Elizabethtown College News 
Back to top 6/27/2006 Provost Parkyn to serve as president of North Park University Elizabethtown College’s provost and senior vice president will begin serving as president of Chicago’s North Park University on July 1.  Following a 16-month national search, David L. Parkyn was elected on June 15 as North Park’s ninth president. Founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park is located on Chicago’s north side and enrolls more than 2,800 students from around the country and the world. “Over recent months I have learned why graduates feel so strongly about North Park,” Parkyn said upon his election. “Located in the city of Chicago, the University educates students in both mind and spirit to be servants of transformation in the church and society. This is a very special place, and I am honored by the invitation to lead the University.” “In his two years at Elizabethtown, David Parkyn earned the confidence of the entire community and made significant contributions to our future, particularly in the strategic vision process,” said Elizabethtown College president Ted Long. “North Park University is fortunate to have secured such an able and generous leader. Our loss will certainly be their gain, and we will watch the progress of that institution with great interest and anticipation.” Parkyn has served as Elizabethtown College’s provost and senior vice president since July 2004. He also held faculty rank as professor of religious studies. Parkyn began his career in higher education as a faculty member at Endicott College. In 1981, he joined the faculty at Messiah College, achieving tenure and moving up the faculty ranks. In addition, he also served as Messiah’s director of general education and assessment from 1989 until 1995, vice president for planning from 1995 until 2002, and senior vice president from 2002 until his departure in 2004. Parkyn’s scholarly work in religious studies has focused on religion in Latin America, with special attention to Guatemala. He is also the author of numerous articles and papers on issues in higher education, focusing especially on college and university planning. Parkyn earned a bachelor’s degree from Messiah, a master’s degree from Gordon-Conwell Seminary and doctorate from Boston College. Parkyn's wife, Linda, is a tenured faculty member at Messiah College. Back to top 6/22/2006 Progress continues on construction of Masters Center Progress has been made on construction of the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering since the April 21 groundbreaking. Photos of the work being done are available at the Facilities Management website.  When completed in 2007, the $19-million project will renovate more than 95,000 square feet of existing laboratories and classroom space in Musser and Esbenshade halls and provide a new 33,000-square-foot wing for the College’s biology program, which has grown by more than 20 percent during the past 15 years. The April groundbreaking marked the beginning of the most extensive phase of the project, which will include common areas within the Center, the new Lyet biology wing and an integrated building façade. Elizabethtown College provides its science students with significant opportunities to participate in one-on-one, groundbreaking research with 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. Back to top 6/21/2006 Alumnus named director of major gifts Elizabethtown College has named a 1997 graduate as director of major gifts. Bob  Miller previously served as senior major gifts officer at Carnegie Mellon University, where he worked closely with the School of Computer Science. Prior to that, he served as director of major gifts at Albright College and as staff assistant in the office of former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. Back to top 6/13/2006 Grad, staff member create sculpture for Kitefest Susan Davitti Darling, artist and mail services clerk, and 2006 graduate J. Nate Matias  created a sculpture for Harrisburg's Kitefest. The piece, "Read for the Sky," was chosen for sponsorship by The Whitaker Center and The Patriot-News and placed on the front steps of the State Capitol Building."Read for the Sky" is a literacy-promotion sculpture proposal adapted from the pre-made kite forms provided by the Harrisburg Arts Council. It depicts a child climbing out of a book on the kite string, toward a smiling sun. His path is marked by yellow flags reading, "Read," "Imagine," "Reach," and "Achieve." The open book features a collage of illustrations, titles, and pages from literature and folk stories. To view more photos of this sculpture, click on the link below. • "Read for the Sky" photos website Back to top 6/13/2006 Alumna named one of PA's Best 50 Women in Business A graduate of Elizabethtown College’s Center for Continuing Education and Distance Learning was recognized by Governor Edward G. Rendell as one of Pennsylvania’s  Best 50 Women in Business.Tina Hiestand, co-owner, president and managing partner of Lancaster’s H2, LLC, was among the recipients of the award. H2, a Women’s Business Enterprise recognized by the state, is a specialty building products supplier serving the residential and commercial construction industry. Hiestand earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Elizabethtown College in 1986. An independent panel of judges selected the top 50 candidates based on dedication to business growth, professional and personal accomplishments, community involvement and advocacy for women in business. Hiestand and other honorees were recognized at a May 15 ceremony at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. They will also be highlighted in special supplements in the Central Penn Business Journal, Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal, Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal, Pittsburgh Business Times and Pennsylvania Business Central. Back to top 6/5/2006 EC SIFE places at national competition Elizabethtown College's Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team traveled to Kansas  City in May to compete for the 17th consecutive year at the organization's national competition. EC SIFE was named second runner-up in their league, placing the team somewhere between 41st and 60th in the nation. Congratulations to the group's recent graduates, Don Megahan, Megan Grimes and Jonathan Schultz. |
Back to News Index
