Dr. James McKenna
7 p.m. May 9
Eberly Hall, Room 110

Cal U welcomes Dr. James McKenna, a leading authority on mother-infant co-sleeping, for a lecture at 7 p.m. May 9 in Eberly Hall, Room 110.

His lecture is titled “Scientific Studies of the Evolution of Human Mother-Infant Attachment: Implications for the Health and Well Being of Mothers and Babies in Urban Industrialized Settings.”

McKenna is the director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, where he is also the Edmund P. Joyce Chair in Anthropology.

He is a world-renowned expert on infant sleep — in particular the practice of bed sharing or “co-sleeping,” especially in relation to breast-feeding. McKenna is known for conducting the first physiological and behavioral studies of the differences between solitary and co-sleeping mother-infant pairs. 

The author of Sleeping With Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Co-sleeping, McKenna is a proponent of the practice who focuses his research specifically on the relationships between sleeping arrangements, feeding method and risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome.

The lecture is free, and the public may attend. 

To: All students, faculty and staff
From: Interim President Geraldine Jones

Here at Cal U, we pride ourselves on offering our students high-quality academic programs that align with national standards for excellence. Seeking accreditation is one way to ensure that our programs measure up. This voluntary, peer-review process assures students and their families that a Cal U degree has real value.

Once accreditation has been earned, the national agencies that evaluate our programs return regularly to verify their quality. I’m proud to announce that a number of programs have been accredited in recent months.

• Just this week our faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance learned that the National Association for Schools of Theatre has re-accredited Cal U’s Bachelor of Arts program in theatre. The University will remain a NAST member in good standing for the next 10 years. 

 NAST also has given its “seal of approval” to the Mon Valley Performing Arts Academy, an outreach program that has provided after-school
 and summer theater experiences for hundreds of area children.

 These accreditations affirm the quality of our theatre program, and they earn a standing ovation for the faculty, staff and students  of the
 department! 

• In March the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education visited campus to conduct its 10-year re-accreditation review of our RN-BSN program and the initial review of our MSN in Nursing Administration and Leadership. 

 The RN-BSN program allows registered nurses to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing — a degree that is in demand as health care
 becomes more complex. Cal U’s Master of Science in Nursing addresses the needs of working professionals by offering education in
 nursing administration and leadership 100 percent online.

 We have not yet received official notice on the outcome of the CCNE evaluation, but we anticipate that both programs will meet all
 accreditation standards. I compliment the Nursing Department faculty, staff and students on their dedication and hard work as they prepared
 for this accreditation visit. 

• This winter our graduate program in athletic training was re-accredited through 2016 by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. CAATE, which also accredits entry-level athletic training programs, only recently added post-professional programs to its accreditation process. 

 Prior to 2012, the National Athletic Trainers Association accredited all post-professional athletic training programs. In June, NATA approved
 moving post-professional education programs to CAATE.

 Accredited since 1994 through NATA, Cal U’s graduate athletic training program became the first CAATE-accredited post-professional 
 program. At that time, it was one of only 16 accredited post-professional athletic training programs in the United States. Well done!

• Also in the past year, our bachelor’s degree programs in computer science and computer information systems both received accreditation from the prestigious Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, the world’s leading accreditation agency for applied science, computing, engineering and technology programs. Again, this is a team effort worth congratulating.

In all, more than 80 percent of Cal U’s academic programs are nationally accredited. Achieving accreditation requires an investment of time and resources, but I consider it one of our University’s most worthwhile endeavors.

With best wishes,

Meet Interim President Geraldine M. Jones

California University of Pennsylvania will hold a ceremonial dedication and naming of the G. Ralph Smith II Honors Hall at 11 a.m. May 3 in the entry courtyard of the building known until now as Residence Hall A.

The building’s new name honors Professor G. Ralph Smith II, who was a member of Cal U’s English Department for 30 years.

Upon his death on May 28, 2010, Smith donated his estate to the University to endow the G. Ralph Smith II General Scholarship.

His gift of $1.95 million is believed to be the largest in the University’s modern history.

Smith’s bequest will provide assistance to students who qualify for the scholarship based on merit and financial need, regardless of their major area of study. The University expects to make the first scholarship awards in the 2013-2014 academic year.

In her invitation to the campus community, Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones noted that “the G. Ralph Smith II Honors Hall is home to the University Honors Program, a dynamic living and learning environment that Professor Smith would have appreciated and encouraged.”

About Professor Smith

G. Ralph Smith II (1940-2010) served as an assistant professor of English at California University of Pennsylvania for 30 years, from 1964 to 1994. He was a 1958 graduate of Germantown Friends School in Germantown, Pa., and earned his bachelor’s degree three years later from Franklin and Marshall College. He completed coursework for his master’s degree and Ph.D. in English at Villanova University and Temple University.

Professor Smith lived in the Borough of California during his career at the University and afterward, a span of nearly 40 years. An active member of the English Department and the University community, he was personally committed to enhancing the English Department’s library, and for many years he helped to pay the tuition of incoming freshman students.

Through his estate plan, Professor Smith used virtually his entire life’s savings to create and endow the G. Ralph Smith II General Scholarship. The scholarship provides financial support to students from any major who demonstrate both financial need and academic merit.

At the time of his passing, Professor Smith was described as “a brilliant, unassuming, quiet charmer with a kind and generous heart, and an extreme wit who made you think even if you didn’t think you could.”

About the renaming

The campus community is invited to attend the ceremonial dedication of the G. Ralph Smith II Honors Hall. The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. May 3 in the entry courtyard of residence Hall A. 

Representatives of the University, the Emeriti Faculty Association and the University Honors Program will be among those participating at the naming ceremony.

Light refreshments will follow the dedication.

Bid on auction items

Bidding opens April 15 and continues through noon April 29 in the fifth Pittsburgh Penguins Online Auction supporting scholarships at Cal U.

Players James Neal, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Marc Andre Fleury and Jerome Iginla all have autographed items for the fundraiser.

California University is the official education partner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since 2009, online auctions have raised more than $24,000 for the Pittsburgh Penguins Scholarship at Cal U.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates financial need and maintains a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Hockey fans can bid on these items:

• Real Deal James Neal
  James Neal autographed replica jersey, autographed mini-helmet and autographed puck. 
• Geno! Geno! Geno! 
  Evgeni Malkin autographed replica jersey, autographed mini-helmet and autographed puck.
• Quintessentially Kris
  Kris Letang autographed replica jersey, autographed mini-helmet and autographed puck.
• The newest Penguin
  Jerome Iginla autographed replica jersey, autographed mini-helmet and autographed puck.
• The Flower
  Marc Andre Fleury autographed replica jersey, autographed mini-helmet and autographed puck. 
• Golf with the old two-niner at Nemacolin
  Round of golf at Mystic Rock and lunch for two (2) with Phil Bourque at Nemacolin Woodland Resorts (Date mutually agreed upon).
• VIP Game Night Experience
  Dinner for two (2) at the Lexus Club, two (2) autographed pucks, view warm-ups from the penalty box, Zamboni Rides during pre-game festivities and two (2) premium seat for the game (Date mutually agreed upon).
• Iceburgh's Birthday Party
  The Penguins mascot (Iceburgh) will make a 60-minute appearance at the winner's house, ten (10) autographed pucks, a DQ Penguins Ice Cream Cake (Date mutually agreed upon, must be within 40 miles of CONSOL Energy Center).
• Michael Michael Motorcycle
  Hall of Fame Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange signed and framed limited edition "Langism" Poster. Plus a pre-game tour for four (4) fans of the Penguins Broadcast Booth and a chance to meet the Broadcast crew.
• Penguins Game Day Watch Experience
  Join five (5) of your friends and enjoy a morning up close at CONSOL Energy Center watching the Penguins morning practice. Event includes six (6) Penguins gift packs for you and your friends. 

Bid on auction items

To showcase the talents of faculty and students, the Faculty Professional Development Committee will present the seventh annual Academic Excellence Days April 23-24.

This year’s theme is “Taking the Lead Together.”   

A variety of activities designed to stimulate academic excellence will take place each day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Natali Student Center.  

The FPDC Teaching and Learning Subcommittee will sponsor two presentations by Dr. Ian Crawford, chair of the Arts and Humanities Division of the Council for Undergraduate Research.

Both presentations will take place on April 23 in Room 206 of the student center.

At 11 a.m., Crawford will present “Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity: Going Beyond the Sciences.” He will describe the benefits of undergraduate research for faculty as well as students, discuss the institutional value of undergraduate research programs, and identify key features of successful programs.  

At 2 p.m., Crawford will facilitate a workshop, “Incorporating Undergraduate Research into Your Syllabus,” designed to help faculty build undergraduate research opportunities into their existing courses and implement them throughout the curriculum.

Additional faculty and student presentations will take place during the two-day event. Attendees will learn about encryption codes and how to “crack” them, discover how iPads can be used in the classroom, and explore the use of mock trials to teach legal concepts.

Posters created by students will be on display from 9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. each day in the Performance Center. The Student Scholarship, Research and Creativity Day Poster Session will be held April 23, and the Service and Service-Learning Poster Session will be held April 24.  

Artworks created by students in the Department of Art and Design will be displayed both days in the Airport Lounge, where three a cappella singing groups — Cal Singers, Vulcanize and Acappella Stella — will perform an eclectic mix of popular music from noon-1 p.m. on April 24.

The Academic Excellence Learning Communities Award program, initiated by and supported through the FPDC, awards competitive grants to faculty and staff who want to plan a learning community to foster academic excellence, intellectual rigor and civil discourse.  Proposed learning communities must be multidisciplinary and include students, staff and faculty. 

During this year’s Academic Excellence Days, Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux, the 2012 AED award winner, will report on her project activities during the past year. Other CAL U faculty members who have received FPDC grants also will discuss their grant-funded projects and how they have contributed to their professional development.  

A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will be served both days at the Natali Performance Center from 7:30-9 a.m. and from 11a.m.-12:30 p.m., respectively.

All members of the University community are invited to attend this event.

A complete schedule of events will be available at the Faculty Professional Development Center’s website. For more information, contact the FPDC office at 724-938-4505 or e-mail fpdc@calu.edu.

Red & Black Game
Cal U All-Stars vs. Steelers Footballers Basketball Team
8 p.m. May 2, 2013 Cal U Convocation Center
Tickets $7 (general admission), $15 (VIP courtside) available at the door

There will be plenty of action on the court when the Cal U All-Stars challenge the Steelers Footballers Basketball Team at California University of Pennsylvania.

But the Cal U crowd will be keeping an eye on the sidelines during the Red & Black Game at 8 p.m. May 2 in the Convocation Center arena.

Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones will be coaching the Cal U All-Stars. Her husband, Jeff Jones, will be coaching the Steelers players.

“I may not know basketball strategy, but I do know our Cal U All-Stars. They have the skill and the will to win!” says President Jones.

“I’m so confident in our team’s ability to win,” answers Jeff Jones, “that in the unlikely event we lose, I will let Gerri shave off my mustache at mid-court immediately after the game.”

Basketball and more

While this good-natured rivalry plays out on the benches, teams comprising Cal U students, faculty and staff will face the Steelers Footballers in four rounds of fast-paced basketball action.

Steelers players will sign autographs for 10 minutes during half-time. More entertainment is planned for intermissions, and refreshments will be available for purchase.

Tickets at the door

Ticket price is $7 for general admission or $15 for courtside VIP seating. Tickets will be sold at the door.

The game is sponsored by Cal U’s Black Student Union. Proceeds benefit the Jennie Carter Scholarship Fund, named in honor of California’s first African-American graduate. Everyone is welcome at this all-ages community event. 

To: All students, faculty and staff
From: Interim President Geraldine Jones

As we prepare to celebrate Honors Convocation tomorrow, and Commencement next month, I want to congratulate our students and faculty for their scholarly achievements during the 2012-2013 academic year. 

As interim president, I find it uplifting to see the excellent academic work undertaken by our students. At Saturday’s Honors Convocation, more than 1,400 students will be named Presidential Scholars, and I am proud of each and every one.

All of us at Cal U recognize the dedication needed to accomplish this significant academic achievement.

I congratulate not only our Presidential Scholars, but all of our students who work so diligently, day after day, to expand their knowledge and abilities. I know that many of our students juggle their classroom assignments with jobs in order to pay for their college education, so I commend them for their work ethic and their commitment.

In addition, I want to commend our faculty for their excellent work in the classroom, in their research and other scholarly pursuits, and in their service efforts. I know how much our faculty members care about our students, and I am impressed by everything they do to create a dynamic learning environment. 

Working together, our faculty and students have explored, researched, debated and discovered. Their combined energies power our University and propel it toward excellence.

Our staff also makes an invaluable contribution to this vibrant teaching and learning environment. Their efforts create an unforgettable campus experience for our students. They are the reliable foundation for Cal U’s continuing success.

As interim president – and particularly as an alumna of Cal U – I am so appreciative of our hardworking students, faculty and staff. I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead this great institution at this time in our history.

With warm wishes,

Meet Interim President Geraldine M. Jones

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors named Geraldine M. Jones interim president of California University of Pennsylvania.

She has served as the University’s acting president since May 16, 2012.

“I am honored and humbled by this vote of confidence,” said Interim President Jones. 

“California University is my alma mater, and it has been the focus of my professional life for 40 years. I am confident that a bright future lies ahead for this institution, and with the help of our faculty, students and staff, I will make every effort to keep Cal U moving forward.”

Jones previously served for nearly four years as Cal U’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

A 1972 graduate of then-California State College, Jones also earned her master’s degree from the school, in 1980. She began her career in education as a second-grade teacher in the Albert Gallatin School District in Uniontown, Pa.
 
She returned to California in 1974, serving as program director for Upward Bound for 20 years and as chair of the Department of Academic Development Services for 11 years. She was associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services for two years before serving as dean from 2000-2008.

Register now

How do arts and culture impact the economy of southwestern Pennsylvania?

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council will provide answers when Cal U hosts a public forum from 9:30 a.m.-noon April 22 in the Kara Alumni House.

The Arts Council will present the findings of its “Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity” study at this community-wide event.

Presented in conjunction with the Arts Education Collaborative, the session will examine the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture sector, which generates $136.2 billion nationwide and $2.6 billion in Pennsylvania.

The forum at Cal U will focus on the related themes of economic impacts of arts and culture, K-16 arts education, and workforce development, and the effect of the arts on the region’s residents and businesses, now and in the future.

Administrators, artists, educators, funders and policymakers will be on hand to discuss arts-based education, urban development and college collaborations, as well as effective advocacy strategies on behalf of arts education. 

Speakers will include Acting University President Geraldine M. Jones, Jim Denova, vice president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and Sarah Tambucci of the Arts Education Collaborative.

Each attendee will receive a complimentary copy of Arts, Culture, & Economic Prosperity (Allegheny County, Pa.), a summary of Pennsylvania’s statewide economic impact study and additional materials.

Register now

The free event is open to the public and includes a light continental breakfast. Free parking is available on campus in the River Lot (Lot 4), off Second Street.

See a campus map or parking map.

Registration is requested. For more information, contact Jodie Rooney, Cal U academic events coordinator, at 724-938-1584 or rooney@calu.edu; or Dr. David Pankratz, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council research and policy director, at 412-391-2060, Ext. 232, or dpankratz@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

District Judge Reggie B. Walton will address members of Cal U Men United and the campus community at 10 a.m. April 1 in Duda Hall, Room 103.

Walton was nominated to his position as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia in 2001 and also serves as a Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Read Walton’s complete biography.

Cal U Men United is a mentoring group for men of color designed to aid students throughout their collegiate careers. The group provides mentorship, career planning activities, social events and workshops to address the needs of students.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Alisha Carter in the Office of Social Equity at 724-938-4014 or carter_a@calu.edu. 

As Cal U celebrates Women’s History Month in March, the University marks a milestone with the 10^th anniversary of performances of The Vagina Monologues.

Based on interviews with more than 200 women, Eve Ensler’s award-winning play is a series of heartfelt, poignant and sometimes hilarious vignettes celebrating women’s bodies and female sexuality.

Since its debut in 1996, it has been performed at hundreds of college campuses across the United States and in cities around the world.

‘Monologues’ at Cal U

Special plans to mark the play’s 10^th anniversary at Cal U include a banquet on March 13 that will include alumna of past performances, said Kay Dorrance, coordinator of the Women’s Center at Cal U.   

Nicole Silich White, a 2004 graduate who was responsible for bringing The Vagina Monologues to the University, lives in North Carolina and may participate in dinner ceremonies via Skype. 

“We get a diverse group of students for the Monologues,” Dorrance says. “A very special group of women are attracted to this show, and it’s interesting to watch them explore the threads that draw them together.”

The women — 30 this year — work on their monologues independently and spend most of their time at weekly meetings getting to know themselves and each other better through discussions and writing exercises. 

Get tickets

Performances will be held at 7 p.m. March 13-15 in Steele Hall’s Blaney Theatre.

Tickets will be sold at the door. Advance tickets are available:

• 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. daily, Natali Student Center (beginning March 6).
• 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, Women’s Center, Carter Hall, G45.

Cost is $5 for students, $10 for non-students.

Ten percent of the proceeds will support V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that is marking its 15^th anniversary this year. The rest is donated to local women’s initiatives. 

So far, more than $17,000 has been raised at Cal U through Vagina Monologues performances.

A new Cal U office will bring a groundbreaking attorney to campus for a talk about advancing the rights of all people, including members of the GLBTQIA community.

Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), will speak at 1 p.m. March 25 in Room 205, Keystone Hall. Her talk is free, and the public may attend.

Kendall is a longtime advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex people and their allies. A former staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in her home state of Utah, she has litigated high-profile cases involving issues such as reproductive rights, prisoners’ rights, free speech and the civil rights of GLBTQIA people.

Kendall joined the NCLR as its legal director in 1994, and she has served as executive director since 1996.

As issues such as same-sex marriage, don’t-ask-don’t-tell and homophobia in sports have made headlines across the country, Kendall has emerged as a leading advocate for GLBTQIA people and a respected voice in the national discussion about civil rights and social justice. She has shared her views in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Advocate, as well as CNN, NPR and other news outlets.

Her talk at Cal U is sponsored by Lambda Bridges, a new University office that will focus on educational programming, advocacy and empowerment for the University’s GLBTQIA community.

“For more than 25 years with NCLR, Kate Kendall has been a champion for gay and lesbian people,” said Sheleta Webb, coordinator for Lambda Bridges. “More importantly, her work touches on every aspect of life. She has worked on Prop 8 (the controversial 2008 California ballot initiative that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples) and on cases involving marriage, families, adoption and eldercare.

“This is a great opportunity for the Cal U community to hear from someone who has made a real impact, both as a litigator and as an advocate for people who face the same issues as anyone else, but who often must fight harder to be heard.”

The campus community and the general public are invited to attend the free talk by Kate Kendall at 1 p.m. March 25 in Room 205, Keystone Hall.

Lambda Bridges Office

The Lambda Bridges office is located in the Carter Hall Multicultural Center. Office hours are:

Monday: 1-4 p.m.
Wednesday: 1-4 p.m.
Thursday: 8-9 a.m.
Friday: 8-11 a.m.

Cal U’s Department of Theatre and Dance will open its 2013 spring season with The Fantasticks, which first delighted off-Broadway fans in 1960 and eventually became the world’s longest-running musical.

With music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones, the show explores the relationship between parents and children in a beautiful and theatrically simple style. Memorable songs include “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “Try To Remember.”

This will be the first time The Fantasticks has been performed at Cal U.

The cast consists of eight students actors: Jordan Brooks, Christina King, Trevon Kiser, Jason Capello, Zach Thomas, Jason Dohoda, Stephen Reedy and Clayton Rush.

Students also contributed to the look of the show: Sam Karas designed the set and Mary Ann O’Farrell the properties.  

Dr. Michele Pagen is directing the production, with choreography by Diane Buffington and lighting design by William O’Donnell. The music director is Kevin Milliken, a music teacher at Masontown Elementary School.

Curtain time for The Fantasticks is 8 p.m. March 7 and 8, with shows at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 9. All performances are in the Gerald and Carolyn Blaney Theatre in Steele Hall.

Ticket price is $12 for patrons of all ages. Students with valid CalCards are admitted free; a $5 deposit is returned when the student attends the performance. 

For ticket information, or to order tickets (with a credit card) by phone, call the Steele Box Office at 724-938-5943.

Celebrating the oral tradition of Africa’s singer-poets, internationally acclaimed poet and educator Kofi Anyidoho will read from his work at 7 p.m. March 14 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

Anyidoho, of Ghana, is a UNESCO resource poet for cultural and linguistic diversity in education. A sought-after international speaker, he is renowned for powerful live performances that address contemporary culture while honoring the spoken-word tradition of his family’s Ewe ethnic group. 

The poet is the first African author and educator to visit California University as part of the College of Liberal Arts’ globalization initiative.

“He is the new voice of Africa,” said Dr. Mohamed Yamba, dean of the college. 

Anyidoho has published six collections of poetry and a bilingual children’s play in English and the Ewe language. His Ewe-language recordings include GhanaNya, a dialogue between Anyidoho and the voice of his late mother, who also was an Ewe poet and cantor. 

He has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the Langston Hughes Prize, the BBC Arts and Africa Poetry Award, the Valco Fund Literary Award and the Fania Kruger Fellowship for Poetry of Social Vision. Among his collections are Elegy for the Revolution, Ancestral Logic and Caribbean Blues, Praise Song for the Land and The Place We Call Home and Other Poems. Some of his books will be available at the event.

Educated in Ghana and the United States, Anyidoho earned a Ph.D. at the University of Texas. Today he is a literature professor at the University of Ghana Legon, in Accra, and the first occupant of its Kwame Nkrumah Chair in African Studies. He has been a distinguished visiting professor at various colleges and universities outside Ghana, including Swarthmore College, Columbia University, Cornell University, Barnard College, Collegio de Mexico, University of Bouake-Cote d’Ivoire, and University of Lome.

Anyidoho also has served as  director of the African Institute on Humanities of the CODESRIA, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa.

He is deeply involved in various initiatives designed to promote African culture, among them Ghana Television's African Heritage Series, for which he was the main host and executive producer.

About Kofi Anyidoho

Works by Kofi Anyidoho

Get directions to campus.

Two speakers from the corporate headquarters of American Eagle will meet with Cal U students to discuss their experiences with branding and marketing.

Students in marketing, business, public relations, communications and other programs can meet with Anthony and Lauren Cabral at 11 a.m. Feb. 26 in Eberly Hall, Room 110.

The Cabrals plan to discuss their background as branding and marketing specialists, the role of branding in a nationally recognizable company, and any other topics that students wish to cover.

Both Lauren and Anthony Cabal help to steer American Eagle's image through various strategies that “construct the brand” and maintain coherent brand identity in the eye of the consumer.

The couple has traveled to store openings in Dubai, Tokyo and Mexico City to oversee the coherence of the clothier’s brand in those international flagship stores, and Lauren Cabral has helped to launch a new brand for American Eagle.

The talk is free, and the public may attend. For more information, contact Dr. Greg Spicer at spicer@calu.edu