said.

Both Wagner and Brundage said that plans for the Nash Library renovation, while on hold, were not unforeseeable in the future. “We’re actively seeking donors,” Wagner said. “We’re hoping that if we can fundraise a portion of it, then as our debt capacity gets greater we can move that project forward.

“It’s very much on the forefront.”

MICHAEL HAAS

haas009@knights.gannon.edu

Last week, the administration commissioned a steering committee that will work with architecture consultant firm Buehler and Associates to gather surveys to gauge the spatial needs of each department and provide recommendations to better utilize space.

Director of Purchasing Andrew Teets, a member of the committee, said the first surveys will go out to professors before the end of the semester, with the review of the administrative offices coming in the summer.

After the surveys, Buehler and Associates will take measurements of classrooms and offices and update the drawing schemes of each building. The entire process should be completed by August.

“We really wanted to minimize the impact of disruption with students,” Teets said. “Obviously we can’t be going in and measuring classrooms while classes are actively going on.”

The nature of the space-utilization project is planning, so while there are no definite renovation plans in place, Teets said the very “undertaking” of this project – especially the digitization of the building plans – is in itself encouraging.

“This university has been in place for quite some time and maybe some of the drawings we have of buildings aren’t quite as up to date as they need to be,” Teets said. “By doing this, we’re going to have updated plans that are digital that we can send out.”

The project is mainly a proactive measure, Teets said, as there are no glaring spatial needs that he is aware of, but some departments might prefer a different location than they currently have.

“We’re trying to get an idea from each department how much space they actually need and what services they need,” Teets said. “Then we’ll come up with the best plan of where they really should be going forward.”

As an example, Teets pointed to the southern section of the third floor of the Palumbo Academic Center, which houses ITS and University Marketing.

“For the most part Palumbo is an academic building,” Teets said. “Maybe those particular areas, which are really administrative, aren’t really meant to be there.”

The former Loyal Christian Benefit Association building at the corner of West Seventh and Peach streets could be affected by the results of the space-planning surveys. Gannon bought the building in 2011 and the building’s tenants moved out in December.

In February, Gary Garnic, associate vice president for campus services, addressed a rumor that the theatre and communication arts department might move into the building.

“Those thoughts and notes and plans are all sitting in a folder now waiting,” Garnic said. “There’s nothing that I’m aware of that would change us from thinking that the theatre and comm arts is heading to the LCBA.”

Once the space-planning surveys are collected, Buehler and Associates will be able to recommend plans to the administration to best utilize the space available to each department.

“The study will look to see what renovations would be necessary,” Teets said. “Could it be possible? Sure. Maybe they’ll look at reconfiguring spaces, but it’s really a bit too early to determine that.”

According to Teets, the initiative is directed toward Gannon faculty and staff, thus neither the steering committee nor Buehler and Associates have set aside time for students to contribute to the surveys at this time.

“I would assume there probably is going to be a student component to that,” Teets said, “I don’t know what the delivery method is at this time. That’s something we’ll have to determine by the committee.”

DAN KUBACKI

kubacki001@knights.gannon.edu

Erie police identified the student as Christopher Hower, 25, who was accused of verbally threatening and assaulting the officers who arrived on the scene.

Hower was arraigned Sunday by 3rd Ward District Judge Tom Carney on several additional charges, including one count of resisting arrest, two counts of issuing terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, public drunkeness and non-compliance with a police order.

Representatives from Campus Police and Safety declined to comment Tuesday. Further inquiries to Erie Police were also rebuffed.

A University Marketing and Communications spokeswoman said Tuesday that Gannon Police and Safety officials responded to Nash Library regarding an “irrational student,” and after evaluating the situation they called in the Erie police for assistance.

According to students who witnessed the incident from the library’s basement computer lab, Hower entered the library’s stairwell and stood between the ground and basement floors for several minutes.

Then Hower began removing his clothing, including his shirt, socks, shoes, glasses and watch.

One witness, who requested not to be identified, claimed Hower started trying to walk along the wood railing of the staircase, and that he appeared to be speaking aloud.

“He looked like he was talking to someone, but there wasn’t anyone there,” the student said. “I guess he was talking to himself. You could tell at that point he was impaired by something. He didn’t look like he was all there.”

After about 15 minutes of this, witnesses watched as Hower began dressing again, but by this time a female Gannon officer arrived on the scene and asked for Hower’s student ID.

“She asked him for his ID, he gave it, she asked for something else, he held it out but pulled it back, and I could tell there was some kind of altercation,” a witness said.

The officer then tried to restrain Hower, but witnesses described her as having trouble as Hower began to raise his voice.

“He was really rough with her, and he used a lot of foul language,” a witness said. “Then another officer, I think a Gannon officer, came down to help. They tried to handcuff him in the stairwell, but once his hands were behind his back, he started fighting both police officers. Then they tackled him to the ground.”

By this time, several Erie police officers arrived in the stairwell, subdued Hower and escorted him from the premises.

Senior psychology major Holly Zill saw two Erie Police squad cars and a Gannon Police and Safety vehicle parked outside the library with their lights flashing. She also witnessed the officers leading Hower away.

“I was surprised he wasn’t ashamed, his head wasn’t down,” Zill said. “He was looking up and he was talking. He was mumbling to himself but the police officers were just [angry].”

Hower is currently being held in Erie County Prison in lieu of posting $50,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1.

One of the basement computer lab witnesses said the incident was bizarre at first, but could have quickly escalated if officers hadn’t promptly handled the situation.

“I didn’t feel threatened until he started the altercation with the officers,” the student said. “It was pretty scary, after all of the stuff in Boston, you just don’t know.”

DAN KUBACKI

kubacki001@knights.gannon.edu

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) allows Gannon students to utilize their scholarships from the university to study abroad, instead of relying only on grant money and fundraising as was previously the case.

Not only will this give more students the opportunity to travel during their time at Gannon, but it will also lead to the development of lasting partnerships between Gannon and universities from around the globe.

“We’re looking at our Catholic identity and mission, but also outside of that,” Christopher Vilevac, associate director at the International Student Office, said. “We’re looking at other schools hopefully like in Italy, and we’re looking to finalize things in Chile, and even summer programs.”

At the same time, Vilevac warned students against staying on the beaten path.

Vilevac said some students would not go visit a different culture if they were unaware or unfamiliar with its people and culture.

Because of this, Vilevac said he hoped students can help build itineraries that reflect the idiosyncratic nature of the country they’re visiting.

“You can go on to Google Maps and walk around the Louvre now,” he said. “You’ve been able to do that for the last two years for free.”

Still, Vilevac cautioned students and travelers that the Internet doesn’t give an idea of the cultural fingerprint.

Vilevac said he hoped that more students became interested in studying abroad, as only about 2 percent of American students studying in college do so during their time in school.

“We want to expand our idea of what studying abroad means,” Vilevac said. “We want to encourage our students to say that Canada is still one of those countries, even Puerto Rico or Guam.”

This message of a global curriculum mirrors the draft of Gannon’s strategic plan, which states that the university will “heed the universality of its Catholic tradition to infuse a global perspective throughout each student’s education.”

The draft of the plan, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in February of 2013, also highlights both “study/service abroad participation” and “international student enrollment” as success measures for the coming years – emphasizing that these initiatives “expand recruitment, retention and success of international students.”

“I loved Paris,” said junior French/ international studies, business major, Sarah Sgro.

“It’s totally OK to go and learn the language, but if you don’t have some sort of basis it becomes difficult,” Sgro, who spent her spring semester last year in France, said. “There something for everyone.

“My accent changed hugely while I was taking lessons, because we literally sat there for the first half hour of class going over the phonetics.  You could even study finance there!”

Gannon recognizes that students want to travel to Europe, and have done surveys to back that claim up. But the university continues to diversify its options as it explores new opportunities.

“Maybe we skip Brazil and go straight on to the next country which may be Uruguay,” Vilevac said. “Options in South Korea are also opening up.”

Ultimately, Gannon continues to emphasize the global aspects of campus in an effort to both develop the student body and reach out to international communities.

From International Night to the new Study Abroad initiatives, Gannon is focused on the tentative strategic plan; laying the groundwork for the next five years of organizational development.

But for Vilevac, success is really about opening students’ eyes to the world around them.

“I hope that some students realize that we are not the center of the world,” he said. “There are thousands of cultures around us.”

MICHAEL HAAS

haas009@knights.gannon.edu

Gannon’s international students, faculty and staff have teamed up again to showcase their countries’ traditions, food, clothing and performances at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Hammermill Center.

The event is spearheaded by the International Student Office at Gannon and GU Squared – Global Unity at Gannon University – a campus group devoted to Gannon’s international students.

Judy van Rheenen, director of the International Student Office, said the event is one of the highlights of every year at Gannon as many students and staff – domestic and international – look forward to it throughout the year.

“The night provides an opportunity to the staff and students to represent their cultures and show off their countries,” van Rheenen said. “The students put their heart into it and everyone shares with us a piece of their homes.”

Van Rheenen said the night has become a Gannon tradition and has been an annual event for more than 25 years. She also added that part of the event’s success is because it offered the Erie community a chance to experience different types of ethnic foods that are not available to them locally.

“I encourage all the students and members of the Gannon and Erie community to come to the event and get a taste of other cultures, meet new people and make new friends,” van Rheenen said.

Van Rheenen also said seven faculty and staff members are participating in the event and representing countries like Turkey and China.

Suzanne Hawryliw, secretary of the ISO and one of the main organizers of the event, said the event allows Americans and people from other nationalities to know more about each other.

“The Gannon community gets a glimpse of the international community that lives among them on a day-to-day basis,” Hawryliw said.

Priya George, co-president of GU Squared, said more than 30 countries are being represented at this year’s event, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and the Bahamas.

Students will also be showing their cultural heritage by wearing their traditional clothes and performing popular dances like the Indian Bhangra dance and a West African dance, as well as other dances from countries like the Philippines and Thailand.

“There are so many great cultures at Gannon that remain hidden,” George said. “This night gives them a chance to work together and experience that feeling of belonging.”

GU Squared, George said, exhausted its efforts to make this a successful night through fundraising, promotion and auditioning for the performances scheduled for the night.

Deryk Joseph, a junior business administration major and a representative of the Virgin Islands in last year’s International Night and the upcoming one, said the event was one of his favorites on campus – especially its performances segment.

“I give the event a 10 out of 10,” Joseph said. “It’s a fun experience and I wouldn’t miss it.”

“The greatness of this night is that it spreads cultural awareness in a fun way,” George said. “It gives people a chance to understand why people from different countries are who they are.”

Tickets are on sale at the ISO and the GU Squared table at the Waldron Campus Center. Adult tickets are sold for $10, students for $5 and children under 5 gain admittance for free.

HIBA ALMASRI

almasri002@knights.gannon.edu

The Archaeology Museum Gallery, located on the third floor of the Palumbo Academic Center, is maintained by history professor Suzanne Richard, Ph.D.

The history department, which is chaired by Jeff Bloodworth, Ph.D., has recently added a concentration in archeology and public history, which will focus on both museums and the application of history that could be utilized by a number of professions including curators and archivists.

Not many students are aware of the museum besides its brand-new entryway, but the history department hopes to change that soon. Although the museum is not open yet,. Richard said she hopes that the Archaeology Museum Gallery will foster a new level of community outreach for the public, K-12 students and Gannon students alike.

Zach Flock, assistant director of admissions, said the new facility will help encourage new students to come to Gannon for a rich scholastic experience.

“Having the Archeology Museum Gallery gives us a way to showcase our programs in history and archeology and related fields in a way beyond just the classroom experience,” Flock said, “because the difference in those programs at Gannon as opposed to other schools is the hands-on application.”

The hands-on experience is something that resonates with Richard as well. She will be teaching an archaeology course in the fall, and Richard said her class will spend a lot of time in the museum.

“What better use of a museum than a hands-on, live laboratory for students,” Richard said. “It’s really going to enhance our program and I’m hoping it will attract more people in the Erie community as well.”

The museum gallery even features a designated area for elementary students to dig for artifacts in the sand, mimicking the excavations of real archaeologists.

“You can learn so much about people by studying their culture,” Richard said. “You become a more complete person.

“What can you do without a historical perspective? I mean, every time something happens in the world I immediately say, ‘Oh OK, I know how to understand this because….’ and it connects to something deeper. History defines us.”

Even though the museum gallery held its grand opening on Sunday, it won’t be fully functional until the fall semester. A lot of that has to do with security, due to the priceless artifacts housed within. Richard suggested that a student would have to be working during the hours that the museum gallery is open.

While not many students may know about this new addition to the history department in Palumbo, Richard said she extends a warm invitation to any student interested in getting involved.

While it would be an exceptional opportunity for any humanities student, Richard emphasized the importance of science students getting involved in the arts and history.

“If anything, a finance student would probably benefit even more,” Richard said. “If you’re going into business or medicine, you may eventually end up in the Middle East or China. Before going, you may want to learn a bit of the language and culture.”

Richard said the museum is not only relevant to the history department, and its location may even change.

“Eventually, we’d love to move it to the first floor where more students could participate,” Richard said. “I’d especially love to see younger students coming in from school buses to learn about these artifacts.”

MICHAEL HAAS

haas009@knights.gannon.edu