Penn State Mont Alto nursing students are providing free blood pressure screenings at Fulton Medical Center every Tuesday through the spring semester. Click here to read more.

The students kicked off their Blue and White Tuesdays at the Fulton County Medical Center on January 15, 2013.

The Little Pumpkins Trick or Treat will be held in the Mont Alto Hall lobby on the Penn State Mont Alto campus. For more information, please contact Dion Crommarty, residence life coordinator, at 717-749-6157 or by email at dck15@psu.edu.

The event will be held at the Amphitheater on the Gettysburg Battlefield from 7-8 p.m.

For directions and more information, please visit the event website at: Silent Soldiers.

“Our scholarship reception is an emotionally charged one in the best of ways,” said Chancellor Dr. David Gnage. “It gives our students the opportunity to share their appreciation to the donors who make a true difference in their lives.”
 
Nearly 500 donors, students and their families gathered for the celebration. It included performances by the student Jazz Ensemble, Cheerleading squad, remarks from donors and personal testimony by three student scholarship recipients. Penn State Mont Alto’s For the Future Campaign is the driving force behind the campus’ scholarship program. It runs through 2014 and thus far, $4,156,220 (84%) of Mont Alto’s $5 Million goal has been raised.

“Philanthropic giving at Penn State is doing well in spite of the economy,” according Ackerman. “We have a lot of work ahead to reach our goal, but the campus is generating support from all generations of givers.  Mont Alto is blessed by generous friends of the campus who truly believe in our students and their quest to earn a Penn State degree.”
 
The Scholarship Reception at Penn State Mont Alto was held Friday, October 19th. 
 

The Nurse Practitioner option enables registered nurses (RNs) who hold a bachelor's degree in nursing to acquire advanced knowledge and clinical practice skills in direct care of individuals, families, and aggregate populations in primary and/or acute care settings. On admission, students plan either a part-time or full-time program of study with an assigned adviser to meet the requirements for specialization as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).

The NP program is a four-semester master’s level cohort at Penn State Mont Alto; space is limited. It is available to registered nurses (RNs) who hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The program will prepare nurses for direct patient care, leadership roles in practice settings, and nursing education.

Please contact Charlene Saeman to RVSP or for more details by phone at 717-749-6137, or by email to cms50@psu.edu.

After a distinguished and long career in higher education, Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor David C. Gnage has announced that he will retire at the end of this academic year.

Gnage was appointed chancellor of the campus in January 2002. Under his leadership, Penn State Mont Alto has increased degree options, including the baccalaureate in information sciences and technology with the securities and risk analysis minor, which prepares students for careers within the information technology-intensive global context that defines the new “Information Age”; and the baccalaureate in letters, arts and sciences, a multi-disciplinary, theme-oriented, student-designed major that enables students to prepare for a wide range of careers.
 
Additionally, the nursing program has doubled in size; and the campus has extended to deliver its degree programs to five off-campus sites with its RN to BS program offered in Gettysburg, Hanover, and York, and the associate’s degree in business offered on site at JLG and Manitowoc. Other achievements include the endowment for student scholarships more than doubled, increased grant funding for research and instruction, the enhancement of intercollegiate athletics which has provided Mont Alto’s student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the national level, the installation of a brand new baseball stadium, and a new athletics offering in wrestling.
 
“Dr. Gnage has provided accomplished leadership for over a decade to Penn State Mont Alto. He is a consummate volunteer and steward of the University in the broader community, serving tirelessly to advance the business, health, economic development and educational needs of the region. Dr. Gnage is a generous and considerate colleague, whose accomplishments and commitment to excellence will continue to benefit others for many years to come," said Madlyn Hanes, vice president of Commonwealth Campuses.
 
Under his leadership, Mont Alto also has expanded physically with the purchase of several acres of available land adjacent to campus, and it has continued to build upon its roots as a forest academy with the expansion of the Arboretum and campus beautification projects.
 
“My primary focuses have been meeting the educational and training needs of the greater community, insuring that the campus has the programs in place to help students achieve their goals, and that faculty and staff have the tools they need to do their work,” said Gnage.
 
With a reputation for outstanding community relations, Gnage serves on the boards of several community groups including United Way, Leadership Franklin County, Totem Pole Play House, and the South Central Workforce Investment Board, where he is active in health careers education. He also has served on the Franklin County Area Development Commission, and as treasurer of the Nicodemus Center. In addition, he is the past president of Healthy Communities Partnership and the Rotary Club of Chambersburg, Pa. He is a member of the Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Mercersburg, and Gettysburg Chambers of Commerce, and of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce in Hagerstown, Md.
 
Prior to coming to Penn State Mont Alto, Gnage served as the senior officer for finance and administration, vice dean, and finally, interim dean of the Arizona International College of The University of Arizona in Tucson. He also has served on the administration at Broward Community College in Florida where the League for Innovation in Community Colleges named him a “Rising Star.”
 
Prior to moving to Florida, he served as a faculty member and administrator at Genesee Community College in New York. While at Genesee, he received the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Administrative Service. He began his career as a professor of mathematics.
 
After earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in mathematics from the State University of New York College at Brockport, Gnage went on to the State University at Buffalo to complete an master of business administration. In addition, he holds a doctorate in public Administration from Florida Atlantic University.
 
“I have truly enjoyed my time at Penn State Mont Alto,” Gnage said, “and I now look forward to spending more time with my family, and to returning to the classroom in my retirement.”
 
After his retirement, Gnage plans to live with his wife Marie Foster Gnage, who is the president of West Virginia University of Parkersburg.

Penn State Mont Alto students, faculty and staff raised nearly $1,000 for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) via a pep rally and purchase of special ‘Blue Out’ t-shirts at the campus bookstore. The concept of the Blue Out is the same of the previous Penn State White Out games, i.e. to show a united front of Penn Staters and friends rallying for the same cause. The Blue Out is purposed to raise awareness and prevention of child and sexual abuse. The pep rally preceded Penn State’s Blue Out football game versus Temple on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at Beaver Stadium at University Park.

The shirts cost $15 with $7 of each sale benefited PCAR. The front of the shirt feature the blue ribbon logo for child abuse awareness as well as the words “2012 Blue Out -- Stop Child Abuse!” The back of the shirt says “We are … One Team, One School, One Heart, One Promise” and features the PCAR website.

Penn State Mont Alto’s Student Government Association and its Blue & White Society organized the pep rally to raise awareness of child abuse prevention at the Mont Alto campus.

Additionally, the Penn State Bookstore, including the Mont Alto bookstore, has been selling special ‘Blue Out’ t-shirts for the game. The shirts cost $15 with $7 of each sale benefitting the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR). The front of the shirt features the blue ribbon logo for child abuse awareness as well as the words “2012 Blue Out -- Stop Child Abuse!” The back of the shirt says “We are … One Team, One School, One Heart, One Promise” and features the PCAR website.

The project was initiated by the student members of the Veteran’s Club. At a celebration for Veteran’s Day last November, the club (30 members) announced its fundraising plan of $13,000 to complete phase one—the memorial and flagpole. Their goal was achieved with help from the campus development office. The flag will be illuminated and visible 24 hours a day. Future plans include personalized paver bricks and park benches around the memorial.

A schedule for September 11 includes:

Welcome Address: Brian Hall, president, campus student Veteran’s Club
Greeting: Dr. David Gnage, chancellor, Penn State Mont Alto
Flag Raising: Penn State Mont Alto Veteran’s Club
Memorial Dedication: Major Bill Lloyd, ’82, Penn State Mont Alto alumnus
Placing of the Wreath: Penn State Mont Alto Veteran’s Club
Special Music: April Howard, student, Penn State Mont Alto

The dedication ceremony is open to the public. 

Penn State Mont Alto participates in the Veterans Administration's Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows our campus to partner with the V.A. to extend a higher benefit to veterans. Specifically, this program allows institutions of higher learning to enter into an agreement with the V.A. to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Participating institutions can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and the V.A. will match the amount.

Not long ago, Mont Alto alumnus Tim Benedict led our Woodmen Team to victories in the STIHL Timbersports Collegiate Series. He has continued his winning ways at University Park where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Forest Science. Friday and Saturday, September 7-8, 2012, Benedict will compete in the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway.

STIHL will live stream the competition on its website: http://www.stihltimbersports.us/.

Photo:  Tim Benedict (front) competes in the 2011 STIHL Timbersports competition held at Penn State Mont Alto.

Penn State Mont Alto welcomed its newest students Friday for its move-in day for first-year students. Returning students move in on Sunday. Approximately 350 students will settle into the campus' three residence halls before the weekend is through.

In addition, the Founder's Convocation ceremony to be held Saturday, August 25 at 2 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Activities Center will mark the official opening of the new academic year. After the flurry of move-in and orientation activities planned for the weekend (schedule), classes will commence Monday, August 27, 2012.

Photo Caption (right): Freshman Austin Pacini and his mom, Carrie Pacini, arrive at Mont Alto Hall after a long drive from North Carolina. They display the blue and white blanket she made for him before his start at Penn State. Pacini is majoring in computer engineering.

Penn State Mont Alto has hired Sher-Ron Jones as its new Associate Director of Student Affairs. Jones oversees the campus’ residence halls and campus life, and she is Mont Alto’s designee to the Penn State Office of Student Conduct.

Jones comes to Penn State from Gannon University in Erie, PA, where she most recently served as Assistant Director of First Year Experience. She has also served as Assistant Director of Residence Life at Salem International University in West Virginia, and as a Guest Housing Manager at Cleveland State University in Ohio. Jones has a B.A. in Sociology and Masters of Education in Adult Learning and Development (Student Personnel Administration), both from Cleveland State.

“I love working with students and coming up with programming [for them],” says Jones. “I especially enjoy making connections with students.” Born and raised in Cleveland, Jones considers herself laid back and enjoys smaller, more rural areas. She also enjoys travelling, going to movies and trying new things.

Mont Alto alumnus Tim Benedict, now a senior forest science major in the College of Agricultural Sciences at University Park, won the STIHL Collegiate Timbersports Championship, held June 1-3, 2012 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. He got his start in lumberjacks sports while a student at Penn State Mont Alto. "I tried out for the team and have been hooked ever since," he said.

For the full story, visit Penn State Live, the University's official news source.

Photo:  Tim Benedict (front) competes in the 2011 STIHL Timbersports competition held at Penn State Mont Alto.

Penn State Mont Alto recognized several employees for exceptional service and length of service to the campus at its an annual end-of-year award luncheon on Friday, May 4, 2012. Penn Stater Awards are given to one full-time staff, faculty and tech services employee each year. In addition to a cash award, the recipients are given a parking spot of their choice for a year. The Penn Stater Awards went to: Tim Radio, coordinator of the Division of Undergraduate Studies (staff award); Shelly Yurkovich, janitorial worker (tech services award); and, Robin Yaure, senior instructor in human development and family studies (faculty award).

Penn State Mont Alto held its 2012 Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Please click on the "photos" link above to view photos from the day's festivities.

The address was given by Franklin County Commissioner Robert Ziobrowski, also a member of the campus’ Advisory Board. The campus has been graduating students for more than 100 years. At the ceremony, Penn State Mont Alto recognized 152 students for completing both associate and bachelor degrees. About half of the graduates were adult learners (24 years of age or older), and their ages ranged from 19 to 55.
 
Penn State Mont Alto has approximately 1200 students. The campus offers six baccalaureate and eight associate degree programs, as well as the first two years of more than 160 Penn State degrees.

Interesting stories from the graduating class follow.

Jennifer S. Cleveland will be recognized for obtaining a bachelor’s degree with Highest Distinction (3.96+ Cumulative GPA) in Letters, Arts, and Sciences (LAS). The Liberal Arts degree prepared her for the next step in her goal – to become a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). Cleveland has been accepted into a doctoral program at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, AZ. Among her achievements at Penn State, Cleveland was the recipient of the campus’ Evan Pugh Scholars Award, the Academic Achievement Award for LAS, and she won multiple awards at the Penn State Mont Alto Academic Festival last month for her submitted art works.  According to the SCNM website, Naturopathic medicine blends centuries-old natural, non-toxic therapies with current advances in the study of health and human systems, covering all aspects of family health from prenatal to geriatric care. Cleveland became interested in the profession after battling some health problems for years. She says, “I started studying nutrition and acupuncture. Then I met a naturopathic doctor two years ago, and I knew I’d found my passion.”

Kay A. Dawson is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She will be recognized with High Distinction (3.86+ Cumulative GPA), and happens to be the oldest graduate of this year’s class. In her own words, “50 is the new 30, right?” Dawson previously received an associate’s degree (RN) in Nursing from Penn State Mont Alto in 2003 with High Distinction.  She is a nurse at Chambersburg Hospital. Dawson attained multiple honors this year, including the Mont Alto Baccalaureate Degree Academic Excellence award, the Academic Excellence in the RN to BS Program award, and a first place award at the Penn State Mont Alto Academic Festival last month.

John-Patrick K. Arey will be recognized for an associate’s degree in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. This program requires 16 weeks of clinical education in addition to two years of class and lab work; all OTA students are recognized prior to actual graduation when the campus holds its commencement ceremony. Arey will be recognized with Highest Distinction (3.96+ Cumulative GPA), and he was a recipient of the Academic Achievement Award in the OTA program this year. He also happens to be the only male in a cohort with 19 women.

Penn State Mont Alto has approximately 1200 students. The campus offers six baccalaureate and eight associate degree programs, as well as the first two years of more than 160 Penn State degrees.

###

Members of the media are invited to attend the commencement ceremony on May 5. Please contact Kristie Fry at 717.749.6112 or kfry@psu.edu to confirm attendance.

The Mont Alto Film Project's motion picture, TWO DAYS BACK (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2083385/), was awarded Best Picture in the Horror/Sci-Fi category at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in April. The festival featured 100 entries in five categories. It screens feature films with budgets of less than $1 million.

"The Academic Festival is a great opportunity for students to showcase their projects to the campus and local community," said Robin Yaure, senior instructor of human development and family studies and chair of the Academic Festival planning committee.  “We will have posters showing the results of student research such as a study on whether coast redwoods would work well to replace the declining eastern hemlocks, exhibits on topics such as breast cancer and comparing iOS and Android technologies, and oral presentations on topics from ethics to zombie apocalypse survivors."
Individual and group projects to be featured cover a wide range of topics from disciplines including English, engineering, forestry, human development and family studies, nursing, information sciences, and more.

In addition to the academic presentations, a student art show will be held in the Museum of Temporary Art, located on the first floor of the General Studies Building.  The exhibit will be displayed throughout the day.

A detailed scheduled for April 11 includes:

12-3 p.m.: Poster presentations and student displays in the Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC). Judging of projects will also take place at this time, and students will be available to discuss the details of their projects.

12:30-3:30 p.m.:  Oral Presentations in the Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC).

3-4 p.m.: Student Art Exhibit Opening and Reception in The Museum of Temporary Art in the Student Success Center, located on the first floor of the General Studies building.

4 p.m.: Awards for the posters, exhibits, and oral presentations as well as student artwork will be announced in the Auditorium (General Studies Building).

The festival will feature exhibits, poster presentations, oral presentations, and artistic displays, showcasing the achievements of Penn State Mont Alto, and is open to the public.  For more information, contact Robin Yaure at 717-749-6210.

“These changes were prompted by an on-going evaluation of our mission and goals in response to an ever-changing world,” says Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor Dr. David C. Gnage.  “In light of a recent decline in state appropriation, Penn State has conducted careful examination of all of its offerings to seek opportunities to increase efficiency and to ensure we can continue to deliver on our core mission.  Additional cuts facing the University as proposed by our governor have made it ever important to continue to evaluate how we can best serve the needs of the community.”  As a result of that examination, Continuing Education is more closely aligning with the mission of the campus, in particular, with credit programming.  The department will focus more closely on degree completion programs offered onsite for local employers, credit certificates and professional development and credentialing in areas such as healthcare, business, and information science and technology, which lend exposure and support to campus degree programming. 

The FCCTC also continually evaluates its mission and goals as it seeks to serve the community. This transition allows the institution to broaden its adult programming through more clear, targeted branding, and to take the necessary time to evaluate its adult programming and further define its mission for serving the community’s adult learners.  “The FCCTC also regularly evaluates its mission and goals to ensure we are able to continue to provide offerings that are good for the community and for the workforce,” said Keith Yohn, FCCTC director. “This inevitable transition allows for the FCCTC to continue to offer our regular adult programming with no adverse effect on the student and workforce.   A continued emphasis on educating and training individuals along with an expansion of offerings to include customized training for business and industry will contribute to alleviating the skills gap that currently exists in our area.”

Both Dr. Gnage and Mr. Yohn express their determination to keep the doors open to future opportunities to partner together for the good of the community. 

The annual event is coordinated by the Penn State Mont Alto Residence Hall Council. Free candy is provided, and the Easter bunny will make an appearance. Participants ages 12 and under are welcomed. In case of rain, the event will be moved to April 1, 2012.

For more information, please contact Dion Crommarty at dkc15@psu.edu or Tammy Miller at cutsandcurls@embarqmail.com.

Penn State Mont Alto will again offer a free, fun-filled day for the community with its annual Pediatric and Community Health Fair on Saturday, April 14 from 9 am to 1 pm. The fair features horses, parachutes, puppet shows, ambulances, fire trucks, and a fly-in by the Life Lion helicopter. Participants can also shake hands and take a picture with the Penn State Nittany Lion.

The fair provides information on several important topics including childhood obesity, anger management, bullying and abuse, nutrition, and more. Attendees will discover community health resources available to them and will be eligible to win raffle prizes. All children must be accompanied on campus by an adult at all times.

According to the event organizers, research shows that texting while driving is about six times more likely to result in a crash than driving while intoxicated, and it results in more than half a million deaths and injuries every year. They say that number has been increasing by about four percent annually.

Mont Alto students will have the opportunity to take the Distracted Driving Tour in one of two driving simulators. The simulators have a steering wheel, dashboard display, gas and brake pedals and screens that display a realistic virtual driving environment. While in the simulator, students will be prompted to attempt to drive while distracted by texting; a computer will track traffic violations and accidents that happen during their (virtual) experience behind the wheel.

Members of the media are invited to come test the simulators and talk to Penn State Mont Alto students about their experiences texting while driving, safely, in the Distracting Driving Simulator.

For more information, please contact Kristie Fry at 717-749-6112 or by email at kfry@psu.edu.

**NOTE: All orders MUST BE RECEIVED by noon on Friday, March 9th!!!!** The 2012 spring ice cream sale is currently underway at Penn State Mont Alto. Organized by the Penn State Mont Alto Lion Ambassadors, the sale offers an opportunity for the community to enjoy the famous Penn State Berkey Creamery’s most popular ice cream flavors without a trip to State College. All of the proceeds benefit the Penn State Mont Alto Lion Ambassador Club’s programming and community outreach initiatives.

The ice cream flavor selection includes:

• Bittersweet Mint -- Mint flavored ice cream with chocolate chips
• Butter Pecan -- Butter almond flavored ice cream with pecans
• Chocolate -- Chocolate ice cream
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough -- Cookie dough flavored ice cream with cookie dough and chocolate chips
• Coconut Chip -- Coconut flavored ice cream with chocolate chips
• Cookies and Cream -- Vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookies
• Death By Chocolate -- Chocolate ice cream with chocolate flakes, fudge pieces and chocolate swirl
• Peachy Paterno -- Peach flavored ice cream with peach slices
• Peanut Butter Swirl -- Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter swirl
• Strawberry -- Vanilla ice cream with strawberries
• Vanilla -- Vanilla ice cream
• WPSU Coffee Break -- Coffee flavored ice cream with chocolate chips

With the help of Penn State Mont Alto's Housing and Food Services, the ice cream will be delivered to the Mont Alto Fire Department for pick up on Wednesday, March 21, from 5-7 pm.

Orders and payment must be received by the Penn State Mont Alto admissions office no later than NOON on Friday, March 9th, 2012. All ice cream orders must be placed in advance. No ice cream will be for sale the day of pick-up.

Questions about this program can be directed to the Penn State Mont Alto Admissions Office at 717-749-6130 or by email at psuma@psu.edu. No order will be taken via email. Order forms can be picked up directly in the Admissions Office in Conklin Hall, or they can be downloaded below.

Right click on the link below, then choose "Save Link As" to open the file.

2012 MONT ALTO ICE CREAM ORDER FORM (blank form)

2012 MONT ALTO ICE CREAM ORDER FORM (fillable form that calculates prices automatically)

Penn State Mont Alto, Summit Health, Quincy Village and Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center have teamed up again to offer an outstanding educational summer camp in 2012. MedCamp will be open to high school students interested in learning more about healthcare careers, and who meet the application requirements. The cost for the week-long program is $225 per student, including meals and transportation.

The program, known as MedCamp, will give students who will be entering the ninth and tenth grade in Fall 2012, the opportunity to visit local hospitals and healthcare facilities. In addition, students will learn about healthcare careers including physical medicine and surgery, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, pathology, and more.

MedCamp will run from Monday, June 18, 2012 through Friday, June 22, 2012 from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The “home base” for the camp will be Penn State Mont Alto, and students will receive transportation to various hospitals and field trip locations throughout the week.

Highlights of the camp include a trip to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and a CSI (crime scene investigator) presentation and activity. The students will also become first-aid certified.This program is sure to be an outstanding opportunity for students with an interest in science and careers in healthcare.

Attached is the application for interested students. The application deadline is April 1, 2012. Admission decisions will be made on April 30, 2012 and tuition will be due by May 14, 2012.

Contact the Penn State Mont Alto Continuing Education Office for more information or with questions at 717-709-0778 x802.

Download MedCamp application here.

For every T-shirt purchased at the bookstore, customers will receive five raffle tickets to enter to win one of five gift baskets filled with Penn State items and candy. Donations are also accepted for the Pink Zone, and raffle tickets may be purchased for $1 each. Penn State Bookstores donated $26,000 last year.

To see the raffle prizes on the official Penn State Mont Alto Pink Zone fundraiser page, click here.

TWO DAYS BACK (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2083385/), a low-budget motion picture made entirely by students of the Mont Alto Film Project, will be the matinee feature at the Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg on Saturday, March 3, 2012. The Majestic is located at 25 Carlisle Street in Gettysburg. Tickets are available for the 12:30 p.m. showing online or by calling the theatre box office at 717-337-8200.

TWO DAYS BACK first debuted at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg in November 2011. The film is described as a mystery with traces of horror. The story centers on Emma, a young woman who had been lost for two days in the woods as a child. She remembered nothing of the ordeal until years later when accompanying a group of environmental students to catch forestry students suspected of illegal foresting. After people go missing, the groups join forces and Emma comes face-to-face with the dark mystery of her past.

The film was written and made in its entirety by a handful of undergraduate students and their faculty advisor, Dr. Kevin Boon, at Penn State Mont Alto as part of a four-semester practicum in filmmaking (2009-10 through 2010-11 academic years). “It was designed to provide students with hands-on experience to result in real-world achievement,” says Boon, associate professor of English. “In this case, a legitimate, independent low-budget film was completed.”

Additional materials and photographs are available at http://twodaysback.com/press.php. For an event press pass or additional information, please contact Kristie Fry at kfry@psu.edu. Dr. Boon and Mont Film Project participants are available to interview by request.

Penn State Mont Alto will host a Four-Year Degree Fair for current students on Tuesday, February 7 from 12-2 p.m. and on Wednesday, February 8 from 4-6 p.m. Both events will take place in The Mill. Students will have the opportunity to meet faculty and find out how Mont Alto can help them get where they want to go. Professors from the baccalaureate degree programs in Business, English, Information Sciences and Technology, Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the Human Development and Family Studies program will be present.

A free piece of pizza from The Mill is offered to any student who stops by the fair to talk to a faculty member; coupons for pizza will be available at the event (signature required).

The Nurse Practitioner option enables registered nurses (RNs) who hold a bachelor's degree in nursing to acquire advanced knowledge and clinical practice skills in direct care of individuals, families, and aggregate populations in primary and/or acute care settings. On admission, students plan either a part-time or full-time program of study with an assigned adviser to meet the requirements for specialization as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).

The NP program is a four-semester master’s level cohort at Penn State Mont Alto; space is limited. It is available to registered nurses (RNs) who hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The program will prepare nurses for direct patient care, leadership roles in practice settings, and nursing education.

In addition, the Student Activities Office is offering the following activities for all student, faculty and staff to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
January 16th, 2012

10: 00 a.m.  Introduction to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service          
11:45 p.m.   Free lunch provided
12:50 p.m.   Depart for Community Service (local Day Care Centers)
3:00 p.m.     Reflection in Groups

Cheek said the retro room is intended to help dementia patients recall a time when they were most comfortable -- in most cases, the 1950s and 1960s. While the concept has been practiced with success in Europe, it had not yet been applied in the United States. She said the use of retro rooms have shown to reduce both patient agitation and the use of medications in dementia patients. Cheek got the idea after her daughter, who lives in London, told her about a nursing home in England that had one (called a reminiscence room). “I thought it would be a perfect project for the aging class I teach,” she said.

The National Library of Medicine defines dementia as a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment and behavior. Cheek said dementia patients may experience what is called “sundowning,” so called because agitation often happens around sundown when a family would normally be coming home to get busy fixing dinner. People with dementia remember around this time of day that they should be doing something but cannot remember what, so they feel agitated, according to Cheek.

With dementia, it isn’t the old memories that are lost first, but the new ones," she said. "The older memories remain intact the longest, so patients get agitated when everything is new and different.”

The concept of the retro room is to provide a comfortable place for patients to go that feels like home according to their old memories. In order to complete their Retro Room at Quincy Village, Cheek and her students collected furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, along with a trunk containing clothes such as shawls and hats. In addition, they decorated with historic photos from the area, and items from the period such as a typewriter and a rotary telephone.