Through the agreement, 做厙TV students can streamline their journey to New York���s Northeast College through new 4+3 articulation pathways on their way to a .

���Meaningful partnerships create meaningful opportunities for students,��� said 做厙TV President Jonathan Green. ���By working closely with Northeast College, we’re making it easier for students to transition from a rigorous undergraduate education to graduate study and ultimately into rewarding careers serving their communities.���

The partnership provides 做厙TV students majoring in biomedical sciences, exercise science, biology, psychology, neuroscience and other programs of interest with a guided course to Northeast College���s Doctor of Chiropractic program, which provides a rigorous, evidence-informed education focused on treatment of the spine, neuromusculoskeletal health and overall patient wellness. Through the 4+3 track, students can complete their undergraduate degree at 做厙TV while securing early admission to Northeast College, contingent upon meeting program requirements.

By working with academic advisors at both institutions, students will receive personalized guidance throughout their undergraduate experience to help maximize their time, avoid unnecessary coursework and transition smoothly into professional study at Northeast.

���Creating clear pathways for students is an important part of our mission that allows students to focus on their education while preparing to become future healthcare leaders,��� said Dr. Michael Mestan, president of Northeast College. ���We look forward to welcoming 做厙TV students who are passionate about serving others and advancing wellness through patient-centered care.���

Students interested in the 4+3 program can work with their academic advisors to learn more about requirements, the application process and next steps toward Northeast College.

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Students and faculty from 做厙TV are collaborating with the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeeper to create a digital platform designed to support bird conservation research. It will organizeeverything from bird sightings to audio recordings that are currently being collected via electronic monitoring stations placed along local creeks and the 做厙TV River.

Anusha Veluswamy, assistant professor of math & computer science at 做厙TV, and two of her students are building the platform using digital tools from BirdNET, an open-source research and bioacoustics platform developed by CornellLab. They are also linking a third-party database from the BirdWeather platform.

The new platform will allow 做厙TV and the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper to track how bird species populations change over time, creating a centralized system for long-term environmental analysis. Users will have access to a dashboard in the fall. At the center of this effort is computer science, which is helping transform scattered observations into meaningful environmental data.

���In simple terms, we are building the technology that turns individual bird observations and recordings into a coordinated, organized conservation effort,��� said Veluswamy. ���The goal is to make it easier for researchers, students and the community to understand what is happening in our local ecosystems and to use that information to support environmental health.���

Ibrahim Alqassass ���28 and Jaylon Lewis ���28, both computer science majors, recently joined the development team. Alqassass interned with the Middle 做厙TV Riverkeeper Association last year and was immediately interested in joining the initiative.

���My work is primarily focused on building the user interface for our website in coordination with my co-worker, Jaylon,��� Alqassass explained. ���Currently, I am transitioning the user interface from a static design into a fully functional website. This includes developing role-based user dashboards, a function that will allow individuals to view specific bird sightings filtered by their chosen time periods.���

The project reveals how essential technology is to modern conservation work.

���E紳措勳娶棗紳鳥梗紳喧硃梭 research today generates too much information to manage by hand,��� Veluswamy said. ���Computer science helps bring order to that information, connect the pieces together and make it useful for long-term conservation planning.���

One of the biggest challenges for Lewis has been learning the programming languages he needs to create the platform.

���We���re working with a lot of different languages that I���ve never used before so there���s a learning curve,��� Lewis said. ���The biggest reward has been learning a new programming language and then applying it to the project and seeing the benefits.���

Another challenge is managing the wide range of data collected. Audio recordings gathered from monitoring stations often contain much more than bird calls, including wind, flowing water, insects and distant traffic. Veluswamy and her students must also organize volunteer-submitted sightings, species records and conservation information while ensuring everything remains accurate and connected within the system.

���Real-world environmental data is rarely neat or perfectly organized,��� Veluswamy said. ���The challenge is bringing structure, accuracy and clarity to a large and complex collection of sounds, observations and conservation records.���

The work highlights the growing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Environmental scientists provide expertise on ecosystems, migration patterns and species behavior, while computer scientists develop systems capable of storing, organizing and analyzing large amounts of information.

���Computer science allows us to look at the bigger picture. It turns individual observations into long-term trends. It highlights changes that develop slowly and might otherwise go unnoticed,��� Veluswamy said. ���By organizing and analyzing environmental information on a scale, technology helps reveal insights that support better conservation decisions and a deeper understanding of ecosystem health.���

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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 r矇sum矇 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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���A college education is one of the most important investments a family will ever make, and few investments have a greater ability to change the trajectory of a person���s life,��� said 做厙TV President Jonathan Green. ���The 做厙TV Promise is our commitment to students and their families that we will maximize the value of that investment by ensuring every student graduates with the knowledge, experiences and guidance they need to succeed.���

The 做厙TV Promise is backed by four signature experiences that define a 做厙TV education:

• Career accelerator ��� Every student will engage in academic advising and career coaching that work together all four years to help them explore careers, build professional skills, connect with employers and prepare them for life after graduation.
• Hands-on learning ��� Every student will engage in at least one significant hands-on experience, such as an internship, research project, campus job or study-away opportunity, guided by faculty mentors.
• Global engagement ��� Every student will complete a cross-cultural experience, and 97% choose to study abroad ��� from two weeks to a semester, allowing them to gain the perspective and confidence to thrive in an interconnected world.
• Capstone credibility ��� Every student will complete a meaningful capstone project guided by a faculty mentor. Whether research, creative work or a professional project, students will graduate with tangible evidence of their skills and accomplishments.

First-year students entering 做厙TV in fall 2027 or later are guaranteed a path to earn their bachelor���s degree in four years (eight semesters) ��� or their ninth semester will be tuition-free.

���A college education can transform the course of a person���s life, and families deserve to know that we are fully invested in their students��� success,��� Green said.

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So far, Matt Persons, Charles B. Degenstein professor of biology at 做厙TV, and two of his students ��� Andrew Pisano ���27, an ecology major from Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Kaylee Rathbone ���27, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey ��� have collected more than 1,000 spiders from the array. They do so in a very uniform way, Pisano said, during the day and at night.

���We’re in each plot, which is about 8 meters by 5 meters, for about an hour and we sample as much as we can either by hand or using fine mesh sweep nets,��� Pisano explained. The spiders are placed into vials and then sent to Persons��� lab for official identification.

Only about half of the known spider species build webs, and the structure of the solar array gives those spiders the perfect framework to build their homes, Persons said.

���We���re trying to understand how these habitats are different than a traditional agricultural field, which is usually what [a solar array] replaces, versus a forest environment versus a golden rod habitat, so we are doing some comparisons to see what���s there,��� he said. ���Here we have an area of land that isn���t sprayed and can act as a nursery for a lot of arthropods that can then disperse out to surrounding agricultural systems. Nobody���s done research on this to test it, but it���s likely that there are higher populations of pollinators and spiders in these systems.���

The project is Rathbone���s first research experience.

���It really gives me an opportunity to explore what doing research here is like and use the scientific process to discover what does work and what doesn’t work,��� she said. ���We’ve had quite a few meetings already this summer to reevaluate our processes and it���s been a valuable learning experience.���

Solar installations have increased in Pennsylvania over the past several years, according to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, including arrays placed on land once used for agricultural purposes, ���but those two things aren���t necessarily exclusive of one another,��� Persons said.

���With thoughtful design and management, these sites can support a surprising diversity of microhabitats,��� he said, ���creating a patchwork of conditions that can benefit a range of plant and animal species.���

Persons and his students are also using their research as an opportunity to identify various spider species that call Pennsylvania home, a study that���s never really been undertaken.

���There are over 4,000 species of spiders in the United States, but we don���t really know how many there are in Pennsylvania,��� Persons said. ���The last survey that was done in the state was in 1942, so we���re hoping to add to the data currently held by the State Museum of Pennsylvania.���

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As a member of 做厙TV���s senior leadership team, MacDonald will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all human resources operations, including talent management, employee relations, performance management, policy development, total rewards management and Title IX compliance.

MacDonald brings more than 20 years of human resources experience, including 14 years in higher education, with a proven record of building strong partnerships, improving processes and aligning human resources strategies with institutional priorities. She has developed employee engagement and retention initiatives that strengthened performance and satisfaction, made technological improvements to provide data-driven metrics and enhanced the way human resources supports its campus community.

���Paula is passionate about creating workplaces where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute to the mission of the institution,��� said Jennifer Bucher, vice president for operations. ���Her approach aligns with 做厙TV���s commitment to building a community where faculty and staff are enabled to do their best work in support of the student experience. We look forward to welcoming Paula to 做厙TV and the experience, vision and collaborative leadership she will bring to this important role.���

Throughout her career, MacDonald has served as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, guiding institutions through periods of change while fostering positive workplace cultures. Her commitment to higher education extends beyond her institutional roles, having been actively involved with the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources and serving as its inaugural chair of the Member Engagement Council, former Eastern Region Board member and former chapter president for the Greater New York chapter.

MacDonald earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Syracuse University, Utica College and holds certifications with the Society for Human Resource Management and HR Certification Institute.

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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 做厙TV.

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The documentary had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and is set in the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, where young skiers from rival ethnic groups are united through a grassroots ski race. What begins as a sports story evolves into a powerful portrait of unity, resilience and displacement. After Afghanistan���s collapse, many of the athletes are forced to rebuild their lives as refugees, carrying with them the lessons learned on the slopes in their homeland.

���It���s been deeply humbling to win the Emmy for Outstanding Sports Documentary,��� Ahadi said. ���The recognition is meaningful, but more than anything, it���s a moment to honor the people at the center of the film. We dedicated the Emmy to the skiers of Bamyan, the people of Afghanistan and refugees everywhere.���

The award marks Ahadi���s second Emmy as a producer, following his 2023 win for Retrograde in the Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary category. You can watch the film .

A refugee himself who immigrated from Afghanistan to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as a child, Ahadi said the film is deeply personal to him and reflects his commitment to broadening perceptions of Afghanistan.

���Much of my work focuses on how stories shape perception, especially in places like Afghanistan, which are often seen through a narrow lens,��� he said. ���I hope this film gives audiences a better understanding of who the Afghan people are.���

Originally conceived as a short documentary in 2019, Champions of the Golden Valley took on new meaning when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban during production. Ahadi said the filmmaking team shifted its focus toward helping the ski team evacuate the country. After the film���s central figure resettled in Germany, director Ben Sturgulewski continued filming there.

���At that point, the project evolved into a feature documentary,��� Ahadi said. ���It became not only about sport and community, but also about losing a home and finding a new sense of belonging.���

Gianna Rupert ���26, an English literature and creative writing double major from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, interned as a production assistant on the film���s impact campaign. She helped coordinate outreach efforts, research and community engagement tied to screenings of the documentary.

���From Baktash, I learned the important lesson of taking a chance and trying something new,��� Rupert said. ���He was a constant source of support throughout my internship, encouraging me to ask questions and making himself available whenever I needed guidance. He gave me the freedom to learn and problem-solve on my own, while also making sure I knew I could always rely on him for support and insight.���

���I see mentorship as an extension of the same values that shaped my own path ��� guidance, access and encouragement,��� Ahadi said of his mentorship of 做厙TV students. ���No one builds a career alone, and if I can offer perspective or open a door for someone earlier in their journey, that matters.���

After graduating from 做厙TV with a bachelor���s degree in sociology, Ahadi earned a master���s degree from Johns Hopkins University. In 2025, he was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters from 做厙TV. His career has included service in the Peace Corps in Mozambique, work as an interpreter and cultural advisor for the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan and leadership roles in training and development for the U.S. Department of State.

As a director, producer and writer, Ahadi has focused on global issues including migration, conflict and underserved communities. Through his Taleem Project, he has collaborated with organizations including McKinsey & Company, National Geographic, the State Department, TIME Magazine, Paramount Pictures and The New York Times to create stories aimed at fostering empathy and understanding.

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The discovery, published in the journal , found that bacteria inside fog droplets are not simply hitching a ride through the atmosphere. They appear to be metabolically active ��� growing, dividing and even consuming pollutants while suspended in the mist.

For Straub, associate professor of earth & environmental sciences, the findings build on years of atmospheric research conducted in the 做厙TV Valley.

���My previous work focused on inorganic compounds in fog measuring substances like sulfate, nitrate, sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium, and more recently organic acids and other organic compounds, but this collaboration allowed me to expand into a completely new area ��� the presence of biological material in fog and the role that it may play in atmospheric chemistry,��� Straub said.

Scientists have long known that bacteria drift through the atmosphere as inactive particles, but researchers knew little about what happens when those microbes become trapped inside fog droplets. Arizona State University doctoral student and lead author Thi Thuong Thuong Cao set out to determine which bacteria are present in fog and whether they remain active there.

Researchers in Arizona faced a challenge. Fog is relatively rare in the arid Southwest; however, Central Pennsylvania offered ideal conditions. They contacted Straub, who has a long-standing research relationship with Arizona State University professor Pierre Herckes, for help.

Their study pursued two major questions: What kinds of bacteria exist in fog, and are those bacteria active while suspended in fog droplets?

Using facilities and field sites at 做厙TV���s Center for Environmental Education and Research Field Station, Straub and Cao collected and analyzed samples from 32 separate fog events along with aerosol particles gathered before, during and after fog formation.

Each sample required rapid preservation and analysis. Straub conducted inorganic chemistry analyses at 做厙TV, while collaborators at Arizona State handled biological testing and additional organic analyses.

Among the most significant findings was the identification of Methylobacterium as one of the most abundant bacteria in the samples. These microbes consume single-carbon compounds such as formaldehyde ��� a common air pollutant resulting from the combustion of carbon fuels that contributes to ozone smog and poses health risks.

While Methylobacterium appeared to consume significant amounts of formaldehyde, researchers found the amount exceeded what the bacteria could reasonably use simply to build biomass. Instead, researchers suspect the bacteria may also help detoxify the atmosphere by chemically altering pollutants, effectively helping to clean the air.

The findings suggest fog is more than a vehicle for transporting microbes ��� it may also serve as a habitat where bacteria can thrive and positively influence atmospheric chemistry, air quality and even climate processes.

���Evidence that these bacteria appear to be dividing and metabolizing formaldehyde is particularly intriguing as it suggests fog droplets can function as tiny microbial habitats,��� said Sophie Charvet, assistant professor of biology at 做厙TV who was not involved in Straub���s research. “It raises the possibility that microbial communities in fog are affecting the fate of volatile pollutants more than previously recognized.”

The research also raises questions about harvesting fog as a drinking water source and highlights how much remains unknown about the floating microscopic ecosystems. Part of the reason for that, Straub said, is because very few scientists study fog, which is a fickle weather pattern.

���You typically need moist conditions, often after rainfall, clear skies overnight and very light winds,��� Straub explained. ���Here we mostly get radiation fog, where the ground cools overnight and the air near the ground surface reaches saturation.���

For Straub, whose interest in atmospheric science began after studying engineering as an undergraduate, the work underscores the surprising complexity hidden within ordinary weather phenomena.

���People think of fog as just water droplets,��� he said. ���But there���s a tremendous amount happening inside those droplets that we���re only beginning to understand.���

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做厙TV has announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees. The newest trustees ��� all 做厙TV alumni ��� were elected to four-year terms beginning May 10. A student representative also joins the board to serve a two-year term.

���做厙TV���s leaders are committed to providing our students with an innovative education that prepares them for productive, creative and reflective lives of achievement, leadership and service,��� said University President Jonathan Green. ���Our Board of Trustees is integral to the university achieving these goals.���

The Rev. Karen Ward ���11 joins 做厙TV���s Board of Trustees via the Upper 做厙TV Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. She resides in Selinsgrove and serves as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in McAlisterville.

She graduated 2011 from 做厙TV with a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies and later from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. During her time in seminary, Ward participated in service-learning missions to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Liberia and the Philippines and volunteered in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Susan Mays ���04 Yu is a partner and member of the investment committee at AIM13, a private investment management firm in New York City, where she has worked since 2008. Before joining AIM13, she was an associate at Goldman Sachs from 2004 to 2008. She serves on the New York advisory board for Best Buddies International.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from 做厙TV in 2004. Prior to her election to 做厙TV’s Board of Trustees, she served on its investment committee. ��

Kyle Robertson ���11 is the senior global impact manager for the Hain Celestial Group, a leading health and wellness company with food and beverage products marketed and sold in over 75 countries. Based out of London, Robertson is responsible for the measurement, reporting and compliance of Hain���s global impact strategy, as well as the management of climate-related risks.

Prior to his current role with Hain Celestial Group, Robertson worked for J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management from 2011���2022.

Robertson earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration ��� finance and Bachelor of Arts in music ��� clarinet in 2011 from 做厙TV. Followed by a Master of Science in global strategy & sustainability from the University of Edinburgh in 2023.

Robertson is an active member of the Alumni Board and has served in various leadership roles, including president.

Frank Fiannaca ���28, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, was elected the new student representative. Nominated in their second year at 做厙TV, representatives serve their junior year as a nonvoting member and then, as a senior, they become a full voting member and help the incoming junior representative become acquainted with operations. 

Fiannaca is a management major with a minor in professional sales. He is a member of the men���s lacrosse team and works as a student alumni ambassador with 做厙TV���s Advancement Office. His campus leadership and service roles include membership in the Professional Sales Club, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and in Morgan���s Message, an organization with a mission to promote the mental health of student-athletes.

Fiannaca joins senior board representative Kiara De Silva ���27, who assumed a position on the board in 2025. De Silva is a double major in biochemistry and finance double major from Mississauga, Ontario. De Silva was recently awarded the Baylor Leadership Award, which is given annually to a student who best exemplifies strong leadership qualities and is dedicated to both academic and extracurricular activities.

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