Adelman’s daily responsibilities include digitizing collections and organizing and assisting in the creation of new exhibits for the public. Working alongside the museum’s curatorial staff, Adelman has learned the importance of attention to detail, communication and curiosity. Beyond learning collections software and artifact preservation techniques, Adelman said the internship helped clarify what she hopes to find in a future career and the impact of working for an organization that is committed to serving its community.

“This opportunity helped me realize that I want to work in a place that values its mission and makes conscious steps to improve and reinforce their commitment to their place in the community,” said Adelman, an anthropology major. “CBMM and all the staff here work very hard to fulfill their goals as both a museum and a recreational community space.”

The opened in 1965 on Navy Point, formerly a busy complex of docks, workboats and packing houses on St. Michaels Harbor, with the purpose of preserving the history, environment and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region. Recognized as a world-class maritime museum, it welcomes nearly 100,000 guests annually. Its 18-acre campus includes historic structures, exhibition galleries and a fleet of historic vessels.

The highlights of Adelman’s experience include assisting in the completion of the museum’s newest exhibit, which was years in the making. “Stories from the Shoreline” highlights the voices, traditions and experiences of the people who call the Chesapeake Bay home and focuses on the richness and diversity of Chesapeake life.

Adelman also found a personal connection while cataloging Talbot Country postcards, many of which featured familiar places from her hometown of Easton, Maryland, which is a historic community on the bay’s Eastern Shore. Through both individual projects and teamwork with museum professionals, she gained valuable technical skills while developing a deeper appreciation for the stories preserved in museum collections.

“This project made me very aware of the history and culture of the Eastern Shore and appreciate how many places are both permanent and impermanent,” Adelman said.

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Gianna Rupert ’26, an English literature and creative writing double major from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is interning as a script reader for the Austin Film Festival. Rupert was first introduced to the festival last fall, when she and several other students attended the festival’s writing conference in Texas and participated in workshops, networking events and panels for storytellers at every career stage — including some of Hollywood’s top screenwriting talents.

“My internship is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience while building my rĂ©sumĂ© and making connections in the film industry,” Rupert said. “AFF gives me the chance to network with people in the field, which will be invaluable as I pursue a career in screenwriting.”

Once Rupert learned she would be one of the festival’s summer script readers, she found that she was amply prepared for the role by Assistant Professor of Communications Joseph Giomboni’s in-class exercises, which had students read through and evaluate published scripts. These skills have also proved helpful in her other summer venture as a senior programmer for Williamsport’s River Valley Film Festival, where she is in charge of screening and ultimately selecting films for the festival.

Her film experience also extends to her role as a production assistant on the Emmy Award–winning film Champions of the Golden Valley. That opportunity came her way through alumnus Baktash Ahadi ’05.

Rupert hopes to work in the film industry after graduation, ideally as a screenwriter.

Ethan Harnish ’28, an accounting and finance double major from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is working as an audit & assurance intern for McKonly & Asbury. He was connected to the position by attending the Sigmund Weis School of Business’ Meet the Firms event, which brings representatives from some of the nation’s top accounting firms to campus for students to make early networking connections. Harnish preemptively networked with alumnus Dan Dorgan ’15 to ensure he could make the most of the event.

“Dan has spent the majority of his career with McKonly & Asbury and worked up to the manager role in the firm,” Harnish said. “He was extremely helpful in explaining the role of medium-sized accounting firms in the corporate world to me. On top of that he had great things to say about the firm, how much he enjoys his career, and tips that would be valuable for me at the start of my career.”

Harnish’s primary responsibility within the firm is auditing employee benefit plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and stock ownership, and testing different parts of each program to ensure they aren’t vulnerable to financial risk. Harnish said his internship has significantly expanded his base of knowledge about his field and the workforce. His new understanding of himself as a worker is drawn from his biggest challenge: learning to accept failure.

“In a perfect world, I would know exactly what I am doing and get all of my work done without having to ask for help,” Harnish observed. “But not knowing everything immediately is natural and helps you learn. If I was avoiding failure, then I wouldn’t be able to attempt a new audit, a new test or a new type of work that I’ve been assigned. Doing as much as you can, failing, and finding out why you made that mistake and where you went wrong has taught me so much.”

David Birmingham ’27, a marketing major from West Lawn, Pennsylvania, is working as an entertainment marketing intern for Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He found out about the position during a Sigmund Weis School of Business alumni engagement excursion to Pittsburgh, which included the stadium as one of its stops. A meeting there led to Birmingham landing an interview and ultimately his internship. Since his first day on the job, Birmingham learned that the only thing he could expect was the unexpected.

“My responsibilities vary from day to day,” Birmingham said. “I have helped the entertainment operations team prepare for a variety of events, specifically ensuring that sponsors and performances have proper scheduling and preparation for each event. These events include Morgan Wallen concerts, Monster Jam, the Steelers’ season, Fourth of July events, World Cup watch parties, and the Kickoff and Rib Festival.”

Birmingham saw this variety as one of the internship’s biggest draws, feeling that its mixture of marketing for professional sports teams, entertainers and Pittsburgh’s local festivals would be extraordinary preparation for his future.

“I really did not know what I was going into with my internship; marketing is a vast subject, but I was prepared to adapt to whatever was asked of me,” Birmingham said. “I was not expecting to work on so many different projects and events at once, but with information and emails exchanging at different speeds, I learned to adapt.”

Birmingham wants to continue working in events management after graduation.

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In his role at Larson Design Group, Henretta transposes field notes into formal data sheets to be processed and assessed and also assists in wetland delineations, site visits and geographical information systems efforts. The position duties primarily focus on GIS, a topic that sparked Henretta’s interest when he took a class on the subject.

“My classes in environmental science have given me skills to assess the environment in ways that can help limit human impacts while studying ecology has given me the perspective of the organisms,” Henretta reflected. “Doing a wetland delineation in an area where a pipeline is planned helps not only the company, but also any organisms that might call that wetland their home.”

Skills from classes in GIS, soil science, geology and ecosystems helped Henretta apply his academic knowledge to a hands-on experience.

“I have learned how to communicate in effective ways with those around me and especially with those I look up to,” Henretta said. “There are projects and labs in which I had to collaborate with peers and there were also times when I had to figure things out myself. This helped to develop a drive in me that, combined with the knowledge I have, will help me succeed in my current internship as well as my future career.”

The Punxsutawney native learned about the geo-environmental internship from Ann Czeponis, director of environmental education and internships at °”ÍűTV.

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°”ÍűTV’s Gilman scholars receiving up to $5,000 are:

• Kijani English ’28, a neuroscience and German studies double major from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, who will study at Philipps-UniversitĂ€t in Marburg, Germany.
• Ezabella Piccione ’28, a luxury brand marketing & management and advertising & public relations double major from Boyertown, Pennsylvania, who will study in Milan, Italy.

While in Germany, English will examine healthcare and social support structures through both a scientific and cultural lens while strengthening her German language proficiency. She plans to pursue a career in psychiatry because she wants to advocate for more accessible mental health resources and encourage students from backgrounds like mine to pursue opportunities they might feel like aren’t available to them.

“Through personal experience, I understand that disadvantaged and foster youth often face barriers not only to educational opportunities, but also to long-term stability and consistent healthcare access,” English said. “By developing a more global understanding of healthcare and exploring how culture and policy often shape the mental health outcomes within a population, I hope to become a well-rounded psychiatrist that challenges assumptions about what effective mental health support can look like.”

Piccione will study subjects related to business, economics and Italian culture.

“I am especially excited to expand my global perspective by learning how international environments influence communication, business practices and cultural understanding,” Piccione said.

She plans to embark upon a career in luxury marketing within a global or internationally connected organization, with the possibility of pursuing graduate studies in business or communications.

“I hope this experience strengthens my communication skills, adaptability and global awareness, all of which are important in today’s professional world,” Piccione said. “Being immersed in another culture will help me become more confident working with diverse groups of people and navigating unfamiliar environments.”

The Gilman Scholarship is a merit-based program funded by Congress that supports American undergraduates in gaining skills vital to the nation’s security and economic strength through immersive experiences with other languages and cultures. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals and recipients of a Pell Grant, a federal need-based aid program.

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GD USA’s annual list recognizes graphic design programs that excel in cultivating critical thinking, adaptability and a passion for innovation. The list is diverse, featuring 100 art and design schools, university departments and online or hybrid programs. °”ÍűTV is named among such esteemed programs as the California Institute of the Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, the Savannah College of Art and Design, The New School and North Carolina State, Ohio State and Yale universities.

“To be recognized alongside some of the nation’s most respected design programs is incredibly meaningful,” said Amanda Lenig, associate professor of graphic design and department head of art & design at °”ÍűTV. “It reflects the strength of a curriculum that blends creativity with practical experience and prepares students to become adaptable, forward-thinking designers ready to succeed in an evolving industry.”

Two named ‘Students to Watch’

The ranking caps a year of recognitions for °”ÍűTV’s graphic design program and its students, including Liam Fisher ’27 and Alli Himler ’26, who were named among Graphic Design USA’s Students to Watch.

Himler told the magazine that she draws creative inspiration from other students in °”ÍűTV’s graphic design program.

“My peers are both my inspiration and my competition,” she said. “We are quick to call each other out on the ‘low-hanging-fruit’ ideas, which pushes us to find fresh and distinctive solutions.”

Fisher is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design while Himler recently graduated with dual degrees in graphic design and communications-broadcasting.

SU dominates at The Real Show

Students won 28 awards from George Mason University School of Art’s annual student design competition known as The Real Show, far outpacing all of the other 18 participating programs.

Award-winners were:

Students win top awards at the ADDYs

In March, students won several awards from the American Advertising Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, known as the ADDY Awards, including:

• Ginger Brown ’26, Judge’s Choice, direct marketing: Margaret Atwood book covers
• Samantha Cubberley ’26, silver, integrated brand identity campaign: Austin City Limits Music Festival.
• Kyra Keenan ’26, gold, integrated brand identity campaign: Insomnia Cookies & Coffee; and Judge’s Choice, cover/editorial spread or feature: Rambler editorial magazine.
• Anna Lesher ’26, gold and Best of Show, integrated advertising campaign: “Hear Her Out” PSA campaign; and gold, integrated brand identity campaign: TravelBug brand & style guide.
• Adrianna Nicholas ’27, silver, packaging: The Wildwood postcard collection.

The American Advertising Awards are widely acknowledged to be the largest and most representative competition of its kind, with more than 25,000 entries received nationally as part of the three-tier competition.

°”ÍűTV graphic design graduates have gone on to pursue careers at AdWeek, Bombas, Forbes, Lego, the National 9/11 Memorial and NBC Universal, as well as at elite agencies in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

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For a second straight year, students in Michele Welliver’s professional sales class have augmented the radio station’s underwriting efforts by securing local business sponsors. Over the spring 2026 semester, they have raised more than $4,000 to support student programming.

“I found that businesses are willing to listen to us and want to help students,” said Charlie Jones ’26, an advertising & public relations major with a minor in professional sales from Summit, New Jersey. “It becomes our responsibility to present them with an opportunity that supports their business goals.”

°”ÍűTV debuted its professional sales minor in 2020, followed by the launch of the major in 2024. The interdisciplinary program, which is led by Welliver, department head and associate professor of communications, is offered by the Department of  and the .

“When students step into real sales environments, something clicks. They’re no longer just learning concepts,” Welliver said. “By working with real clients and real situations, they develop adaptability, strategic thinking and the interpersonal skills they need to succeed in a sales role.”

Since wrapping up the WQSU campaign, Jones has accepted a full-time position in sales with Dell Technologies in Nashville, Tennessee. James Merklinger ’26, the class’s lead seller and a management major with a minor in professional sales from Bangor, Pennsylvania, has landed a position with The Hershey Company, also in sales.

Additional seniors who also have landed sales jobs in advance of their graduation are Matt Sano, a finance major with a minor in professional sales from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, as an internal wholesaler at Pacer ETFs; and Dawson Harper, a management major with a minor in professional sales from Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, as a team lead at Tractor Supply Company.

PHOTO CAPTION: Seated from left are Miranda Schmidt ’27; Talea Wise ’27; and Delaney Castagna ’26. Standing from left are Dawn Benfer, general manager of WQSU; Dawson Harper ’26; Julia Pinckert ’26; Ryan Sullivan ’27; James Merklinger ’26; Kelsey Burrows ’26;  Michele Welliver, department head and associate professor of communications; Matt Sano ’26; Eden Savoy ’27, WQSU program director; and Charlie Jones ’27.

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From patient to researcher

Emma Dickinson ’26, an earth & environmental sciences major from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, drew inspiration for their research from a personal encounter with Lyme disease.

“I was in treatment for Lyme disease for five years and spent a good deal of time in a wheelchair because of it,” Dickinson said. “I want to study ticks so that we can hopefully lower the incidence of these crippling diseases.”

Though they said treatment proved challenging at times, it imbued Dickinson with a desire to understand what factors influence blacklegged ticks, or deer ticks, to latch onto clothing. They prepared nine fabrics to which the captured specimen larvae could attach themselves. They  examined each sample and determined how many ticks it retained and recorded the properties of the material that might have factored in.

“Of the fabrics I tested, twill collected the fewest ticks with an average of three ticks out of 20 per exposure, while an artificial fur collected the most with an average of 11 ticks out of 20 per exposure,” Dickinson said. “There are several factors that mediate attachment to clothing types, such as brightness, texture and static electricity.”

Dickinson was assisted in this research by Elise Schaeffer ’29, of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, and Matthew Persons, Charles B. Degenstein Professor of Biology.

After graduation, Dickinson hopes to become a watershed specialist for a county conservation district, a position that would allow them to develop countywide educational programs and restoration projects. They credit their research with helping them make more informed clothing choices for fieldwork, revealing a path they could take to become a tick prevention consultant in parks and nature centers, and exposing procedures within tick population reporting that could benefit from refinement.

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Listening to the wild

Sarah Joy ’26, of Palm Bay, Florida, wanted to explore just how big an impact humans have on the everyday lives of animals, which is how she found herself researching how human-created acoustic pollution influences animals’ food foraging patterns.

In collaboration with fellow ecology major Brodie Bard ’29, of Pittsburgh, Joy studied the phenomenon by creating research site installations near campus buildings to measure the volume and duration of sounds escaping from within. Joy found that many building and infrastructure designs make noise louder in some outside areas than others because of poor soundproofing and the loss of natural barriers. Hearing these magnified sounds causes nearby wildlife to have strong negative reactions.

“We found that herbivores are scared by peaks at high volumes,” Joy noted, “whereas omnivores and carnivores are more scared by areas that have consistently loud noise levels. However, all animal activity decreases under these added factors.”

Joy, who credits the research with making her more mindful about the noise she creates when outdoors, was mentored by Maisie MacKnight, visiting assistant professor of biology, and Matt Wilson, director of the CEER Field Station.

Wildfires and the housing price rollercoaster

Michael Jaret ’26, an economics and mathematics double major from Finksburg, Maryland, explored the intersection between wildfires and fluctuating housing prices in California.

Charting the relationship between each subject required Jaret to sift through data and “clean” it for his project, a process made easier by assistance from faculty mentors Edisanter Lo, professor of mathematics & computer science, and Katarina Keller, associate professor of economics.

“After a wildfire, housing prices rise immediately and then fall a few months later,” Jaret said. “The magnitude of these effects vary by each city’s local characteristics, such as wildland-urban interference index and fire history. Notably, cities with higher wildland-urban interference and greater extensive fire history experience more extreme post-exposure price drops. These findings suggest that risk perceptions of wildfires are continually updated and reinforced after a wildfire occurs.”

Though economic theory dictates that housing prices would rise because wildfires reduce the number of homes available for purchase, Jaret expected that prices would stay low because risk-averse homeowners wanted to leave danger as soon as possible. The actual drop in prices comes three months after a given fire has been extinguished, he said.

Jaret credits his research with piquing his interest in interpreting and analyzing data. After graduation, he hopes to work in financial consulting.

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Two °”ÍűTV students earned individual BEA honors in the Student Audio Competition categories:

• Harrison Karsch ’27, third place in Air Personality for After Hours with Smokey K.
• Benjamin Boeshore ’27, third place in PSA, Promo or Commercial for Phi Mu Delta Haunted House.

“When I started on WQSU, I never thought I would be the student engineer for the station or an award-winning on-air personality. It’s really a testament to what we have here at °”ÍűTV,” Karsch said. “After Hours with Smokey K allows me to not only play my favorite songs, but also interact with my audience and get them involved in the show.”

The students will be recognized by BEA during the Student Winners Celebration on April 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

At the state level, the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters recognized WQSU with two Excellence in Broadcasting Awards:

• Karsch, Brai Tate ’27 and Matt Kaufman ’28, PA Pigskin Preview, Sports Talk Show Multi-Platform Broadcast.
• Boeshore, Sebastian Caraballo ’27, Katherine DeCamp ’27 and Lillian Mandalas ’27 and students in the Professional Sales class, Salute to Selinsgrove, Marketing Campaign.

WQSU has won 19 PAB awards since 2018. Awards were presented at the PAB Awards Luncheon on April 10 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

According to Dawn Benfer, station manager, the accolades reflect a sustained culture of excellence, with WQSU students earning more than three dozen awards over the past eight years across international, national and state competitions. Since 2018 alone, WQSU has earned 19 PAB awards and 15 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards.

That momentum extends beyond the airwaves. Recently, two podcasts created by °”ÍűTV academic deans — and produced by WQSU — earned top honors for creative excellence from CUPRAP, showcasing how students collaborate with faculty to produce professional-caliber storytelling that brings the university’s ideas and discoveries to life.

“Our students are not just learning; they’re creating work at a professional, award-winning level,” said Benfer. “Being part of broadcasts and podcasts gives them invaluable real-world experience while elevating the voices and stories that define °”ÍűTV.”

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“At °”ÍűTV, Division III athletics is about prioritizing academics while still embracing the excitement of high-level competition,” said Sharief Hashim, athletic director at °”ÍűTV. “Our student-athletes succeed in a supportive, close-knit community that champions achievement in every aspect of campus life — in the classroom, in competition and in the community.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s DIII Week, April 6–12, celebrates the impact student-athletes have on their campuses and surrounding communities. °”ÍűTV 30% of the student population at °”ÍűTV participates in at least one of the university’s 23 NCAA Division III .

Being a DIII athlete has allowed me to be the best version of myself on and off the court.

Julia Roth ’26

“The collegiate athletic schedule of workouts, watching film, team activities, practices and games can get hectic and take up many hours of the day, leaving a specific amount of time to focus on academics,” said ’26, a political science major from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who plays forward for the team. “The time available for schoolwork must be focused and efficient. Staying organized and planning ahead allows me to succeed on the court and in the classroom.”

Roth was named to the Landmark Conference All-Sportsmanship Team following her first season and the CSC All-Academic Team after her sophomore year. A knee injury caused Roth to miss her entire junior season.

“Last year was incredibly difficult to watch my teammates play while being completely sidelined and going through surgery rehabilitation,” Roth said. “With the support and care of my teammates and coaching staff, I was able to maintain an uplifting and positive attitude and help my team during practices, games and more.”

This year, Roth was one of the 61 athletes nationwide to be awarded the , which is presented to students who display a commitment to leadership and uplift others with grace and humility.

Off the court, Roth serves as co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee that brings athletics to the Selinsgrove community through service initiatives and promotion of °”ÍűTV sporting events.

“As an athletics community, we support each other by attending games, cheering for each other’s successes and being there for each other as much as possible. We lean on each other through tough losses and injuries, while also serving as each other’s biggest cheerleaders,” Roth explained. “Being a DIII athlete has allowed me to build lifelong relationships and connections that encourage me to be the best version of myself on and off the court.”

Being a Division III student-athlete means putting your best foot forward in all you do.

Brian Layton Jr. ’26

’26, a management major from Morton, Pennsylvania, is a two-time All-Landmark Conference First Team defensive lineman and captain of the 2025 team.

“Being a Division III student-athlete means putting your best foot forward in all you do. At the end of the day, we are not receiving athletic scholarships or huge NIL deals. Most of us are doing it because we love our sport and want a great education,” Layton said.

Layton is also involved in and Future Business Leaders of America where he has served as a parliamentarian and attended the State Leadership Conference.

“I will never ever ‘quit’ anything until I have tried my very best,” Layton said. “I know that I can do anything if I truly apply myself and give my best effort. Even if I end up failing at a task, it always leads to another door that can sometimes be a greater accomplishment in the end. I apply this way of thinking to football, school, internships and everyday tasks.”

DIII athletics gives student-athletes the opportunity to learn valuable lessons in time-management, teamwork, discipline, leadership and perseverance, Hashim added, which are all lessons and skills valuable to them post-graduation.

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“As a senior graphic design major, it feels very validating to have one of my projects chosen for the AIGA Philly Locally Sourced publication exhibit,” Piecyk said. “Over the past few years, I have submitted projects to 10 competitions, and I have finally had success this year.”

Piecyk, of Armonk, New York, submitted a project titled Wild Rabbit Pints + Pies, which he created for °”ÍűTV’s brand design course. The project required students to conceptualize and design a logo and style for a retro-inspired craft pizza and beer bar based in Denver, Colorado.

“External design competitions are a great opportunity for our students to add to their resumes and network with professionals in the field,” said Amanda Lenig, department head of art & design and associate professor of graphic design. “Being given the chance to get your name out there and meet other designers is crucial for career success.”

The competition elicited more than 400 submissions from students across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. Winners are featured in the annual Locally Sourced digital and print publication. °”ÍűTV’s Samantha Cubberley ’26, a graphic design major from Havre de Grace, Maryland, was also featured.

“While we know we are preparing our students for their next steps, having that validation from external professionals confirms we are steering them in the right direction,” Lenig said.

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