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UNIVERSITY NEWS

NFL SELECTS FOUR WCU STUDENTS FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

“I feel a sense of ‘going back home'.”

After having emerged successfully from a rigorous selection process, four students in the University’s graduate athletic training (AT) program are spending this summer as interns with NFL teams from across the country.

“Four WCU students landing NFL internships in the same summer is a testament to their hard work, the strength of our program, the faculty who support them, and our larger University community’s dedication to excellence,” said Scott Heinerichs, dean of the College of Health Sciences, which houses the athletic training program. “We’re thrilled for their selection in this competitive process, and to see how they’ll inspire future WCU students.”

The master’s degree students are: Sharese Johnson working with the Kansas City Chiefs; Gabrielle Louis-Charles working with the New York Jets; Julia Rose working with the Buffalo Bills; and Nicholas Tucker working with the Washington Commanders.

WCU’s Department of Sports Medicine has had students intern with the NFL before, said Neil Curtis, associate professor of sports medicine and program director of the athletic training education program. “Our program has an excellent reputation, and the past performance of our students has paved the path for current students to be awarded these types of opportunities,” he said. “We’re able to attract good students, and they go on and do good things and keep the cycle going. I’m proud of our students.”

This year was a new record, Curtis noted: “We’ve never had four at one time.”

One of the students, Sharese Johnson of Bear, DE, noted, “WCU helped me prepare for this internship by giving me the football experience early on with my first clinical being WCU football. I am spending the summer somewhere I have not visited yet and getting to work at the highest level of football.”

Julia Rose of Thorndale, PA, also credits the support of her mentors at West Chester for preparing her to work with the Buffalo Bills.

“Not only have my professors challenged me, but they also listened to my professional goals for life after graduation,” she said. “They have provided me with exceptional clinical and academic experiences that have me well prepared for this internship and future career. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity.”

Nicholas Tucker of Frederick, MD, said, “Ever since I chose athletic training as a career, my goal has been to work in the professional setting. This experience is giving me a great opportunity to get a glimpse of that.”

Tucker said he feels a sense of nostalgia since he has been a Washington Commanders fan his entire life and is from the area.

“I feel a sense of ‘going back home.’”

Gabrielle Louis-Charles of Princeton, NJ, is thrilled to work with the New York Jets and to help contribute to the health and performance of elite athletes. “I am working alongside leading professionals in the field of athletic training.”

With the largest athletic training program in the country, West Chester University has graduated athletic trainers who support such national sports teams as the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Wild (NHL), New York Islanders (NHL), and the Baltimore Orioles (MLB). Numerous alumni are also former athletic trainers for the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Minnesota Vikings (NFL), and the Philadelphia Phillies (MLB).

FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAM AT 15:
WCU’s Commitment to the Development of Expert Faculty

In May, WCU leadership and faculty gathered for a luncheon to recognize and celebrate the 15th anniversary of the University’s Faculty Mentoring Program and the completion of the inaugural year of the Program for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL).

Executive Vice President and Interim Provost Jeffery Osgood told the attendees, “West Chester University recognizes and supports mentoring’s crucial role in academic and professional development. The Faculty Mentoring and PETAL Programs aim to develop a faculty of mutually supportive and continuously evolving educators who meet students’ needs. A strong faculty is the foundation of a strong institution.”

The Faculty Mentoring and PETAL programs were developed in response to research showing that mentoring is crucial to success for new faculty members. The Faculty Mentoring Program pairs new faculty with an established mentor who can answer questions, offer advice, and help acclimate new faculty members to campus. The new PETAL program extends new faculty orientation with several fall meetings and hosts a three-credit class in the spring semester that advises on best practice teaching strategies.

“With the addition of PETAL, the Faculty Mentoring Program has evolved into more than we could have hoped,” Osgood added. “We have witnessed the value of mentoring and its positive effect on both the mentor and the mentee.”.

Lauri Hyers, professor of psychology and one of the founding members of the Faculty Mentoring Program, also spoke, noting, “We have faced many challenges in academia these past 15 years, and the Faculty Mentoring Program has helped prepare faculty to meet these challenges head on. This program will continue to be a valuable resource for new and current WCU faculty in this everchanging landscape of higher education.”

New Mural Acknowledges Renewed Connections and the Region’s Original Inhabitants

This spring, registered Lenape artist Ben Scott Miller, an enrolled citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and a graduate of the Academy of Art University San Francisco created a new mural in Sykes Student Union that evokes the past and future of our area.

Miller is also curator for the University’s Museum of Anthropology exhibition Lenapeyok: Contemporary Artisans’ Works, which features a range of traditional and contemporary-style works by noted Lenape artists from across the United States. The exhibition emphasizes the persistence and vibrancy of Lenape arts and crafts and will be on display in the museum, which is located in the Old Library, until mid-2025.

Miller is a graduate of the Academy of Art University San Francisco. He spoke at the unveiling of the mural in April and, at a separate event, discussed the traditional and contemporary Lenape art and style on exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s special pop-up exhibition Lenapeyok: Contemporary Artisans’ Works.

West Chester University continues to develop connections with the Delaware Tribe of Indians, based in Bartlesville, OK, of whom the Lenape are a part. Last fall as part of the 50th anniversary of the Gordon Natural Area (GNA) on South Campus, the University installed signage in the GNA in the Lenape language calling attention to their names for flora and fauna since they were among the original peoples to inhabit our region.

Heather Wholey, WCU professor of anthropology, has nurtured these connections.

She is administering a benchmark grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF) that supports the National Park Service (NPS) Tribal Archaeological Monitoring Program. The grant supports programs in training, instruction, and capacity building for tribal citizens, who are learning to meet archeological monitoring requirements established by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and appropriate State Historic Preservation Office standards.

A two-week residency at WCU this June for tribal youth was part of this grant (Miller’s residency to create the mural was not related to this grant). Wholey developed a course for them that involved, among other activities, archaeological site work at Brandywine Battlefield to develop skills in resource stewardship practices on park lands. Susan Bachor ’11, archaeologist and historic preservationist for the Delaware Tribe of Indians, assisted Wholey as an adjunct professor.

Ben Miller at the mural in Sykes

ONE IN FIVE: Students Who Are Parents Will Benefit from PA Department of Education Grant

In May, West Chester University became one of only 12 universities in Pennsylvania to receive grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to help fund scholarships and programming for undergraduate students with children. The Parent Pathways Grant Program provides funding to institutions to directly support the persistence of parenting students in the form of tuition assistance, emergency funding, and wraparound services.

WCU’s Center for Women and Gender Equity will administer the $150,000 award.

“This grant will allow us to award 25 parenting students with robust $5,000 scholarships; help us continue the large-scale parenting events we know are most effective for them and their families; and hopefully help fund a facilities project that will be child-friendly and child-centered,” said Lindsey Mosvick, director of WCU’s Center for Women & Gender Equity.

Parenting students bear significant burdens and need additional support to navigate through their academic program successfully. Studies indicate that one in five undergraduate college students is balancing the responsibilities of raising children while pursuing a postsecondary education, and nearly half of them do not earn a degree. Mosvick said WCU currently has approximately 400 student parents.

WCU’s Student Parent Task Force developed programming and plans in consultation with the statewide Pennsylvania Parent Pathways program to improve both recruitment and retention of pregnant and parenting students. Efforts focused on the identification of resources and systems to support parenting students, development of a listserv of 448 parenting students (including those who recently graduated), and an educational series of six community-building events. WCU’s Center for Women and Gender Equity maintains an online list of resources for students who are parents. The online resource repository is available 24/7 and accessible through D2L.

WCU is one of the six Pennsylvania institutions of higher education that are active members of the Parent Pathways Learning Network (PPLN). As such, these institutions contributed to the December 2022 Pennsylvania Department of Human Services policy report that underscored the importance of integrating the firsthand experiences of parenting students into statewide policymaking.

In the announcement of these inaugural grants, Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin noted, “The Shapiro administration is committed to breaking down barriers to higher education, and that is especially true for students who are earning a degree while also raising a family. By addressing the significant burdens of parenting students, the Parent Pathways Grant Program will empower these learners and their families to chart their own course and succeed.”

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Anti-Animal Cruelty Course WINS WCU PROFESSOR LEGISLATIVE CITATIONS

In April, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Cassandra Reyes received legislative citations from both the Pennsylvania State House and the State Senate for her work in animal protection and advocacy. Reyes was recognized for creating the first known criminal justice college course on animal cruelty in the country, a course she has been teaching at WCU since 2010.

In recognition of Humane Lobby Day in the United States, the legislative citations were awarded at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg and were presented by State Representatives Chris Pielli and David M. Delloso and by Pennsylvania State Senators Carolyn T. Comitta ’74 and Anthony H. Williams. Humane Lobby Day was established by the Humane Society of the United States and is a day in which animal advocates meet with members of the General Assembly to discuss legislation for the protection of animals.

In addition to her coursework, Reyes has published multiple books and and written a dissertation exploring the link between animal cruelty, child abuse, and domestic abuse.

“I have seen first-hand a link between animal and human violence, and I am passionate about educating others on the topic,” says Reyes. “I am beyond honored and humbled to receive these legislative citations. It verifies that I’m doing something right and good.”

Reyes has worked at WCU since 2009. Before that, she was a probation officer and a senior parole officer for the State of New Jersey for 10 years.

(L-R) Pennsylvania Senator Carolyn T. Comitta ’74 presents a legislative citation to Cassandra Reyes

Summer Undergraduate Research Institute

During the first summer 2024 session, 28 students participated in the University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI), working on projects they had proposed in fields as varied as music studio technology, forensic toxicology, athletic training, stream ecology, and physics. For the first time, SURI also included a study abroad experience overseen by two College of Education and Social Work faculty members. Nearly three-quarters of this year’s cohort plan to attend graduate school or go into a field that focuses on research. Approximately one-third of the applicants identify as under-represented minorities, an increase from just over one-quarter in 2023. Undergraduates worked one-on-one with their faculty mentors, met weekly as a group, and presented preliminary reports at a closing event. Students receive a stipend to support their work.

Maggio Wins 2024 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical
Far From the Tree

Professor of Music Theory and Composition Robert Maggio received the 2024 Richard Rodgers Studio Production Award for his musical Far From the Tree.

The award was presented in New York City in May by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an honor society of artists, composers, and writers that annually distributes more than $1.2 million in awards to foster interest in the arts. The Richard Rodgers Awards, endowed by acclaimed composer Rodgers in 1978, supports musical theater by subsidizing productions in New York City for emerging composers and writers.

Far From the Tree is a collaborative effort between Maggio (music), Justin Warner (libretto), and Kristin Maloney (lyrics). Inspired by Andrew Solomon’s nonfiction book of the same name, the musical follows three sets of parents who explore the challenges and triumphs of raising children who are different from them: one child is deaf, one child is transgender, and one child is on the autism spectrum.

“It’s about how the parents find a way to understand and love their children despite the extreme differences between parent and child,” Maggio said.

The road to production has been a circuitous one for 10 years. It started when Maggio and Maloney read Solomon’s book and secured the rights to adapt it into a musical. They brought in Warner to structure the narrative. The three had met at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop nearly 20 years ago.

Director Michael Greif, known for Broadway successes like Rent and Dear Evan Hansen, joined the project in 2017. That same year Far From the Tree was workshopped in Martha’s Vineyard, and again in 2019 in New York City – then the COVID-19 pandemic brought the performing arts industry to a halt.

“The Rodgers award represents new momentum in getting the musical in front of an audience,” Maggio said. “With this new funding, we will continue to search for New York theatres that are interested in producing the show.”

Maggio added, "If you learn anything from working on musicals, it’s patience.”

Robert Maggio, third from left

WHEN IN ROME...

This year, students in the University’s Dub C Autism Program (D-CAP), which provides supports to degree seeking WCU students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), traveled to Italy on their second summer abroad trip. They learned to make tiramisu in Rome, enjoyed a boat tour on the Arno River in Florence, and marveled at the view from the bell tower of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Students traveled to London last summer.