​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Opprtunities at State System

The State System contributes to our state and local communities in many ways, and we are proud of the positive impact our faculty, staff, students and alumni make in the Commonwealth each and every day.​

 Content Editor

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Success Highlights​

Christopher Podeschi, associate professor of sociology at Bloomsburg University, has been gathering data on and studying the social impacts of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania since 2013. This work was supported with a BU grant that funded an extensive 2018 survey in two Lycoming County, Pennsylvania communities that experienced the heavy wave of Marcellus Shale development.

When a costumed Clifford the Big Red Dog greets you at the door, it’s going to be a fun night! And it was, for preschool and kindergarten children in the Uniontown Area School District who participated in a literacy event at Menallen Elementary School. Pre-service teachers from California University of Pennsylvania provided lessons and activities centered around a “pets” theme.

Education advocates from across the commonwealth have been calling on all Pennsylvania school districts to prioritize increasing racial diversity among the state’s teachers. Cheyney University launched its “Aspire to Educate” program last summer, a five-week summer program for high school students to learn about a career in education. Twenty-one students participated in the program in 2020 and 19 of them chose to matriculate and continue their education at Cheyney.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced that 26 providers from 17 states and the United Arab Emirates received recognition for leadership and commitment to continuous improvement and Clarion University is among them. The award highlights the leadership Clarion has always exhibited in education preparation.

The Mental Health Stakeholders Coalition, a new partnership between representatives from East Stroudsburg University and stakeholders in the community, has formed with the purpose of addressing issues related to mental illness, with particular focus on suicide prevention. The Coalition has a comprehensive plan for support strategies, resources, and training on various relevant topics for individuals or groups.

The National Weather Service reaffirmed that Edinboro University is sufficiently prepared for weather emergencies – recognizing the University with the official StormReady designation. Edinboro University renewed its StormReady distinction from the National Weather Service (NWS), following a successful three-year initial certification.

While it’s physically headquartered in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s McElhaney Hall, IUP’s Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center (ALS-RTC) has a reach that impacts the entire state. Its faculty have worked with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency over the past six years to provide research, evaluation and advisory services for the agency, its Board, and numerous Advisory Committees.

Kutztown University's Departments of Computer Science and Information Technology, Biology, Geography, Mathematics and Physical Sciences hosted the inaugural Girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Symposium on Oct. 19, with the goal of motivating female students to pursue a degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Sports brought 2018 Lock Haven University graduate, Samantha Wilson, to LHU in 2014. Since graduating and staying in Pennsylvania, sports have remained an integral part of her journey, as she continues building upon the foundation laid at The Haven— working tirelessly in pursuit of her goal to become a nationally-recognized sports personality.

Qualified high school students at more than 40 partner school districts in Pennsylvania can now earn tuition-free college credits. Mansfield University announced that its rapidly growing Early Start Program will be tuition free for Pennsylvania residents beginning in Fall 2021, thanks to the generous contributions of two area banks:  First Citizens Community Bank and Citizens and Northern (C&N) Bank.

Integrated Studies at Millersville University is a 2- or 4-year inclusive post-secondary initiative for young adults with an intellectual disability. The program has grown to 41 students this fall. Graduates of the program, like Deltilyn Bonal, are more likely to get jobs. Nationally, only 17% of people with an intellectual disability are employed. That number skyrockets to 67% for people who graduate from post-secondary initiatives.

Shippensburg University received a $25,000 community improvement grant from the GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to launch a student-led composting project called ShipCompost. The university was one of only 42 applicants from across the state selected to receive funding. The ShipCompost project concept was created by members of Enactus, a student organization focused on improving the world through entrepreneurship.

Social isolation and loneliness are conditions that have been perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and safety measures that keep people at a distance from one another. These afflictions are particularly harmful for older adults, many of whom are living alone and encounter other factors such as loss of friends and family members, chronic illness and physical ailments. A new pilot program launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging in partnership with Slippery Rock University is addressing the issue for older adults in Butler and Mercer counties.

John J. Kennedy, West Chester University​ professor of political science and an expert in legislative redistricting, is one of six individuals selected by Governor Tom Wolf for the Pennsylvania Redistricting Advisory Council, a group the governor tasked with ensuring integrity and fairness when Pennsylvania’s congressional map is redrawn. Once every 10 years, Pennsylvania draws new congressional district maps through the legislative redistricting process following the release of U.S. Census data.