More than 170 Wilson College students will present the results of their undergraduate and graduate research covering a variety of disciplines and topics at Wilson’s 10th annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 3. The public is invited to join Wilson students, faculty, staff and administrators at all events. Approximately 23 students will give oral presentations based on their work, which was produced in conjunction with faculty advisers, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Sessions will run concurrently in the Brooks Science Center auditorium and John Stewart Memorial Library’s Lenfest Learning Commons. In addition to the oral presentations, other students will share their work graphically in a poster session to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the first floor of the original library building. Along with the poster session, students in the Women in Antiquity course will display a pop-up museum exhibition at the same location. At 11 a.m., students in Classical Mythology will perform scenes from ancient Greek theater outside on the library patio, weather permitting, and dance students in the Performance Projects course will perform Dancing in a World of Change, at 11:40 a.m. on the first floor of the original library building. All presentations will conclude by 4:30 p.m. “Student Research Day continues to be my favorite day of the academic year because the research presented, undergraduate and graduate, is the culmination of the academic experience at Wilson College,” said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “This year’s event is extra special because we are also celebrating our institution’s Sesquicentennial—the 150th anniversary of the founding of Wilson College.” Presentations will focus on the humanities, sciences and social sciences, including the prestigious Disert Scholar session from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium. The Disert award, given to the student with the best honors thesis proposal, went this year to Elen Harutyunyan of Yerevan, Armenia. She will present the results of research that examines the impact of sociocultural trauma on the Argentine-Armenian community. Harutyunyan’s research project, In the Shadow of 1915: Post-Genocide Identity Preservation among Argentine-Armenians, investigates the process of identity formation, development and preservation following genocide. Her project is supported by a variety of rich qualitative data, including interviews and ethnographic research. Other presentations will include examinations of: how minority student-athletes experiences at large, primarily white universities or colleges compare to those experienced at small institutions; political engagement among college students at Wilson and beyond; the impact of Alaskan commercial fishing on Chinook salmon; the effects of federally mandated restaurant menu labeling on people with eating disorders; the impacts of pre-operative physical therapy on people undergoing knee replacement; and the effects of urban tributaries on larger bodies of water (specifically how tributaries in Hagerstown, Md., affect the Antietam Creek). Group presentations will include several case students analyzing real-world cases of fraud committed by financial firms and the techniques those firms used to defraud investors. Wilson’s Student Research Day will conclude with the annual Academic Awards presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brooks Science Center auditorium. Student Research Day at Wilson was founded in 2010 as a way to recognize and celebrate the research, scholarship and creative activities of students and their faculty mentors. For more information, visit https://www.wilson.edu/student-research-day-and-academic-awards-ceremony.
Wilson College seniors Jaimi DeVitto, Kiara Scarbrough and Donna Werling will host a capstone exhibition of their art from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the historic High Line Train Station on South Jefferson Street in Greencastle, Pa. In addition, selections from the students’ bodies of work will be shown at Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery, where a reception will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1. The Bogigian exhibit will run until May 20.
DeVitto is majoring in graphic design, with a secondary area of emphasis in photography. For her capstone project, she created a body of work addressing her own personal grief. Her work reflects on living with loss, sorrow and anxiety through design and photography.
Scarbrough is majoring in studio art (painting) and business. Her current body of work explores how society plays a major role in the development of individuals. “I strive to create work that pushes the viewer out of their comfort zone and into the content and expression of the work," said Scarbrough. "Through paint and found objects, I invite my audience to see the world in a new light.”
Werling is majoring in studio art, with a concentration in painting. Her series of paintings explores those who understand the basic concepts of feminism and consider themselves feminists. Through the presentation of Feminist Selfies: Confessions of People Who Think Women Are People, she hopes to evoke an awareness in her assertion that being a feminist only means one believes that women should not be treated as “less than.”
All three students will present their scholarship in brief talks during Wilson’s annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 3.
The Bogigian Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For additional information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
On Thursday, April 4, Wilson College’s nursing honor society celebrated becoming the newest chartered chapter of the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma)—an organization that promotes and recognizes excellence in nursing scholarship, leadership and service worldwide.
Being accepted into Sigma “is really quite an honor and testament to the quality of Wilson’s nursing program,” said Sherri Stahl, senior vice president of hospital services for WellSpan-Summit Health and Wilson’s honor society president.
Wilson’s chapter, Omega Eta Chapter of Sigma, was officially welcomed into the organization by Kenneth W. Dion, assistant dean of business innovation and strategic relations at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. He told the audience that Sigma has more than 135,000 active members in more than 530 chapters in over 90 countries around the world. It supports nurses throughout their careers and collaborates with organizations to improve the health of the world’s people.
“This is a big deal because it elevates the profession of nursing in this community,” said Julie Beck, director of Wilson’s nursing program and chief nursing officer, as well as honor society faculty counselor. She said this honor reflects well on the quality of Wilson students and the community in general.
At the same event, 53 nurses and nursing students were inducted into the society. Sigma “only extends membership to students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, academic integrity, and professional leadership potential and to nurse leader candidates exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing,” Dion said. Our membership includes top-notch nursing executives, clinicians, educators, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others.”
“You have met or exceeded the rigorous standards required to receive an invitation to join Sigma, and you truly deserve our congratulations,” Dion told the inductees.
All the inductees are either current students enrolled in or graduates of Wilson’s nursing program.
Wilson College will host the 2019 Orr Forum on Monday, April 15, in the John Stewart Memorial Library. The forum will feature guest lecturer Nora Rubel, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester in New York.
Rubel, who is the Jane and Alan Batkin Professor in Jewish Studies, associate professor and chair of the Department of Religion and Classics at the university, teaches and writes on a wide variety of topics related to gender, race and ethnicity in American religion, particularly in relation to food and popular culture.
During the Orr Forum, she will present at two sessions in John Stewart Memorial Library’s Lenfest Learning Commons. Both are free and open to the public. The first lecture, which begins at noon, is entitled Reading Cookbooks: An Exercise in Religious Material Culture. The second session, to begin at 6 p.m., is called Recipes for the Melting Pot: Reading the Settlement Cook Book.
The Orr Forum, established in 1964, is an endowed lecture series focused on reflecting the wide and shifting interests in religion studies in America. This year’s forum is sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain, the Philosophy and Religious Studies Program and the Office of Academic Affairs.
On Saturday, Wilson College, local elected officials, baseball fans and well-wishers gathered under sunny skies for a celebration dedicating historic Henninger Field as the official home of the college’s new baseball team. The dedication, which also marked the official launch of Wilson’s 150th anniversary festivities, was followed by a doubleheader between the Wilson Phoenix and the Clarks Summit University Defenders. “I am so pleased you are all able to join us today for such an important milestone in the history of Wilson,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick as she welcomed those attending. “This renovation project at Henninger Field is a perfect example of how successful you can be if you embrace the past and its guiding principles, while evolving to meet the needs of today’s students, as well as those of the future.” Local officials spoke, including Franklin County Commission Chairman David Keller, Chambersburg Borough Council President Heath Talhelm and State. Rep. Rob Kauffman of the 89th District, who read a proclamation passed in the state legislature recently, marking the Sesquicentennial of Wilson College. Wilson officials also welcomed members of the family of local baseball legend Nellie Fox and descendants of Clay “Pop” Henninger, for whom the field is named. Local singer Corey Evan Rotz sang the National Anthem and Fayetteville’s Tom Brookens, retired Major League third baseman who was also recognized in the ceremony, threw out the first pitch of the first game. The Wilson Phoenix swept the doubleheader, winning the first game by a score of 9-0 and the second, 4-2. The dedication marked several other milestones, including the rebirth of Henninger Field and the partnership between Wilson College and the Borough of Chambersburg that made the renewal possible. Wilson has a 10-year lease agreement with the borough for the exclusive use of Henninger Field, which called for the borough to make approximately $250,000 worth of improvements to bring the 124-year-old field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball. The borough also completed some updates to the field’s public restrooms, moved electric lines and removed trees, according to college officials. Henninger Field is steeped in local baseball lore. From its opening in 1895 until 2010, organized baseball was played at the field. The most famous baseball game played at Henninger Field took place the afternoon of May 31, 1929, when the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the club’s farm team─Henninger’s home team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks. Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees that day and in the fifth inning, Ruth thrilled the crowd when he lofted a three-run homer over the center field fence. The development of Henninger Field as a thriving center of baseball in Chambersburg is credited to Clay Henninger (1855-1930), a local player-turned-manager who coached the field’s Chambersburg Maroons home team for many years.
Wilson College President Dr. Barbara K. Mistick will step down from her post after the end of the 2018-19 academic year, as announced in a letter to the college community today.
Dr. Mistick became Wilson’s 19th president in 2011. She is the architect of the Wilson Today plan, which refocused the College’s growth strategy. Under her vision and leadership, the College has experienced record student enrollment by reducing tuition and creating a first-of-its-kind student loan buyback program, added academic programs in nursing and other areas of demand, addressed infrastructure and future facilities needs, improved the institution’s marketing and brought coeducation to all areas of the College.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’d like to thank Dr. Mistick for her deep commitment to our students and to the entire Wilson community. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside her to bring about positive change to further the College. Her excitement and passion for higher education, and the importance of independent colleges like ours, is evident. With tremendous energy and dedication, she has played an integral role in helping Wilson evolve to meet the ever increasing expectations of today’s student,” said Dr. Barbara L. Tenney, ’67, chair, Wilson College Board of Trustees. “As we begin to celebrate the College’s Sesquicentennial, I am confident Wilson is well positioned for continued success and the next 150 years.”
Dr. Mistick will join the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) in September as president. With more than 1,000 colleges, universities and associations as members, NAICU is the largest organization representing independent, nonprofit colleges and universities on federal issues. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and advocates on behalf of its member institutions; provides analysis, insight and guidance on legislation, regulations and policy developments; and devises collective strategies among key stakeholders. As president, Dr. Mistick will serve as ex officio member of the board, officer of the board and CEO of the association. Dr. Mistick will be the fourth president in NAICU’s 42-year history.
“I am very proud of my time at Wilson College and the work we have accomplished together. With the help of all our stakeholders, alumni, students, faculty, staff, former and current trustees and the Chambersburg community, we have repositioned the College and how it presents itself to the community. From reimagining and rededicating the John Stewart Memorial Library, successful public/private partnerships with the Borough of Chambersburg to improve pedestrian safety and rehabilitate Henninger Field, to a new Veterinary Education Center, slated to open the fall of 2019, my eight years have been focused on ways to enhance the student experience,” said Mistick.
The Wilson College Board of Trustees has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the next president. As is customary, the greater college community─including faculty, staff, students and alumni─will be a part of that process.
Prior to her appointment at Wilson, Dr. Mistick was president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, where she provided strategic leadership and operational oversight of a library system that serves approximately 1.2 million people and includes 19 neighborhood library locations.
Over the course of her 30-year career, Dr. Mistick has been an entrepreneur, educator and leader at institutions such as the H.J. Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the National Education Center for Women in Business at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, as well as at various businesses she managed and/or founded. Her book, Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace, was designated as an Amazon Editor’s Pick and ranked #12 on the 800-CEO-READ’s Best Seller list.
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller today visited the Single Parent Scholar Program at Wilson College to learn about the acclaimed program and discuss opportunities to expand post-secondary education and training options for single-parent families.
Gov.Tom Wolf's proposed 2019-20 budget includes $5 million to support up to seven partnerships to develop and implement programs for post-secondary education and training for single parents. The Parent Pathways model will focus on post-secondary education and training partnerships, housing supports and two-generational programming that supports healthy child and family development, according to a DHS news release. “Economically disenfranchised families and single-parent households face significant barriers to accessing higher education or post-secondary job training," Miller said. "When you’re balancing your family’s immediate needs and trying to make ends meet, taking time off work to seek education and training may be impossible. Programs like the Single Parent Scholars Program at Wilson College are providing services and supports to help parents and families get ahead and break the cycle of poverty.” Wilson College’s Single Parent Scholar Program provides on-campus housing year-round to single parents and their children so the parent can pursue a bachelor’s degree and participate in campus life, including clubs, athletics and student government. The college also provide on-campus child care for students' childen ages 20 months to 5 years. The program, formerly known as the Women with Children program until men were admitted a few years ago, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.
“Over the past 22 years, Wilson’s Single Parent Scholar Program has helped open the door to college education─first to single mothers and now to single fathers as well─whether they are 18 or 48 years old,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “That’s why this program is so special. It gives students the opportunity to achieve their dreams. And we know the experience of living at a college also profoundly affects their children and encourages them to follow in their parents’ footsteps. So it’s a very positive cycle for everyone.”
Wolf's administration is currently exploring opportunities for creating programs that support access to and engagement in postsecondary education, training, and family-sustaining employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged single-parent families.
Wilson’s dance ensemble, Orchesis, will present its annual spring performance in Laird Hall at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13, with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. The show, which is open to the public, will include something for everyone--from ballet and modern dance to Bollywood, hip hop and contemporary. Dances to be performed were choreographed by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as Wilson faculty and alumni. Faculty from Dance Academy XIV and special guest performers will also take part.
Tickets will be available at the door and are $10 for general admission. Students, senior citizens and members of the military will be admitted free, but donations are welcome.
The crack of the bat and cheers of the crowd have returned to Chambersburg’s iconic Henninger Field, now home of the Wilson College baseball team. On Saturday, April 6, college, state and local officials and guests will dedicate the field and celebrate the team’s inaugural season, as well as officially open an 18-month commemoration of Wilson’s 150th anniversary.
“The dedication of such a legendary local ball field as the home of Wilson’s first baseball team seemed like the perfect time to launch our Sesquicentennial festivities,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick.
Wilson College was chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature on March 24, 1869, followed by a formal opening on Oct. 12, 1870. The College plans a series of celebratory Sesquicentennial events throughout 2019 and into 2020, ending with Wilson’s alumni reunion weekend in June 2020. Plans include an outdoor art installation, alumni art show, special alumni reunion activities and a formal gala.
More details on Sesquicentennial activities will be forthcoming and a full, updated list can be found at www.wilson.edu/150.
The Sesquicentennial celebration will kick off with the hour-long April 6 dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. at Henninger Field, 241 W. Vine St., recognizing the storied field as the official home of the Wilson Phoenix. The ceremony will be followed by a doubleheader between Wilson and the Clarks Summit University Defenders.
State and local officials have been invited to participate in the dedication, including State Rep. Rob Kauffman (Pa. District 89), who will read a proclamation marking Wilson’s 150th anniversary. Local baseball luminaries or their families have also been invited to attend, including descendants of the late Clay “Pop” Henninger─the Chambersburg businessman and baseball promoter for whom the field is named–and the family of the late Nellie Fox, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer from St. Thomas, as well as representatives of the Nellie Fox Foundation. In addition, Wilson alumni, students, parents and friends of the College are expected to attend. Retired MLB player Tom Brookens will throw out the first pitch of the doubleheader. From 1979-88, Fayetteville’s Brookens was a standout third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, with whom he played when the team won the World Series in 1984. He also played for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians before coaching for the Tigers from 2009-13. Before the game begins, vocalist Corey Evan Rotz will sing the National Anthem. Rotz, a Chambersburg native, has had a widely successful singing career, performing regularly with the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera. In addition to his singing career, Rotz is a voice instructor at the Cumberland Valley School of Music. The day’s festivities will not only commemorate the reopening of the field, but also celebrate the College’s partnership with the community, according to Mistick. “It’s been a rewarding experience to partner with the Borough of Chambersburg to restore Henninger Field and bring baseball back to the park, where area residents can once again come to enjoy the games,” she said. “This project is just one example of how the College and borough government can work together to benefit the entire community.” Wilson has a 10-year lease agreement with the borough for the exclusive use of Henninger Field. Under the agreement, the College made approximately $250,000 worth of improvements to bring the 124-year-old field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball. The borough also completed some updates to the field’s public restrooms, moved electric lines and removed trees, according to college officials. “We’re very pleased the College found the resources to rehabilitate the facility, which was obviously in need of restoration,” said Chambersburg Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill. “Clearly, we’re looking forward to bringing some vitality to that facility, seeing the stands full of people and it again being a gathering spot for our community.” Henninger Field is steeped in local baseball lore. From its opening in 1895 until 2010, organized baseball was played at the field, where other sports contests have been played as well, including Chambersburg Cardinals football games and Chambersburg Area Senior High School’s Trojan football, baseball and soccer teams. Over the years, the field reportedly was even the site of horse shows, circuses and fire department drill competitions. The most famous baseball game played at Henninger Field took place the afternoon of May 31, 1929, when the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the club’s farm team─Henninger’s home team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks. Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees that day and in the fifth inning, Ruth thrilled the crowd when he lofted a three-run homer over the center field fence. The development of Henninger Field as a thriving center of baseball in Chambersburg is credited to Clay Henninger (1855-1930), a local player-turned-manager who coached the field’s Chambersburg Maroons home team for many years. Henninger─whose great-granddaughter, Ann Henninger Trax, is a 1968 Wilson graduate─became a local legend and in 1920, the ball park was named in his honor, according to newspaper accounts. Before it was acquired by the borough, the ball field was part of the Wolf Lake Park complex in the area north of Commerce Street. The attractions that were part of the park─including the lake, boathouse, dance hall, dining room and bowling alley─have all disappeared. “(The ball field) is really the only remnant of the park that’s still there,” Stonehill said. Information on parking for the April 6 ceremonies and home opener game can be found at https://www.wilson.edu/henninger-field-dedication-event-parking.
The Wilson College Veterinary Medical Technology Club will host dog washes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, in the college veterinary building near the main entrance to campus. The dog washes are open to the public.The cost is $10 for small dogs, $15 for medium dogs, $20 for large dogs and $25 for extra-large or double-coated dogs. The price includes ear cleaning, nail trim, bath and blow dry—all of which will be performed by VMT Club members.
Owners must present a paper copy of their dog’s rabies vaccination. For more information, contact VMT Club President Shanelle Spotts at shanelle.spotts@wilson.edu
