Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

42 juniors and seniors at Kutztown University have completed a Career Success Certificate for the Spring 2023 semester. The Career Success Certificate is open to all juniors and seniors. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interviewing skills and the role of social media in the hiring process. They will also be better prepared to conduct the internship, job, or graduate school search.

Kutztown University has issued Career Exploration Certificates to 68 students for the 2023 spring semester. The Career Exploration Certificate is open to all freshmen and sophomore students. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. They will be better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing experiences, and plan for a successful internship/professional job or graduate school search.

KU special education majors (pictured from left to right) Hallie Page, Morgan Pierce and Rosetta Teutonico spoke on a panel along with three students from Elizabethtown College at the 11th annual District HR Exchange Conference held at Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center Thursday, April 27. The three pre-service teachers shared their perspectives on what they hope for in a future teaching position. The conference session was attended by superintendents, HR directors and other district and intermediate unit administrators in an effort to learn what factors are most likely to attract and keep prospective new teachers entering the profession.

Four Kutztown University students spent their spring break with a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about the history of voting rights in the United States and the importance of enhancing voter access. During the trip, students also learned how to apply tactics to fight for voting rights and other problems in their communities and network with elected officials in Pennsylvania and across the country. Students Melanie Momphotes, Brandon Ramirez, Elizabeth Kolb and Leah Johnson spent time throughout the week reading, viewing a film, touring and meeting with elected officials and nonprofit organizations. They dove deep into material that outlined the support and opposition efforts for black voting rights both in the past and present. In doing so, they discussed the historical significance of how the ability to vote is a fundamental right to all citizens in America. Among the nonprofit organizations that the students met with during their excursion were Issue One, an organization dedicated to protecting U.S. elections, Congressional Management Foundation, another non-partisan nonprofit that builds trust and effectiveness in Congress, as well as Friends Place on Capitol Hill, which focuses on civic education and engagement for young individuals. This trip provided Momphotes, Ramirez, Kolb and Johnson with invaluable information about the importance of good government and how it impacts the lives of every citizen. Another key lesson they took away from their time in Washington, D.C. was how to apply the knowledge of the innerworkings of the congressional office to advocate for policies and initiatives that they are particularly passionate about. Students met with the Legislative Director and a member of the legislative team for Senator Bob Casey. Students met in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where they received a tour and had the opportunity to discuss legislation that the Senator has been working on. They also visited the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture and specifically interacted with exhibits focused on democracy and the history of African Americans in the United States as it relates to democracy, civil rights and voting rights.

Jennifer Haas (KU BA '20; KU MPA '23) and Dr. Steve B. Lem presented their paper, "Redistricting and Congressional Members' Spending Priorities," at the 2021 national meeting of the American Political Science Association in Seattle, Wash., Sept. 3 to Oct. 3. The American Political Science Association is the leading professional organization for the study of political science. The annual meeting draws thousands of attendees from around the country and world. Haas and Dr. Lem presented their work alongside panelists from Florida International University, University of Texas, Austin, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan) and Western Galilee College (Israel).

KU junior Isaac Reiter, Fleetwood, Pa., and associate professor Dr. Eric Landquist, mathematics, coauthored a paper that appeared in CONTACT (Communications on Number Theory and Combinatorial Theory). Titled, "Determining Biases in the Card-Chameleon Cryptosystem," their paper explains how there are over 225 bits of entropy in a well-shuffled deck of cards. Theoretically, this can provide enough security to rival modern computer-based cryptosystems. Reiter and Landquist describe and analyze one such playing card cipher, Card-Chameleon. Their analysis reveals new weaknesses in this cryptosystem, particularly the tendency for a letter to encrypt to itself. Read More.

Kutztown University student Isaac Reiter, Fleetwood, Pa., will present at 4 p.m., Monday, March 8, at Lehigh University's Graduate Student Intercollegiate Math Seminar. Reiter's presentation is entitled, "Perfect Square Dividends and Perfect Square Remainders," and can be watched via Zoom (https://www.lehigh.edu/~ingsims/). Reiter is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a minor in computer science. He has received multiple grants and had two publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has won awards for his work at KU, including Outstanding Undergraduate Research Video for "Covering All My Bases: Analyzing Unique Efficient Dominating Sets." Reiter is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the National Society of Leadership and Success and is the current president of the KU Math Club.

Kutztown University cinema, television and media production student Nicholas Lipari and professor Michael Johnston attended the 36th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January. Lipari was one of 30 students selected from across the country for the SBIFF Film Studies Program - a three-day symposium dedicated to film appreciation, criticism and analysis. Lipari attended panels, screenings, meet and greets and awards ceremonies. He listened to Oscar-nominated screenwriters, producers and directors, like David O'Russell, Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver, talk about their careers and creative processes. https://sbiff.org/education/film-studies-program/

15 students from a variety of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York colleges have been selected to labor during this year's Labor Day weekend Writing Wrongs project. During a 72-hour workshop held in Berks County, the students, working as staff writers, photographers, designers and social media managers, will conduct research and interviews, draft articles and design pages for a printed book available for sale through national book sellers that highlights stories of members of the LGBTQ+ community, this year's Writing Wrongs topic. Among this year's participants is KU student Jamilee Hoffman of Chalfont, Pa., who will serve as the social media manager. Hoffman is a senior communication studies major at KU. Learn more about Hoffman at the Writing Wrongs website. "Hopefully, I'll be able to make a difference by getting certain issues spread throughout the media," Hoffman said. "This way, issues can reach to whoever they need to (such as a government officials) who will be able to create justice for those issues, even it is only in my surrounding town/community. That change could contribute to the overall change that is needed in the world." In its fifth year, Writing Wrongs - a community journalism project dedicated to generating awareness and promoting understanding of critical social issues - is the brain child of Dawn Heinbach, a Reading Area Community College and Kutztown University graduate. Heinbach's sophomore year honors project - to develop a community-based journalism workshop to share the stories of local people impacted by societal issues - has grown into a nonprofit organization that has produced one newspaper and three books on a variety of issues ranging from homelessness and addiction, to sexual and domestic abuse. In discussing the growth of Writing Wrongs, Heinbach said, "every year the program is expanding to include students from a wider radius. We have students from well-known, competitive schools volunteering their time and skills to explore these important issues as they pertain to the residents of Reading. The point to remember when looking at the book and videos they create is that the students accomplish all this in just one weekend." The LGBT Center of Greater Reading is partnering with Writing Wrongs this year, providing speakers and a space for interviews with members of the LGBT community whose stories will frame this year's book. Learn more about Writing Wrongs at www.seekreporttruth.com.

Recent Kutztown University graduate Tommy Biltcliff joins the Patriot League's multimedia staff as a finalist in two categories for a Sports Video Group (SVG) 2019 College Sports Media Award. Biltcliff graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in cinema, television and media production. This year's winners will be announced at the 11th annual College Sports Media Awards Ceremony on May 30, at the SVG College Summit in Atlanta hosted by Jen Lada, ESPN host and reporter. Representing a variety of college athletic departments, conference offices, professional networks, production companies and students, award finalists are named across four divisions in a total of 20 categories.

Kutztown University student Benjamin Winn has won an honorable mention in the Draw The Lines (DTL) PA statewide legislative mapping contest. Winn entered in the higher education age category for the central region, where Pennsylvania native Elise Lashinsky of Mercyhurst University took first place. A 22-year-old senior, Winn is studying communications and political science. He resides in Palmerton, Pa., and is currently pursuing admission to graduate programs for political science and policymaking. Winn is a supporter of anti-gerrymandering actions such as those from Draw The Lines, as well as workers' rights, environmentalism and reducing the wealth gap. Winn hopes to enter the political world as an elected official, consultant or lobbyist following his higher education. 20 Pennsylvania voters and students won top regional honors in the mapping competition, which was the largest in the nation's history. These winners each drew an 18-district congressional map of Pennsylvania and wrote an accompanying essay on how they did it. First place winners in their region and age group received $500 while second place received $250. All maps and their scores may be viewed here by clicking "Enter as a guest", then clicking on the "Shared" button under "Type of Map." Each winner now has a chance to become one of Draw the Lines' six statewide honorees. State champions in each of three age categories - youth, higher education and adult - will win $4,500. The runner-up in each age group will receive $2,000. DTL is a statewide civic education and engagement campaign surrounding the redistricting process and gerrymandering. A project of the Committee of Seventy, DTL is a government nonprofit based in Philadelphia. Each DTL region has its own nonpartisan steering committee made up of civic, education and business leaders from that region. The project puts into the hands of Pennsylvanians, digital tools that allow DTL participants to learn how to draw maps - just as politicians have for decades. For a complete list of winners please visit the Draw the Lines website.

Grant Fickes, a senior mathematics major at Kutztown University, gave three presentations at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, the largest national mathematics conference. This year's conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland, January 16-19. Fickes' presentations covered his collaborative work with associate professor Wing Hong Tony Wong, as well as his research from the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) that he participated in last summer.

109 juniors and seniors at Kutztown University have completed a Career Success Certificate for the Fall 2018 semester. The Career Success Certificate is open to all juniors and seniors. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interviewing skills and the role of social media in the hiring process. They will also be better prepared to conduct the internship, job, or graduate school search.

Kutztown University has issued Career Exploration Certificates to 41 students for the 2018 fall semester. The Career Exploration Certificate is open to all freshmen and sophomore students. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. They will be better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing experiences, and plan for a successful internship/professional job or graduate school search.

Kutztown University student Daniel Johns of Orwigsburg, Pa., presented his research at the 233rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society on Tuesday, Jan. 8, in Seattle. Johns, a senior in the physical sciences department, presented his contributed research titled, "Revised Exoplanet Radii and Habitability Using Gaia Data Release 2".

Kutztown University has issued Career Exploration Certificates to two students. The Career Exploration Certificate is open to all freshmen and sophomore students. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. They will be better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing experiences, and plan for a successful internship/professional job or graduate school search.

Eleven juniors and seniors at Kutztown University have completed a Career Success Certificate. The Career Success Certificate is open to all juniors and seniors. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interviewing skills and the role of social media in the hiring process. They will also be better prepared to conduct the internship, job, or graduate school search.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the recipients of a 2015 Love of Learning Award from Session B of the program. The awards help fund post-baccalaureate studies and career development for active Phi Kappa Phi members.

Avalanche, Kutztown University's golden bear mascot, earned the title of Mascot Madness Champion April 6 with a 15-vote victory over Rocky of Slippery Rock University. More than 12,000 votes were cast in the one-day championship round. The Kutztown University mascot program is run by twenty student performers and handlers.

Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, president of Kutztown University, today presented the first ever President's Citation. The award was given to Ryan Baron, a biology/pre-med major from Garwood, N.J. Baron recently completed his sophomore year as an offensive lineman for the Golden Bear football team. Baron received the President's Citation for his heroic actions on Monday, August 24, the first day of fall classes at Kutztown University, that led to his saving the life of a fellow classmate.

KU sophomore Corey Bechtel has earned a spot in the prestigious Forrest Wood Cup Bass Tournament, August 20-23, 2015, on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. The tournament is the nation's premiere bass event featuring the top 45 pros and co-anglers in the nation. Bechtel qualified for the event with a 9th place finish last month in the Wheeler Lake Invitational, Wheeler Lake, Ala., where he caught a three day total weight of 15.08 pounds. He competes as a co-angler.

Thirty-two Kutztown University upperclassmen are spending their summer making sure incoming freshman get a solid start to their education. Connections, the freshman orientation program at KU, is in full swing for the month of June.

Thirty-two junior and seniors completed the Career Success Certificate program during the 2013-14 academic year. This certificate program, open to all juniors and seniors, helps students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interview skills, and the role of social media in the hiring process. These students are equipped for their professional job search and are ready to advance on their ladder to success.

Kutztown University students Anna Tellis and Tiffany Jones were named student ambassadors for the Division on Visual Impairment for the National Council for Exceptional Children, at this year's conference for the Council for Exceptional Children.

Ten freshman and sophomore students completed the Career Exploration Certificate program during the 2013-14 academic year. This certificate program, open to all freshmen and sophomores, helps students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process and become better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing, and plan for a successful internship search.

Kutztown University associate professor of psychology Avidan Milevsky and senior psychology major Kristie Thudium have coauthored the upcoming book, "The Transitory Nature of Parent, Sibling and Romantic Partner Relationships in Emerging Adulthood." The book, which focuses on how sibling, parent and romantic relationships shift and influence each other in emerging adulthood, will be available in June from Springer Publishing.

The Kutztown University Office of Conference Services has announced their 2014 summer staff. Conference Services will host approximately 60 events with more than 12,000 attendees on campus during the summer months.