Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, November 21 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit. The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body, and awareness of the presence of others.

The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and has increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu.

Utilizing recyclable objects such as plastics and cans, internationally known artist Steven Siegel worked with volunteers to create a monumental outdoor sculpture on the campus of Penn State Berks, Reading, PA.

The work, which helps define our college mission to "go green," was created by visiting artist Steven Siegel with campus and community volunteers, and will remain indefinitely.

Siegel, of Red Hook, New York, and volunteers worked over 175 hours in one week, using hundreds of pounds of recycled materials and bamboo, which is native to the campus. With over 53 public art projects to date, the artist has installed commissions at museums, sculpture parks, and college and university campuses throughout the country. Siegel's work often utilizes recyclable or natural materials such as paper, mulch, and turf, but this is his initial trial with bamboo. Siegel does not aim to make a political statement about those materials or man's impact on nature, but is more interested in "interrupting the recycling stream." He says, "I am interested in the texture, shape, and color."

Siegel and volunteers,  largely students who had never worked on any art project before, created two large, cylindrical shaped objects. These objects are eleven feet tall and ten feet long, with a radius of approximately six feet. The exterior of the two pieces is covered with bamboo, and the end slabs are stuffed with recycling. The work, titled "Two of em," is dynamically sited, as though in dialog.

This work is a sampling of a more aggressive show of Siegel's studio work called "Wonderful Life". With its seminal exhibit at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Appalachian State University, the collection of 52 works will be exhibited at the Freyberger Gallery, Penn State Berks; the Freedman Gallery, Albright College; and the Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading beginning in January 2010.

In the manner that most ideas are born, the inspiration for the CAFI originated through identifying a need. Increasingly, the agricultural and food processing industries are pressured to create more products, implement more cost reductions, and develop more distribution channels. They must do all this while constantly facing a daunting safety, environmental, and regulatory environment.

The mission of the CAFI is to create a state-of-the-art center that provides an environment and the resources to help the existing food and agricultural industry to be more efficient, competitive, and responsive to ever-changing food trends and agricultural practices. The center will focus on research, development, and processing of foods for the future.

One of the main goals of the meeting will be to determine whether viability of this project is demonstrated. If this happens, then CAFI will become part of a "next generation" research park planned in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The festivities will begin on Friday evening with a "Casino Night" at 9 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. On Saturday, the Labyrinth Garden on the Janssen Conference Center will be available throughout the day for those who wish to walk the labyrinth.

After lunch, there will be a Family Fair featuring miniature golf from 12 to 4 p.m. Attendees can also choose to talk a walking tour of the campus, guided by student Lion Ambassadors, beginning at 12:30 p.m. During the walking tour, Dr. David Sanford, Associate Professor of Horticulture, will discuss the campus foliage. Other events include Women’s Volleyball games at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., a Women’s Soccer game at 1 p.m., and a Men’s Soccer game at 3 p.m.

A Game of Fact, Value, and Policy, an interactive e-based activity dealing with diversity, will begin at 2 p.m. and the THON committee will present Tuition Bingo at 4:30 p.m.

Later that evening, there will be a mystery dinner theatre beginning at 4:30 p.m.; the cost is $15 per person. The day's activities will culminate with a student talent show.

The events are open to all students and their families, and registration begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, in the Beaver Community Center. The first 150 families to register will receive a free gift.

For more information about Parents and Family Weekend, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

Steve Hager, "the world's most famous pot head," and longtime editor of High Times magazine will go head-to-head with DEA veteran Robert Stutman, "the world's most famous narc," on issues surrounding marijuana legalization in this interactive presentation.

Steven Hager has a master's degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois, and a bachelor degree in Theatre. He is a former reporter for the New York Daily News and was editor of High Times Magazine for more than 16 years. Hager has written four books: Hip Hop (St. Martins' Press), the first history of rap music, break dancing and graffiti; Art After Midnight (St. Martin's Press), a history of the East Village art scene of the 1980s; and Adventures in the Counterculture (High Times Books), a collection of his High Times journalism. The Octopus Conspiracy (Trineday) contains everything in his previous three books, as well as Hager's history of secret societies. "This is the real Da Vinci Code," says Hager, "and it's not about goddess worship, but an examination of some of the darkest forces that rule our planet."

For the last five years, Hager has been a documentary film maker who writes, directs, shoots, and edits his own features. "Heads vs. Feds DVD" is one such product. Hager is also the creator of The Cannabis Cup, the academy awards of marijuana, which is held every year in Amsterdam during Thanksgiving week. Koch Vision released his feature documentary of this event in 2003. He continues to produce and direct the annual event, and is also Editor-at-Large of High Times Magazine and contributes a monthly column to the magazine titled "Counterculture Chronicles."

Bob Stutman became a street agent with DEA in 1965. In 1970, at age 27, he became the youngest supervisor in the history of the agency. In 1971, he formed the International Training Division, where he remained in charge until 1976, when he became Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs. In 1979, at age 36, Bob was promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the New England Field Division (again, the youngest in DEA history). In 1985, Bob was given the responsibility of SAC of the New York Field Division (the largest division) where he remained until his retirement in 1990.

Stutman was often credited with bringing "crack" to national attention and emphasizing the role of prevention activities in drug law enforcement. As a result, William F. Buckley credited him with "single handedly changing the policy of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration."

In 1990, Stutman established The Stutman Group, a consulting firm with approximately 1500 clients that designs and implements substance abuse prevention programs for communities, school systems, and corporations.

In addition, he has been the Special Consultant on substance abuse for both CBS and PBS. He has appeared regularly on 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Firing Line, The Ted Koppel Show, Today, Good Morning America, and Phil Donahue. He was recently featured in the award-winning PBS Frontline documentary entitled "The Drug Wars". His best selling autobiography Dead on Delivery was published by Warner Books. Stutman has given approximately 100 speeches a year over the last 15 years and was named "Speaker of the Year" by the Young Presidents Organization.

The Penn State Berks Theatre program is holding auditions for Steven Dietz's adaptation of Dracula on Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. The auditions are open to all Penn State Berks students. Students who are not Theatre majors are welcome to audition.

Those who wish to try out should be prepared to read from the script (copies of the script are available from Cleo House in 132 Franco) and bring their fall schedule/ calendar to the audition. Dracula will be performed October 30 and November 5-8 and 12-15. Callbacks will be held Saturday, September 5 from 12:00-4:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. For more information, contact Cleo House at 610-396-6419 or czh11@psu.edu.

The Reading Crowne Plaza in Wyomissing will be the site of four Penn State football tailgate parties this year. Sponsored by the Penn State Berks Alumni Society and the Berks County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, in conjunction with the Reading Crowne Plaza, the football tailgates will begin one hour prior to kickoff, and the cost is $3 per person (children under 13 are free).

Tailgates will be held for the following games: Penn State vs. Illinois on October 3, Penn State vs. Michigan on October 24, Penn State vs. Northwestern on October 31, and Penn State vs. Michigan State on November 21.

Tailgate refreshments include chicken wings, hot hors d'oeuvres, and a fruit and cheese tray, all donated by the Reading Crowne Plaza. In addition, grilled stickies and Creamery ice cream, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and bar menu items will be available for purchase.

One lucky alumnus will win an overnight stay for two (alumni only). In addition, there will be door prizes (one per quarter), trivia questions (two per quarter), a 50/50 raffle, kids activities, and adult contests including Pin the Tail on the Nittany Lion, Best Joe Pa Look Alike, and Most Spirited Penn State Fan.

Check the alumni Web site for reunion and tailgate times, which will be dependent on the football game kickoff time. For more information or to RSVP, call the Alumni Office at 610-396-6057 or e-mail berks-alumni@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, September 19 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body and awareness of the presence of others.

The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and has increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu.

Read the full obituary from the Reading Eagle.

Penn State Live
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
University Health Services
Office of Human Resources

Penn State Berks' Office of Admissions will hold a free Application Night to help prospective students with the application process on Thursday, August 20, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center. Students will be provided step-by-step instructions on completing their Penn State admissions application.

The program also offers an overview of Penn State University. An optional tour of the Berks campus will begin at 6:00 pm.

To learn more about this program, degree options, upcoming open houses, or to schedule a campus tour, please contact the Admissions Office at 610-396-6060.

Adult students who are interested in obtaining more information about returning to school are encouraged to attend the Penn State Berks adult student drop-in session on Wednesday, August 19, from 4-8 p.m. in room 112 of the Franco Building.

Prospective students will meet with Solange Israel-Mintz, Adult Student Recruitment Coordinator in the college's Continuing Education Office, who will explain how they can customize their educational experience by presenting flexible learning options, including instruction in the traditional classroom setting, online instruction through Penn State's World Campus, and a blended format of both classroom and online delivery.

For more information, contact Israel-Mintz at 610-396-6222 or via e-mail at sai3@psu.edu.

The Power Systems Option has been developed with the assistance of several local companies, including Reliant Energy, EnerSys, Exelon, PPL, First Energy, and Bechtel Power.

Specific topics of study include an introduction to electrical power systems, with an emphasis on applications in our society; energy circuits, including direct and alternating current circuit design analysis; electrical machinery and energy converters, including operating principles, characteristics, and analysis of machines, transformers, and power systems; and programmable logic controllers, with an emphasis on the principles of industrial control, programming, interfacing, input/output devices, and applications.

Employment opportunities for skilled technicians are predicted to grow in the energy industry as demand for power increases and current employees retire in significant numbers. These opportunities will be available in all segments of the power generation industry including fossil, natural gas, nuclear, and alternative energy generation. Technicians will also be in demand in the transmission and distribution segments of the industry. In addition, as demand for alternative energy increases, the need for batteries to store energy will increase. Berks County is home to the corporate headquarters of two of the largest industrial battery manufacturers in the country.

Individuals who would like to apply for admission to the Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology degree should contact the Office of Admissions at 610-396-6060.

Students with relevant experience and a strong math aptitude can enroll in courses that are part of the Power System Option as non-degree students. For more information about enrolling in the option as a non-degree student, contact Dr. Dale Litwhiler at 610-396-6128 or via e-mail at dhl10@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks currently offers students eight associate degrees and fifteen bachelor's degrees, as well as the first two years of more than 160 Penn State baccalaureate degree programs offered at other Penn State campuses.

"Adding this degree will allow students more choices," explains Dr. Maureen Dunbar, Associate Professor of Biology and Program Coordinator for the B.S. in Biology degree.

The new degree is designed to prepare students for professions requiring competence in biological science and for gaining an understanding of the world of living things, according to Dunbar. Students majoring in the B.S. in Biology will be well prepared for graduate study, and for careers in medicine and health-related professions, as well as careers with various governmental agencies or industries having biological responsibilities.

For more information about the B.S. in Biology degree at Penn State Berks, contact Dr. Maureen Dunbar, Program Coordinator, at 610-396-6328 or via e-mail at med18@psu.edu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted information today (May 1) specific to institutions of higher education as they make plans to prepare for any cases of H1N1 flu among their student and employee populations -- and also inform them of preventative measures to avoid contracting the virus.

According to the CDC higher education alert, symptoms for H1N1 flu have included fever, headache, upper respiratory tract symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose), muscle aches, fatigue, vomiting and/or diarrhea. "Illnesses among persons infected with H1N1 flu virus have mostly been treated at home, but some cases have been hospitalised and deaths have been reported," according to the alert.

The CDC notification also stated, "Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases are expected in the coming days and weeks."

The CDC's goals regarding H1N1 flu "are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by the new virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the worldwide pandemic alert level. In response to these developments, CDC is recommending that states, communities, institutions and individuals assess their emergency response plans and capacities."

The CDC recommends that post-secondary institutions of higher education do the following:

• Review plans for responding to a public health emergency and make sure they are up to date.
• Penn State has worked on and maintained an updated pandemic plan for a number of years; it can found online at http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/Penn%20State%20Pandemic%20Plan.pdf.
• Know local/state plans for institutions of higher education in the event of a mild or severe disease outbreak. This information may be available from state or local health authorities (http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/index.html).
• Since initial word of the outbreak, Penn State officials have been meeting regularly with local and regional emergency management officials, hospital representatives, public health officials and other community leaders to effectively coordinate regional response to any outbreak.
• Pennsylvania government Web sites offering information include http://www.readypa.org/potentialemergencies/influenzapandemic/ and http://www.pandemicflu.state.pa.us/.
• Ask your campus health center to develop and implement a system to track and report (to the local health department) influenza-like illness (an illness with at least fever and sore throat or cough) among students.

Penn State is already a sentinel site for the Pennsylvania Department of Health and is continually in contact with state health officials to notify them of any growing or unusual health concerns.

Updated information from Penn State's University Health Services and Penn State Live can be found online at http://live.psu.edu/tag/swine_flu.

• Individuals with influenza-like-illness should consult their physician and the institution should consult with their local or state health department for recommendations on identifying persons with H1N1 flu and ways to prevent spread of this virus.

Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should make an appointment with their health care provider. For students at University Park, UHS appointments can be scheduled online at www.sa.psu.edu/uhs or by calling (814) 863-0774. Students at campuses should contact the health center at their Penn State location.

1. Promote everyday preventive actions for students and staff:
   * Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
   * Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
   * Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
   * Avoid close contact with sick people.
   * Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
   * If you experience influenza-like illness symptoms, stay home from work or school except to seek medical care, and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
2. Monitor the postings on the CDC web site and that of your local and state health departments and follow local health department advice about possible closure of colleges and universities.

The CDC H1N1 Web site is at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/; the Pennsylvania Department of Health H1N1 flu information can be found online at http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?q=252990.

-- Contact your local public health department if you have questions or suspected cases.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health's toll-free number is (877) PA-HEALTH.

For More Information:  http://live.psu.edu/tag/swine_flu

Palahniuk has written nine novels including Fight Club, Choke, Lullaby, and Snuff. Transportation will depart from the Franco Building parking lot at 4 p.m., and return around 10:00 p.m. Dinner in Philadelphia will be included.

This trip is free for all Professional Writing students. For more information please contact Dr. Christian Weisser at crw17@psu.edu.

Approximately 185 students will receive baccalaureate and associate degrees when Penn State Berks holds its annual spring commencement, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2009 in the Beaver Community Center.

The keynote speaker will be Judith Schwank, whose commitment to a more prosperous and sustainable Pennsylvania has steered her to leadership roles in government and the nonprofit world. She served as Berks County Commissioner from 2000-2007 and is now President/CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, where she works to expand outreach to communities throughout the Commonwealth with a focus on sustainable development that allows municipalities to better plan their growth.

Schwank has long been a familiar face in Berks County. She served concurrently as County Extension Director from August 1991 to December 1999 and County Agricultural Agent. Her focus in county government was the improvement of service to taxpayers with a focus on regional cooperation. Governor Edward Rendell appointed Schwank as chair of the PA State Planning Board in 2004.

Schwank earned both her bachelor and master's degrees from Penn State University and continued her education at Harvard University.

The challenge required the four contestants to submit an original recipe, using a four-ounce boneless chicken breast as the primary ingredient. With identical equipment, contestants had eighty minutes to prep, cook, clean, and exit their station in front of a panel of judges and an audience.

Mattocks's winning dish was cheddar and bacon stuffed chicken breast served with spicy Fettuccini Alfredo and broccoli flambé. In second place was aspiring chef and local resident, Janson Girard, and third place went to Tina Cyr, Penn State Berks Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (HRIM) student.

In addition, there were four "celebrity" judges including Penn State Berks Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece; Bill Laychur, Penn State Corporate Executive Chef; John Walker, Director of Housing and Food Services at Penn State Berks; and Linda MacDuff, Manager of Housing and Food Service at Penn State Berks. The Top Chef Challenge is sponsored by Penn State Berks Housing and Food Services.

The Top Chef Challenge was the idea of Christine Hart, sophomore HRIM major, and head of the Berks HRIM Society. "I decided to take on the Top Chef Challenge because I wanted to organize an event that I knew students would like and be able to be a part of," Hart explained. "We had three great contestants who worked well together and who were able to create and amazing environment for our audience through their cuisines and creative dishes."

Following the success of the first challenge, Hart is working on making the Top Chef Contest an annual event at the college.

Penn State Berks also contributes significantly to Penn State's total business volume impact in surrounding Berks and Lebanon counties, by contributing nearly $100 million and $314 million respectively in those areas.

"Each year, Penn State Berks becomes an even more significant partner in the economic health of the local region and the Commonwealth," commented Susan Phillips Speece, chancellor of Penn State Berks. "Providing quality educational experiences for our students is good for the region and the state."

Penn State students add millions of dollars to the Pennsylvania economy. Penn State students overall spent more than $932 million in the Commonwealth in 2008, and Penn State Berks students were responsible for nearly $27 million of that contribution.

People are the driving force behind much of the University's statewide economic impact. As of 2008, Penn State Berks had a total employment impact of nearly 900 jobs, resulting in a more than $11 million dollars in employee spending in the state's economy.

Penn State contributes in a variety of ways to the vitality of Pennsylvania's economy. According to the report, the University generated more than 2 percent of the state's business volume or more than $1 out of every $50 dollars in the state's total economy. In addition, Penn State leverages its state funding. For every dollar invested in 2008 by the Commonwealth to support the operations of Penn State, the University returned $25.06 in economic impact to Pennsylvania.

The University annually expends more than $700 million through its research activities. Research at Penn State supports more than 18,000 additional jobs in Pennsylvania, which generates more than $1.9 billion in additional economic impact and more than $61 million in additional revenue for the Commonwealth annually.

The four-month study by Pittsburgh-based Tripp Umbach indicates that Penn State's impact far outweighs other industries in the state. With the total direct, indirect and induced annual economic impact equalling more than $17 billion, the University currently creates more impact than the combined total impact of all of the state's airport hubs, professional sports teams, and arts and cultural organizations, by attracting nearly 1 million visitors and channeling more than $1.73 billion annually into Pennsylvania's economy.

Key findings in the Tripp Umbach report for Penn State Berks include:

-In 2008, Penn State Berks contributed more than $142 million to the state's economy and nearly $100 million to the economy of Berks County.

-Penn State Berks is responsible for the employment of nearly 900 people in various sectors throughout the Commonwealth and nearly 800 people in Berks County.

-In 2008, Penn State Berks generated more than $7 million in tax revenue for the state and nearly $1.5 million in government revenue for Berks County.

-In 2008, Penn State Berks generated nearly $6 million in direct spending for capital improvements, goods and services, and supplies in the state; more than $11 million in direct spending by employees in the state; nearly $27 million in direct spending by students in the state; and more than $18 million in direct spending by out-of-state visitors.

To download a full summary of the economic impact study and obtain facts on the methodology used and other information, go to http://econimpact.psu.edu/

The second edition of the Literary Arts Magazine features fifteen Berks students, some of these students will read from their works at the reception. Marilyn J. Fox, Arts Coordinator at Penn State Berks, published the college's first student literary arts magazine last spring.

"I created the magazine so that students involved in writing, poetry, and photography would have a venue for their work, as well as a beautiful piece for their portfolio and a keepsake," Fox commented.

This annual event is coordinated by Dr. Henry Ansell, Assistant Professor of General Engineering, and it is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Lisa Weidman, Director of University Relations, at 610-396-6054.

Dr. Sadan Kulturel-Konak, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at Penn State Berks, was recently named Vice President/President-Elect of Women in Operations Research/Management Sciences (OR/MS) for 2009-2010. She will serve as President for 2010-2011.

Women in OR/MS is a forum of The Institute of Operations Research Management Sciences (INFORMS), the largest professional society in the world for professionals in the field of operations research with approximately 10,000 members worldwide. WORMS was established in 1995 and has approximately 200 members worldwide.

Kulturel-Konak's duties in her new position include coordinating a campaign to increase WORMS membership, recognizing successful women with the WORMS Award, and organizing WORMS participation in the Annual INFORMS Conference, featuring successful women from academia and industry.

"I am thrilled to be elected to this position, which was held by very successful women in academia over the years," states Kulturel-Konak. "I am a strong advocate of increasing the number of women in the areas of engineering and technology, and this role will provide me opportunities to promote this effort nationwide."

The purpose of the forum for Women in OR/MS is to encourage interest in the field of operations research and the management sciences; to encourage discussion and interaction among individuals having interest in the issues facing women and their relationship to the profession of operations research and the management sciences; and to advise the INFORMS Board on aspects of issues facing women in the profession of operations research and the management sciences and to keep the INFORMS Board apprised of developments in this area.

The Penn State Berks Bookstore is hosting a book signing for Dr. Michael Riley, Professor of English, who recently published two books of poetry, Players and Ashore Here, on Thursday, April 16 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Players, a collection of narrative and character-driven poems with a cast including a waitress, an ex-vaudevillian, a teenage mass-murderer, several Biblical figures, and many others, was published by WordTech Communications in 2008. Ashore Here, a meditative series of poems set at the seashore, was published by March Street Press in 2008.

"Both titles were many years in the making and it gives me great pleasure to be able to share them with the community I have been part of for so long" commented Riley on the book signing. "Although I hope for much work still to come, having three books in the span of two years feels like a culmination of sorts and is especially welcome in the year before retirement."

Riley is also the author of Circling the Stones, a book of poems inspired by Riley's travels to Ireland, which was published in 2007 by Creighton University Press.

The presentation relates to Das' research on quantum pumps in nanoscale systems. His talk will provide a simple, theoretical description of quantum pumps and an intuitive explanation of how various pump mechanisms operate, along with the intrinsic role played by quantum mechanics. Das intends to resolve some long standing misconceptions and ambiguities that have existed in this field.

The Division of Science Colloquium features faculty who conduct research on a wide variety of topics. Topics are of broad and general interest and are accessible to the non-expert. Students, faculty, staff, and interested members of the Penn State Berks and surrounding community are welcome and encouraged attend.

Penn State Berks' first student-theatre festival titled "NOW at Berks" (New Original Works) runs from April 20 to 24 in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium beginning at 8:00 p.m. each night.

The festival showcases six ten-minute, one-act plays written, performed, and produced by Penn State Berks students. The NOW 2009 faculty producer is Radhica Ganapathy, lecturer in theatre, and the student assistant producer is Danielle Fitzgeorge, a first-year student.

The following is a list of the plays, and the student playwrights and directors for NOW 2009:

  -  Possession, written by Jill Mehlman, sophomore, Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management major,
     directed by Savannah Ganster, junior Professional Writing major

  -  A First Encounter, written by Savannah Ganster, directed by Andrew Vitalo, a former student

  -  Cyber Café, written by Katie Derkits, first-year student, directed by Cat Whelan, first-year student

  -  The Present, written by Danielle Moser, first-year student, Communication Arts and Sciences major,
     directed by Devon Floyd, sophomore

  -  A Small Matter, written by Ciera Ganster, first-year student, Communication Arts and Sciences major,
     directed by Lindsey Kurtz, senior, Science major

  -  The Cutter, The Drunk, The Rapist, The Cure, co-written by Melissa Davis, first-year student,
     directed by Courtney Vinson, sophomore, Communication Arts and Sciences major

General admission is $8, faculty, staff, and non-Penn State students with ID-$5, free to Penn State Berks students.

Approximately thirty tenth- and eleventh-graders will participate in the program. Each high school student will be individually matched with a college student mentor for the day. From 10:40 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., the RHS students will attend classes with their mentor, have lunch in the campus cafeteria, talk with faculty and staff, and visit various locations on campus.

In addition to the shadowing experience, the RHS students will experience a full day of activities including a continental breakfast, an ice breaker session, an admissions and financial aid workshop, a campus tour given by student Lion Ambassadors, an informal dinner, presentations about Pennsylvania College Advising Corps-Penn State (PACAC), Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP), and ASPIRE, an Educational Opportunity Program at Penn State Berks that supports students as they navigate their college career. In addition, the Office of Residence Life will offer a presentation titled "To Start Your Journey," and the day will end with a fun group activity sponsored by the Student Government Association and Residence Life.

The RHS students will receive a backpack upon arrival at the event filled with Penn State Berks items, information, and snacks and a "Be a Penn Stater for a Day" tee shirt, provided by the Student Government Association.

Half of the students were selected by the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps-Penn State (PACAC), an organization that employs Penn State graduates as college advisers at high schools through southeastern Pennsylvania, including Reading High School, to help juniors and seniors with the college search and application process.

The other students were selected by Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP), an educational partnership, under the auspice of the Penn State College of Education. PEPP encourages academically underrepresented youth to pursue their full academic potential. Offered at no cost to participants, PEPP plans, develops, and implements education-related programs and activities for middle school and high school students.
 
This program is a collaborative effort of the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps-Penn State, Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP), and the following Penn State Berks Offices: ASPIRE, Admissions, Housing and Food Services, Residence Life, and the Student Government Association.

The dinner is an interactive dining experience in which students will learn etiquette and the art of business dining as they enjoy a four-course meal. Lynne Breil, founder of The Professional Edge, will lead the presentation. Breil promises to teach participants how to handle even the stickiest of dining situations that could arise during a business meal.

Breil is a member of the National Speaker's Association and has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation. She was one of the first four women in the U.S. to become certified as a speaker on the topic of business etiquette, and was also named one of "Pennsylvania's 50 Best Women in Business" in 2008 by Governor Ed Rendell.

Penn State Berks is hosting two events in celebration of National Library Week, which runs from April 12-18. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Penn State University Libraries. In celebration, Jackie Esposito, Penn State University Park Archivist and author of The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale, will present "All Things Nittany" on Wednesday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m. in room 5 of the Luerssen building. The Thun Library will also host the annual National Library Week Cake and Ice Cream Reception on Thursday, April 16 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

"Our county and state parks are a treasure for Pennsylvanians," comments Jeff Fazio, Student Activities Coordinator. "Assisting to keep them beautiful and usable is always a rewarding experience. Have you ever walked a trail and wondered where the trail came from or how it is maintained? Chances are, it was a team of volunteers putting in the time to make it possible.
 
Penn State Berks students volunteer with Nolde Forest once per semester and once over the summer as part of the community service pre-orientation program. For more information, contact Jeff Fazio at 610-396-6367 or jmf31@psu.edu.

Activities in honor of the Indian theme will include performances of Indian dance and henna tattoos. Other highlights include a fashion show, big chair photos, candy making, palm reading, physical and learning challenges (such as wheelchair races), and a DJ outside the Perkins Student Center.

Chancellor Speece will host the annual "hands across campus" event at 1:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Karen Kihurani, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs, at 610-396-6080, via e-mail at kek5@psu.edu.

"A perpetual misconception concerning scientific research involves the value of basic research," explains Dunbar. "Trying to understand the normal function of an organ propels much basic biological research yet this type of research may not seem as important as the work done trying to understand how to treat cancerous cells. Lack of fundamental understanding of normal cellular function can impede progress in treating a disease like cancer and is therefore quite important to ongoing efforts to treat cancer."

Dunbar further explains that cancer is a disease that results when cells lose their ability to regulate growth. Cancer cells will grow uncontrollably until they eventually destroy normal tissue causing an organ to stop functioning. In order to delineate the steps that a normal cell undergoes on its path to becoming a cancerous one requires detailed knowledge of normal cellular function in each particular organ. The cells in each organ are unique, which makes treating cancer a project that requires an understanding of each organ.
       
The mammary gland is actually a specialized sebaceous gland containing milk-producing structures called alveoli. The aveoli are embedded in a cushion of fat to help protect the gland. Each alveolus (the singular of aveoli) connects to a duct through which the milk flows until it is secreted through the nipple of the breast.

A mammal may have one or multiple (up to eleven pairs) of mammary glands, depending on the species. The glands in both sexes are premature until puberty when, under the influence of ovarian hormones, the glands begin to develop in females. During pregnancy the mammary ducts grow and develop further in preparation for producing milk for the young. The maturation of the mammary gland involves continual secretion of cellular signals helping to regulate that growth; PTHrP is one of those signals.

Two tissues involved in normal mammary gland development are the epithelial and mesenchymal with PTHrP serving a messenger between the two tissues to deliver information sent by estrogen. This small protein appears to function as a negative regulator of estrogen-induced growth during puberty.

"As part of collaboration with Yale University, my laboratory has been studying a genetically engineered mouse strain that overproduces PTHrP in the mammary glands," states Dunbar. "These mice have defects in mammary development during puberty that appear to be the result of abnormal estrogen signaling in the mammary gland. Experiments are currently ongoing to unravel the mechanisms by which PTHrP may regulate estrogen-induced growth of the mammary gland.

"Many published results have implicated estrogen as a potential carcinogen for breast tissue, so the interaction of PTHrP with estrogen in the mammary glands could lead to a better understanding of how this tissue becomes cancerous. Recent findings in breast cancer research have indicated that a woman's risk for breast cancer increases the longer she delays childbirth. This increased risk appears to be due to the fact that the immature cells of the pre- or non-pregnant breast are more susceptible to the cancer-causing effects of estrogen. The fact that PTHrP appears to be involved at this critical stage of breast development could lead to a better understanding, and potential treatment, for breast cancer.
 
The role of PTHrP in mammary development can also be studied using a cell culture model. Undergraduate students at Penn State Berks have developed a cell culture system to study the effects of estrogen and PTHrP on mammary cell growth.  Using these cultured mammary cells, the students have identified several factors that may act in concert with PTHrP to regulate mammary cell growth.

"Findings from student research have been presented at national meetings and have been published in professional journals," states Dunbar. "The excitement that undergraduates exhibit when they generate a novel finding is one of the most gratifying aspects of my job. Students learn in a way that cannot be replicated in the classroom. They learn invaluable skills such as teamwork, communication, and confidence. The time I spend with students engaged in research is always time well spent.

"The research performed in my laboratory is aimed at better defining the role of PTHrP in normal mammary gland development. My hope is that this work will ultimately result in improved treatments for breast cancer, but for now I remain focused on the interaction of PTHrP within the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. My students and I enjoy the small victories that result from basic research, as well as the camaraderie that results from working on a team toward a larger goal."

Zili Misik, an all-female octet that bridges cultures, generations, and continents through music, will bring its unique sound to Penn State Berks on Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

With captivating sounds that evoke the African continent, Zili Misik retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through rhythm and song. Powerful Haitian, Brazilian, and West African rhythms infuse the group's original creations and traditional folksongs. Their songs are sensual, political, self-reflective, and positive.

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076.

Founded by Penn State Berks alumnus Chris Kaag in 2007, the IM Able Foundation promotes the benefits of an active lifestyle to the disabled. Kaag, a disabled United States Marine, began fundraising efforts to purchase age-specific handcycles, a type of arm-powered bicycle that cost between $1,500-2,500 each, as well as to provide additional financial resources to disabled children who wish to purchase a handcycle.

Through the IM Able Foundation, Kaag promotes the idea that with today's technology, such as handcycles, it is possible for anyone who has a disability to increase their fitness levels, and thereby, reap the benefits of both physical and mental health.

For more information about the IM Able Foundation please visit: www.im-able.org/im-able-foundation.php.

To purchase tickets to the Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser, contact Brad Diehl, Blue & White Society, at 610-703-1027 or bsd5049@psu.edu; or Heather Angstadt, Coordinator of Alumni Relations, at 610-396-6052 or hla2@psu.edu.

Approximately 150 PEPP students, grades 6 to 12 from the Reading School District will visit the campus for the event. The presentation is also open to Penn State Berks students, faculty, and staff.

Spector's message to the students is that it's possible for anyone to be successful in life through hard work and education. Born in Cuba in 1952 to a single mother who had only an elementary-school education and could hardly support her family, Spector decided at a young age that hard work and dedication would be the key to leading a successful life. With this attitude, she went on to earn highest honors from her high school and a degree in physics from Havana University in 1977.

Born on July 4, freedom was Spector's destiny. In 1980, she came to the United States by boat as a political refugee and soon settled in Reading. While working full-time at AT&T Labs and raising a baby and teen-age daughter, she earned her master's degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in physics.

Throughout her career, Spector has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions, including the National Extraordinary Professional Achievement Award from the Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Corporation and the national Orgullo Hispano Award by Reader's Digest.

She was selected as one of only nine women in the United States by the National Science Foundation to represent the United States on a special mission to Mexico as a living role model for extraordinary accomplishments by women in technology and business. She was also selected as one of the thirteen most outstanding women of the millennium from Glamour en Espanol Magazine, and she was selected by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of America's 25 Elite Hispanic Women of the Year for 2005. In 2005, she was named a Bell Labs Fellow, the highest distinction for a scientist in Bell Laboratories.

PEPP is an educational partnership, under the auspice of the Penn State College of Education. The program encourages academically underrepresented youth to pursue their full academic potential. Offered at no cost to participants, PEPP plans, develops, and implements education-related programs and activities for middle school and high school students. PEPP's core goal is to prepare its participants for higher education.

Learning assistants, who tutor the PEPP students, are undergraduate students from Penn State Berks and are traditionally hired from the ranks of the college's Elementary and Secondary Education majors. The learning assistants provide assistance to PEPP students with homework completion and accuracy, study-skill development, and individual and social growth.

Students who successfully complete PEPP are waived the admission fee when applying to Penn State and may qualify for PEPP scholarships.

Festival in the Desert is the 2004 film about an annual event called Le Festival au Désert, which has been taking place deep in the sandy vastness of the African Sahara since 2001. Part of a plan to bridge the differences between Mali's nomadic and settled people, the festival is a unique celebration of music and culture. The event draws artists from all over the world to the most remote music festival on the globe. The film showcases the 2003 concert that featured an unusual combination of acts including bands Lo'Jo (France), Tinariwen (Mali), and Blackfire (Native American); Malian greats Ali Farka Touré and Oumou Sangarem; and an appearance by British guitarist Justin Adams and Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.

Yesterday is the 2004 film about a young South African woman, named Yesterday, who falls ill and discovers she is HIV positive. When her husband learns of her illness, he leaves her to fend for herself.  She hopes to survive long enough to see her daughter, Beauty, go to school. This HBO movie, nominated for an Academy Award, presents both a look at Zulu society and some of the issues surrounding AIDS in Africa.
 
Two Summers in Rwanda is a student documentary chronicling the experiences of Penn State Berks interns and their instructor Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, in Rwanda in 2006 and 2008.
 
The Last King of Scotland is the 2006 film that tells the story of the young, idealistic doctor Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan, who moves to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital and meets the new president, Idi Amin, a rabid Scotland fan, who soon offers him a senior position in the national health department. As the years pass, Garrigan cannot help but notice Amin's increasingly erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity that is driving Uganda into bloody ruin. Realizing his dire situation, Garrigan must make some crucial decisions that could mean his death if the despot finds out.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092 or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks' Office of Alumni Relations will host an Easter Egg Hunt with the Nittany Lion on Saturday, April 4 at 9:00 a.m on the Janssen Conference Center Complex, with a rain date of Sunday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. The event will feature two separate egg hunts: one for children ages 2-5 and another for ages 5-8. Attendees are encouraged to bring their Easter baskets. The event is free, but participants must RSVP by March 27 to Ryan Szivos at 610-396-6057 or via e-mail at rcs212@psu.edu. In the event of inclement weather, please call 610-396-6057 to confirm whether the egg hunt will be held on April 4 or will be rescheduled for April 5 at 1:00 p.m.

Dr. Belen Rodriguez-Mourelo has recently been named head of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Division at Penn State Berks.

In this position, Rodriguez-Mourelo will participate in program development and evaluation, oversee long-range planning and acquisition of external funding for the division, and act as an advocate for the faculty.

Rodriguez-Mourelo joined Penn State Berks in 1999 as Assistant Professor of Spanish and was named Associate Professor in 2005.

Her primary research interest is Cuban writers in exile, and she published a book on this topic in 2006 titled Encounters in Exile, in which Rodriguez-Mourelo reviews the concepts of exile and diaspora, and analyzes the narratives of Cuban authors in exile that write from different locations (Mexico, Miami, New York, Spain, France, and Sweden) and what she identifies as "mechanisms of identity" in their writing that make them belong to a Cuban Diaspora.

Rodriguez-Mourelo holds a doctorate in modern languages from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve my colleagues in this capacity," comments Rodriguez-Mourelo. "This is the perfect place to make a difference and help faculty, staff, and students to succeed. I am looking forward to continuing the HASS contribution to the Penn State Berks vision to become a regional leader in the delivery of quality academic programs, scholarly research, and community enrichment."

Ivan A. Shibley, associate professor of chemistry and science degree coordinator at Penn State Berks, received the 2009 Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Shibley, who joined the Penn State Berks faculty in 1996, has received a number of teaching and advising awards, including two other University-wide awards, the 2004 Excellence in Advising Award and the 2002 Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

According to one nominator, Professor Shibley is "a dynamic individual who possesses the unique gift of being able to make complex subjects more easily understood by students and is highly motivated to find techniques and methods to improve student learning.  In addition, he is an outstanding mentor to new faculty and helps to develop other outstanding teachers." 

"Not only do I appreciate the knowledge he has helped me to establish," added a recent graduate, "but I appreciate the contagious excitement for the material even more now. His encouragement and guidance have been a key part of my success so far and his joy at my successes has been very motivational."

The Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching recognizes excellence in teaching and student support among tenured faculty who have been employed full-time for at least five years with undergraduate teaching as a major portion of their duties. Milton S. Eisenhower, brother of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, served as president of Penn State from 1950 to 1956.

The panelists include sophomore Teresa Arana, Applied Psychology, and seniors Darryl Davis, Business; Stanley Griggs, Business; Dale Lefever, Information Sciences and Technology; and Jean Franco Urbaez, Business. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. _

The Entrepreneurship Speaker Series is presented by the Division of Engineering, Business, and Computing at Penn State Berks. The college plans to offer a minor in Entrepreneurship in the spring 2009 semester.

"Our hope is that our other students are encouraged by seeing their peers involved in all kinds of entrepreneurial initiatives," comments Dr. Sadan Kulturel-Konak, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems and coordinator of the event.

For more information, contact Dr. Sadan Kulturel-Konak at 610-396-6137 or via e-mail at sadan@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks will hold its first Top Chef Challenge in which students in the college's Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (HRIM) program, as well as other members of the Penn State Berks community, will showcase their culinary skills. The challenge will be held on Tuesday, March 24, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Lion's Den of the Perkins Student Center and is open to students, faculty, and staff of the college.

Four contestants will prepare their own chicken entrée and attendees will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite dish. The contestants include Tina Cyr, Army chef and HRIM major; Jacob DeHaven, CIA Chef and HRIM major; Adam Mattocks, Penn State Berks chef, and community member Jason Girard.

In addition, there will be four "celebrity" judges including Penn State Berks Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece; Bill Laychur, Penn State Corporate Executive Chef; John Walker, Director of Housing and Food Services at Penn State Berks; and Linda MacDuff, Manager of Housing and Food Service at Penn State Berks. The Top Chef Challenge is sponsored by Penn State Berks Housing and Food Services.

Top volunteer leadership for the faculty and staff component of the University-wide fund-raising effort, "For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students," is now in place, campaign Chairman Peter Tombros has announced. Dr. Blaine Steensland, Senior Director of Student Affairs and Enrollment Manager at Penn State Berks, has been named to the leadership team; he will head the campaign at campuses other than University Park.

"Recruitment of a team of highly respected and committed Penn Staters is an important forward step in assuring the success of one of the most important segments of the For the Future campaign," Tombros said. "Faculty and staff members see the University's most critical needs first hand, and their generosity is a source of inspiration for thousands of Penn State alumni and friends."

Chairing the faculty and staff campaign is John J. Romano, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and a veteran administrator in undergraduate education. Romano, who joined Penn State in 1968, has also served as a faculty member in the Colleges of Education and the Liberal Arts, as associate dean in the Liberal Arts, as campus executive officer at Penn State York and as vice president and dean of enrollment management.

"John's wide-ranging experience and the high esteem in which he is held across the University make him an ideal choice for faculty and staff campaign chair," said Tombros.

Joining Romano, there are four vice chairs:
-- Gail Hurley, associate vice president for auxiliary and business services, who will provide leadership for the campaign in the University's administrative units;
-- Scott Kretchmar, professor of exercise and sport science in the College of Health and Human Development, who will oversee the campaign in the academic colleges at University Park campus;
-- Blaine Steensland, senior director of student affairs and enrollment management at Penn State Berks, who will head the campaign at campuses other than University Park; and
-- John and Mary Anne Cahir, who will lead the campaign among Penn State retirees. John Cahir is University vice provost and dean emeritus for undergraduate education and professor emeritus of meteorology, and Mary Anne Cahir is former director of development for the Philadelphia Region.

Romano and the vice chairs will work to recruit other volunteer leaders in the various colleges, campuses, and administrative units; help to solicit major gifts from faculty and staff; host campaign events; and work with professional staff from the Office of University Development in planning and implementing campaign strategies.

"During the last University-wide fundraising initiative, the Grand Destiny campaign [1996-2003], 55 percent of all Penn State faculty and staff made commitments totaling $41 million," said Romano. "That's an extraordinary show of generosity and commitment to the University, and an excellent benchmark for the current capital campaign."

He noted that faculty and staff gifts have been counted as campaign commitments since For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students began in its leadership gifts phase on Jan. 1, 2007.

Its overall dollar goal will be determined by the time the campaign is launched publicly in 2010.
Faculty and staff will be contacted by mail and e-mail, and may receive personal contacts from volunteers, as the campaign moves forward.

Given the new "climate" in Washington and the U.S. Department of Energy's focus on energy conservation and diversification, Sanford's talk on green technology is timely.

In addition to Sanford's research in green roof technology, he works on the evaluation of both woody and herbaceous plants species for their adaptability and use in southeastern Pennsylvania landscapes. He is also conducting research on improving the seed germination of native mid-western wildflower species.

The Division of Science Colloquia features Penn State Berks faculty who conduct research on a wide variety of topics. Topics are of broad and general interest, and are accessible to the non-expert. Students, faculty, and interested members of the Penn State Berks and surrounding community are welcome and encouraged attend. The next lecture will be held on Friday, April 17, 2009 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building.

The new bachelor of arts degree in Theatre at Penn State Berks provides students with crucial life skills that can be used in a wide range of professions. In addition to providing a solid foundation for not only strong theatre artists and articulate theatre educators, the degree program also allows students to become effective public leaders and visionaries in all professions.

Students will to think precisely in the moment, to speak confidently, to write with clarity and intelligence, and work productively with others. These skills are essential to a wide variety of professions in business, government, journalism, literature, the fine arts, and related disciplines.

The bachelor of arts in Theatre at Penn State Berks is the same degree program offered by Penn State University Park. Students at Berks will benefit from the small class size and frequency of productions, allowing them to gain hands-on experience, to focus in their area of emphasis while completing the major requirements, to participate in multiple productions, and to experience leadership opportunities.

Students majoring in Theatre at Penn State Berks will gain hands-on experience, participating in every aspect of theatre production, including acting, design, directing, stage management, and technical production. Whether on the stage, behind the scenes, in the box office, or working with the public, there are many opportunities for students to engage in real-world situations.

In the classroom, coursework provides a solid foundation in theatre history, theory, aesthetics, and technique. Students can expect to engage three complementary processes: the individual creative process, the collaborative process, and the critical/analytical process. All three processes receive equal attention. The course of study culminates in the senior project, which demonstrates students' knowledge of theatre, integrates formerly compartmentalized areas of study, and poses new questions and challenges.

The Penn State Berks Theatre program provides a solid foundation for those wishing to pursue graduate level work in theatre, professional theatre apprenticeships, or any environment where creative problem solving, collaboration, and research/analysis skills are valued. The program is enhanced by internships with professional theatre companies.

Depending on their area of emphasis, graduates may choose careers as actors, directors, producers, playwrights, dramatic coaches, critics, dramaturges, designers, educators, administrators, and managers. These careers can be pursued within universities, performing arts organizations, related nonprofit organizations, and the media.

For more information on the Penn State Berks Theatre degree program, contact Cleo House, Assistant Professor of Theatre, at 610-396-6419 or via e-mail at czh11@psu.edu.

Fadel presented his research, "Does Homophobia Play a Role in Verdict Decisions? Examining Sexual Orientation and Participant Sex." His research explored whether rates of homophobia would vary as a function of verdict decisions, sex of participant, and sexual orientation of the defendant.

His hypothesis that males high in homophobia would be more likely to provide harsher sentences when the defendant was homosexual was partially supported.

Fadel's research also suggests, however, that individuals assigning second-degree verdicts for heterosexuals were also high in homophobia. These results suggest that the attitudes associated with homophobia (religiosity, conservatism, etc.) may be more directly related to verdict decisions than homophobia per se, according to Fadel. For instance, it appears that participants likely to assign second-degree murder verdicts are more homophobic in general.

"I was really honored to have been chosen as the only undergraduate student to present at the achievement conference," comments Fadel. "The judges gave me a lot of insightful comments that will help me in future research. Many of the judges were surprised to find out that this was my undergraduate research project."

As a Business major with a Communications Arts and Science minor who always had an interest in law and social sciences, Fadel is an example that research outside of one's major area of study can be rewarding. "You don't have to be limited to your major or minor to do research, but instead look for what you have passion for and go with it."

Since completing this research, Fadel has also presented at the Association of Psychological Science (APS) convention in Chicago and the American Society of Criminology (ASC) in St. Louis.

Recipient Tracy Allen explains how the Osher Re-entry Scholarship will help her reach her goal of becoming an inspirational educator. "If I can accomplish all the goals I have set, despite some obstacles, I can guide my future students toward attaining their individual dreams by educating and encouraging them as they learn and mature."

The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was founded in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a respected businessman and community leader. The Foundation seeks to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts. The Foundation provides post-secondary scholarship funding to colleges and universities across the nation, with special attention to reentry students.

The Osher Foundation Re-entry Scholarship is awarded to students pursuing their first bachelor's degree who have completed at least twelve credits in a degree-seeking program, are between twenty-five and fifty years of age, have a cumulative gap in their education of at least five years, demonstrate a financial need, and show academic promise and commitment to obtaining a bachelor's degree.

"Participating in community service is an important aspect of student development," commented Jeffrey Fazio, Student Activities Coordinator. "When students spend a few hours preparing a meal for people who are less fortunate than they are, it is a powerful moment when they actually get to serve the food to them. The rewards and benefits are immediately felt by all, and this has led to a significant increase in the number of students that want to participate in this event."

For more information, contact Jeffrey Fazio at 610-396-6367 or jmf31@psu.edu.

Dr. Susan Phillips Speece, Chancellor of Penn State Berks, is an honorary co-chair of the 2009 Women of Distinction Award Dinner, held by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Reading Crowne Hotel. Speece was an honoree at the 2003 Women of Distinction Award Dinner.

This year's honorees include Frances "Franki" Aitken, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations, Berks County Community Foundation; Kathy Herbein, Community Volunteer; Ellen Horan, President and CEO, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Olubunmi Ojikutu, Pediatrician, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center; and  Anne Stevens, Chairman, President, and CEO, Carpenter Technology Corporation.
 
Area corporations, community organizations, and individuals nominated the award winners, and prior award winners served as the selection committee. Each of the women was chosen for her outstanding professional achievements and for serving as an exemplary role model for today's young girls and women.

The Women of Distinction award program is a national Girl Scout program that is conducted on a regional level by Girl Scouts councils across the country. The program is designed to offer mentoring opportunities for teenage Girl Scouts, acknowledge contributions local women have made to their various career fields, and provide financial support for Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania programs.

In conjunction with Women's History Month, the Penn State Berks Freyberger Gallery will present Patricia O'Maille: Words and Visions from March 19-April 30. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, March 19, beginning at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.

Influenced by early American landscape painting and delicate girlhood embroidery, O'Maille's paintings, at first glance, seem simple, almost naive. Reminiscent of Indian miniatures with an unnerving sensation of dream imagery or déjŕ vu, one is drawn into these intimate works, which become more contemplative with further investigation. The artist also writes poetry in conjunction with painting, and she will be presenting a collection of poems based on the visual information in this exhibition. O'Maille's delicate paintings and poetry form a personal chronicle that has universal appeal.

"I'm very pleased that this artist was chosen by faculty and staff to exhibit her work at the Freyberger Gallery," comments Marilyn J. Fox, Arts Coordinator at Penn State Berks. "O'Maille will be presenting poems along with her paintings, which adds another layer of creativity to this exhibition."

The Freyberger Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday evenings until 8 p.m.; and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact Marilyn Fox at 610-396-6140 or by e-mail at mjf14@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks will celebrate the beginning of spring with the fourth annual Spring Equinox Festival on Friday, March 20 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the campus Labyrinth Garden, located on the Janssen Conference Center Complex just before the intersection of Broadcasting and Tulpehocken Roads in Spring Township. This event is free and open to the public. To add to the festivities, attendees are encouraged to wear spring-themed attire or accessories.

An equinox program will be held from 7:30-8:00 p.m. and will include a short astronomy lesson, a discussion of spring traditions, greenman folklore, music, and poetry readings. Some of the other highlights of the evening will include a drumming circle from Earth Rhythms, a yoga and meditation circle, inspirational oracle readings, a moving documentary on lives transformed by walking a labyrinth, bulb plantings, and craft projects. In addition, the labyrinth will be illuminated with votive candles and luminaries creating a magical setting for continuous labyrinth walking throughout the evening.

For more information, please contact Connie Dunston, Labyrinth Coordinator, at 610-396-6011.

"Participation in the drive is valuable and has a direct effect on the stability of the area's blood supply" commented Penn State Berks Health Services Supervisor Alice Holland.

For information or to make an appointment, visit Health Services in room 8 of the Perkins Student Center or call 610-396-6075.

Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, March 21, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body and awareness of the presence of others.
The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and have increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu.

Renowned forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee will discuss his work at Penn State Berks on Wednesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This presentation is free and open to the public.

The legendary investigator is known for finding the tiniest clues in some of the highest profile cases; he has even solved a murder without a body. Over the past forty years, Lee assisted in the investigations of more than 6,000 cases, including war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia; the suicide of President Clinton's former White House attorney, Vince Foster; review of the JFK assassination; and the death of Jon Benet Ramsey. In recent years, his travels have taken him to England, Bosnia, China, Brunei, Bermuda, Middle East, South America, and other locations around the world.

Lee is Chief Emeritus of the Connecticut State Police, Founder and Professor of the Forensic Science Program at the University of New Haven, editor of seven academic journals, and author/co-author of thirty books and more than 300 articles.

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076.

In this British independent television production, Sorious Samura, a journalist of Sierra Leonean descent, moves into an Ethiopian village to experience hunger firsthand. Over a five-week period, Samura often finds himself eating only a handful of weeds a day, a daily reality for more than 40 million Africans. In his unique style of filmmaking, Samura questions how the world can expect Africa to develop when so many Africans are engaged in a daily struggle to survive.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, Assistant Professor of History and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092 or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

The fair will showcase the college's thirteen baccalaureate degree programs and eight associate degree programs. Each degree program will have a display and faculty will be available to discuss the various degree programs and answer students' questions.

In addition, several departments will have displays at the fair including Career Services, Campus Life, and The Learning Center. The Advising Center will host a scavenger hunt for the students. Light refreshments will be available for participants.

Students at Penn State Berks may complete four-year bachelor's degree programs in American Studies, Applied Psychology, Business, Communication Arts and Sciences, Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, Elementary and Kindergarten Education, Global Studies, Information Sciences and Technology, Kinesiology, Organizational Leadership, Professional Writing, Science, and Security and Risk Analysis.

Students can also complete the first two years of more than 160 baccalaureate degree programs offered at other Penn State locations.

Associate degree programs are available in a variety of fields, including Agricultural Business; Business Administration; Electrical Engineering Technology; Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management; Information Sciences and Technology; Letters, Arts, and Sciences; Mechanical Engineering Technology; and Occupational Therapy.

For more information on the Berks Degree Fair, contact Cheryl Gustitus, Academic Adviser, at 610-396-6284 or via e-mail at crm1@psu.edu.

The Penn State Berks Office of Health Services and the Health and Wellness Committee are hosting a health fair for all students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, February 24, from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room.

"Visitors are encouraged to browse the events, some of which are interactive, to learn the available resources in our community," explained Penn State Berks Health Services Supervisor Alice Holland. "It is a nice way to get rid of that cabin fever, see firsthand how healthy habits influence a more healthy lifestyle, and plan a spring filled with fun and activity."

The event will feature exhibitors from hospitals and organizations discussing topics such as fitness, nutrition, blood pressure, drugs and alcohol, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health, addiction treatment, and much more. For more information on the event, contact Health Services at 610-396-6075.

Dr. Jianbing Qi, Assistant Professor of Physics at Penn State Berks, will present "Making Ultra-cold Atoms and Molecules in the Lab" as part of the college's Division of Science Colloquium on Friday, February 20, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building. This lecture is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Although the field of ultracold physics is relatively new, it's one of the hottest research areas right now and Qi's research is on the cutting edge.

"Ultra-cold atoms and molecules have opened up a new frontier in physics," explains Qi. "These studies at such low temperatures, ranging from millikelvin to nanokelvin (a billionth of a degree above absolute zero), have lead to many new insights about collisions, precision measurements, and the formation of Bose-Einstein condensation, degenerate Fermi gases, and ultra-cold molecules. A unique feature of ultra-cold atomic gases is the possibility of controlling their interaction strength experimentally. There are many applications of ultra-cold physics, such as superfluidity, quantum computing, and optical information processing."

Qi will discuss some basic physics and experimental techniques for laser cooling and trapping neutral atoms in dilute gas phases in a magneto-optic trap (MOT).

The Division of Science Colloquia features Penn State Berks faculty who conduct research on a wide variety of topics. Upcoming events will include a lecture by Dr. Dr. Dave Sanford, Associate Professor of Horticulture, titled " "The Greening of America, One Roof at a Time" " on Friday, March 20, 2009 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building.

When Cleo House, Jr., Assistant Professor of Theatre at Penn State Berks, performed in Macbeth last year at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, he never dreamed that the production would be nominated for four 2009 Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Resident Play.

"To be a part of a play that has been nominated is even greater than getting an individual nomination because it recognizes a certain level of excellence that has been obtained by the entire company," explained House. "This particular nomination category represents for me what theatre is about-ensemble- that the whole is just as important as the individual."

House was previously cast in the 2008 Helen Hayes nominated production Insurrection: Holding History; the production was nominated for Outstanding Ensemble.

He hopes that being involved with these nationally recognized productions will help dispel the stigma that there are "those who can do and those who can teach."

"I'm not an out-of-work actor turned teacher," explains House. "Teaching was never my back up plan; it's always been my number one goal and passion. I hope that my work in the professional realm of theatre helps to dispel that myth-at least when folks think about us here at Penn State Berks. As a teaching artist, it is always about the work and connecting, be it the students or a paying audience."

Dr. Susan Phillips Speece, Chancellor of Penn State Berks, will speak at the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce Women's Symposium on February 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the WCR Center for the Arts, located at 140 North Fifth Street in Reading.

In the panel discussion titled "What I Know Now & Advice from the Executive Suite," Speece and others will share what they have learned along the way while breaking the "glass ceiling."

Speece has an impressive background as an academic administrator and is nationally recognized for her contributions to science education. Named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), her key areas of scholarship include AIDS and AIDS education, cell adhesion, proteins, and ecological diversity. Her specialties in science education include teacher effectiveness, college science teaching, and alternative assessments.

The author of more than 30 publications, Speece has also made more than 75 professional presentations and keynote addresses, and has received funding for 14 grants, including those from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Lilly Foundation, and the Commission on Higher Education. She has served as chair or officer of many professional associations and societies including chair of the National Biology Assessment Tool Development Task Force and a member of the Board of Directors for the Q Section of AAAS.  She also was selected as a national expert on standards-related assessment tools for NSF.

Speece earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Purdue University in biology, and chemistry and biology, respectively; her Ed.D degree in education and biology from Ball State University, and completed an NSF post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis, where she investigated calcium proteins.

Since coming to Pennsylvania, Dr. Speece has served on the Berks AIDS Network board, worked with the United Way, served on the Higher Education Council of Berks County, and participated in a wide variety of community functions.

The Women's Symposium is part of the Chamber's Professional Women's Network, a series of networking and educational events for female professionals at all levels of business.

Penn State Berks is taking orders for the University's famous Creamery ice cream. Orders will be taken now through March 13, with all ice cream available for pickup on March 26, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Janssen Conference Center. Ice cream that is not picked up that evening cannot be held and is non-refundable.

Creamery ice cream is available in half-gallon quantities at a cost of $6.50 each in the following flavors: bittersweet mint, butter pecan, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie dough, coconut chip, cookies and cream, peachy Paterno, peanut butter swirl, strawberry, vanilla, and WPSX coffee break. Proceeds will benefit the college's Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management program.

Order forms are available through the Office of Alumni Relations at Penn State Berks by calling Ryan Szivos at 610-396-6057.

The four-course meal, prepared by the college's Food Service department, will be complemented with four distinctive wine pairings. An explanation of the wine and choice of pairings will be given by an HRIM student.

The cost for the dinner is $28 per person. For more information or to reserve your seat, please reply by February 16 to Ryan Szivos at 610-396-6057.

The play's three main characters-Bob, Al, and Carol-endure the rough start of the century as they are thrown into three one-acts designed for one evening of theatre. Barreling through exposition, conflicts, and futile opening lines, they finally land in a mystery murder plot. But how can there be a new mystery play when every plot line known to man has been worked to death already? Much less, can this be done with only three characters?

Cost of tickets is $8, general admission; $5, Penn State faculty/staff and non-Penn State students with ID; and free to Berks students with ID. Tickets can be reserved by contacting the Box Office at 610-396-6371 or BerksTheatre@psu.edu.

THON, short for the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, is a year-long effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. THON's fundraising helps offset the cost of a child's cancer treatment and helps establish research endowments aimed at increasing the cure rates of pediatric cancer treatments.

Putting on their dancing shoes from Penn State Berks are juniors Brian Tran, Business Management and Megan Allwein, Communication Arts and Sciences; and sophomores Catherine Claxton, Veterinary and Biomedical Science and Joanne Carrey, Secondary Education, who will spend their weekend on the dance floor as other Penn State Berks students cheer them on.

"My motivation for being involved with THON is that I have lost family members to cancer," explains Allwein who has been the Berks THON Canning Captain for two years, but will be a first-time dancer this year. "Hearing the stories of our THON children and getting to know the families personally inspired me to want to be a dancer this year. Participating in THON at University Park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I consider myself lucky to have been chosen as a dancer."

THON activities began at Berks campus in October 2005. Over the next four months leading up to the THON main event, the campus THON committee conducted a 5K Walk/Run, Breakfast with Santa, and a silent auction, as well as canning drives throughout the community.

Anyone who is interested in contributing to THON can call the Penn State Berks Campus Life Office at 610-396-6076 or visit http://www.thon.org/ and at the drop-down window "Please give the following organization credit for my gift" select "Berks."

The Penn State Berks student theatre group Penn Players will present The Vagina Monologues on Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14, at 8:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the door and cost $1 for Penn State students with ID, $5 for all other students with ID and for Penn State faculty and staff, and $6 for the general public. All proceeds benefit Berks Women in Crisis.

The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning masterpiece, is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. Based on interviews with more than 200 women about their memories and experiences of sexuality, The Vagina Monologues gives voice to women's deepest fantasies and fears. The play has been performed in cities across the country and on hundreds of college campuses. Penn Players' production is made up of twenty monologues performed by nine actresses.

For more information or to reserve your seat, please contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

Best-selling business author and journalist Larry Kahaner will present "The Seven Secrets of Money" on February 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. The event is free and opened to the public.

Kahaner helps you develop a financial style to fit your personality in The Seven Money Secrets They Say You're Too Young to Know: How to Prosper Now and Forever. Learn how to form a healthy relationship with money while staying true to your core spiritual beliefs, how to handle your paycheck even if you're bad at math, how to pay off your student loans, how to be happy at work no matter what you're doing, and how to become a millionaire.

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076.

In observation of National Engineers' Week, February 15-21, Penn State Berks has a variety of events and activities planned. Penn State Berks' roots are in the field of engineering. Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the forerunner of the college, began as a training center for workers of Textile Machine Works in Reading. WPI provided workers with a solid background in engineering, as well as other technical fields of study.

Monday, Feb. 16, 12:00-2:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Lion's Den-Opening ceremonies for Engineers' Week begin with a luncheon for students, faculty, and staff with engineers from local companies who will discuss career paths and other topics of interest. Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece and Dr. Paul Esqueda, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Penn State Berks, will make the opening remarks.

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Room 238-Project Lead the Way competition in which students from thirteen school districts form teams to design, build, test, and demonstrate a solution to the design challenge. The projects will be administered by Penn State Berks engineering faculty and students. The challenge will be followed by an awards ceremony 1:30 p.m. (Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national organization dedicated to preparing high school students for successful collegiate careers in sciences, engineering, and engineering technologies.)

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 5:15-8:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room- Engineers' Week Banquet for industry professionals, students, faculty, and staff. The banquet will feature a keynote presentation titled "Biofuels in the 21st Century: Ending the Food vs. Fuel Debate" presented by Bob Wallace, Associate Director of the Penn State Biomass Energy Center. Wallace will discuss concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the world's current use of corn, soy, and sugarcane feedstocks as the main resources to create biofuels, and ongoing research on alternatives including producing ethanol from non-food feedstock and a variety of technologies to create fossil-free liquid transportation fuels. In addition, there will be a presentation of engineering student projects. The banquet is opened to the public, and the cost is $25 payable at the door. Attendees should RSVP by contacting Dr. Abdullah Konak at konak@psu.edu or 610-396-6310 by Monday, February 16.

Friday, Feb. 20, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Room 20 of the Luerssen Building-Engineer Week Design Competition. Penn State Berks students who have built a projectile firing siege machine, such as a catapult, will compete for most accurate and best range. The competition is on Friday, February 20, at 1:15 in the front lot of the Luerssen Building. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.

As part of the Global Studies degree program's African Film Series and in conjunction with African-American History Month, Penn State Berks will present Equatorial Guinea: Drowning In Oil? on Wednesday, February 11, at 1:15 p.m. in room 101 of the Franco Building. The film is free and open to the public.

Equatorial Guinea: Drowning in Oil?, a film by Lluis Jene and Enric Miro, tells the story of how U.S. oil companies arrived in Equitorial Guinea in West Africa and found petroleum in 1995. Guinea has now become the third biggest oil producing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, with production at 300,000 barrels a day. Because of its location, away from the Arabian peninsula, Guinea is important to the U.S. since it helps the U.S. in its goal to diversify its sources of oil.

Throughout its Spanish colonial past and until the discovery of oil, the raising of cocoa crops was the only economic activity. Sarah Wykes, Global Witness NGO says that "...although the country will have about $700 million in oil revenues per year there has been no improvement in the development of the country. It isn't benefiting the people of Guinea." Where is the money going? John Bennett, the ex-US Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea says that President Obiang, considered a dictator by many, is stealing much of the oil money (estimated at $1.5 to 2 billion over the past nine years) and depositing it offshore. Besides financial corruption, the government suppresses and even imprisons the leaders of the political opposition. The human rights violations and the lack of democracy are tolerated by the governments of the West in order to support U.S. oil interests.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, Assistant Professor of History and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092 or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

Two performances of "Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes: Past and Present" were presented on Saturday, February 7, in the Penn State Berks Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Each session covered different material, and interested participants were encouraged to attend both sessions if possible. The presentations were sponsored by the New Jersey Circle of Friends, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Sufi Order International.

Content focused on the history and practices of the world-renowned philosopher, mystical poet, and founder of the Whirling Dervishes popularly known as "Rumi." The presentations featured demonstrations of the famous turning movements, along with authentic music and video material.

Hafizullah Chishti has studied the Sufi path for thirty-two years. He is a shaikh (senior teacher and lineage-holder) in the Sufi Order International and an adjunct member of the Sufi Order Curriculum Committee. He chairs the Leaders Training Committee of Jamiat Khas, and has studied the Turn with the Mevlevi Dervishes for over twenty years. Chishti currently co-directs a Sufi Order study circle in New Jersey with his wife Noor Allah.

"What a person takes away from this kind of event depends a great deal on the individual, comments event coordinator Dr. Paul Azim Frye, Instructor of Communication Arts and Sciences. "While this is not a religious event, it exists within a powerful, living, spiritual tradition and the potential exists for an uplifting experience. The goal is to at least get a glimpse of an approach to something higher than our ordinary commercial or material 'isms.' This is a teaching with resonance and juice; it's truly a privilege to witness."

For more information, please contact Dr. Paul Azim Frye at paf11@psu.edu.

In observance of African-American History Month, Penn State Berks will host a variety of events and programs throughout the month of February: events are only open to students of the college unless otherwise noted.

• Feb. 2: Laugh Out Loud with Louis Ramey from Last Comic Standing, 9 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium
• Feb. 4: Earth Rhythms teaches African Drumming, 1 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium
• Feb. 5: Berks Multicultural Consortium and Community Celebration, a joint event of the Higher Education Council of Berks County, 7:30 p.m., Alvernia University
• Feb. 6-7: Film: The Express, tells the story of the first African-American to win the Heisman, Ivy Lounge, 9 p.m
• Feb. 23: Tea for 2 or 3, students will learn about teas from around the world, 1 p.m., Perkins Student Center Penn State Room
• Feb. 26: Jitters Coffeehouse Series presents the poetry of Bluz, 9 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room, open to the public

In addition, the Multicultural Office will take students to Kutztown University to hear hip hop gospel artist Kirk Franklin discuss using hip hop as an instrument in the church on February 10, and will transport selected minority students to the Penn State Achievement Conference at University Park on February 20-21.

Finally, The Mission, a campus diversity group, is displaying an exhibition in the Perkins Student Center throughout the month, and will present an African-American history show at the end of the month.

For more information, please contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

Dr. Bruce Hale, Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State Berks, will present "Exercise Dependence in Runners and Weight Lifters: Does it Really Exist?" on Friday, January 30, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building. This presentation is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.

Hale's discussion will cover the history of exercise-dependence research, along with his own research, and why some people seemingly become addicted to exercise. Additionally, Hale plans to discuss evidence for whether exercise dependence exists in runners and body builders, how exercise dependence is related to muscle dysmorphia and possible eating disorders, how it is measured, possible antecedents, and the use of interventions.

Hale has performed a series of studies with undergraduate Kinesiology students at Penn State Berks, as well as students in the United Kingdom on exercise dependence in bodybuilders and weight lifters. He also assisted an undergraduate student in developing the Bodybuilding Dependence Scale, which was validated over four subsequent studies as a means of measuring the condition.

The Division of Science Colloquia features Penn State Berks faculty who conduct research on a wide variety of topics. Upcoming events will include a lecture by Dr. Jianbing Qi, Assistant Professor of Physics, titled "Making Ultracold Atoms and Molecules in the Lab" on Friday, February 20, 2009 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building.

Residents of Pennsylvania look to the groundhog each February 2 to forecast the weather. According to legend, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; if not, an early spring is predicted. However, understanding what happens during hibernation may have potential benefits for humankind beyond predicting the weather, according to Dr. Stam Zervanos, Emeritus Professor of Biology at Penn State Berks.

Stervanos has been researching the hibernation patterns of the groundhog for twelve years and now he is trying to determine which hibernation characteristics have a genetic basis. The implications are that studying the genes that control metabolic processes could eventually lead to benefits for humankind, including the ability to slow the heart rate during long, complicated surgical procedures.

Over the last few years, Zervanos has been working with researchers from Clemson University in South Carolina and the University of Southern Maine to compare the difference in hibernation patterns in northern versus southern groundhogs. As expected, major differences have been observed: in Maine, they hibernate 175 days from October 19 to April 11; in Pennsylvania, 100 days, from November 17 to February 25; and in South Carolina, 67 days, from December 13 to February 18. Thus, depending on where you live, groundhogs emerge on different days.

Currently, Zervanos is attempting to determine if these variations are environmental or genetic in nature. Groundhogs from the three populations will be transported to Colorado State University, where they will be placed in environmental chambers with constant temperatures. If they maintain the same patterns they exhibited in their native environment, their variations are genetic rather than environmental, and the next step will be to try to identify the gene that controls this characteristic.

"There is a theory that all mammals were able to hibernate in their ancestry," explains Zervanos. "Since we evolved from reptilian ancestors, which were able to hibernate, the logic would seem to say that all mammals have these genes or at least the genes that turn on and off the metabolic processes that control hibernation. If we can track down these controlling genes, then we might be able to apply these characteristics to humans."

As an ecologist, Zervanos studies how animals adapt physiologically to their environments. He has been studying the hibernation patterns of groundhogs since 1996 on a 140-acre plot on the Peiffer Farm of Penn State Berks. He studies free-ranging groundhogs using radio telemetry and data loggers to monitor hourly body temperature. During the first two seasons, straw at the burrow entrances indicated if an animal had exited or entered a burrow, but for the last ten years of the study, infrared motion-triggered cameras were placed at the burrow entrances. These cameras recorded date and time of emergence and also supplied photographs and videos.

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, with all proceeds benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund, Conquering Childhood Cancer, at the Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. After a year-round fundraising effort by the students of all Penn State campuses, THON culminates in a 46-hour, "no-sitting, no-sleep" Dance Marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Berks THON dance marathon raised more than $23,000 and the entire University raised over six million dollars.

For more information, please contact Aurora Beani at aob5012@psu.edu.

In one of the most audacious thought experiments of our time, Alan Weisman imagines what might happen to the Earth if humans vanished in his bestseller The World Without Us. He will discuss this controversial subject at Penn State Berks on Wednesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

The World Without Us, Weisman's phenomenal New York Times bestseller, shows us humanity's true impact on the environment in a wholly original way, and challenges each of us to re-imagine our planet and our place within it.

The History Channel, National Geographic, and the Discovery Network have all produced major documentaries focused on the book, and there is currently a feature-length film in production.

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076 or via e-mail at jag38@psu.edu.

Tai Yim's Kung Fu Lion Dancers will present the ancient Lion Dance on Monday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

Tai Yim's Lion Dancers, members of Tai Yim's Kung Fu school, carry on the ancient Chinese tradition with a spectacle of sights and sounds that hearken back over one thousand years. The Lion Dancers are highly acclaimed for their skill in bringing to life the centuries-old legend on which the Lion Dance is based. Tai Yim's Kung Fu Lion Dance Team tours extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and the Far East.

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076.

The Penn State Berks Ice Hockey Team ranked twenty-fifth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) rankings in the second season since the college has played at the Division 1 level.

Ken Green, general manager of the hockey team, commented that the national ranking is a significant achievement not only for the team, but for the campus as well. "Many schools have played for years at Division 1 level and not achieved this level of recognition. The ranking is voted on by the Division 1 coaches, so it is recognition from your peers."

A glance at the rankings show Berks sharing leader board status with such schools as Penn State University Park, Illinois State University, West Virginia University, Ohio State University, and other "big name" sports programs.

The team is excited at their accomplishment but is still looking to improve during the second half of the season. Assistant Coach Matthew Fangman elaborated on this season's goals by saying, "We have two goals for this season: win our league and go to nationals and have a good showing."

Penn State Berks Health Services Supervisor Alice Holland will host a TV show on health with a human sexuality titled Get Some. The show will be taped live at Penn State Berks WPSB TV on January 26 and will air the last Monday of each month on Penn State WPSB TV (channel 5) at 6:00 p.m. and can also be viewed on the internet or downloaded on iTunes.

Get Some is a fun and informative TV show providing insight on health with a human sexuality. The show will include an interactive audience that features both college students and professionals as guests.

"The culmination of my past employment experiences at Blue Mountain Health System Family Planning Clinic, Lehighton Area School District, and Lehigh Valley Hospital, along with my present employment at Penn State, has prepared me with the assessment, interpersonal, and communication skills needed to host the show," explained Holland about her credentials.

In addition to her position as Health Services Supervisor at Penn State Berks, Holland also teaches courses in human sexuality. She is presently a Human Sexuality Doctoral Candidate and member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), American College Health Association (ACHA) and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Get Some will air live the last Monday of each month on Penn State WPSB TV (channel 5) at 6:00 p.m. and can also be viewed at www.clubs.psu.edu/bk/wpsbtv/WPSB_TV/Get_Some.html.

For more information, contact Alice Holland at arh16@psu.edu or Penn State Berks WPSB TV at berkstv@psu.edu.

Voters don't choose politicians--politicians choose voters by manipulating election rules. At least that's the opinion of a leading election-law scholar Spencer Overton who will be speaking at Penn State Berks on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

A lawyer and law professor at George Washington University Law School, Overton is a noted expert on campaign finance and voting rights law and the author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression. In this timely presentation, Overton articulates new ideas for enriching American democracy and examines the question, "What can we do to restore power to the people?"

This presentation is part of the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information on this event, contact John Gallagher at 610-396-6076.

The Freyberger Gallery will provide a view into the creative process of the artist through the exhibition titled Peter Jon Snyder: An Artganic Life. Rather than establish an exhibition of finished artwork, Snyder will be recreating his studio in the Freyberger Gallery. During the exhibition, he will spend time in the gallery working on his art. The exhibition runs from January 22-March 5, 2009. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, January 22 at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.

An unprecedented exhibition, this installation gives viewers an opportunity to genuinely see how an artist works within his space. An artist, designer, landscaper, entrepreneur, gallery director, and television host, Peter Jon Snyder's many identities somehow relate seamlessly. His work is based in an organic (or artganic) spirit of creativity.
      
When Snyder earned his bachelor's degree in art education from Kutztown University in 1976, teaching jobs were scarce. So, he took a position at Penn State Berks, landscaping and establishing gardens on the campus. He became a member of the campus' Fine Arts Committee, and developed and curated outdoor sculpture exhibitions. In the meantime, the art gallery was established, and Snyder's wife, Shirley, became the first gallery director. Together, along with arts coordinator Betty McLean, they developed a successful summer theatre/summer gallery program.

The next year, the Snyders opened a studio/gallery in downtown Reading, called the ArtFactory. A visionary venue for its time, the ArtFactory invited artists to show art and host events. It became an exciting bohemian art venue for Reading, and lasted five years until the birth of the Snyders' daughter, Piera.

By the mid 1980s, Peter Snyder was teaching introductory art and drawing classes at Penn State Berks. He continued his education, and in 1990, he earned a master's of fine arts from Bard College.

Snyder began to think about other ways to develop his skills. His background in art, sculpture, and gardening led him to launch his own landscaping business called GARDENWORKS with coworker Corey Wise.

By 1998, Snyder had exhibited his sculptures, paintings, and installations in more than 100 shows.    

Recently, Snyder and Wise purchased an old car dealership building in Womelsdorf, PA and built café Crave. Decorated in his signature style-with art, sculptures, cast-offs, and color, the two fashioned a distinctive environment where patrons can relax; show or buy art; listen to live music; and enjoy fantastic food, organic coffee, and handmade Italian gelato.
     
The Freyberger Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday evenings until 8 p.m.; and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact Marilyn Fox, arts coordinator, at 610-396-6140 or by e-mail at mjf14@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, January 17, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body and awareness of the presence of others.

The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and have increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu.