Throughout his distinguished academic career, music and service to students were passions of Dr. William J. Mahar. His 35 years at Penn State Harrisburg included tenures as director of the School of Humanities from 1984 to 2002 and then as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs until his retirement this year.
Making gifts ranging from several hundred dollars to the maximum $100,000, Penn State donors are taking advantage of benefits afforded by the recently passed Pension Protection Act of 2006. The act allows donors to make tax-free withdrawals from a traditional or Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) directly to a qualified charity. Distribution amounts are not included in the donor's gross income and do not factor into any charitable deduction that otherwise would apply to the donor, but will count toward the donor's minimum required distribution. Penn State alumnus Hal Marcus, who with his wife, Inge Marcus, have been benefactors of the College of Engineering, urged other donors to consider the opportunities presented by the Pension Protection Act in making their gifts. "This new legislation has given us one more creative way to give, and we encourage others who may be eligible to use their IRA fund to support Penn State in this way."
Every year as fans clamor to get tickets to big football games, unscrupulous entrepreneurs crop up to take advantage of those who are willing to spend more than face value to see their favorite teams play. The danger for the fans goes beyond shelling out big bucks, though. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for scalpers to sell counterfeit tickets. With No. 4 Michigan set to visit Penn State in a highly touted Big Ten matchup this weekend, Tom Sowerby, University Police supervisor, is concerned that fans will encounter problems with counterfeit tickets once again. "I think it is very likely that we will see counterfeit tickets for this game, especially since the ring leader of a group that was arrested for selling counterfeit tickets for Penn State's game at Notre Dame a few weeks ago was arrested here for the same offense in 1997," he said.
Penn State always does well in the rankings that are designed to help parents and students sift through the thousands of colleges and universities in this country to decide which will help them spend their money wisely. Once again this year, Penn State also has been recognized for the job it does in preparing its students to benefit the nation. Up three spots from last year, Penn State now is ranked No. 3 in the nation behind only Massachusetts Institute of Technology (first) and University of California, Berkeley (second) by Washington Monthly, a political, inside-the-beltway publication. The magazine ranks institutions as engines of social mobility; as producers of academic minds and scientific research that advance knowledge and drive economic growth; and as forces to inculcate and encourage an ethic of service.
Penn State's Board of Trustees met on Friday, May 12, on Penn State's University Park campus. Items presented to the board included President Spanier's opening remarks; information about the popularity of Penn State recreation programs, indicating how highly students value these types of activities as part of their collegiate experiences; a description of the University's comprehensive influenza pandemic plan; an outline of interdisciplinary research and education programs; and a review of Faculty Senate efforts in 2005-06.
Lititz residents Thomas and Suzan Hollinger have established a scholarship at the college which reinforces the need for ethical conduct in the business and corporate worlds.
The Ethics in Business Annual Scholarship is for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Penn State Harrisburg who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses and who are majoring in a School of Business Administration program.
Students in the college's doctoral program in Adult Education who go beyond academic excellence to help fellow students are now being rewarded with a scholarship.
The Blue Sky Women's Learned Society Award for Female Graduate Students in Adult Education has been created by a group of the program's graduates who wish to remain anonymous. The honor is designed to award students who go above and beyond academic excellence and help others in their educational pursuits.
The Penn State Commission for Women celebrated the accomplishments of women throughout the University's history, and honored some of the University's notable achieving women at its annual spring banquet, held Monday, April 3, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus. Penn State President Graham B. Spanier commended the commission for its work over the years. "Twenty-five years ago, those path-breaking women could not have known where their work would lead. They were simply trying to find their voice, and change minds and attitudes. But their work, and yours subsequently, has forever altered the face of our University," he said. In addition to honoring the 2006 Achieving Women Award winners and the Rosemary Schraer Mentor Award recipient, the commission recalled the women of Penn State's past through a program titled "A Legacy of Women's Voices," which was produced and directed by Jo Dumas, lecturer in communications, and performed by Helen Manfull, professor emeritus of theatre arts; graduate student Crystal Endsley; and Sherrin McKenzie, group and program sales coordinator with the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State. The Essence of Joy choir provided music for the program, which featured highlights from the commemorative book, "We are a Strong, Articulate Voice: A History of Women at Penn State," written by Carol Sonenklar. For photos from the event, visit http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2006_04_03_cfw/index.html online.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/17088
Registrations still are being accepted from new and newly tenured faculty for the 11th annual Road Scholars Tour. The tour, scheduled for May 8-10, is designed to give new and newly tenured faculty the opportunity to visit several Penn State locations and Pennsylvania businesses to learn how the University is making a difference. The bus will depart from University Park, and over the course of the three days, will visit Penn State campuses, Pennsylvania businesses and popular historic sites, and learn about the University and the state along the way.
