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In April, IUP’s Graphic Design and Illustration program held a three-day event celebrating the alumni-student connections that have made the program successful. Called Slenkfest, the celebration honors the late Robert Slenker, an IUP professor emeritus of art whose name often comes up in discussions about why the program and its graduates have thrived.
In an office and laboratories on the upper floors of Kopchick Hall, Skip Kingston ’73, M’75 occupies a unique place in the life of IUP. Kingston is a visiting scientist, or scientist in residence, continuing his work on various projects relating to analytical chemistry.
Kerry Green was inducted into the Pittsburgh Marathon Hall of Fame in May, an acknowledgment of his lifetime achievements as a distance runner. But long before that, Green had gained acclaim far beyond western Pennsylvania, not so much for his running, but for what he did while running. He juggled.
In 1996, the Cook Honors College was established at IUP with a bold objective: to carve out a space on campus in which several hundred students at a time could immerse themselves in a rigorous, communal learning experience. More than a quarter-century later, CHC’s mission is thriving.
Recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards were honored in April at a gala sponsored by the IUP Alumni Association.
In a jaw-dropping about-face that saw a once-downtrodden program rise to national prominence, coach Steve Kline led the Crimson Hawks to a school-record 41 victories and a berth in the NCAA Division II College World Series, where his team finished third after beating both the defending national champion and the top seed.
IUP’s ongoing work to meet the changing needs of students and to ensure a sustainable future has involved intense planning over the last two years.
IUP aims not just to survive enrollment drop but to grow stronger.
An artist for more than 40 years, Pat McBride ’81 found that her most meaningful depiction was not made to be hung and admired, but to protect human lives.
Michael Lambert ’68, M’69 shares his memories of the sights, sounds, and smells of IUP and Indiana in the 1960s.
IUP’s long-awaited science building, Kopchick Hall, opened for classes at the start of the spring semester in January.
Donta Green won’t rest. How could he when there is so much to do?
When Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity needed an advisor in 1979, marching band director Charles Casavant stepped up. But first, he had to pledge the fraternity.
Explore the history of Weyandt Hall, a state-of-the-art science facility that transformed IUP's campus in 1966, providing ample space for research and instruction in various scientific fields. Discover how this building, considered a "bright, shining star" in its time, paved the way for advancements in teaching, research, and technology at the university, and learn about the exciting prospects of the upcoming Kopchick Hall, set to open in 2024, as a new era for science at IUP unfolds.
Rich Caruso's generous million-dollar gift led to the inception of IUP's College of Osteopathic Medicine, a crucial initiative addressing the scarcity of physicians in rural Pennsylvania, with the aim of enhancing healthcare accessibility for underserved areas and fostering economic growth.
A professor in IUP’s Fashion Studies program, Janet Blood gave a presentation last spring on changes in style from the late 1800s at Indiana State Normal School to the 1940s at Indiana State Teachers College. Following are some of her observations from yearbooks.
Students headed for the hotel industry can practice in class, behind a real-life front desk.
Rosemary Gido, professor emerita of criminology, is still an active researcher, often focusing on how poverty affects the incarceration rate.
Math can be intimidating. It’s sophisticated, and it comes in algorithms and logarithms. But longtime Virginia educator Gwendolyn Tolbert Best ’93, M’95 shook off math’s pretensions and made it a regular kid’s friend. For her students, Best’s math comes in roast beef subs, chili, cappuccino, and tiramisu.
Recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards were honored in April at a gala sponsored by the IUP Alumni Association.
Title IX transformed women’s sports at IUP—from low-budget programs that sold baked goods to survive to the championship-caliber teams and athletes of today. Read about the evolution of sports in the half-century since this groundbreaking law was passed.
Black alumni spanning several decades at IUP are working with the university to help current Black students succeed. See what the Black Experience Alumni Committee, known as BEAC, has planned.
Joe Rocco ’11 played for a record-breaking IUP basketball team. Now he excels on an even more celebrated squad—the one Anthony Fauci led in the battle against COVID-19.
Former head coach Frank Cignetti may be best known for his football success. But many knew him for something more. Hear from a former player, student coach, and Penn reporter how Cignetti’s impact extends far beyond the football field.
Students from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other countries in crisis face many obstacles to completing their education in the US. See how some have coped and have found help through IUP and the greater community.
Four students help illustrate the impact of IUP’s record-breaking Imagine Unlimited campaign. Hear from scholarship recipients in chemistry and football, a grad assistant promoting fairness in policing, and a food pantry worker who has connected hundreds of students with meals.
Tired of changing his son’s diaper on the men’s room floor, 2009 graduate Donte Palmer made an Instagram post that led to a national campaign pushing for changing tables in all public restrooms. His organization has since expanded to offer other help to parents, but especially to fathers.
Considered Indiana Normal School’s guiding spirit, Jane Leonard inspired thousands of students and, perhaps, a U.S. president.
Professor emeritus Charles Cashdollar’s “The IUP Story” will be published later this summer. In his more than 10 years of research and writing, Cashdollar found two predominant themes throughout IUP’s history: “consistent commitment to excellence” and “persistence in overcoming obstacles.”
The Mikesell siblings—Paige, Luke, and Claire—made quite a splash at the swimming national championships in March, spearheaded by Paige’s title win in the 200 freestyle. They walked away as All-Americans (with a family haul of 13 honors) and as key players in IUP swimming’s most successful showing of the millennium.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will honor the 2020 and 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for their career achievements and service in a virtual ceremony on April 17.
Dorothy Ramale ’43, who will turn 100 in April, was well-known as a math teacher and an IUP Alumni Association president. Until recently, many didn’t know she cracked enemy codes for the US military during World War II. In honor of Women’s History Month, here is her story.
For the first time since World War II, intercollegiate athletics have come to a halt—this time because of a global pandemic and not a global conflict. The absence of competition, after countless hours of preparation, has left many student-athletes feeling lost. In response, administrators and coaches are trying new approaches to help athletes adjust and be successful off the field.
Opening in 2023, this new science complex is designed to bring improved collaboration, communication, and visibility to student and faculty work.
From protests demanding integration of the community pool to memorial marches on Philadelphia Street to the start of a speakers’ bureau and an elementary tutoring program—the fight for civil rights in Indiana took many forms. It also had faculty champions. IUP retiree Edith Cord shares her memories from the ’60s and ’70s of faculty efforts “to give everyone a better chance at the American dream.”
Adapting creatively is at the heart of theater, so it’s only natural that students in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance would find a way to put on a show and stay safe doing it. While the production is called Much Ado about Nothing, the way these theater students brought it together is truly something.
Culinary Arts alumna Kristin Butterworth is blazing a trail for female chefs in fine dining.
