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"1 think that it is dangerous to students
and faculty who are trying to walk on a
walk way!"
Prof. Susan Galle-Boyko
Psychology
Gray expands his abilities in new Center for Navigation Research
by Katie Hinman
staff writer
The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI)
was so with research being done by Dr. Robert Gray,
assistant professor of engineering at Behrend, and
his students that it has asked him to create a new
Center for Navigation, Communication and
Information Systems (CNCIS).
PTI said Gray's quality of research and that of
the undergraduate research appeared to many of
them as graduate-level projects. Gray's recent
research is focused on the design and flight test of
new aircraft avionics for enhanced flight safety and
remote monitoring and diagnostics technologies. He
has also been working on a program that combines
learning and undergraduate research with GE
Transportation Systems. Joining with PTI has many
positive effects for the Behrend community.
Psychology professor Boyko
shares insights
by Caley Doran
staff writer
Susan Galle-Boyko has been employed part time
by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences as a
psychology professor for four years.
Galle-Boyko was born and raised in Erie. She
graduated from McDowell High School. After
graduation she went to Penn State Behrend where she
earned her bachelors in Psychology. Galle-Boyko then
attended Edinboro University where she earned her
masters in Clinical Psychology. To teach psychology
at the college level a Masters degree is required.
Along with teaching Galle-Boyko also works part
time for a counseling agency in their employee
assistance program.
"An employee assistance program, or EAP, is a
service that businesses agree to offer to their
employees," Galle-Boyko said. "Let's say that an
employee needs to talk to a counselor about some
minor issues. Employers realize that it would increase
work productivity if the employee finds some one to
talk to. So, the employer agrees to pay for a few
sessions to help the employee as well as to help
productivity. I would be the counselor that the
employee comes to."
Galle-Boyko did not always want to be a
Psychology professor.
"I was originally accepted to Behrend as an
Engineering major," she said. "I didn't come to college
wanting to be a psychology professor or teacher. My
first semester ! took Introductory Psychology with Dr.
Kaligren along with other courses necessary for
engineering. I aced my math and traditional science
courses, but I did not ace Introductory Psychology. I
was so upset that I took another psychology course
my second semester, still without an A. My third
course was Developmental Psychology, which I finally
earned an A in, and by then I was hooked on the field
of psychology."
Galle-Boyko then changed majors, convinced that
she wanted to be a clinician.
Galle-Boyko had never seriously considered
teaching until Behrend contacted her to finish Dr.
Nixon's Developmental Psychology course. She
accepted the offer and before long she was hooked on
teaching.
"I continued to accept courses from Behrend ever
since, and also signed up for substitute teaching in the
Erie School District," she said. "I find purpose in life
by helping and teaching others." Galle-Boyko, who
has also taught at Mercyhurst College, is a newlywed.
"I was married for the first time on June 30, 2001
to my wonderful husband, John Galle-Boyko," she
said. "We do not have any children...yet."
Outside of teaching, Galle-Boyko also enjoys rock
climbing, although Erie is not the ideal place for such
a sport. She said she loves to be outdoors and engages
in activities such as rollerblading, swimming, and
hiking. Galle-Boyko occupies her time with arts and
craft activities in the winter months.
Galle-Boyko is also involved in the Academic
Sports League program, which is a part of the National
Academic Decathaolon. The program was designed
to allow high school students to compete locally and
to qualify nationally in different academic subject
areas. This year's first competition was held on
"1 think that it is fair, especially in
the winter weather we have in
Jason Felege
Mathematics, 01
"PTI has an international reputation and a long
and successful grant record," said Dr. Jack Burke,
interim provost and dean of Penn State Behrend.
"Our relationship with PTI provides us with
unprecedented access to research colleagues, grant
funds, and other resources. The relationship will
lead to increased funding for the college, and
consequently more opportunities for faculty, staff,
and student research. The center will work closely
with companies and other organizations to develop
further, their remote monitoring and diagnostics
technology, including potential projects with the
Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Customs
Service, U.S. Coast Guard, EMTA, and companies
such as General Electric Transportation Systems."
Being a professor in a university is more than just
teaching the students.
"Being the director of this center will not be easy,"
said Gray. "For one thing, strict time management
Saturday at Behrend.
"My level of participation is that I am one of the
judges who will listen to student interviews,
presentations, and debates, rating the quality and
accuracy of their work," said Galle-Boyko. This year's
national competition will be held in Erie.
"This may sound extremely humanistic, but my
advice to all students it to know yourself," she said.
"You have to live with yourself your whole life, and
no one will know you as well as you know yourself.
After you achieve the degree and you venture forth
into the great world, the very foundational blocks that
make you who you are will he tested as much as your
knowledge in your subject area. If you don't stand up
for what you know is right and ethical, then you will
have failed yourself. And I have learned that it is better
to be true to you and to do what you love to do versus
'selling out' to follow the crowd."
Galle-Boyko admires the full time Psychology
faculty and says that they are "dedicated to providing
the best academic environment for the Behrend
students." Although Galle-Boyko has not has many
opportunities to meet members of the other faculties,
she said that those she has met show a dedication
comparable to that of the Psychology faculty.
Of the students at Behrend, Galle-Boyko said, "I
see Behrend's population as a typical group of college
students for this decade. Most are dedicated to
achieving their degree, while some are questioning
why they are even in college."
One thing about students of this decade, especially
students at Behrend, that surprises Gal le-Boyko is how
much they hate.
"While college is supposed to be an arena for
fostering independent thought, it seems that there has
been very little thought put into why there is this much
hate," she said. "There is a difference between
disagreeing with what a person or group of people
believe or do, and terrorizing them for doing or being
what they do and who they are. I would expect a small
portion of students to have definite reasons from their
childhood to hate, but I'm still seeing people without
reason 'jump on the bandwagon' to hate."
"What I love most about this science is that it is
able to bring hope into the lives of people that feel
hopeless and helpless," said Gale-Boyko.
PHOTO BY HEATHER MYERS / BEHREND BEACON
Psychology professor Susan Galle-Boyko
shares insights garnered from her experience
at Behrend.
Friday, November 15, 2002
"It really doesn't make a
difference to me."
Adam Curtis
DUS, 03
is a must. Most PTI directors teach part time and
research part time. They also have graduate students
that help a tremendous amount with performing
basic research. In fact, the graduate students at PTI
perform a lot of the actual research under the
guidance of their faculty advisor. This can be a
godsend because it allows faculty to continue writing
grants and performing necessary service and
extended travel to the profession. I seem to follow
a different pattern: I teach full-time and research
full-time and am very active in other activities in
helping at Behrend as well. I have been traveling a
lot, too. What I will eventually need to do is find
the right balance, too."
Conducting this amount of research is not easy,
especially since many of Gray's colleagues are at
University Park.
"Another challenge is how to be both efficient
and effective while another set of your colleagues
Stevens adds humor to math
department
by Lori DeFabio
'staff writer
The Behrend Math Department is lucky to have
with it the well-qualified, funny Scott Stevens.
Stevens received his B.A. from the Indiana
University of Pennsylvania, his M.S. from the
University of Vermont, and then stayed at the
University of Vermont to earn his Ph. D. Stevens
has been employed as assistant professor of
mathematics here since July. Before coming to
Behrend, he spent two years at the University of
Montana.
Like many college students, Stevens did not enter
college knowing what his future career would be.
wanted to be the guitarist in a fabulously
successful rock band," he said. "I still do but it's
becoming increasingly unlikely that ',Ms career goal
will be realized."
Stevens did not choose teaching as a career; it
hose him
"I knew I wanted to he in math and when I applied
to graduate school at UVM they assigned me a
teaching fellowship. I loved it and have been doing
it ever since. Maybe it's the captive audience who
feels that they should at least smile at my poorly
delivered jokes," he added jokingly.
Like most that choose to come here and work, Dr.
Stevens enjoys the size of Behrend and the students
who attend.
"I really enjoy teaching and research," Stevens
said. "Penn State Behrend offers the opportunity to
lo both in a nice town for raising a family. The strong
.:ngineering component here generates a greater
appreciation of mathematics than one may find at a
"Yes, that's a privilege of being a
professor. As long as they don't run
over any students, I don't see a
problem with it."
Barbie Powell
Finance, 03
The Behrend Beacon
"I feel we all are pat! of the
Behrend communii y and should
. 1i)llou , the same t ides and
riwithitton ,
Prof. Marcia Janson
Lecturer of Education
are 3 1/2 hours drive away." said ( iray. "1 find
myself frequently on the telephone or using a video
conferencing from my workplace office or at home,
driving or flying to University Park. It does take
lot of energy and determination, hut I am willing
(and excited) to give it a go. I think a future goal of
mine would be to have a graduate student or research
associate helping me and co-work with my
undergraduate students on-site at Behrend. Another
goal is to have other Behrend faculty working
transportation related research of CNCIS at Behrend.
That would be terrific. C can he NClSused by other
faculty at Behrend as a means to obtain funding and
projects via PTI. Any faculty at Behrend interested
to participate in the new center. ( 'N( 'IS, can contact
me at rxg3 (a) psu.edu or x() I 8-1
liberal arts college...
Originally from Monroeville, a sufiurb of
Pittsburgh;•SteVens 'is enjoying NS trine
"Presque Isle, Waldameer. Penn
and of course the zoo have provided \ family and
I with a lot of good times," said Steens. "I give
Erie a big thumbs up. I've spent the last dozen years
in small towns where von can alk to most
everything you need, so all of the drip ing here has
been a bit of a transition. I am completely
comfortable driving 50 or 60 nigh just a few feet
from cars traveling the same speed in the opposite
direction. When I first moved here. that terrified me."
Currently, Dr. Stevens teaches DA differential
equations classes: Math 250 and Math 425.
PHOTO BY JEFF HANKEY / BFHREND BEACON
Dr. Scott Stevens brings levity to his role as
assistant professor of mathematics .