FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Dec. 7, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have formed a partnership that will provide academic opportunities for Wilson students and help develop future generations of conservation professionals.
Wilson and SCBI officials recently signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the intent of a five-year partnership that was suggested by Wilson alumna Susan Breakefield Fulton, a longtime supporter of both organizations. Fulton, of Washington, D.C., proposed that the college and SCBI team up, and made contributions to both organizations to help launch the partnership, according to Camilla Rawleigh, Wilson’s vice president for institutional advancement.
“Susan’s been very generous over the years to nonprofits, but there were two that really stood out to her — SCBI and Wilson,” said Rawleigh of Fulton, a 1961 Wilson graduate whose interests include environmental sustainability and the welfare of animals.
SCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian’s global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists. SCBI spearheads research programs at its headquarters in Front Royal, Va., the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research stations and training sites worldwide. SCBI scientists tackle some of today’s most complex conservation challenges by applying and sharing what they learn about animal behavior and reproduction, ecology, genetics, migration and conservation sustainability, according to institute officials.
The partnership between Wilson and SCBI will draw on mutual strengths and interests of both institutions, allowing Wilson students to be exposed in their first year of college to the work being done at SCBI, whose 3,200-acre Front Royal campus is just 90 miles from Chambersburg.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with Wilson College,” said Ricardo Stanoss, academic program manager for the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. “We look forward to expanding our horizons to the benefit of both institutions.”
Stressing that details have not yet been finalized, Wilson Professor of Biology Dana Harriger explained how the partnership might work for Wilson students. He said in a student’s first semester, they would be introduced to the discipline of conservation biology through their first-year seminar, which would include an introduction to SCBI. Students in the program would enroll in specific collaborative courses in their sophomore year to expand their knowledge of conservation biology.
“The goal would then be for the students in this program to study in residence for a semester in Front Royal at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Biology,” Harriger said. Jointly operated by SCBI and George Mason University in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Biology is the on-site education center at SCBI.
As part of Wilson’s established, undergraduate research sequence, students in the program would be mentored by SCBI scientists and faculty at its education center, as well as have an opportunity to use the institute’s laboratories and other facilities, according to Harriger.
The partnership would also benefit Wilson faculty members, providing an opportunity for faculty exchanges in which Wilson professors might teach classes at SCBI’s education center. Likewise, faculty from SCBI could teach an occasional course at Wilson, Harriger said.
“At the end of four years, the students enrolled at Wilson would fulfill the requirements for their biology degree, focusing on conservation biology, and they would have the experience of working with top-notch research scientists from the Smithsonian,” said Harriger, who sees the partnership as an incredible opportunity for Wilson, SCBI and in particular, Wilson students.
“Having the ability to interact with the Smithsonian is something that most institutions don’t have,” he added. “From an institutional perspective, this partnership will strengthen our program, while developing a strong core in conservation biology.”
The institute’s work and resources would open up tremendous opportunities for Wilson College and its students, according to Harriger, who said a variety of careers are associated with the field of conservation biology. “Conservation biology is huge – it’s not just about saving animals,” he said. “Genetics are involved. There are the molecular aspects. There are many facets to conservation biology and the Smithsonian’s on the cutting edge. Students in this program will be exposed to current techniques used in conservation biology, as well as develop the critical skills afforded by the broader Wilson education that will make them adaptable for the future of conservation biology.”
More information about SCBI can be found at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/conservation.
CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, management, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.
Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college has a fall 2016 enrollment of 1,098, which includes students from 18 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
Wilson College and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have formed a partnership that will provide academic opportunities for Wilson students and help develop future generations of conservation professionals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Dec. 5, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — An exhibition of artwork by Wilson College art students and their instructor, Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey, will open at the Washington County Arts Council Gallery in Hagerstown, Md., on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition will continue through Jan. 31.
The exhibition, located at the gallery at 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstwon, is free and open to the public.
The exhibit, entitled Theory & Practice, showcases recent artwork created by Lindsey’s students in Drawing I and Drawing & Painting III classes. Theory & Practice refers to the link between ideas, history, contextualization and the making of artwork. Students in Lindsey’s classes deeply engage subject, form and content in their works, which are reflected in the exhibition title.
Participating student artists include: Justine Commero, Annika Dowd, Nicole Downey, Amanda Dunn, Lexy Enders, Elizabeth Hauck, Ben Luzier, Aurora Ortiz, Kiara Scarbrough, Allie Schall, and Donna Werling.
Lindsey teaches painting, drawing and graphic design at Wilson College, and directs/curates the college’s Bogigian and Cooley art galleries. He has received numerous awards for his work in national and international juried competitions and exhibitions. While at Wilson College, he has received the Donald F. Bletz Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Paul Swain Havens Research Scholars Award and the Drusilla Stevens Mazur Research Professorship.
For more information, contact Lindsey at philip.lindsey@wilson.edu or 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305.
MEDIA CONTACT: Philip Lindsey, Professor of Fine Arts Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305 Email: philip.lindsey@wilson.edu
Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.
Chambersburg, Pa. — Choreographer, performer, dance historian and artistic director Joshua Legg, formerly of Winchester, Va., has been named the new director of the Wilson College Master of Fine Arts program, effective in January 2017.
Legg, who grew up in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, has managed the dance program at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, since 2015. For the past 11 years, he has served as artistic director of JoshuaLegg/Dance Projects, which is based in the Mid-Atlantic region and produces artistic and scholarly programs that span a variety of contemporary and historical dance genres, dance-theater and theater. Legg is also a dance historian.
Legg — whose work has spanned ballet, classic modern, post-Judson, street jazz, dance theater/performance art, opera and classical, contemporary and musical theater — has performed dance roles in masterworks by Balanchine, de Mille, Petipa and Robbins, as well as a diverse range of contemporary works. He is the author of Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques and he has taught in dance or theater programs at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Harvard University (where he received a certificate of distinction in teaching), Suffolk University in Boston, Shenandoah University and Lake Superior State University.
“Wilson is excited to welcome someone with Joshua’s depth of experience and breadth of knowledge,” said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs. “We are confident that he will take our M.F.A. program to the next level.”
Wilson’s M.F.A. program is “prime for deep, creative investigation and for collaboration,” according to Legg, who has three degrees from Shenandoah University in Winchester, including a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) and a bachelor’s degree in dance performance and choreography from Shenandoah Conservatory.
The college has “the potential to develop an exciting laboratory that is flexible enough to meet the needs of our students while we practice highly contemporary approaches to artmaking.” Legg said. “It is exciting to see the potential for us to create artist collectives for the 21st century. I can’t wait to get started working with our graduate students and the Wilson community in general.”
Begun in 2015, Wilson’s M.F.A. is a low-residency program designed for working artists and others who have been away from academia and are now seeking an advanced degree. The program, which offers concentrations in visual art and choreography, is developing as an intimate and intense experience in which students and faculty explore making dance or visual art without the usual boundaries of media, according to Robert Dickson, chair of the college’s fine arts department.
The program offers a mentoring component to the curriculum that differentiates it from other low-residency M.F.A. programs. Wilson’s program is unique in providing a Wilson-approved faculty mentor near the student’s home, giving each student one-on-one personal contact with a professional who can offer ongoing advice and motivation, Dickson said.
Wilson’s M.F.A. program is designed to be completed in two years with 20 courses, including two required, four-week summer residency periods when students live, study and work on the Wilson campus.
During the non-residence periods, students will have regular contact with Wilson program faculty members and with their mentors. Each semester at home will include an online seminar with other members of the M.F.A. program learning community.
The M.F.A. program is supported in part through an endowment from Wilson College alumna Francis Farmer of the Class of 1950.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Dickson, Division of Arts and Letters Chair Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3400 Email: robert.dickson@wilson.edu
Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy and nursing. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.
Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college had a fall 2016 enrollment of 1,098, which includes students from 18 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Dec. 2, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — The Franklin County Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC), has awarded Wilson College a grant of $6,238 to provide transportation for up to 20 elementary school children to attend the college’s after-school tutoring program.
The tutoring program, called Learning Campus, is for the children of migrant farmworkers who live in the Chambersburg area. The program is run by Wilson student volunteers, in partnership with the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12.
The grant would provide mini-bus transportation to the Wilson campus for eligible students in kindergarten through 5th-grade at Benjamin Chambers, Andrew Buchanan and Thaddeus Stevens elementary schools in Chambersburg.
TFEC is an umbrella organization for several foundations and individual trusts. It has supported such programs as Parents and Partner, Women’s Fund and Arts for All Partnership. According to its website, the Franklin County Foundation’s mission is “to invest in innovative, collaborative approaches and solutions to community programs, and to support projects that demonstrate achievable outcomes …” The foundation’s overarching goal is to fund programs and services “that have the potential for the greatest impact on the quality of life and positive outcomes for individuals and families living in Franklin County.”
The goal of Wilson’s Learning Campus is that children in the program will not only gain the opportunity to be successful academically, but will also consider going on to attend college, which could help break the cycle of poverty among Chambersburg’s migrant families, according to Wilson officials.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Phone: 717-262-2604 Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Nov. 22, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College will host the 7th annual Handmade for the Holidays event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in Lenfest Commons. The event will feature handmade items from local craftspeople. This year’s items for sale include jewelry, handwovens, paintings, Shaker boxes and utensils, handmade books and dolls, ceramics, soaps, candles, ornaments, art quilts and photographs.
Shoppers will not only support local craftspeople, but also an area nonprofit organization – 10 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Over the Rainbow Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County, an organization that provides a safe, child-friendly place for children and their families to receive services that help to restore hope and provide healing from child abuse.
MEDIA CONTACT: Lorie Helman, Student Development Office Manager Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3226 Email: lorie.helman@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Nov. 14, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — The Fulton Center for Sustainable Living at Wilson College has been renamed the Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies, a shift that reflects an effort to more purposefully integrate the center and its resources—including the certified-organic Fulton Farm—with the college’s academic curriculum.
Some of the steps toward making the FCSS an academic center include the development of a food studies minor and a restructuring of short-term internships to create a two-year apprenticeship program for those seriously exploring a career in sustainable agriculture.
The college is also considering offering a nine-credit certification program in sustainable food, according to FCSS Director Chris Mayer, who said the certification would include an internship, a course in agroecology and a course from a menu of other classes in areas such as nutrition, business or sociology.
“It could be tailored to students’ needs,” Mayer said, adding that the program could be a fit for students interested in business, sociology and global studies.
In addition, a soon-to-be-announced partnership between Wilson and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will likely strengthen the link between academics and the stewardship values of FCSS, Mayer said. The partnership was brought about thanks to a gift from Wilson alumna Susan Breakefield Fulton, Class of 1961, who provided $1 million in 1999 to endow the Fulton Center in honor of her late husband, Richard Alsina Fulton.
The new direction of the FCSS reflects a longstanding goal of integrating the academic curriculum with the center and more closely connecting it to the campus community—a goal that has not yet been realized. The program additions and changes are aimed at helping the Fulton Center reach its full potential.
“It starts with perceptions,” said Mayer. “Just changing ‘living’ to ‘studies’ puts the center at the heart of academics in people’s minds.”
When the Fulton Center was founded in 1994 as the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainable Living, its creators envisioned its purpose as caring for the land, preserving history and natural resources, and pursuing the new movement of environmental sustainability.
In addition to promoting earth-friendly practices such as sustainable food and energy production, the FCSS provides oversight of Fulton Farm and its popular CSA (community-supported agriculture) subscription program, as well as the Robyn Van En Center, a CSA information resource. More recently, the center has hosted student research projects in food safety and water quality monitoring done in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The proposed food studies minor is on track to be offered next fall. It would include studies in the sciences and humanities and would require an internship at the farm. It could appeal to students interested in a variety of fields, from farming and food science to healthcare and social work, according to Mayer. “Our goal is to make it appealing across many disciplines.”
The FCSS has existed at Wilson in some form since 1994, when the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainable Living was launched on an 18th-century farmstead, known as the Lehman Farm, Wilson had purchased 20 years earlier. Over the years, the center has been involved with a number of demonstration projects to help promote and familiarize the community with environmentally friendly practices such as sustainable farming and CSA, biodiesel fuel production, solar energy use and recycling.
Wilson’s Fulton Farm, which received certified-organic status from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in late 2013, has been recognized over the past year as one of the best college farms in the country. CollegeRanker.com listed the farm 24th on its list of the 40 Best College Farms—ahead of both Penn State and Ohio State—and CollegeValuesOnline.com rated Wilson’s farm 19th on its list of the Top 30 Sustainable College-Run Farms. Last month, OnlineCollegePlan.com ranked Fulton Farm 14th on its list of 60 Blue Ribbon College Farms.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Nov. 2, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — The Wilson College 2016-17 World Travel Dinner and Film program series continues with a Cuban-themed dinner and film on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Dinner will be held in Laird Hall at 6 p.m., followed by the film, “Cuba’s Secret Side,” at 7 p.m. in the Thomson Hall’s Alumnae Chapel.
An authentic Cuba dinner prepared by SAGE Dining Services includes dishes such as ropa vieja (stewed beef and vegetables) arroz con maiz (rice and corn) frijole negros (black beans) and yuca con mojo (garlic and lime marinated yuca roots).
After dinner, documentary filmmaker Karin Muller will present “Cuba’s Secret Side,” which explores that fascinating nation’s dual personality: the side seen by the media and by tourists, contrasted with the everyday lives of its surprisingly diverse population.
Dinner tickets are $20 per person and film tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for children ages 10 to 18. To reserve tickets, call 717-262-2003.
MEDIA CONTACT: Joel Pagliaro, Director of Conferences and Special Events, Sage Dining Services Phone: 717-262-2003 Email: conferences@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Oct. 27, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — The Wilson College modern dance ensemble, Orchesis, will present its annual fall performance on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12, in Wilson's Appenzellar-Buchanan Dance Studio in Davison Hall. Performances will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.
The performance of “Dancers on the Edge” will include an array of duets, solos, trios and group dances choreographed by Wilson College faculty and students. Among the works making premieres are an interdisciplinary duet that explores color and emotion; a 14-person ensemble celebrating feminine beauty in stillness; and a fun-loving trio of ballerinas-turned-Shania Twain dancers.
The performances are open to the public. Tickets will be available at the door; however, seating is limited so reservations are encouraged. To reserve seats, contact Wilson Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Megan Mizanty at megan.mizanty@wilson.edu.
Ticket prices are:
General admission — $10
Students with I.D. and children under 12 — $3
Veterans — Free
Orchesis was founded at Wilson in 1942 under the direction of Roberta Jones to further the liberal arts education and encourage young women to explore ideas through movement. The ensemble was led by Paula Kellinger, Wilson professor emerita of dance, from 1986 to 2015, and is now advised by Mizanty, a professional dancer and choreographer who has been performing on the East Coast for the past five years.
For more information about Orchesis, visit www.wilson.edu/orchesis.
MEDIA CONTACT: Megan Mizanty, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Phone: 570-851-7372 Email: megan.mizanty@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Oct. 26, 2016
Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College will hold a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, to mark the opening of an exhibition of art created by area high school students. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will continue through Dec. 9 in the Bogigian Gallery located on the second floor of Lortz Hall.
The sixth juried high school art exhibition mounted by Wilson College, the show will include 27 works of art from more than 70 entries submitted from Franklin, Adams, Cumberland and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania and Washington County, Md.
The exhibition is an opportunity for area high school students to showcase their work and have it judged by the college art faculty, according to Wilson Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey. Cash prizes of $200, $100 and $50 will be awarded for first, second and third places, respectively, and other works of note will receive honorable mention.
Students are encouraged to offer their works of art for sale during the exhibition, which is presented by Wilson’s Department of Fine Arts and Dance.
Bogigian Gallery, named in honor of Wilson College benefactor Hagop Bogigian, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Lindsey at philip.lindsey@wilson.edu or 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305.
