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Inside Outreach
College of Education appoints associate dean
Dr. Patricia Nelson is the new associate dean for outreach, Cooperative Extension, technology and international programs in the College of Education.	By Tracy Mason   Dr. Patricia Nelson, associate professor and head of the Education Department at Susquehanna University, has been appointed associate dean for outreach, Cooperative Extension, technology and international programs in the College of Education.   She assumed the position on July 10. Her responsibilities include coordinating the college’s outreach and continuing education programs, including the Penn State Educational Partnership Program. She also will have responsibility for enhancing the use of instructional technologies throughout the college and will be the coordinator for international programs.   “Patricia Nelson brings with her a wealth of curriculum, outreach and technology experience,” Dr. David H. Monk, dean of the College of Education, said. “We are confident she will enhance our current initiatives and further establish Penn State’s College of Education as a pacesetter in the field of education.”   Nelson’s education career spans the nation and the globe. She holds Certificates of Recognition from both La Universidad Nacional Abierto in Caracas, Venezuela, and from La Universidad de Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. She has served as an associate professor and the head of Susquehanna University’s Education Department since 1992. Previously, she was assistant director of the Independent Study Program for the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.   While an assistant professor at the University of Alaska–Fairbanks from 1986 to 1990, she served on the statewide committee on Technology and Distance Education. She served as a curriculum specialist in the Region 20 Curriculum Center in Detroit, Mich., where she addressed curriculum and training needs for a population of 600,000 students of varied ethnic and language backgrounds — the third largest education service region in the nation.   Nelson received the Christa McAuliffe National Fellow Award in 1988, recognizing her as one of the nation’s educational pioneers for her contributions to education and technology by the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education.   Throughout her career, her research interests have focused on such issues as diversity, distance education and best practice. She has presented many invited papers on outcome-based teacher education and university/school collaboration, and she has written numerous articles and special reports, including “An Open Letter to President Clinton,” an invited report written with Christa McAuliffe in 1993 for the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education and National Education Association. Nelson also is co-author of the book Paths of Science, which will be released this year.   She earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Brigham Young University in 1985. In 1979, she received her M.A. degree in educational administration from Eastern Michigan University, and in 1976, she earned her M.S. Ed. degree in special education from Northern Illinois University.
William Curley heads continuing education for Commonwealth College
William G. Curley is senior director of continuing education for the Commonwealth College.	The Commonwealth College has established a central continuing education office and appointed William G. Curley as the first senior director of continuing education.   Dr. Joseph C. Strasser, recently retired dean of the Commonwealth College, said, “Bill Curley’s wealth of experience in continuing education is proving invaluable as we work to extend the research, scholarship and expertise of our faculty to help improve the quality of life for the people in the communities we serve. One critical area we are focusing on is workforce development. Many companies are struggling with issues of how to keep their employees’ skills up to date, as well as how to find new workers who have the skills today’s jobs require. We want to help Pennsylvania companies address these workforce development issues.”   According to Curley, “Penn State has many resources that will allow us to better serve communities around the state. Our role is to work collaboratively internally and externally to identify how we can take advantage of those resources and translate that into individual and community economic development.”   The Commonwealth College is comprised of 12 campuses: Penn State Beaver, Penn State Delaware County, Penn State DuBois, Penn State Fayette, Penn State Hazleton, Penn State McKeesport, Penn State Mont Alto, Penn State New Kensington, Penn State Shenango, Penn State Wilkes–Barre, Penn State Worthington Scranton and Penn State York.   In addition to focusing on workforce development, Curley’s responsibilities include enhancing continuing education activities at all Commonwealth College locations. He is involved with program development and delivery and with establishing collaborative partnerships to improve continuing education.   “The creation of this position signifies the importance that the Commonwealth College places on outreach,” Curley said. “There are many exciting continuing education activities occurring throughout the college that are creating great impact for local communities.”   Before joining the Commonwealth College in February, Curley was director of continuing education and training for Penn State Altoona. He served in that role from July 1997 to January 2000 and was responsible for outreach programming in a five-county area. He coordinated efforts to deliver an extended master of education program through the College of Education, created joint workforce development programs with the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and partnered with the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. to open a continuing education facility in downtown Altoona.   He has been a Penn State continuing education staff member since 1985, when he was a conference coordinator for the Keller Conference Center. In 1987, he was named an area representative in the State College Area Continuing Education Office. From 1990 to 1995, he was director of continuing education at Penn State Mont Alto. While there, he also served as director of business services and continuing education (1995–96) and acting campus executive officer (1996–97).   Throughout his continuing education tenure, Curley secured funding to develop continuing education programs. While at Penn State Altoona, with a grant from Outreach and Cooperative Extension’s Program Innovation Fund in 1999, he helped initiate the beginning phases of a Certified Public Manager program. A 1996 Ben Franklin Challenge Grant supported the creation of a technical training consortium comprised of local industry, education and community groups. A series of five Job Training Partnership Act grants (1993–97) funded summer programs for disadvantaged youth in Adams and Franklin counties. A 1996 Customized Job Training Grant helped Penn State Mont Alto develop training for a local company.   In addition to his involvement in several campus and University committees, Curley is a member of the Workforce Investment Board of the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Area and a graduate of Leadership Blair County. He also is a member of the University Continuing Education Association, the Association for Continuing Higher Education and the Continuing Education Association of Pennsylvania.   Curley earned his bachelor of science degree in rehabilitation education in 1982 and his master of education degree in adult education in 1994, both from Penn State. He currently is pursuing a doctoral degree in workforce education and development at the University.
Director of Continuing Education and Outreach at Dickinson School of Law appointed
Nancy Jean LaMont is the new director of Continuing Education and Outreach for The Dickinson School of Law.	Pittsburgh attorney Nancy Jean LaMont, a 1978 graduate of The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, has been appointed director of Continuing Education and Outreach for the Law School.   In this position, she is responsible for developing and implementing a wide-ranging program of continuing education and other outreach programs offered by the Law School, Penn State and the Law School’s Agricultural Law Research and Education Center.   Although the Law School has conducted a continuing education program for lawyers for many years, the scope of its program is being significantly broadened to include not only lawyers locally, regionally and nationally, but the general population, as well.   “Expansion of our continuing education program will help to fulfill our mission of service to our alumni and to the legal profession generally and will provide greater outreach to the broader community,” Law School Dean Peter G. Glenn said. “One way in which we will increase the number of programs offered will be through collaborations with our Agricultural Law Research and Education Center and other established continuing education providers.”   Glenn said the Law School continuing education office also is responsible for oversight of the continuing legal education programs offered throughout the University. The continuing education program will include traditional courses and seminars on a variety of topics, as well as programs designed for delivery using the latest information technologies.   “I think it’s a very exciting opportunity to work with a program in which the Law School and University are devoting substantial resources,” LaMont said. “I am very impressed with the Dickinson/Penn State team’s highly professional approach to enhancing the reputation of both institutions and to providing service to alumni, the legal profession and to the community as a whole. There are many opportunities for us to expand the program beyond the traditional mandatory continuing legal education component that the Law School has concentrated on through the years. We have a good foundation of programs, as well as excellent facilities, on which to build.”   LaMont has been a member of the Law School’s Board of Trustees and chair of its strategic planning committee. She resigned from the Board of Trustees prior to assuming her role as director of Continuing Education and Outreach.   Active in the American, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County bar associations, LaMont served as a continuing education course planner and presenter for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, including its Business Lawyers Institute in Philadelphia, for a number of years. She is a graduate of Allegheny College.
Vice President’s Awards Vice President’s Award for Outreach Leadership: Melinda Stearns, director of the Outreach Office of Client Development. Vice President’s Award for Innovation “Pathfinder Award”: Eva Zison, Continuing Education representative at Penn State Abington. Vice President’s Award for Quality Enhancement: Janice Pearce, assistant director of budget and finance, Conferences and Institutes. Vice President’s Award for Customer Service: Richard Bartolomea, program coordinator, Conferences and Institutes’ Sport Camps Office. Vice President’s Award for Partnership “Bridge Builder Award”: Jane Mecum, Cooperative Extension agent, family living, Dauphin County. Vice President’s Award for Diversity and Public Service “Marybeth Reese Award”: the entire Dauphin County Cooperative Extension team — Patricia Powley, Cooperative Extension director; Ellen Brubaker, program assistant, 4-H school enrichment; Paul Craig, extension agent, agriculture; Anne Hawk, coordinator, Master Gardener Program; Tamie Herb, office manager/secretary; Eileen Keiter, secretary; Linda Kulp, secretary; Jane Mecum, extension agent, family living; Alan Michael, extension agent, agriculture; Patricia Mitola, program assistant, parent education; Cynthia Pardo, EFNEP adviser; Fred Rudy, extension agent, 4-H/youth development; David Tang, extension agent, 4-H/youth development; Jim Welshans, extension agent, agriculture; Maria Williard, EFNEP adviser; and Kathy Wolfe, program assistant, urban gardening. Vice President’s Award for Special Contributions: Cindy Galbraith and Eleanor Zindler, Distance Education/World Campus technical typists.
University Continuing Education Association Awards Conferences and Professional Programs Faculty Service Award: Dr. Robert D. Ricketts, professor in charge of undergraduate programs in the Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Development. Conferences and Professional Programs Exemplary Program Award: Eating Disorders on Campus: The Institutional Response; Stephanie S. Tyworth, program developer, Outreach Office of Program Development; Dr. Suzanne St. Pierre, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; and conference chair Dr. Claudia Probart, associate professor of nutrition, College of Health and Human Development. Award for Service to Special Populations: Penn State Drug Elimination Program; Donald Sheffield, assistant to associate vice president for Outreach and Cooperative Extension, Office of Outreach and Diversity Programs, Penn State Beaver. Meritorious Award: Distance Education/World Campus catalog; Heather Chakiris, Distance Education/World Campus marketing manager; Bruce Cramer, photographer; Janice Fink, marketing manager; Jerry Goff, coordinator of advising; Jason Oakman, designer; Erik Strickler, production assistant; and Leslie Syrett, proofreader. Gold Award of Excellence: Distance Education/World Campus viewbook; Heather Chakiris, Distance Education/World Campus marketing manager (writer); Bruce Cramer, photographer; Jason Oakman, designer; and Leslie Syrett, proofreader. Gold Award of Excellence: A poster for Cocteau’s World: A Symposium; Geoffrey L. Conrad, marketing manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Chriss Schultz, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Dr. Robert R. Edwards and Dr. Randy J. Ploog, faculty chairs, Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies; and Claudia Mauner, designer. Silver Award of Excellence: A poster for African Americans and the Age of American Expansion, 1898–1998; Kerry A. Newman, marketing manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Kristin A. Owens, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Allie Shaw, designer, Document Services; and Dr. Cary Fraser, assistant professor of African and African American studies and faculty chair. Silver Award of Excellence: A logo for the Children, Youth and Families are Resilient program; Judy Mierop Richardson, marketing manager, and Cheryl L. Himes, graphic artist, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications. Silver Award of Excellence: Bonhoeffer’s Dilemma: The Ethics of Violence; Geoffrey L. Conrad, marketing manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Chriss Schultz, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Dr. Robert R. Edwards and Dr. Randy J. Ploog, faculty chairs, Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies; and Allie Shaw, designer, Document Services. Bronze Award of Excellence: A logo for Alumni Education; Patricia A. Hummer, marketing manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Roberta M. Moore, director of Alumni Education; Mary Jane Stout, program planner, Alumni Education; and Jim Lukens-Gable, designer, Document Services. Bronze Award of Excellence, campaign publications, and Honorable Mention, Conferences and Professional Programs Exemplary Program: Best Practices in Outreach and Public Service Conference; Talat Azhar, research associate, Outreach Office of Marketing Research; Melissa Beidler, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Mark Bernhard, senior conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Jeri Childers, conference chair, assistant director, Outreach Office of Program Development; Janice Ferguson, marketing manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; James Fong, director, Outreach Office of Marketing Research; Cheryl George, staff assistant, Conferences and Institutes; Judy Hall, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Tracey Huston, director, Office of Outreach Communications; Michael Martin, special assistant to the vice president for Outreach and Cooperative Extension; Connie Pukanic–Smails, executive producer, Penn State Public Broadcasting; Dr. Michelle Rodgers, regional director, Capital Region, Cooperative Extension and Outreach; Jacklyn Rosenfeld, director, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Dan Williams, staff assistant, Outreach Office of Program Development; Jeanne Williams, program development specialist, Outreach Office of Program Development; Sue Witherite, staff assistant, Conferences and Institutes; and John Wozniak, Web manager, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications. Bronze Award of Excellence, campaign/mixed media: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists; Elizabeth A. Bechtel, associate director, Outreach Office of Marketing Communications; Janet Patterson, senior conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Charles C. Herd, conference planner, Conferences and Institutes; Jay Stauffer, professor of ichthyology and faculty chair; Patrick R. Sharbaugh, graphic designer, University Photo/Graphics; and Outreach Office of Marketing Communications staff members Cheryl L. Himes, graphic artist; David L. Maser, senior graphic designer; Brian J. Mizikar, graphic artist; and Melinda K. Meyers, production coordinator.
Division of Continuing Education Award
Dr. Shirley S. Hendrick Dick Ackley—University Photo/Graphics	Dr. Shirley S. Hendrick, associate dean in The Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State, was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Academic Leadership Award by the Division of Continuing Education. Dr. Patricia A. Book, associate vice president for outreach and executive director of the Penn State Division of Continuing Education, called Hendrick “an innovative and creative associate dean.” Book said, “Shirley Hendrick’s contributions to the field of continuing education and its practice stand out in terms of outstanding leadership in ensuring access to quality programs for the adult learner. To express our esteem for your contributions to continuing education, we have named the award for you. You are the first recipient of the Award for Outstanding Academic Leadership, and henceforth, this award will be presented in your name.” Hendrick retired from Penn State in December 1999 after 23 years of service. For more than 21 of those years, she served in the continuing education field as an administrator with The Smeal College. She died May 22, 2000.
Outstanding Real Estate Instructor named
Charles M. Gambone (center), associate broker with Prudential First Choice Realty of State College, received the Outstanding Real Estate Instructor Award from the State College Office of Continuing Education. With him are Dr. Kenneth Lusht (left), associate dean for research, The Smeal College of Business Administration, and Ron Avillion, director, State College Office of Continuing Education.	Charles M. Gambone, associate broker with Prudential First Choice Realty of State College, has been honored as the Outstanding Real Estate Instructor for spring 2000 by the State College Office of Continuing Education.   He teaches in The Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal College of Business Administration’s Department of Insurance and Real Estate for the State College Office of Continuing Education. He is a 28-year veteran of the real estate business, an active member of the Centre County Chamber of Business and Industry and past president of the Centre County Association of Realtors.   Gambone has a bachelor of science degree in business management from Penn State.   He provides training, recruiting and marketing services for Prudential First Choice Realty.
PENNTAP wins three awards for helping state businesses
	By Dana Bauer   Penn State’s Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) has won three 1999 Outstanding Project of the Year Awards from NAMTAC, the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers.   “This is the first time that PENN-TAP was a triple winner,” Jack Gido, PENNTAP director, said. The awards, presented at NAMTAC’s meeting in Seattle, Wash., honored the technical specialists who headed the winning projects. Technology transfer award   Bill Paletski, a senior technical specialist for PENNTAP, helped Rosemary Rogue and Miguel Rodriguez, co-owners of Angel’s Touch Paint, a Lehigh County latex paint recycling firm, expand their business to serve a four-county area. The project won the award in the technology transfer category.   “It’s unique,” Paletski said. “They’re the only paint recycling center in the state and one of only two dozen in the country.”   Paletski designed a new process flow for Angel’s Touch Paint and contacted paint recycling companies throughout the country, researching the type of equipment the company would need to work on a larger scale. With assistance from   PENNTAP and the Lehigh County Office of Solid Waste Management, Angel’s Touch Paint received a $165,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to buy equipment, lease a larger space and purchase a vehicle to transport paint to and from customers. Business assistance awards   “Year 2000 Assessments for Small Businesses,” a project led by Ralph Caretti, senior technical specialist, won an award in the business assistance category. Caretti and a graduate assistant provided free, on-site Y2K assessment and computer support for more than 120 companies throughout Pennsylvania. Caretti tested hardware and software, installed software patches and offered advice on how to become Y2K compliant.   “Clients reported economic benefits of $630,000 and 27 jobs saved as a direct result of PENNTAP Year 2000 assessments,” Gido said.   Senior technical specialist Warren Weaver also received an award in the business assistance category for his project “Environmental Compliance and Cost Savings through Pollution Avoidance.” Weaver helped Weinstock Conestoga, a Lancaster company that manufactures specialty gift items, find a way to reduce wastewater contaminants from its brass processing operation.   Weaver facilitated a meeting between Weinstock Conestoga and the Lancaster City Sewer Authority to present a plan for implementing a technical solution.   Eventually, Weinstock Conestoga decided to subcontract the brass processing operation to a neighboring company that could both do the work within the Sewer Authority’s standards and meet quality and delivery requirements.   “The new process allowed [Weinstock Conestoga] to create an equal product for less money,” Weaver said. “The company estimated the total savings to be about $16,000, without the loss of any jobs.”   PENNTAP is a partnership among Penn State, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.   NAMTAC is a nonprofit association that provides advocacy, information and a forum to enhance the performance of organizations providing business, economic development and technical assistance to businesses and communities.
Magazine team displays process improvement project at Quality Expo
Dave Shelly—University Photo/Graphics	Members of the Penn State Outreach magazine team have conducted a continuous quality improvement (CQI) process to streamline magazine production. The project has resulted in changes designed to improve the quality of the publication. Team members presented the results of their magazine CQI process at a booth at the Penn State Quality Expo 2000.
In the photo, from left, are magazine team members Tracey D. Huston, director of Outreach Communications and supervising editor for the magazine; Sandy L. Rothrock, editorial assistant, Outreach Communications; and Deborah A. Benedetti, editor, Outreach Communications. Not shown is team member Celena E. Kusch, writer/editor, Outreach Communications.
Conference sparks ideas for developing leadership skills
During the Penns Woods Leadership Conference, Penn State Cooperative Extension staff, camp directors and youth program leaders from the University and other organizations took part in workshops designed to help them develop leadership and recreational skills for their youth programs.	Participants at the Penns Woods Leadership Conference learned new ideas they can use to develop leadership and recreational skills for their youth programs.   More than 40 Penn State Cooperative Extension staff, camp directors and youth program leaders from Penn State and other organizations spent three days at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center participating in these workshops: Theatre Arts and Storytelling” by Ermyn King, project associate, College of Agricultural Sciences. The Basics of Wildlife Habitat” by Dr. Gary J. San Julian, professor of wildlife resources, and Dr. Margaret Brittingham-Brant, associate professor of wildlife resources, College of Agricultural Sciences. Evening Campfire Program” by Chris Gamble, alumni relations director, College of the Liberal Arts. Teambuilding” by Gerald “Corky” Potter, director, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Discovering the Clown Within” by Tammy Miller (“Hugz the Clown”), training coordinator, Applied Research Laboratory. Incredible Insects: An Underutilized Resource” by Robinne Weiss, program director, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Next Age Leadership” by Dr. Michelle Rodgers, regional director for Cooperative Extension and Outreach, Capital Region, and Dr. Claudia Mincemoyer, manager of Cooperative Extension staff development. Wings, Strings and Flying Things” by Jim Cain, executive director, Association for Challenge Course Technology and manager, Cornell University Corporate Teambuilding Program. Dancing in Lines, Squares and Circles” by Jerry Elliott of Lock Haven, Pa. Camp and Recreational Programming Safety” by Mark McLaughlin, program director, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. 4-H Camps in Penns Woods” by Sanford S. Smith, extension associate, Penn State School of Forestry’s Natural Resources and Youth Extension Program. Communicating to Avoid Conflict” by James P. Hamilton, assistant professor of speech communication and Science, Technology and Society, Penn State Mont Alto.   Penn State Cooperative Extension, Penn State Outreach and Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center collaborated to develop the leadership conference. The Pennsylvania Audubon Society, the Penn State Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Outreach Partnership Fund provided funding to support the conference. Scholarships were available to Cooperative Extension staff, leaders and youth through an Extension Program Priority Initiative mini-grant.   On their conference evaluation forms, many participants said they planned to use the knowledge and ideas they gained during the conference at the youth camps they organize and in the training sessions they develop for youth and adults.