Wilson College will honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special evening program titled “Infinite Hope” on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Alumnae Chapel of Thomson Hall. This annual event invites the community to reflect on King’s enduring message of hope and justice. The program will feature a keynote address by Ernest Owens, an award-winning journalist and media executive; a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing;” and remarks by Wilson College President Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D.
Owens is CEO of Ernest Media Empire LLC and serves as editor of Eater Philly, political writer-at-large for Philadelphia Magazine, and host of the podcasts Ernestly Speaking! and Philadelphia City Council Live on WURD Radio. He is the author of The Case for Cancel Culture, published by St. Martin’s Press. His work has appeared in national outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone. His journalism frequently addresses issues at the intersection of race, LGBTQIA+ identity, politics, and popular culture.
He launched Ernest Media Empire in 2018 as a multimedia production, consulting, and communications firm. Owens holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in communication management from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Philadelphia.
Owens’ work has earned numerous honors, including recognition on The Philadelphia Tribune’s 2024 Most Influential African Americans list and the 2023 City & State Pennsylvania Pride Power 100. He received the 2020 Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and has been recognized by Forbes, the American Society of Magazine Editors, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, the Pen & Pencil Club, and the City & Regional Magazine Association. In 2022, he was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for his writing at Rolling Stone.
The event is free and open to the public. A livestream option will be available for those unable to attend in person. For more information visit: https://www.wilson.edu/mlk-day-2026
Madison Sokolowski '28 found her home at Wilson College. After taking many things into account when making a decision about her higher education journey, she realized she was mainly looking for a "family" culture.
"I was blessed to find that I could continue my academics as well as my athletic career with it being a perfect distance from home," Sokolowski said.
Sokolowski plays on the Wilson College Women's Soccer team and is studying criminal justice with a minor in communications and psychology. In addition, she is the Wilson College Government Association Vice President, Class of 2028 Secretary, Joint Honor Council Secretary, SAAC Representative, Phoenix Leader, and an Orientation Leader.
"I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a leader on campus and my goal is to leave my mark here before I graduate," Sokolowski said. "I am so grateful for all of my amazing peers and professors here who make this campus my version of a family."
"The Wilson College TCP program allowed me to continue working at my school while I earned certification in Special Education. The professors were excellent with helping me attain the background for skills I wasn't confident in yet. The intern teaching process has allowed me to work with a wonderful mentor, who is full of great ideas and resources." - Amanda Webber, TCP Completer '25 Special Education
"The thing that makes Amanda stand out is her commitment to fostering inclusion for her students with multiple disability needs. She, along with her school colleagues, create opportunities for her students to interact with their peers, build confidence, and become important school community members." - Dr. Anne Corwell, Wilson College Practicum Supervisor
On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Wilson College held an Omega Eta induction ceremony. Omega Eta is the Wilson College chapter of the global Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, which recognizes nursing students and professionals who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.
Students are offered induction to the group after being enrolled in a bachelor’s nursing program or equivalent; being ranked in the highest 35 percent of their nursing class; completing one-half of the nursing curriculum; and RN to BSN students must have completed 12 credit hours. Other ways to join the society are as nurse leaders, which have their own set of criteria.
2025 student inductees:Lee Anne Causey Amy Adkins HartleyJennifer HaughAudrey Atemkeng LekeSarah Marie LoveMacie MabeAva-Gaye MorganBrittany Marie RohrbaughGretchen Alissa Turner
Nurse Leader inductees:Katie NelsonJeff Ulrich
Transfers:Kris HockenberryTammy Miceli
Omega Eta Chapter inductees: (Left to right) Jeff Ulrich, Gretchen Turner, Brittany Rohrbaugh, Macie Mabe, Audrey Leke, Amy Hartley, Jennifer Haugh, and Tammy Miceli.
The Omega Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International was established at Wilson College in 2019. Sigma was founded in 1922 by six nursing students and has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales.
Wilson College offers a pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), online RN-to-BSN and RN-to-MSN programs, and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Explore all of the Wilson College nursing programs here.
Congratulations to all of the 2025 Omega Eta inductees!
Wilson College and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are proud to announce a new 4+2 Enrollment Articulation Agreement designed to streamline the academic pathway for students pursuing careers in occupational therapy. This partnership reflects both institutions’ commitment to preparing future healthcare professionals through collaborative and innovative educational opportunities.
Under the newly established “Bachelor’s + 2 OTD” pathway, students will complete a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at Shippensburg University before matriculating into the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at Wilson College. Shippensburg University will confer the baccalaureate degree prior to students entering the Wilson College OTD program. Importantly, no coursework is shared between the institutions, ensuring clear and distinct academic progression.
“This agreement helps address the growing demand for occupational therapy professionals by creating a clear, efficient pathway for students,” said Michael Gerg, DOT, MS, OTR/L, CHT, associate professor and program director of the Wilson College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program. “Together, we’re preparing graduates who are ready to meet critical healthcare needs in our communities.”
As part of this agreement, Wilson College will reserve up to two seats per cohort for qualified Shippensburg University students who meet all admissions criteria. This initiative not only enhances access to advanced clinical education but also supports the growing demand for skilled occupational therapy practitioners.
"We are thrilled to partner with Wilson College on addressing the regional demand for occupational therapists,” said Sam Forlenza, Ph.D., acting dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Shippensburg University. “This agreement provides a clear pathway for students and allows them to earn both an undergraduate degree and doctoral degree in only six years. This positions our students to reach their career goals faster and become leaders in the field and their communities."
Shippensburg University will begin pre-screening interested students as early as the spring of their junior year. To be considered for admission into the Wilson College OTD program, applicants from Shippensburg University must earn a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Shippensburg University and meet all Wilson College OTD admission requirements.
This articulation agreement marks a significant step forward in fostering academic excellence and professional readiness in the field of occupational therapy.
By Shelby Bowman '26
On Halloween, Brittany Harman, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, tasked the students in her biopsychology class with creating zombie-themed menus featuring various parts of the brain. Some menus included spooky starters like Spicy Amygdala Dip and Cerebellum Salad with eyeball croutons, along with eerie entrees like Frontal Lobe Fillet.
This activity was just one of the many Harmon designed to make complex content more engaging and memorable.
“When you’re learning about various areas of the brain, or structures of neurons and how they communicate with each other, that can get really tedious and really boring very quickly,” said Harmon.
These hands-on activities make the class more interactive. Other activities include mapping the flow of information from the eyes to the brain, and crafting neurons from modeling putty. “I had them design trading cards of neurotransmitters, and they had a lot of fun with it,” Harmon added. “I noticed that some students did really well on that part of the test.”
“Even though biopsychology seems like a hard class, it’s probably my easiest class this semester because of how Professor Harmon teaches,” said Arianna Winlack ’27. “I really enjoy it.”
The zombie menu assignment will also help students prepare for their final paper, in which they must analyze stereotypical zombie behaviors, such as staggered gait or lack of heartbeat, and determine the impaired brain regions.
Blending science with creativity offers students a unique approach to a complex subject.
“I feel like hands-on activities let you be more creative and help you retain information better than just listening and writing,” said Julia Wilkes ’28. “It helps me understand the material a lot better.”
Wilson College invites the community to begin the holiday season at its 105th Christmas Vespers on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4:30 p.m. in the historic Alumnae Chapel in Thomson Hall on the college campus. Leading the service will be the Rev. Andrew Hart, D.Min., the Nancy Adams Besch ’48 and Elisabeth Hudnut Clarkson ’47 college chaplain, and Dillon Beede, M.M., Ed.M., director of choral activities and chair of music.
“Christmas Vespers invites us to experience the inbreaking light of hope and peace into the shadows of a weary world,” said Hart. “This service is a reminder that even in seasons of darkness, the promise of light endures and that light calls us to prepare our hearts for joy.”
This year, the service will draw inspiration from the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols first held on Christmas Eve in 1918 at King’s College, Cambridge, England, at the end of World War I. The program will feature readings, anthems, and carols that transcend divisions, affirm shared humanity, and encourage spiritual preparation for the holiday season.
The service will showcase musical performances by the Cumberland Valley Chorale, the BrassWorks brass quintet, organist David Erickson, and pianist Diana Reinert, and readings by members of the Wilson College and Chambersburg communities.
Wilson’s Christmas Vespers is free and open to the public. The service will also be livestreamed. For more information visit www.wilson.edu/vespers.
"Wilson's TCP (Teacher Certification Pathway) Program has fully equipped me with the practical skills and certified credentials required to step confidently into the classroom and positively impact student learning."- Cael Turnball, TCP Completer '25 Turnbull finished the program and received his certification in Secondary English. His practicum supervisor, Dr. Wanda Richie, shared,
"Cael Turnbull’s enthusiasm, eagerness to engage his students, and thoughtful classroom presence make him a real asset to education. He offers creativity and innovation couched in structure and routine, which allows lots of fun within boundaries for rambunctious middle school students. I am thrilled he has chosen teaching as his career path."
Wilson College will open a new art exhibition titled “Jacques Callot and Those Who Came After” on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. in the first-floor gallery of the John Stewart Memorial Library. The exhibition will run through the spring semester.
The show features 18 etchings that make up Jacques Callot’s masterpiece, Les Grandes Misères de la Guerre (1633), or The Miseries and Misfortunes of War. This series is considered the first anti-war statement in Western art.
Curated by Adam DelMarcelle, assistant professor of graphic design, the exhibition was a collaborative effort by Wilson College students during the fall 2025 semester. Students in the Western Art History 1000–1800 course undertook the research and writing, while the Graphic Design II class developed the exhibition’s visual language and way-finding system, enhancing the experience of the powerful work and artifacts. Students in the Typography and the Letterform class built the catalog, and digital photography students contributed striking photographic elements that elevate the artifacts displayed alongside works by Callot, Francisco Goya, Otto Dix, and Ernst Barlach.
“Interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration lie at the very heart of a liberal arts education, and throughout the months of preparation leading up to the opening, this remarkable group of students embodied the very best of what can happen in the classroom—when learning is guided and considered by openness, curiosity, and a touch of romance. To say I am proud of them would be an understatement,” said DelMarcelle.
Callot’s influence spans centuries, inspiring artists such as Goya, Dix, and Barlach to confront the same haunting questions about why humans go to war. This exhibition traces the lineage of protest through printed images, reminding viewers that in the darkest hours, the artist bears witness. It also reflects the collaboration behind its creation, bringing together a multidisciplinary group of students from diverse backgrounds to create an experience that is both rich and nuanced.
by Shelby Bowman '26
For a group of Wilson College students, the start of the new year will mean more than just another semester; it will mean delivering healthcare to the sugarcane fields of the Dominican Republic. Sherri Stahl, RN, MHA, NEA-BC, instructor of nursing, and Wendell Smith, Ph.D., professor of Spanish, will lead the weeklong trip, scheduled for January 4-11, 2026. Together, they will guide students in providing essential medical services to residents of La Romana, a coastal town in the eastern Dominican Republic.
Medical missions trip, 2023
This marks the fourth time Smith has organized the trip. Since 2018, the program has combined service learning with language immersion, giving students the chance to apply both skills in real-world settings. “Speaking Spanish in a classroom is a practice game, and students really don't have confidence in their abilities until they've actually used the language in a real situation,” said Smith. “This experience helps students take responsibility for their own competence in the language and gives them confidence.”
For nursing students, the experience is equally transformative. Throughout the week, they will operate a medical clinic in the remote sugarcane fields, offering services such as blood pressure measurements, wound care, family planning, and even dentistry.
Many students return from the trip inspired to continue serving others. “There's a lot that ignites the need for a continued pathway—to continue to do service trips and serve—that becomes part of their nursing way of life,” said Stahl.
To help support the mission, Wilson College held a fundraiser in late September. The evening featured Christian merengue music performed by Revelación Maranatha, a Latin American orchestra from La Romana. The concert raised $1,000, and during the event organizers announced an additional $5,000 gift to Wilson’s Spanish Department to help cover the clinic costs.
This gift came from the estate of Louise Buttrick-Davies ‘53, whose memories of her Wilson years included a regularly hosted a Spanish conversation hour and special housing on campus in which students spoke only Spanish. “Her fond memories of Wilson College were connected to learning Spanish, and that's why she dedicated it to the Spanish department,” said Professor Smith.
In total, the fundraiser raised $6,000, further supporting the students’ efforts. The trip promises to make a meaningful difference in the community while empowering students to gain hands-on experience and make the world a better place.
