Elizabethtown College News 
Back to top 5/24/2007 Puzzangara '07 first in men's lacrosse to earn All-America honors Elizabethtown College senior midfielder Frankie Puzzangara (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) has been named to the United States Intercollegiate L  acrosse Association’s (USILA) All-America Honorable Mention Team for the 2007 season, making him the first men’s lacrosse player in Elizabethtown College history ever to receive All-America honors.Puzzangara was the back-to-back Middle Atlantic Conference Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, and he was a four-time All-MAC selection. He was also named an Inside Lacrosse Pre-Season All-American for 2007. In the 2007 season, he led Elizabethtown in goals scored with 39, in ground balls with 126, and in face-offs won with 106. Puzzangara’s 126 ground balls in 2007 was a new Elizabethtown single-season record, breaking his mark of 125 set in 2006. He was also second on the team in 2007 in points with 49 and third on the team in assists with ten. He holds Elizabethtown career records in goals with 126, points with 167, ground balls with 322 and shots with 542. He also ranks second all-time at E-town in career face-offs won with 267 and fourth in career assists with 38. The Elizabethtown College men’s lacrosse team finished the 2007 season with a 10-5 overall record and a 7-3 mark in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Blue Jays reached the semifinals of the MAC playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Back to top 5/22/2007 Elizabethtown chosen to help lead national initiative Elizabethtown College is one of 25 institutions nationwide chosen to serve as a member  of the Leadership Consortium in an Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) initiative titled “Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility.”The national initiative seeks to embed personal and social responsibility objectives pervasively across the institution as key educational outcomes for students and to document the impact of campus efforts to foster such learning. Participating institutions were chosen both on the basis of work already accomplished and on an articulated plan to deepen and extend that work. “The response we received from our members to the Core Commitments initiative has been inspiring,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider. “The selected colleges and universities have already made a notable commitment to establish personal and social responsibility as essential, rather than elective goals for a contemporary liberal education. But now they want to do even more to create campus cultures of integrity, responsibility and service beyond self.” As part of the initiative, all 25 campuses participating in the Core Commitments Leadership Consortium will administer AAC&U’s Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory in the fall of 2007 to students, faculty, student affairs administrators and academic administrators. The inventory is designed to identify where different groups on campus see opportunities to foster learning about personal and social responsibility and to serve as a catalyst for dialogues across the institution on ways to make such learning more pervasive. Eventually the Leadership Consortium members will also assess whether students have acquired new capabilities in five key dimensions: striving for excellence, cultivating personal and academic integrity, contributing to a larger community, taking seriously the perspective of others, and developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning. Future events planned for the initiative include institutes, workshops and campus dialogues. Throughout the initiative, AAC&U will also organize a series of open symposiums where the higher education community at large can explore how to promote ethical responsibilities to self and others. “Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility” is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,100 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size. Back to top 5/22/2007 Four Blue Jays to compete in NCAA track championships The final cutoffs and championship field have been announced, and the Elizabethtown  College track & field teams will be sending four of their members to compete at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh from Thursday, May 24 to Saturday, May 26. They include senior Patrick Donovan (South Pasadena, CA/St. Francis) in the men’s 1500m, junior Kevin Clark in both the men’s pole vault and in the decathlon, junior Erin Fisher (McEwensville, PA/Warrior Run) in the women’s 10,000m and junior Drew Graybeal (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) in the men’s 800m. For more on this story, click here.Back to top 5/19/2007 104th Commencement Held in the Dell on May 19, 2007 Elizabethtown College’s 104th Commencement will take place in The Dell on Saturday, May 19, 2007. At the ceremony, the College will honor the achievements of more than 460 students who have met the requirements to receive a degree. We are pleased to welcome Mr. Derek Hathaway, chairman and CEO of the Harsco Corporation, who will address our class. In addition to Mr. Hathaway, former Pennsylvania Senators David “Chip” Brightbill and Noah Wenger will receive honorary degrees. We also welcome our golden alums of the Class of 1957. Congratulations to our graduating seniors and to their families, who have made this day possible. Back to top 5/14/2007 Kelli Thon '07 named to NFCA all-East region second team Elizabethtown College senior center fielder Kelli Thon (Victor, NY/Victor Central)  has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-East Region Second Team for the 2007 season. It is the second year in a row she has earned all-region honors, making her just the third Blue Jay softball player ever to achieve back-to-back all-region recognition. Thon closed out her career having earned All-Commonwealth Conference recognition in all four seasons and a place on the first team in each of the last three. She was also an NFCA All-East Region First Team honoree in 2006. This season, she batted .353 with 42 hits, 28 runs scored, five runs batted in and 14 stolen bases, and she led the team in batting average, at-bats (119), runs, hits and stolen bases. Read more. Back to top 5/9/2007 Tyler Hoffman '07 named conference pitcher of the year Six members of the Elizabethtown College baseball team have been named to the  2007 All-Commonwealth Conference teams. Additionally, senior pitcher (pictured left) Tyler Hoffman (Phoenix, MD/Loyola Blakefield) has been named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year, while junior catcher Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) has been named the Commonwealth Co-Player of the Year. Earning spots on the All-Commonwealth Conference First Team from E-town were Hoffman, Auman, senior third baseman Dean Whetham (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) and junior outfielder Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central). Earning spots on the All-Commonwealth Conference Second Team were senior second baseman Ryan White (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) and sophomore pitcher Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove). Back to top 5/9/2007 Summer Orientation information available  Welcome to Elizabethtown College, Class of 2011! We look forward to having you on campus this summer for our Summer Orientation program. Students are asked to choose one of four scheduled dates -- June 20, 21, 22 or 23. For more information and to register online, please visit the orientation website. Back to top 5/8/2007 Graduates pledge to consider environmental, social issues Elizabethtown College’s Class of 2007 – like previous graduates before them – will  be asked to sign a graduation pledge that they will consider social and environmental issues during their job search and will work to make changes in the workplace.Elizabethtown is one of more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide participating in the Graduation Pledge (www.graduationpledge.org). The effort is coordinated by the Graduation Pledge Alliance, which was initiated at California’s Humboldt State University in 1987. Manchester College currently coordinates the campaign effort, and Bentley College will take over the reigns in the 2007-2008 school year. Students will be encouraged to sign the pledge, which reads: “I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.” Those who do so will wear green ribbons during the May 19 commencement exercises. “Regardless of what career a graduate will choose, the graduation pledge reminds them of social and environmental issues and encourages them to take action in the workplace,” said Steve Masters, a senior religious studies major from Longmeadow, Mass., who is co-coordinator of the Graduation Pledge at Elizabethtown. “It is small actions in everyday life that will have a significant impact on our future.” Back to top 5/8/2007 Commencement speaker, honorary degree recipients named Derek C. Hathaway, chairman and CEO of the Harsco Corporation in Camp Hill, will  deliver the commencement address at Elizabethtown College.The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., May 19, in The Dell. Rain location is Thompson Gymnasium; tickets will be required for this location. Hathaway will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Other honorary degree recipients are former Pennsylvania senators David “Chip” Brightbill and Noah Wenger. Each will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws. More information is available at the commencement site. Back to top 5/4/2007 Student, alum collaborate on children's book An Elizabethtown College senior from Harrisburg is collaborating with an alumnus of the College to create a children’s book on Huntington’s Disease (HD).  Art major Allison Frank was approached by Assistant Professor of Art Lou Schellenberg about creating illustrations for a book on HD. The call for help had come from Katharine Moser, a 2003 graduate from New York who was recently diagnosed with the disease. “Katie had written the book and was looking for someone who was into illustration and highly detailed work,” Frank said. “That’s me.” Moser and Frank began corresponding by e-mail and soon reached an agreement. Moser then shared with Frank her story – page by page. “Katie pretty much gave me free rein to do what I wanted,” Frank said. “I’m working to create a color pencil and pen illustration for each page.” In addition to helping out because “it’s a good thing to do,” Frank is earning academ  ic credit for an independent study. She’s never done this type of work before, so she’s turning to friends and Schellenberg for help. “Some pages are tough to conceptualize,” Frank said. “Because I don’t have any models, I’m looking at pictures of friend’s children and online. I’m also brainstorming with friends to come up with ideas. I pretty much live in the art department, and me and my friends talk about the project a lot.”Frank estimates that each of the seven illustrations she’s completed so far has taken about six to eight hours. “It’s layer upon layer of color,” she explained, “and I’m a perfectionist.” She’s encouraged by the positive feedback she’s received from Moser and looks forward to continuing to work with her. With more than 20 illustrations to complete for the book, Frank has many more hours of work ahead of her. “There’s no set timeline for me to finish them,” she said. “Right now, Katie’s looking for funding to publish the book.” She plans to stick with the project until it’s completed, even if that means her work will extend beyond graduation, which is scheduled for May 19. “This is a good experience and a good cause,” she said. “There’s not much available out there on Huntington’s Disease. Kids affected by it need to learn about it, and what better way than through a book. And who knows, maybe this experience will lead to other opportunities for me.” Back to top 5/4/2007 Physics/engineering profs awarded NSF grant Two Elizabethtown College physics and engineering professors have been awarded a $188,653  grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation to study the cure rate of cement. The grant, awarded to Nathanial Hager and Ilan Grave, will provide 12 students with intense research experience throughout the next three years.The project, “Monitoring of Hydration in Cement Systems by Broadband Time-Domain-Reflectometry (TDR) Dielectric Spectroscopy,” builds upon research Hager – along with fellow investigators Ilan Grave, associate professor of physics and engineering at Elizabethtown, and Roman C. Domszy, a chemist and partner of Hager’s in Material Sensing & Instrumentation, Inc. – has conducted for several years. TDR involves embedding a disposable sensor in a concrete structure when the cement is poured. “A fast electrical pulse is bounced off the sensor, producing a reflected pulse that contains molecular signals due to unreacted water and water combining with Portland cement,” Hager said. “Tracking these two signals along with cure time provides a better understanding of the cure process and identifies irregularities that lead to improper cure. Essentially, we’re looking for the signals that correspond with cement strength. If we don’t get them, we have to trust the signals to tell us that something is wrong.” TDR functions in cement much like a thermometer in a turkey, according to Hager. “The thermometer indicates if the turkey is done by measuring its internal temperature,” he said. “The embedded sensor does the same thing in concrete by monitoring how quickly water involved in the curing process is chemically combining with Portland cement. “When the thermometer indicates that the turkey is getting done too quickly or too slowly, you take corrective action like turning the oven temperature up or back. This monitoring system allows those in construction to do the same thing with concrete.” There are a number of additional applications in the construction industry for the system. TDR could be used by companies that make cement and cement additives to determine how to optimize the curing process. It could also be used in the field to help test structures – “to see if cement is fully hard” – or on multilevel structures, to determine when to pour the second layer. And it could help identify residual moisture in cement floors before surface coatings, like epoxy, are installed, minimizing moisture damage and reducing wait times. “If a product that can test for structural weaknesses both during and after construction comes to market, it can have a very positive impact on both cost savings for builders by allowing them to have fewer time delays and being able to test more thoroughly for structural weakness,” Hager said. Hager’s research in this area previously received funding from the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) and from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research program. In addition, Elizabethtown College, on behalf of Hager, received on May 1 a second $10,000 Seed/Assistance Grant through a Keystone Innovation Grant, a joint effort of the Lancaster KIZ and the Harrisburg KIZ. The Seed/Assistance Grant program was created to encourage faculty at higher education institutions in central Pennsylvania to perform applied research, evaluate opportunities to commercialize technology and to collaborate with young, locally based companies. “We are thrilled to have such cutting-edge research taking place at Elizabethtown College and are pleased with the research opportunities it provides to our students,” said College President Theodore E. Long. “This project also illustrates the importance of the Keystone Innovation Zone and the funding is provides.” Back to top 5/3/2007 Lacrosse players, coach receive accolades Five men's lacrosse players have earned spots on the All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) teams for 2007. Senior midfielder Frankie Puzzangara, senior defender Frank Cacia and junior long-stick midfielder Gary Senese have been named to the All-MAC First Team. Junior defender Eric Peifer and first-year attacker Aaron Weber have each earned places on the All-MAC Second Team. Additionally, Puzzangara has been named the MAC Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Read more.Six women's lacrosse players have earned spots on the All-MAC teams for 2007. Sophomore attacker Katie Foley, sophomore defender Dana Simmons and sophomore goaltender Jenn Hawkins have all been named to the All-MAC First Team. First-year attacker Megan Byrnes, first-year midfielder Katie Caprinolo and first-year midfielder Stephanie Kreis have earned places on the All-MAC Second Team. Additionally, Foley has been named the MAC Player of the Year for 2007, Caprinolo has been named the MAC Rookie of the Year, and head coach Mike Faith has been named the MAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his three-year career. Read more. |
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