FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 29, 2015
Chambersburg, Pa. — Two organizations recently approved grants for Wilson College totaling $38,000 to be used for scholarships for mature women students and programming to help address nutrition deficiencies by educating children about healthy food choices.
The college was granted $30,000 from The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, a Princeton, N.J.-based charitable organization founded in 1979 to support students seeking college degrees. The funds will be added to the Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Women Students program at Wilson, which supports women students age 25 and older who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree and need financial assistance. Wilson matches the awards on a one-to-one basis. Next year will mark the 30th year of the Newcombe Foundation’s partnership with Wilson College.
The college also received an $8,000 grant from Summit Endowment, which is part of Summit Health Inc., to help address nutrition deficiencies identified in a 2012 health needs assessment performed by Summit Health. The funds are being used by Wilson’s Fulton Center for Sustainable Living for educational programming about food, including its summer children’s program, “Vegetable Literacy at Fulton Farm,” which is aimed at raising awareness and improving nutrition among area children and their families.
MEDIA 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 29 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 spring 2015 enrollment of 805, which includes students from 17 states and 14 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved a new, early childhood (preK-4)/ special education (preK-8) major within Wilson’s education curriculum. The dual certification program will be available this fall, along with a new minor in special education.
Students who choose the dual certification major will pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood that will prepare them to teach both typically developing students and those with disabilities. (In addition to the dual certification B.A., those who already have a bachelor’s degree in any area can seek dual certification through the Wilson College Teacher Intern Program.)
Upon graduation or completion of the program, they will be qualified as an early childhood (preK-4) and/or special education (preK-8) teacher in both public and private schools in Pennsylvania. In addition, they will have the credentials needed to work in facilities that provide services to people with disabilities, according to Lynn M. Newman, associate professor and chair of Wilson’s education department.
Newman said Wilson receives numerous inquiries from potential students seeking dual certification in early childhood and special education. The college conducted a survey of special education supervisors for Pennsylvania school districts, who “overwhelmingly stated an anticipated need for teachers with dual certification (preK-4/special education) over the next five years,” according to the college’s program proposal.
The undergraduate dual certification in early childhood/special education will differentiate Wilson from a number of other area institutions, which do not offer such a program, said Theresa Hoover, Wilson assistant professor of education.
MEDIA CONTACT: Lynn Newman, Chair, Department of Education Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3398 Email: lynn.newman@wilson.edu or Theresa Hoover, Assistant Professor of Education Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3124 Email: theresa.hoover@wilson.edu
Wilson College’s new, low-residency Master of Fine Arts program launching this summer has finalized the faculty who will lead the inaugural session.
In addition to internationally renowned choreographer RoseAnne Spradlin, the New York City-based director of the M.F.A. program in choreography and visual arts, faculty members include:
Wilson announced its new M.F.A. program in late February and began enrolling its first students, who come from New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona and France. Classes begin in July. The students will take courses in the history and philosophy of art; study current trends in art and performance; learn media techniques; explore the experience and meaning of ‘embodied’ movement and human form; and most importantly, work to develop their own artwork with mentoring and guidance provided by an experienced summer faculty.
The M.F.A. was conceived and designed by Wilson arts faculty members Paula Kellinger, Philip Lindsey and Robert Dickson.
Special events planned for summer sessions include performances by visiting artists and trips to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the new Whitney Museum in New York City.
For more information, contact RoseAnne Spradlin at roseanne.spradlin@wilson.edu.
-- June 9, 2015
Wilson College honored students at its annual Academic Awards ceremony held Friday, May 1, in the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology.
The following students received awards:
James Applegate Award, which is awarded to a student with an interest in drama and theater, went to two students: Annika Dowd of Chambersburg and Ghada Tafesh of Gaza, Palestinian Territories.
Lucy Bremmer Global Citizenship Award, awarded to a student who participates in the service learning component of Wilson’s global citizenship initiative, was given to Katelyn Wingerd of Orrtanna, Pa. Wingerd also received the Josef Michael Kellinger German or Foreign Language Award for a student who has demonstrated excellence in German or foreign language studies; and the Margaret Strode Haines Award, which recognizes a student with outstanding qualities of scholarship, interest in the humanities and strength of body, mind and spirit.
Alice Martin Brumbaugh Award in Sociology, which is given to a female student who has entered the college at a non-traditional age and shows a special interest and/or outstanding promise in the field of sociology, was awarded to Stacy Hess of Chambersburg.
CRC Press General Chemistry Achievement Award was given to Gaser Ahmed of Chambersburg.
Marel Harlow Cheng Memorial Prize, awarded to a student who has done well in international studies or has made some noticeable contributions to international understanding, went to Christina Gonzalez of Santa Barbara, Calif.
Regina Shaputnic Cuomo Mathematics Award, given to a student who is majoring and shows outstanding ability in mathematics, was awarded to Jennifer Skinner of Waynesboro, Pa.
Estep-Lawson Memorial Prize, awarded to a student in lower-level French who demonstrates excellence and shows future promise in French studies, went to Jesse Smith of Bronx, N.Y.
Mildred Franklin Prize, given to a senior for excellence in classical languages, was awarded to Tia Shearer of South Mountain, Pa.
Donna Gomer VMT ADP award for an adult degree student displaying excellence in the study of veterinary medical technology went to Jena Forsythe of Chambersburg.
Davison Greenawalt Grove Award for a student participating in research in physical and life sciences was given to Jessica Meck of Huntingdon, Pa.
Dorle Haas Memorial Prize, awarded to a senior for outstanding service within the greater Chambersburg area, went to Taylor Staudt of Robesonia, Pa.
Gloria Randle Scott-Frances Richards Hesselbein Prize, awarded to the senior who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service during their four years at Wilson College, was given to Sonja Hess of Bolton Landing, N.Y.
Joanne Harrison Hopkins Literary Achievement Award, given for the finest piece of imaginative literature in fiction, poetry or drama produced during the academic year, went to Caitlyn Minelli of Beverly, Mass.
Catherine Herr Langdon Award, given to a senior who has demonstrated academic excellence and has gien encouragement and guidance to fellow students during the year, went to Nicole Melanson of Hyannis, Mass.
Mary-Eleanor Maule Travel Grant, awarded to graduating seniors or students entering their junior or senior years for travel planned in support of study in Spanish, was given to Netha Kane of Chambersburg.
Alta Lindsay McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in Latin or Greek in the freshman class, went to Haley Hutchinson of Acme, Pa.
Robert Shannon McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in mathematics, went to Kristyn T. Fogg of Virginia Beach, Va.
Helen Adams Nutting History Prize, awarded to a member of the junior or senior class who has demonstrated outstanding ability in the field of history, went to Nicole Trusky of Chambersburg.
Organic Chemistry Award, given to the student in organic chemistry who earned the highest grades for the year, went to Nicole Bodulow of Perkasie, Pa.
Outstanding Peer Teacher Award, given to honor exemplary service as a First-Year Seminar peer teacher for the year, went to Danniele Fulmer of Clymer, Pa.
Nicky Hoffman Reich Award, given to the student whose work with animals shows commitment to humane treatment, was awarded to Danielle Boock of Chambersburg.
Helga Rist Prize, given to a dedicated American foreign language student who has shown integrity, promise and potential, went to two students: Krista Dewald of Fairfax, Va.
John D. Rose Award in Environmental Studies, given to an outstanding junior majoring in environmental studies or biology to fund a summer research project or internship, went to Sadie Repp of Mercersburg, Pa.
William and Ivy Saylor Prize, established through the Academy of American Poets to support young poets at colleges nationwide, was awarded to Darah Wolf of Chambersburg.
Grace Tyson Schlichter Award in Communications, which is given to a senior who has shown general academic excellence and outstanding promise for a career in a field of communications, was given to Carol Zehosky of Shippensburg, Pa., and Shoshana Rudski of Allentown, Pa.
Mary Beers Sheppard Prize, awarded to the member of the senior class who has shown the keenest understanding and appreciation of literature, was given to Jennifer Dodds of Hagerstown, Md.
Joan M. Thuebel ’52 Earthwatch Prize, which sponsors a student to participate in an Earthwatch Institute project of his or her choosing, was awarded to Jessica Larkin of Carlisle, Pa.
William P. Van Looy Business Prize, awarded to the junior or senior business and economics major who has demonstrated excellence in business studies and in service to the well-being of both the Wilson College and larger community, went to Han Yan of Wuhan, China
E. Grace White Prize, awarded to a senior whose major field is biology or biochemistry and who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and plans a career involving the biological sciences, went to Kotchaphorn Mangkalaphiban of Chiangmai, Thailand.
E. Grace White Summer Scholarship, which is given to an outstanding junior in biology for use at approved laboratories, went to Amadea Clement of Bowie, Md., and Ghada Tafesh of Gaza, Palestinian Territories.
Wilson College Education Award is awarded to one elementary education major and a student preparing for teacher certification in a secondary school level who have shown outstanding achievement in both their academic studies and in their professional preparation. Jennifer Isaac of Biglerville, Pa., won the secondary award and Nathanael Stump of New Bloomfield, Pa., received the early childhood award.
Wilson Equestrienne Award, given to a graduating senior who has excelled in academics and equitation, went to Marissa Kosko-Blyler of Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Wilson College Fine Arts Prize, given to a graduating senior for outstanding achievement in both art history and studio art, was awarded to Jessika Glass Dockery of Chambersburg.
Carolyn Zeleny Prize, which goes to a sociology student in the junior or senior class on the basis of academic excellence and/or community service, went to Heather Humwood of Chambersburg.
Wilson College Scholar Athletes, those who have maintained a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher and participated in at least one Wilson varsity athletic team, are: Nicole Bodulow of Perkasie, Pa.; Nicole Melanson of Hyannis, Mass.; Emma Miller of Salisbury, Md.; Brittney Poff of Red Lion, Pa.; Lily Rembold of Franklin, Pa.; and Katelyn Wingerd of Orrtanna, Pa.
-- by Cathy Mentzer
May 6, 2015
Wilson College has received an additional $1.2 million gift for its Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library fundraising effort from Wilson alumna Sue Davison Cooley, a Portland, Oregon, area philanthropist who contributed $2.4 million to the project last year.
Cooley’s latest gift, which she made in honor of Wilson’s longest-serving dean, Margaret Criswell Disert, brings the total raised for the $12 million library project to more than $11.8 million in cash and pledges.
“Mrs. Cooley’s generosity to her alma mater has been extraordinary, especially when it comes to helping us provide our students with a comprehensive, state-of-the-art library,” said Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick.
Cooley’s initial gift early last year assisted in completing a matching gift from another alumna, Marguerite Lenfest, and her most recent gift will allow the construction of a plaza off of the new learning commons and an academic green planned as part of the library project to move forward, according to Mistick.
“We are grateful to Mrs. Cooley for supporting Wilson College and contributing in such a significant way to our future,” she said.
The library project includes repairing and restoring the college’s 1924 collegiate gothic library building and replacing a 1961 addition with a contemporary learning commons equipped to meet the needs of today’s students. The learning commons will house academic support services, writing labs, two “smart” classrooms, a commuter lounge, bookstore and outdoor plaza, as well as the “Sue Davison Cooley Gallery,” named in honor of Cooley’s transformational gifts. The project is scheduled to be completed this fall.
Cooley, who attended Wilson from 1940 to 1942, said her experience at the college had a profound and lasting effect, and she is happy to give back to the institution that she holds dear to this day.
“I have so many fond memories of being at Wilson that it is very much a part of my life,” Cooley said. “Students are given very special gifts when they are at Wilson. They get an outstanding experience.”
Cooley, who recognizes how important a modern library is to the vitality of any college campus, said her gift is an expression of confidence in Wilson’s current leadership and the path the college is on today. “I am a very, very big fan of Wilson,” she said.
Cooley is a longtime supporter of the college. She donated $1 million in 2005 to establish a scholarship for participants in the Women with Children program in honor of old friends Sylvia Scalera Davison and Mary Meinecke Dee, both with the Wilson College Class of 1944. She has also been a faithful contributor to the college’s annual fund.
Wilson’s library building has been closed since fall 2011 due to a heating system failure. Its functions were relocated to the lower level of Lenfest Commons.
Wilson College is taking a number of innovative steps through its Wilson Today plan to transform itself into a thriving liberal arts institution, including adding programs in nursing and the health sciences and other areas, expanding coeducation across all programs, creating a value proposition to lower tuition and repay up to $10,000 in federal loans for qualified students, and improving infrastructure. An updated library configured to meet expanded enrollment is an important component of Wilson’s revitalization.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Five Wilson College seniors presented the results of their research and one was recognized for her oral presentation at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, held April 10 to 12 at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.
The following Wilson students presented research: Kotcha Mangkalaphiban of Thailand; Jessica Meck of Huntingdon, Pa.; Martina Mellott of Mercersburg, Pa.; Ashley Perkins of Singlehouse, Pa.; and Allison Shastay of Bedford, Pa.
Meck, who is majoring in biology, placed second in the oral presentation category for her research project, “The Effects of Temperature on the Competitive Interactions between Pseudogymnoascus destructans and Native Cave Fungi.” Last year's winner of Wilson’s John D. Rose Award in Environmental Studies, Meck is the recipient of an Outstanding Research Grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Science in support of her undergraduate research.
Shastay and Mangkalaphiban also received PAS Outstanding Research Grants.
PAS judged oral presentations and posters, and provided monetary awards for the top three places in each category. Oral presentations were assessed in categories for scientific merit - ranging from experimental methodologies to analysis of results - and presentation qualities, including visual impact and fielding of questions. The overall score was reflective of all subcategories
This is the fourth year for the award competition and the fourth year that a Wilson student has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Academy of Science for excellence in the oral presentation category.
Wilson College students will present the results of their undergraduate research at Wilson’s 6th annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1. The public is invited to join Wilson students, faculty, staff and administrators at all events.
Seniors will present their work, which was produced in conjunction with faculty advisers, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Science Complex auditorium. Other students will share their work graphically in a poster session, to be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., also in Brooks. Presentations will showcase undergraduate research projects in such disciplines as biology, chemistry, English, environmental science, fine arts and psychology.
“Student Research Day quickly has become a strong academic tradition on our campus,” said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “It’s a full day that we set aside to showcase the remarkable achievements of our students. It also celebrates our strong student and faculty collaboration.”
Student Research Day is again being sponsored this year by the NOVA Corp., a minority-owned information technology service company headquartered in Chambersburg.
Presentations will focus on the humanities, sciences and social sciences, including the prestigious Disert Scholar from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Complex. The Disert award, given to the student with the best honors thesis proposal, went this year to Kotchaphorn Mangkalaphiban, who will present the results of her research on the effects of natural anti-inflammatories – ginger and turmeric – in mice. The study’s findings may ultimately be helpful in improving anti-inflammatory drugs.
Other presentations will include examinations of: the influence of America writer David Foster Wallace and how his work may help readers “make sense of the forces that threaten our ability to feel human today and (enable) us to imagine paths of resistance to these forces;” the efficacy of three Chinese herbal medicines on the symptoms of asthma; and how a commonly used Wall Street investment behavior metric can be improved.
Also on May 1, three Wilson seniors, Jessika Dockery, Leah Edwards and Stephanie Laurent – all majoring in fine arts – will host a capstone exhibition of their artwork from 4 to 8 p.m. at Nathan Miller Chocolate, 140 N. 3rd Street, Chambersburg, and in Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery from May 4 to 17.
Wilson’s Student Research Day will conclude with the annual Academic Awards presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Phone: 717-262-2604
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu
Five Wilson College athletes have been named to North Eastern Athletic Conference South Division All-Conference teams in their respective sports for 2014-15. All-Conference teams are made up of the top players as selected by NEAC coaches. In addition, Wilson softball coach Brett Cline was named NEAC South Division Coach of the Year.
Cline guided the Phoenix to a 15-5 conference record and a share of the NEAC South championship. Under his direction, the softball team improved its conference ranking from third place in 2014 to a first-place (tie) with 10 freshmen and no seniors on the squad. The team also won an Eastern College Athletic Conference bid as a result of its strong season and got to play in the opening round of the ECAC championship tournament.
Four of Cline’s players earned all-conference honors:
Pitcher/outfielder Taylor Crouse, a junior, was chosen for the All-Conference First team for her outstanding performance on the softball field. She finished the season with a .348 overall batting average and as a pitcher, averaged five strikeouts per game. First baseman Kayla Sullenberger, a sophomore, was also selected to the All-Conference First Team. She led the Phoenix with four homeruns and 31 runs batted in, and had a .379 overall batting average, as well as five pitching wins.
Freshman centerfielder Jennifer Hornberger and freshman utility player Raechelle Hilbish were named to the South Division’s All-Conference Second Team. Hornberger was first in the conference in stolen bases, with 21, and had a .286 batting average, as well as being a defensive standout with an .895 fielding percentage of 49 putouts. Hilbish placed third on the Wilson team in batting, with a .360 overall batting average. Defensively, she recorded a .984 fielding percentage and committed just two errors.
In men’s sports, a member of Wilson’s inaugural golf team, freshman Demitri Keopradit, was selected for the 2014-15 NEAC All-Conference Second Team, becoming the college’s first male athlete to receive NEAC All-Conference honors. In order to receive all-conference team honors, an individual performer must finish in the top 15 in the two-day NEAC championship golf tournament. Keopradit finished the championship tournament in a tie for 8th place and completed it with scores of 85 and 79 in each round for a total score of 164.
Three Wilson College seniors, Jessika Dockery and Leah Edwards, both of Chambersburg, and Stephanie Laurent of Carlisle, will host a capstone exhibition of their artwork from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, at Nathan Miller Chocolate, 140 N. 3rd Street, Chambersburg.
In addition to the exhibition at Nathan Miller Chocolate, selections from the students’ bodies of work will be shown in Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery from May 4 to 17. A reception for the artists will be held in the gallery from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on May 4.
Dockery’s work explores identity through personal history and environment. She carefully considers her past, as well as her surroundings, as the primary sources for her work. “Our histories and environments are a large portion of what creates who we are …,” Dockery said. “My paintings mirror these little puzzle pieces. They are visual representations of my identity, metaphors, memories, people who have influenced me, and symbolic depictions of events I have experienced.”
Edwards is a graphic designer, and is interested in the fields of logo and brand design. “I use grids and geometric shapes to establish order and arrange the elements in different layers to create complexity,” she said. “The primary purpose behind this balance is to allow for as many meanings and interpretations as possible that all, in some way, relate to the main subject.”
Laurent is interested in the simple beauty and temporal essence of flowers. “For centuries, flowers have taken on symbolic meaning,” said Laurent. “Their beauty is short-lived and often taken for granted. For me, flowers are this and more, and have given voice for me through acknowledgment, honor and respect for those who have passed or are ill.”
All three students will present their scholarship in brief talks during Wilson’s annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1.
The Bogigian Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For additional information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305, or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT: Philip Lindsey, Professor of Fine Arts Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3305 Email: philip.lindsey@wilson.edu
Wilson College has named internationally renowned choreographer RoseAnne Spradlin as director of a new, low-residency Master of Fine Arts program that begins this summer, offering concentrations in visual arts and choreography.
Spradlin, who has worked in New York City since 1982, has been called one of the most influential experimental choreographers in New York. She has received numerous awards for her work, most recently winning the 2014 United States Artists Ford Fellowship in Dance. She has also held fellowships in choreography from the Guggenheim and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Her work has been shown around the world, from San Francisco to London and Vienna.
Spradlin, who has a background in both visual arts and dance choreography, is excited to be the first director of Wilson’s new M.F.A. program, in which she will also teach. “I am eager to share my knowledge of the body and my creative artistic tools with the next generation of artists, whoever they may be — young people just out of college, working artists hungry for pure creative time and peer feedback, and teachers or other working professionals seeking the professional upgrade of an advanced degree,” Spradlin said.
Wilson’s Master of Fine Arts program is only the fifth low-residency M.F.A. program in the country with a concentration in choreography. Designed for experienced artists and working professionals with busy lives, 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.
“It’s a way to give students something special in their home setting,” said Wilson Department of Fine Arts Chair Robert Dickson. “It helps bring them into the greater community of artists.”
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. Visiting faculty will teach the summer residencies — “people from major cities, people with national reputations, the best people we can provide to work with our students,” said Dickson.
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.
Tuition for the M.F.A. program is $470 a semester hour, which works out to $28,200 in tuition for a terminal degree in fine arts, according to Dickson. “It’s one of the most affordable programs in the country,” he said.
The M.F.A. program is supported in part through an endowment from Wilson College alumna Francis Farmer of the Class of 1950. Applications for summer 2015 are now being accepted. For more information, contact Spradlin at roseanne.spradlin@wilson.edu.
Spradlin was a partner in two different dance spaces in Lower Manhattan for more than 20 years: SQUID Performance Space (1995-2005) and Studio 65 (1990-2011). An expert teacher in improvisation and choreography, as well as body consciousness and somatics for dance, she has premiered work over the past 10 years at the Kitchen, the Chocolate Factory, the Dance Theater Workshop and New York Live Arts – all in New York City. Spradlin has an M.F.A. in visual arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance, both from Ohio University.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Dickson, Department of Fine Arts Chair Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3400 Email: robert.dickson@wilson.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Feb. 25, 2015
