WIT 4 St , t ,04 11 4il Ar ak dt"l"l""fttkompitmiw nI E: *l, - ea CO 11 ° 1 a y April 26, 2002 RECEIVED 20 Pages, 2 sections Vol. XLIX APR z No. 29 V BEHr*Aft , o..LEGF A - PENNSTATE liii Erie „ '-. 11 - 1 ' 2 '' ' r t q , 0 , / . ~ 4 1,..„,. Friday's forecast: Sunny High: 48° Low: 35° Check page 2 for the weekend weather outlook. NEWS Ever wonder about that pool next to the Glenhill Farmhouse? Read about its history and memories surrounding it on page 2. Ted and Barbara Junker and First Lady Kathy Schweiker took part in the Butterflies for Kids fundraising day on Mon day. See page 3. The first Independent Film Fest took place on Tues day. Six short films com peted for awards. See page 3. Starting with Earth Day on Monday, Behrend cel ebrated Earth Week in a variety of ecological activi ties. The week's theme was, "It all comes around to you." See page 4. — ll/11211111T Behrend News...l-4 Calendar...s Editorial... 6-7 Nat'l Campus News... B-9 Year in Review...lo-11 Humor ..12-13 Features...l4 A&E...15 Advertisements...l6 Sports...l-4B 1/1//MMEIF NEWSROOM: 898-6488 FAX: 898-6019 E-MAIL: behrcolls@aol.com Offices are located downstairs in the Reed Union Building Reber, university relations, leaves Behrend for Venango by Nicky Galloway staff writer Chris Reber, Behrend's associate provost for advancement and university relations, has accepted a job as executive dean of Clarion University's Venango campus. Reber's legacy goes back a long way. He has raised $4B million in gifts and pledges in a seven-year campaign for Behrend's $5O million capital campaign. During 18 years at Behrend, he also helped to develop an award-winning speaker series and helped oversee assorted Behrend media outlets including WPSE. "There are so many possibilities and opportunities here that it's virtually impossible to make progress on all of them, but I feel a sense of satisfaction for having left Behrend a better place for my efforts," Reber said. He feels that his time here working with people and improving the college has also had a positive impact on his life. "My experience at Behrend has made me a far better person and professional, and for that I will always be grateful," he commented. Some of his other accomplishments include the development of program statements for several renovations of the Reed Union Building, Bruno's and Almy Hall. Reber has also created and led the Penn State Behrend Childcare Center. On a regular basis, Reber works with donors, alumni, friends of the Two science profs receive by Erin McCarty news editor Two members of the Science Department received faculty awards on Sunday. Dr. Pam Silver, associate professor of biology, received the Council of Fellows Faculty Research award, and Dr. Chuck Yeung, associate professor of physics, received the Council of Fellows Excellence in Teaching award. "They both exemplify the teacher scholar that we have at Behrend, and I'm very pleased that was recognized," said Dr. Roger Knacke, director of the School of Science Both Silver and Yeung are no strangers to winning awards. Silver received the award for teaching in 1996, and Yeung received the award for research last year. "Pam Silver has done some very interesting work in ecology," Knacke said. She has been well supported by the National Science Foundation and has contributed to the well-being of the campus with her commitment to [reserving as much of Belvend's natural landscape as possible. "She is very contributing faculty member," said Knacke. "One of the nice things about Behrend is that they see teaching and research as highly integrated," Silver said. "The place they connect is with the students... Research drives my teaching. It's what makes my heart sing. It's an expression of me." Silver considers herself an aquatic ecologist, and her two major research projects both involve the water. Since 1994, she has worked with Dr. Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland to investigate Goose Creek in Virginia. The purpose of the project is to look at how the special organization of resource patches in streams affects the animals that live in the sediment. Since 1995, she has worked with associate provost for advancement an university, and a first-rate staff. He oversees outreach efforts to the alumni and university friends, in order to get them more involved with the college life. As mentioned above, Reber helps raise money for endowments to fund programs that aid students and are important in Behrend's academic mission. In addition to college fundraising and alumni relations, he oversees the media aspect of Behrend, including publications, the web site, and WPSE, Behrend's business, news, and sports station. When asked about his accomplishments during his time at Behrend, Reber was modest, answering that "my accomplishments here have all been the result of a team approach, so my accomplishments have been others' accomplishments." This teamwork attitude has been beneficial for both the college and his career. With a focus on teamwork, Reber has had a profitable career and formed many lasting friendships. "My greatest satisfaction has come from the opportunity to know. support, and learn from so many wonderful students, faculty. staff, alumni, and friends of the university," Reber commented on the many heroes that have served as his inspiration and helped form the "very special community that we call Penn State Behrend." Reber was the director of student activities from 1981-84. After this, he left Behrend for three years to work at Lakeland Community College in Mentor, OH. At Lakeland associate professor of biology Michael Campbell on a project funded by the PA Department of Transportation. They hope to discover the effect that the new highway has on salamanders who have been displaced by its construction. **The theme that underlies everything I do is a landscape scheme," Silver said. BY ERIN McCARTY / BEHREND BEACON Dr. Pam Silver and Dr. Chuck Yeung were recipients of this year's Council of Fellows research and teaching awards. "How does the arrangement of elements affect the organisms living there?" Silver said her research has also proven a great learning experience for students. "Half of my job is supposed to be research," she said, adding she is grateful that Behrend is willing to provide money for student participation. Her students have received $20,000 in funding for their research. "Behrend is extremely good at providing support for undergraduate researchers." Yeung recently gave a talk presenting research he has done with computer simulations and polymers, which displayed his skills as a teacher and researcher, said Knacke. "He is very caring and friendly to his students. He gives his lectures just using a blackboard, and it's as though an artist wrote those mathematical equations. They're just perfect," said Knacke. Community College, Reber was the director of the human resource development division. During his three-year absence from Behrend, he completed his Ph.D. In 1987, Reber returned to Behrend to hold the position of Dean of Student Affairs. Ie held this position for 11 years, from 1987 to 1998, when he accepted his current position as Associate Provost for Advancement and University Relations. Reber speaks highly of the 18 years and the good portion of his career here at Penn State Behrend. He refers to Behrend as a college that has benefited from "outstanding leadership, a strong vision, and a commitment to its students and the region." As for who will take over after his last day, June 14, Reber is not quite sure. He said there will probably be a national search for his successor and an interim person will carry out his duties until someone has been chosen. Reber's new job title will be the Executive Dean of the Venango Campus of Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He'll he one of four deans of the university, and responsible for the School of Nursing. Clarion is located in Oil City and is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year. Clarion is the oldest regional campus in the Pennsylvania state system of higher education. With this title under its belt, one of the current goals of Clarion is to develop a better relationship with the Oil City and Franklin communities. 1 don't use a lot of high-tech stuff," Yeung said. "It's a 1950 s kind of thing. - His classes are predominantly lectures, allowing room for students to ask questions. "Most of teaching is common sense," he said, insisting that there is nothing special about his teaching style but I tq't 4i4 41st annual Awards Convocation ceremony held In Erie Hall Mom than 80 different awards were distributed during the 41st Annual Honors and Awards Convocation. Here are a few of the highlights. Most Oustanding Student Organization Member Most Ouetending Student Organization Officer Most Outstanding Student Organization President Best Student Org a nization Advisor Guy W. Wilson Award for Service to the College Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Service Outstanding Adult Learner Student Activities Leadership Student Government Association President's Award P. S. Behrend Alumni Society Leadership Award Irvin H. Kochel Lion Ambassador Outstanding First-Year Student Irvin H. Kochel Award Thomas H. Tumbull Award T. Reed Ferguson Award Eric A. And Josephine Walker Award iBfiARY CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Chris Reber, who has served the Behrend community for 18 years, has accepted a position at the Venango campus of Clarion University. His lasi day is June 14. Together, the university and the communities will develop a strong partnership to support economic development. To achieve this ambitious goal, Clarion is adding several new positions to run marketing. and to continue education. An associate dean will be added to improve academic programming. awards expressing gratitude to the students who nominated him. "You have to know where you're going. I make the class a whole as much as possible. I try to foreshadow topics... I think most faculty probably try to do that." Yeung said that he prefers his smaller classes because there is more opportunity for communication. "It's no fun teaching if no one is participating," he said. Another thing that adds to the enjoyment of teaching is research. "Research keeps you interested in the subject," Yeung said. - In the hest classes. the instructor has to be interested." "Physics is generally regarded by students as difficult," Knacke noted, pointing out that the class Yeung teaches has been described by some as the hardest in the curriculum. "It's great that we have a superb teacher." Knacke also commended the students who were honored at the Honors and Awards Convocation, saying that there are several excellent students graduating this year. Patrick Smith Sonseerhay Parker Jacqueline Jackson Stacey McCoy Brandi Hovis Jason Snyder Rebecca Stanton Guy Reschenthaler Cassandra Willey Nicholas Pflugh Allison Jawdy Nicole Cipriani In the future, new residence halls will also be added to accommodate the increasing student enrollment. Reber comments that including himself, "everyone at the university. the campus, and in the community is enthusiastic and highly committed to the campus' development." Attention seniors: Plastics Majors leading the way once With two weeks left to go before more than 400 students graduate, plastic engineering majors are showing their spirit and generosity by signing the most senior class gift pledge cards. The challenge is on. Are plastics majors really the best? Perhaps they are. Perhaps it's time for another major to take the lead in donating. The senior class gift project is going quite well, but more contributions are still needed to make the Sept. 11 Memorial Flagpole a reality. Seniors can donate the balance of their general deposit, which is money that was set aside in your student account when you first enrolled at Penn State. The average general deposit remaining after graduation is less than $4O. Jason Snyder Kelly Storolis Dante Spain Pledge cards can be picked up and signed at the RUB desk. Also, pledge cards can be found on page 4 of this issue of the Beacon. They can also be turned in at the RUB desk. The committee would like to thank all of those who have supported Senior Class Gift 'O2. Douglas Smith E=E 1~ t f gV _ y1,~,v , w. again by Clint Lewis contributing writer
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