Welcome from the Dean
Welcome to the diverse and intellectually rich community of California University of Pennsylvania. Our School of Graduate Studies and Research exemplifies the University's mission of teaching, research and service. Our full-time faculty - the vast majority of whom hold doctorates in their academic disciplines - are some of the best teachers and scholars in Pennsylvania. To add to this truly outstanding professoriate, we are indeed fortunate to have staff members and part-time instructors who are dedicated public servants who are proud to serve the students, faculty and staff at Cal U in many different ways.
Graduate enrollments at Cal U rank in the top three of all universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Our master's degrees are both career-driven and academically rigorous, and they build upon the rich undergraduate experiences at Cal U and many other outstanding universities throughout the world. It is also no surprise that our students have come from every state in the union and more than 30 different countries. Through our cutting-edge Global Online programs, we reach out to provide an excellent education to individuals who, for any number of reasons, choose not to attend our University through what has historically been seen as a "traditional" format. Our global reach naturally includes members of our armed forces who are serving in the United States and abroad, and Cal U has just recently been named as one of the top military-friendly colleges and universities in the country.
Our Office of Grants and Contracts (OGC) facilitates nearly $7 million in meaningful, sponsored-research activities each year. Our professor- scientists undertake significant original research, ranging from Department of Defense-sponsored robotics projects to the management and conservation of aquatic systems. In an effort to generate even more research funding from federal, state and private agencies, OGC recently completed a grant-writers' fellowship program. The Graduate School has facilitated the generosity of a number of benefactors by way of academic scholarships to Cal U graduate students. We also are committed to assisting our students with winning additional scholarships in the future, including the much-coveted Fulbright.
On top of all of this, I am particularly proud of the breadth and depth of the service that is provided to many of our local communities throughout the commonwealth and beyond. Whether it is helping in drafting local zoning ordinances, improving public health and education, or fighting crime, our faculty and staff members are truly on the front line of public service.
I am sure you can sense the deep respect I hold for the faculty and staff who make all of this happen, and I extend an open invitation to the entire University community to stop by our offices and share your thoughts with any of us on how we can serve you even better.
John R. Cencich, J.S.D.
Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Research
Professor of Justice Studies
