Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society bids farewell to outgoing members, welcomes new board members
|
|
|
|
On June 30, the Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society will say goodbye to two long-serving board members.
Jeffrey Vrabel
is a founding member of the Society and has served in the role of vice president for several years. Vrabel also serves as chair of the Alumni Society Awards Committee, where he has been instrumental in overseeing the annual selection process. Vrabel is a partner at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, and resides in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with his wife Sharon.
Karen Beruck
is a long-time supporter of the Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society. She has been co-advisor of the Blue & White Society, co-chair of the Schuylkill Benefiting THON BINGO event, as well as an organizer of the Penn State Day at Knoebels. Beruck has served for two terms on the board, and is currently pursuing a masters degree in Student Affairs. She resides in St. Clair, Pa., with her two sons.
|
|
Incoming board members include two 2020 Penn State Schuylkill grads,
Abbie Kaiser
and
Steve Shalamanda
.
Abbie Kaiser
is a former Blue & White Society president as well as student liaison to the alumni board for the 2019-2020 academic year. Kaiser was an active participant in many campus alumni activities including the annual golf tournament, Penn State Day at Knoebels, the Alumni Awards Dinner, and the Schuylkill Benefiting THON BINGO fundraiser. Kaiser has served in many student-leadership positions while at Penn State Schuylkill, although she credits her work with Schuylkill Benefitting THON as the most impactful. Kaiser was recently named the marketing and admissions director at Luther Ridge assisted living facility in Pottsville, Pa.
|
|
Steve Shalamanda
has also played an active role in many alumni activities throughout his time on campus, including serving as student liaison to the alumni board for three years, and president of the Blue & White Society. Shalamanda counts many academic achievements including scholarships and other scholarly accolades, as well as serving as president of TriBeta, the campus chapter of the national biological honors society. Beginning fall of 2020, Shalamanda will earn his Doctor of Optometry degree at Salus University, Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
The Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society would like to thank Vrabel and Beruck for their many years of hard work and dedication to the mission of the Society, as well as extend a hearty welcome to Kaiser and Shalamanda!
We are Penn State!
|
|
Dr. Stephen Couch retires and is appointed professor emeritus of sociology
Dr. Stephen Couch,
professor of sociology and science, technology and society, has taught at Penn State Schuylkill since 1979. He is co-author or co-editor of four books, and has written more than thirty published research articles, most of them dealing with environmental sociology and technological hazards. Dr. Couch’s research about Centralia led to the discovery of a new type of disaster—chronic technological disaster—which, left unchecked, results in social and individual trauma greater than that found with hurricanes and tornadoes. He has presented the results of his research at conferences throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Mexico, and Japan.
Between 2007 and 2011, and again from 2012 to 2014, Dr. Couch was the Director of Academic Affairs at Penn State Schuylkill. In 2011 to 2012, he served as Interim Chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill. In recognition of his many contributions to Penn State, Dr. Couch has been named professor emeritus of sociology, effective July 1. Dr. Couch and his wife have relocated to Kansas to be nearby his daughter, granddaughters and son-in-law.
|
|
It's that time of year again! Schuylkill County Chapter PSAA membership renewal
Chapter memberships begin at only $12, and membership is a great way to stay connected to your local Penn State family. If you would like to renew your membership or know another alumnus who is interested in joining, please click through to download the
2020/21 registration form
(.pdf).
Schuylkill County Chapter virtual monthly meeting
Join us for our next virtual meeting on Thursday, July 15, at 6:00 p.m. All members are invited and can join online from
PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android
. Password (if required): 295811
|
|
The Alumni Association is committed to keeping all Penn Staters connected to one another and to the University. As part of this commitment,
PSAA presents
is an eclectic selection of virtual programming, including career-focused workshops, coffee hour-style chats with our CEO Paul Clifford, and conversations with Penn State experts.
All events are free and available to everyone, and we're encouraging Penn Staters to share this information with their professional and personal networks. Many programs are archived and available for viewing with closed-captioning. Visit our website to
browse our library of archived programs
.
|
|
Make a Gift to the University, and Earn a Return for Yourself
A charitable gift annuity is a simple combination of two concepts: a charitable gift and income for life. Think of it as the gift that gives back. A gift annuity allows you to make a gift to the Penn State program of your choice AND benefit from the following:
- Safe, fixed income for your life and the life of a loved one (spouse or parent)
- Tax savings—immediately and in the future
- Favorable treatment of capital gains, if funded with appreciated assets
- Membership in The Atherton Society, as well as other recognition societies (depending upon the size of your gift)
|
|
July 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Join your fellow Penn Staters for another evening of art and libation! Our virtual Paint & Sip events have proven to be such a hit, that we have added new dates throughout the summer. For July, join us as we paint this Pain State inspired wooden sign.
Option 1
Provide your own supplies and board
$20
Option 2
Pick up supplies in Pine Grove, PA
$40
,
$10
refund upon return of loaned supplies.
Option 3
Have supplies shipped
$45
(includes cost of shipping, keep all supplies).
Paint & Sip fundraising events benefit the Robert P. Swank Scholarship at Penn State Schuylkill.
Save the Date! August 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Back by popular demand! Paint a Penn State themed wine glass.
|
|
Career Development and Other Resources
Lifting Up Lions
is a new service from the Penn State Alumni Association to help all Penn Staters through these challenging times. The directory contains links to many helpful resources, and will help you tap into the power of the Penn State Alumni network.
If you are a new alumni seeking employment this summer, or part of an organization that is hiring and looking for assistance in recruitment or internship development, contact
Kate Zimmerman
, director of cooperative education, at 570-385-6296.
For career opportunities, alumni can search and apply for one of hundreds of opportunities through the
Nittany Lion Careers
website.
|
|
The Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society supports the University and the Schuylkill campus by fostering alumni, student and faculty involvement, interest and support of campus activities and events, and by promoting the campus in the community. Our monthly newsletter is a way for you to stay in touch with what's happening.
|
|
For more information about the Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society, contact Patricia Troy Shoener at
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
