Elizabethtown College News 
Back to top 4/26/2006 Masters Center benefactor on hand for groundbreaking The benefactor of Elizabethtown College’s new Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering was on hand at the recent groundbreaking for the Center.  Frank M. Masters Jr. (pictured with College President Ted Long) of Harrisburg contributed $4 million – the single largest cash contribution in Elizabethtown’s history – toward the construction of the Masters Center. The $19-million project – designed by architectural firm Marshall Craft Associates, Inc. and to be built by High Construction Company – includes considerable work to update existing science laboratories and classroom space and provides for the construction of an all-new wing for the College’s biology program, which has grown by more than 20 percent over the past 15 years. When completed, the project will renovate more than 95,000 square feet and provide an additional 33,000 square feet of science classroom and laboratory space. Over the past two years, the College already has completed portions of the work on the Masters Center project, as it upgraded the electrical, mechanical and ventilation systems within portions of the existing science facilities. The Masters gift allowed Elizabethtown to break ground on the most extensive phase of the project, which will include common areas within the Center, a new biology wing and an integrated building façade. Elizabethtown College provides its undergraduate science students with significant opportunities to participate in one-on-one, groundbreaking research with its faculty. The new laboratory space will offer the potential for broader opportunities for interdisciplinary research and project work in cutting-edge science arenas, such as robotics, neural networks, cybernetics and rehabilitation engineering. The new facility also will provide additional applied research opportunities and internships through partnerships with regional manufacturing companies and medical centers. Masters has dedicated a lifetime to the understanding and support of the sciences. He graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Licensed to practice in 21 states and the District of Columbia, most of his professional career was spent in various positions in that field. Throughout his life, his professional interest in the physical sciences often crossed over into his personal life. His passion for the field is evident in the extensive mineral collection that will eventually find a home in the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering to inspire future generations of Elizabethtown College students in the pursuit of these disciplines. A noted area philanthropist, Masters has provided support and counsel to many cultural, educational and environmental causes. He has served as a board member of several organizations, including his current position on the board of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County, Pa. His connection with Elizabethtown College resulted from his involvement on the board of Gretna Music, which has partnered with the College for more than a decade to bring gifted musicians to central Pennsylvania. Back to top 4/24/2006 Political science students visit United Nations Twenty-one students, accompanied by political science professors April Kelly-Woessner and Wes McDonald, visited the  United Nations in April. The group met with Bill Brencick (center), director of the Political Section of the United States Mission to the United Nations (UN), who spoke about the work of the UN Security Council, especially as it relates to the current situation in Iran. The trip was sponsored by the Political Science Club and organized by Club president Gerry Blitz, a senior from Port Jervis, N.Y.Back to top 4/24/2006 National Civic League president to address graduates The president of the National Civic League will address the graduating class at  Elizabethtown College’s commencement ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m., May 20, in The Dell. Rain location is Thompson Gymnasium. More information is available at the commencement website.“Christopher Gates is widely known and highly regarded for his advocacy of civic engagement and community building, and his organization, perhaps best known as the sponsors of the ‘All-American City’ awards, has led the way in energizing communities around the country,” said College President Theodore Long. “A frequent speaker and facilitator for leadership training and community development across the country and internationally, he will encourage our graduates to exemplify the College’s motto of ‘Educate for Service’ by making a difference in their communities.” Prior to being named president in 1995, Gates was vice president of the National Civic League for eight years. In addition to his national and international speaking engagements, he also provides technical assistance to communities undertaking strategic planning or visioning projects. In addition to Gates, Elizabethtown College will award honorary degrees to former ambassador and Scholar-in-Residence John Craig and benefactor Frank M. Masters Jr. of Harrisburg. Gates will receive a Doctor of Laws; Craig will receive a Doctor of Public Service; and Masters will receive a Doctor of Science and Engineering. A Pennsylvania native, Craig graduated from American University with a degree in international services and earned a graduate degree in international relations from the National War College. He later took part in many international leadership positions during times of turmoil, including service as the Deputy Chief of Missions in Damascus, Syria and Bogota, Colombia. In addition, he has participated in many peacekeeping missions, such as the 1978 Camp David Peace Conference and the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, and was also involved in senior policy-making positions as Director of Arabia Peninsula Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the Department of State. He has previously traveled throughout Saudi Arabia, Libya and Egypt as an economic and petroleum analyst. Masters recently contributed $4 million – the largest cash contribution in the history of Elizabethtown College – toward the construction of the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering. The $19-million Center includes considerable work to update existing science laboratories and classroom space and provides for the construction of an all-new wing for the College’s biology program. When completed, the project will renovate more than 95,000 square feet and provide an additional 33,000 square feet of science classroom and laboratory space. Masters has dedicated a lifetime to the understanding and support of the sciences. He graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Licensed to practice in 21 states and the District of Columbia, most of his professional career was spent in various positions in that field. Throughout his life, his professional interest in the physical sciences often crossed over into his personal life. His passion for the field is evident in the extensive mineral collection that will eventually find a home in the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering to inspire future generations of Elizabethtown College students in the pursuit of these disciplines. A noted area philanthropist, Masters has provided support and counsel to many cultural, educational and environmental causes. He has served as a board member of several organizations, including his current position on the board of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County, Pa. His connection with Elizabethtown College resulted from his involvement on the board of Gretna Music, which has partnered with the College for more than a decade to bring gifted musicians to central Pennsylvania. Back to top 4/20/2006 Two seniors exhibit art during annual show Two Elizabethtown College senior art majors will exhibit their work in Hess Gallery,  Zug Memorial Hall, from April 30 through May 20. The annual senior show will feature pieces by Heather Sweigart of Elizabethtown (left) and Lindsay Lampreda of Jamesville, N.Y. (right).The opening reception is scheduled for 1 p.m., April 30, in Hess Gallery. The reception and exhibit are open to the public free of charge. Hess Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Lampreda is a member of Emotions dance ensemble and a resident of the Brightening Our Community Student Directed Learning Community, a residence that volunteers at Lancaster’s Milagro House. She is currently an intern at Lynden Gallery in Elizabethtown and has exhibited at the College’s 2005 student show, the 2002 Scholastic Art Show at Onondaga (N.Y.) Community College and the Student Art Show at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, N.Y. Sweigart is a volunteer at the Masonic Village Health Care Center in Elizabethtown. Back to top 4/20/2006 Anabaptist spirituality to be topic of annual Durnbaugh Lectures Anabaptist spirituality will be the topic of this year’s Elizabethtown College Durnbaugh  Lectures, which will be presented by C. Arnold Snyder, professor of history at Conrad Grebel University College in Ontario.Snyder will discuss “The ‘Catholic’ Roots of Anabaptist Spirituality” at 7:30 p.m., April 27, in Myer Hall’s Susquehanna Room. He will make the case that Anabaptist spirituality bore an essentially “Catholic” shape and pointed to a spiritual path that long pre-dated the Reformation. Snyder’s talk is open to the public free of charge and is presented as part of the College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies’ annual banquet. A reception for Snyder begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6 p.m. Audience members may choose to attend the banquet, the talk, or both events. Snyder will also present a seminar titled “Contemporary Anabaptist Spirituality” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 28, at the Young Center. He will outline the essential marks of Anabaptist spirituality then discuss the contemporary application and relevance of the Anabaptist spiritual path. Reservations for the Young Center banquet and the seminar are required by April 17 and may be made by calling the Young Center at 717-361-1470. Tickets are $15 for the banquet and $15 for the seminar (including lunch and Snyder’s recent book “Following in the Footsteps of Christ”). Snyder has published three monographs, translated a volume of Anabaptist sources into Spanish and published numerous articles in scholarly journals. His research interests include Anabaptist history and thought, spirituality and peace, and church history. Established in 1993, the Durnbaugh Lectures at Elizabethtown College honor scholarly efforts by Donald F. and Hedwig T. Durnbaugh to preserve and interpret the history of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. Each year an outstanding scholar is invited to present the lectures on a topic related to Anabaptist and Pietist heritage. Back to top 4/19/2006 Business students tour Baltimore port, airport Elizabethtown College business students in Sylvester William’s international law  course learned firsthand how the Department of Homeland Security protects America’s ports and airports.Williams, an assistant professor of business law (right), worked with the Field Office of the Customs Department in Baltimore to schedule three guided tours. Students first visited the Port of Baltimore to view operations, discuss anti-terrorist procedures and examine shipments that come in and out of the port. The second guided tour was the customs house in downtown Baltimore, where students were briefed by a customs inspection officer on how to inspect shipment, review paperwork and apply tariffs on products. The class was also given a tour of the Harmonized Trade Schedule using a real shipment of products from a country. Baltimore Washington International Airport was the third destination. Students were given a tour that covered airport security and package inspection behind the scenes. They also learned how customs addresses visa and temporary visitation issues with people on international flights and were given a hands-on demonstration of how packages are handled under the new rules of Title 19 of the United States Code. “We will be making this same trip each spring that the course is taught to learn about the practical application of customs in the United States,” Williams said. Back to top 4/18/2006 Christina Bucher named dean of the faculty Christina Bucher, a 1975 graduate of Elizabethtown College who has served as a member  of the religious studies department faculty for nearly 20 years, has been named the College’s dean of the faculty. She is currently completing a one-year assignment as interim dean of the faculty.“I want to thank Dr. Bucher for accepting this position and for her very capable work over many years at Elizabethtown,” said Provost and Senior Vice President David Parkyn. “She and I look forward to working together with the faculty, with students and with our administrative colleagues, as we manage the affairs of the academic program and as we lead the College into the days and years ahead. Elizabethtown College is a place of great promise and with Dr. Bucher’s attentive leadership we can claim this promise.” The Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Bucher served as chair of the Department of Religious Studies from 1995-2005. She teaches in the field of biblical studies and is currently researching the reception history of the Song of Songs. Bucher is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and has been active in the Society of Biblical Literature at the national, international and regional levels. In 1990, she participated in an National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar on the Bible and the Ancient Near East. Bucher served as editor of the quarterly journal Brethren Life and Thought from 1991-1997, and she is currently a member of the editorial board. She is former chair of the Society of Biblical Literature’s “Study of Peace in Scripture” research group and former regional coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic Society of Biblical Literature. Bucher earned a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Elizabethtown College, a master’s degree in theology from Bethany Theological Seminary and a doctorate in Hebrew Scriptures from Claremont Graduate University. Back to top 4/11/2006 Two students earn Finnegan Foundation Fellowships Two Elizabethtown College political science majors have been awarded James A.  Finnegan Foundation Fellowships. Juniors Jason Theobald of Honesdale (left) and John Bayard (right) of Green Lane bring to five the number of Elizabethtown students who have won Finnegan Fellowships in the past four years. Also pictured are Professor of Political Science Fletcher McClellan and Assistant Professor of Political Science April Kelly-Woessner.As fellowship recipients, Bayard and Theobald will serve full-time paid internships in Pennsylvania state government this summer. They were honored at a luncheon program in the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on March 31. The Finnegan Foundation sponsors an essay contest open to all Pennsylvania students attending college or students attending Pennsylvania colleges. Bayard’s and Theobald’s essays on the significance of the recent Kelo decision on eminent domain were judged among the best. Back to top 4/7/2006 Students lobby for funding in Harrisburg First-year students (from left to right) Justine Peloquin (Westminster, MD), Lyndsey  Reeve (Turnersville, NJ), Natasha Threatts (Camden Wyoming, DE), Jordan Leggett (Lincoln University, PA), Shannon Sinclair (Philadelphia, PA) and Elizabeth Cox (Seaford, DE) participated in Student Lobby Day on April 4 in Harrisburg. Sponsored by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, students from more than 30 private colleges made personal visits to state legislators to appeal for more funding for PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) student loans and for capital projects benefiting independent colleges. The students also visited the Department of Education and heard a talk from Sec. Gerald Zahorchak. All the Elizabethtown students are enrolled in an introductory American government class taught by Fletcher McClellan (third from right), political science, who accompanied them to the State Capitol. Also pictured is President Ted Long (second from right).Back to top 4/7/2006 Erin Lichti named MASCAC Scholar-Athlete Senior music major Erin Lichti of Shickley, Neb., has been named Middle Atlantic  States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) Scholar-Athlete for women’s indoor track & field for 2005-06.One scholar-athlete, who must be a senior with a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 to be considered for the award, is selected by the MASCAC for each sport on the basis of academic and athletic accomplishments. Read more. Back to top 4/6/2006 Cross country teams ranked high among All-Academic Teams Both the Elizabethtown College women’s and men’s cross country teams rank high  in the nation in the 2005 NCAA Division III All-Academic Teams, announced recently by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA). The women’s cross country team compiled the fifth-highest team grade point average in NCAA Division III, while the men’s cross country team had the 13th-highest team grade point average in NCAA Division III last fall, according to the USTFCCCA. Additionally, nine Blue Jay runners – five women and four men – earned spots on the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team by finishing in the top 25 percent of the field at their respective regional championship while maintaining a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Read more.Back to top 4/4/2006 SIFE claims regional championship honors For the 17th consecutive year, Elizabethtown College’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team claimed championship honors in a regional competition to advance to the SIFE National Exposition. Elizabethtown’s SIFE team was named regional champion at a recent competition in Philadelphia, where they presented a report of their yearlong community outreach projects to a panel of business leaders. The team will now advance to the SIFE USA National Exposition, held in May in Kansas City. During the 2005-2006 academic year, Elizabethtown’s team organized 27 projects in the Elizabethtown community, including computer lessons for Mason Village residents. “We worked individually with the residents and helped them with everything from creating spreadsheets to e-mailing,” said EC SIFE’s administrative assistant John Killion, a junior from Moorestown, N.J. “We are teaching residents a skill that will help them communicate with their families from far away.” SIFE is an international nonprofit organization active on more than 1,800 university campuses in more than 40 countries. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that teach market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics. Their projects  are judged at competition on creativity, innovation and effectiveness.Team members are, front row from left, Sarah Brodbeck, Holly Carr, Shaleen Spuilo, Stefanie Stamatopoulos, Tara Fagan, Kimberly Wefelmeyer, Leah Singer; back row from left, Don Megahan, John Killion, Jonathan Schultz, Jon Lewis, Robert Qualls, Matthew Miller, Jill Hugus, Dan Mallinson, and team advisor Kristen Evans-Waughen of the computer science department. |
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