By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
The end is near.
There are just a couple weeks left in the spring semester. It’s been a memorable year at Penn State Behrend with several highlights, some of which include the college welcoming its second-largest freshman class in history and winning the AMCC Championship in every fall sport.
Penn State Behrend students have made their share of memories as well.
We asked students to share what they’ll remember most from this past year.
Brett Larson, sophomore, Aerospace Engineering: “Getting a 100-percent score on an exam when all of my friends didn’t.”
Chelsey Cratty, first-year student, Psychology: “All of the shenanigans that went down on the first floor of Senat Hall.”
Jacob Binda, first-year student, undecided: “Staying up until 5:00 a.m. talking with new friends.”
Brandon Ford, first-year student, History and Education: “The night I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. at the Delta Chi house getting to know my brothers.”
Alexa Seeton, first-year student, Marketing: “I don’t have a specific favorite memory. I just loved it all.”
Meredith Snyder, first-year student, Accounting: “Winning the AMCC Championship in volleyball.”
Paige Scurpa, first-year student, undecided: “Definitely winning the AMCC Championship in volleyball.”
Matt McWilliams, sophomore, Aerospace Engineering: “Going to the ECAC Indoor Championships for track and field.”
Omkar Paturu, first-year student, Biology: “Just being around Behrend and getting to know the college.”
Janai Keita, first-year student, Psychology: “The annual drag show from this past November.”
Bethany Still, first-year student, Biology: “Trying to scare my boyfriend’s roommate while pretending to be a dinosaur.”
Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Steve Orbanek at sco10@psu.edu.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
It seems like there’s an app for almost anything these days.
Need a dog whistle to train your canine? Interested in watching real-time radar for predicting storms? The App Store or Google Play has you covered.
Of course, some apps have bigger followings than others, and that’s true at Penn State Behrend.
We asked students what their favorite cellphone app is.
Ryan Kapner, first-year student, Mechanical Engineering: “Twitter and YouTube are my gotos.”
Connor Combs, first-year student, Project and Supply Chain Management: “Reddit because you get to see everything before everyone else does.”
Aubrey Marcoline, first-year student, English: “I use Instagram because it’s convenient.”
Libby Marcoline, junior, General Arts and Science: “Snapchat because it’s fun.”
Maurice Moffatt, sophomore, Marketing: “I like the PNC app because it’s useful when I need to do my banking.”
Damond Carr, junior, Psychology: “The TV remote control app is great because whenever I lose the remote, it lets me use my phone instead.”
Julie Pace, first-year student, Nursing: “Instagram because it’s fun to see other people’s photos and what they like to take pictures of.”
Marissa Duvall, first-year student, Nursing: “Instagram because it keeps me updated on my friends’ lives who don’t live close by.”
Claire Petrun, first-year student, Psychology: “I’d say Tinder because it’s fun to see who’s on it.”
Ian Duchene, first-year student, Plastics Engineering Technology: “Twitter because it’s nice to stay in touch with all my buddies at home.”
Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Steve Orbanek at sco10@psu.edu.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
Patty Pasky McMahon learned years ago that change doesn’t happen overnight, especially when it comes to affecting systematic problems such as dating violence or bullying.
“If you want culture change, it can’t just be hit-and-run,” said McMahon, director of the Health and Wellness Center at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. “Dating violence, bullying, it’s been going on forever and a day. We can’t just accept that things are staying the same.”
That was the thinking behind “STAND UP,” a yearlong campus-engagement campaign promoting integrity, respect, tolerance and diversity at Penn State Behrend that concluded last week. The campaign, sponsored by the Health and Wellness Center and the Janet Neff Sample Center for Manners and Civility, addressed the health-and-wellness issues that most threaten college students, including drug use, relationship violence, stalking and sexual assault.
A number of student organizations joined in to support the efforts throughout the year, including the Lion Entertainment Board, the Behrend Beacon, BVZ Radio, Reality Check, Student Government Association, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Delta Chi, the Student Activities Fee Committee, the Multi-Cultural Council, the Student Athletic Advisory Board, Theta Phi Alpha and Alpha Sigma Alpha.
“STAND UP” kicked off in September 2013 with a concert by the Romantic Era, followed by a fireworks display. Each subsequent month featured an event, including a movie in Junker Center, a Penn State tailgate party, a chili stand and a pool party. “STAND UP” concluded Friday, April 4, with a pig roast and concert by the M-80s.
One of the keys to the programs’ success was making sure that each event was unique, McMahon said.
“That ensured that we would be targeting a different segment of the campus community each month,” McMahon said.
Finding unique events is easier said than done, but Vee Butler, a junior arts administration major and executive director of the Lion Entertainment Board, was satisfied with the selections for “STAND UP.”
“Coming from the programming board, we know how hard it is to find events that peak interest in students and also send a positive message,” Butler said. “‘STAND UP’ did an amazing job of choosing events. The chili stand was brand new and everyone talked about it, and the fireworks show definitely brought out some new faces.”
The events were fun, but they were also effective in promoting the positive message; students had the opportunity to speak out against numerous health-and-wellness issues at the events.
Student attendance was also strong throughout the year. That was true at the campaign’s conclusion with nearly 150 students present at the pig roast.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
Social media is everywhere.
It’s the reason the words “like” and “tweet” now have new meanings compared to just a few years ago.
Whether you’re into tweeting, liking, connecting, pinning, or watching, there’s always something out there to satisfy your social media tastes. There are plenty of options when it comes to social media networks, but which one is the best?
We asked Penn State Behrend students which social media network they enjoy most.
Sean MacVay, sophomore, Computer Engineering Technologies: “Twitter because it’s the only one I really use.”
Alex Hoover, sophomore, Computer Engineering Technologies: “I’d say Twitter because you don’t see as much drama as you would on other stuff.”
Christopher Bendt, sophomore, Software Engineering: “They’re all a waste of time and a distraction from the things we should be doing.”
Taylor Stephens, junior, Communications: “I guess Twitter because you just get little snippets and quick responses. It’s easier to keep up with your friends from home.”
Hannah Rauch, freshman, Chemistry: “Twitter because it’s easy to access.”
Julianne Carter, junior, Business Economics and Finance: “Twitter because it limits you to 140 characters, and people can’t go on and on.”
Virginia Schoonmaker, sophomore, Agribusiness Management: “Facebook because I’m used to it.”
Erin Kyle, sophomore, Early Childhood Education and Special Education: “I like Twitter because it’s fast, and everything’s very instant.”
Greg Cass, sophomore, Early Childhood Education: “YouTube because I like videos, and Facebook and Twitter are basically the same thing over and over again.”
Ali Sieckowski, sophomore, Early Childhood Education and Special Education: “Pinterest because there’s so many great ideas out there. It brings out your creativity.”
Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Steve Orbanek at sco10@psu.edu.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
Stephen Chalker ’13 won’t have to worry about his senior project wallowing away anytime soon.
The Software Engineering graduate designed a cell-phone game titled “The Mind’s Lie” for his senior capstone project. The game, which teaches students to be conscious of cognitive bias, was put up for download on the Android Market this February and has since been downloaded more than 70 times. It is the first game designed by a Penn State Behrend student to be placed on a public online store.
“It is extremely rewarding,” said Chalker, who worked on the project with fellow Software Engineering students Kit Torrelli ’13 and Joe Grise ’13. “This was the first project that I did that was not just for a grade, but for the public to download and play.”
The game was designed to be used for the classes taught by Kristan Wheaton, an associate professor of intelligence studies at Mercyhurst University, but it can now be played anywhere and by anyone. In “The Mind’s Lie,” players are given a scenario and asked to identify one of six kinds of bias that might be present. They earn points for voting with the majority or for convincing others that a different answer is correct.
The cell-phone version of “The Mind’s Lie” was modified from a board game designed by Wheaton. According to Chalker, that was a challenge as some of the concepts from the board game could not be easily transferred into the cell-phone version.
“This was the first time that any of us worked with Android, so there was a lot of learning involved,” Chalker said. “We had to design everything, and we tried our best to estimate how it would work in the Android environment, but it often would not work as planned when we tried to implement it.”
Many sleepless nights followed for the trio as they worked to perfect the game. However, Chalker said it was a labor of love.
“It was definitely the hardest project I have worked on so far, but it was well worth it,” Chalker said.
The game is currently played by individuals in the intelligence field, and Chalker said downloads grow by the day.
“It is the crown jewel of my resume, and people are fascinated whenever I bring it up,” Chalker said. “I really have to thank Penn State Behrend for having a senior design program where students can get real-world experience.”
That real-world experience has paid off in a big way for Chalker. He currently works in Austin, Texas, as an Android developer for a startup company, Bypass Mobile.
Chalker is reaping the benefits of his work, and the same can be said for Penn State Behrend.
“The Mind’s Lie” may have been Penn State Behrend’s first imprint on the gaming industry, but Dr. Matthew White, lecturer in game development, believes it will not be the last. White said the game has paved the way for future games designed by Behrend students.
“For us, the most important thing about this is that it proved a concept,” White said. “From beginning to end, our students can build a game and launch it on a public store.”
In recognition of Women’s History Month, we’d like to introduce you to just a few of the dynamic women in Penn State Behrend’s history. Our college has a rich history of leadership and involvement by strong, forward thinking, and generous women. Each Monday in March, we’ll highlight a woman who has made, or is currently making, her mark on the college.
Today, we’d like you to meet Dr. Diana Hume George, Professor Emerita of English and Women’s Studies.
Diana Hume George at JFK International Airport. Photo by John Edwards.
I caught up with her by email to ask her about the importance of women’s studies, why she doesn’t (yes, you read that right!) miss teaching at Behrend, and what she’s been doing lately.
You taught women’s studies at Penn State Behrend. Why is it important for college students to learn about this subject?
Yes, I taught women’s studies and I worked for years on founding what became the women’s studies program at Behrend—I’m so glad it’s still going.
As much progress as women have made in this country and around the world, there’s nothing like genuine equity yet. Women can still be owned, enslaved, beaten, and maimed in many places, including in some parts of this country—and control of women’s bodies is still a primary political aim. Sometimes I am heartened by all the advances—no one’s surprised by women in the so-called professions any more, as doctors or professors or politicians or talking heads on TV, and that progress is genuine. But it’s just as true that in many cultures and countries, there’s still a war against women’s equality that is violent and terrifying.
Without women’s studies, younger women would be even more likely to backslide, to lose touch with all that has gone before, and to become re-enculturated in ways that disable and disenfranchise them—I see it every day. The lack of a feminist awareness among young women scares me deeply and daily and a lot.
What do you miss about teaching at Behrend?
I don’t miss teaching at Behrend, because I took the best of it with me. I’m still in contact with a bunch of my previous students over the years—one became among the best friends of my life, another student-turned-friend I meet up with at the Cleveland Film Festival every year. I visit one in Baltimore regularly, another is getting ready to run the Boston Marathon and makes me great beach-glass earrings, and yet another sends me his wonderful poems. And there’s another fellow writer, and another is a magazine editor—come to think of it, I’m in touch with someone from every generation of my career there.
I also stay in touch with department colleagues—I met up with John Champagne and Sharon Dale in Rome last year and stayed at John’s place in Perugia, and I see George Looney because along with Phil Terman at Clarion, we run the Chautauqua Writers’ Festival together, which is how I also run into Greg Morris as well as newer colleagues like Kim Todd and Tom Noyes. Other writer colleagues from long ago, names current people might not even remember, like Melissa Bender and Ann Pancake, are part of my life, too. And after leaving Behrend, I got to know a couple of colleagues that I never had time to know when I was working constantly—I love and miss Toby Cunningham, whom I barely knew at Behrend, but once we were gone, we ended up in a writers’ group together and my partner John Edwards published his wonderful book.
My son Bernie is back at Behrend finishing up his degree—so put it all together and it’s like I never left.
What have you been working on since leaving Behrend?
Since I left Behrend, I’ve been teaching creative nonfiction in an MFA program at Goucher College in Baltimore. I’ve also been to several colleges and universities as a visiting writer, teaching for a few weeks or even a semester, at places such as Davidson in North Carolina, UNC/Wilmington, and Ohio University.
What do you enjoy about teaching in the MFA program at Goucher College?
I live in Pennsylvania, and work online, going to Baltimore a couple of times a year. I mentor writers who always wanted to write a book. Our program is geared toward helping them write voice-driven narrative—some have been professional journalists all their lives and they haven’t yet gotten to write long-form. It’s great fun and I get to learn as much as I teach, because whatever they’re writing a book about, I’m reading that book as they write it. And we also get doctors and psychologists and professors, as well as people who want to write about their own lives, so I edit memoirs on trauma and on travel, and sometimes that can be the same book.
You mentioned in our email exchanges that you have been traveling. Please tell us more.
I have the privilege of shaping my life so that I can do my favorite thing, which is to travel with my friends or my partner, John Edwards. I wrote one travel book and I’m always writing the next one. I try to go to Italy for about a month every other year. Lately I’ve been alternating Italy with the Yucatan peninsula, from which I’m just back right now. I stay on Isla Mujares, an undeveloped island right off Cancun, where I first went with a fellow writer on a retreat back when I was at Behrend. I got hooked on those Caribbean breezes in January.
What are your other interests?
Even more than travel and writing, I want to read. I don’t get to read enough. That’s my goal, lots of good books, the kind where you can throw yourself down on a bed and get lost in an imaginary world.
And I love long-form drama on TV, where a lot of the best storytelling takes place, both comic and tragic—Deadwood, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad were almost as important to me as literature.
You wrote and edited books on the American poet Anne Sexton. Does her work still resonate with you? How has your relationship with her work changed?
I wrote or edited three books about Anne Sexton, and she was a wondrous enough poet that I never got weary of her writing—but I did get battle fatigue about her psyche. She was a joyful and delightful person, witty, wicked smart, and ironic, but she was also bipolar, and being in the presence of that kind of mind can yank you around. My friend and the co-editor with me of Sexton’s Selected Poems, Diane Wood Middlebrook, lived inside Sexton’s head for a decade, and she said it was nearly too much.
I was attracted to her sense of joy, and I still admire her willingness to also say the depth of her pain—but she couldn’t live, in the end, and I can. So although my affection for her poetry remains, and I think she was tremendously important, and deserves to endure, I am a bit distant from her now.
But if you’re lucky, your old literary loves from early in your life stay with you in some sense throughout, they get internalized and are part of who you are, and all of my early loves became part of me—Sexton and Adrienne Rich and William Blake and Freud.
If someone is unfamiliar with your writing, what might be a good introductory work? Personal essays I wrote, such as “Wounded Chevy at Wounded Knee” or “The Last of the Raccoon,” still represent my work.
Diana Hume George will do a public reading at Clarion University of Pennsylvania on April 17, 2014. The second edition of her book The Lonely Other: A Woman Watching America will be released in April, with several new essays.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
It’s the end of March, which means the madness is well underway.
For weeks, sports fans have meticulously crafted their NCAA Division I men’s basketball bracket selections in search of a winner.
So, who you got?
The Sweet Sixteen begin today, which means that even more brackets are sure to get busted.
We asked Penn State Behrend students who they think will emerge from this year’s field.
Emelie Linder, freshman, Marketing and Economics: “I think Kentucky because it’s already been unexpected that they’ve made it this far.”
Kari Mild, freshman, Elementary Education: “Tennessee because I really like that state and want to move there someday.”
Alexandra Sorce, freshman, Community and Economic Development: “Louisville because last season, (Louisville player) Kevin Ware had a radical knee injury and you deserve something if you pop your knee out like that.”
Mary Beth Cartier, sophomore, Arts Administration: “Kentucky because both of my cousins went there, and they’re usually a really good team.”
Aaron Scheel, junior, Computer Science: “Michigan because it would make my older brother very happy.”
Matt Panetta, sophomore, Computer Science: “Florida because I picked them in the ESPN Bracket Challenge.”
Khardiata Mbengue, junior, Biology: “UCLA because there’s warm weather there, and their blood will be flowing better.”
Paul Toma, junior, Finance: “Dayton because I like rooting for the underdogs.”
Brandon Siebauer, freshman, Plastics Engineering Technology: “Louisville because they’re 31-5.”
Jacob Foglia, freshman, Electrical Engineering: “I’m going to go with Florida because they have Scottie Wilbekin, and I think he’s the strongest player in the tournament.”
Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Steve Orbanek at sco10@psu.edu.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
In recognition of Women’s History Month, we’d like to introduce you to just a few of the dynamic women in Penn State Behrend’s history. Our college has a rich history of leadership and involvement by strong, forward thinking, and generous women. Each Monday in March, we’ll highlight a woman who has made, or is currently making, her mark on the college.
Today, we’d like you to meet Jane Ingold, a reference librarian in the John M. Lilley Library.
It’s not believed that any member of the Behrend family still lives in the Erie area, but Mary Behrend’s grandsons might beg to differ.
“The grandsons (Dick and Bill Sayre) have told me I’m an adopted Behrend,” Penn State Behrend reference librarian Jane Ingold said.
Given Ingold’s knowledge of the Behrend family history, it’s an appropriate remark.
Since 1999, she has worked as a librarian at the John M. Lilley Library. On a typical day, Ingold might be helping a student with a research project or reorganizing library materials, but there’s a good chance that she’ll be working in the archives, located on the bottom floor of the library.
The archives at Penn State Behrend are comprised of three permanent collections: the Behrend Family Collection, the Hammermill Paper Company Collection, and the Penn State Behrend Collection. Since 2006, Ingold has worked to organize and categorize the collections, and she’s become something of an expert when it comes to Behrend history.
Ingold has a great knowledge for every detail surrounding Behrend’s history, dating back to when Mary Behrend donated her family’s Glenhill Farm estate to Penn State in 1948.
Through the years, Ingold has received countless relics and souvenirs that somehow tie into the Behrend family, the college, or the Hammermill Paper Company, the company owned by Mary Behrend’s husband Ernst as well as his brothers, Otto and Bernard, and their father, Moritz.
Ingold has made a meticulous effort to carefully keep track of everything she’s found or been given since she first came to Behrend. She’s viewed as the historical expert on campus, and the archives even earned the Local History Award in July 2011 from the Erie County Historical Society.
Ingold said she has seen plenty of interesting artifacts in the archives, but there’s one particular item that stands out above the rest.
“It’s the letters that Mrs. Behrend wrote to her son Warren right before he died in a car accident in 1929.” Ingold said. “It made me cry.”
Because of her knowledge, Ingold has become a great resource, both to students and former Hammermill employees. Many of the Hammermill retirees recognize the importance of the archives, and they help to contribute and spread the word.
This is especially true of Harry Hahn, a 104-year-old Hammermill retiree. Hahn communicates frequently with Ingold, and he’s always doing what he can to help grow the archives.
“He’s one of the joys of my life,” Ingold said.
In a newspaper story discussing his impending open-heart surgery at age 101, Hahn even encouraged former employees to donate materials to the archives.
For all the work that Ingold does with the archives, her main passion remains the Penn State Behrend students.
“My favorite part of the job is helping students. It’s like a treasure hunt when you’re looking for something for someone, and they’re always so grateful,” Ingold said.
This was true a few years back when a student came to Ingold in the eleventh hour for help with a program on Behrend’s history. Ben Lane, the former director of admissions and author of Behrend Remembered, had been scheduled to make a presentation on Behrend’s history, but he had to cancel. Ingold quickly gathered up all the information she could and stepped in to replace Lane.
“It tickled me,” Ingold said. “It made me feel very helpful.”
In the future, Ingold said she would like to possibly update Lane’s book.
Considering her wealth of knowledge, that seems like a realistic goal.
About Jane Ingold
Birthplace: Cranesville, Pa.
Education: B.A. in English from Gannon University, M.S. in library and information science from the University of Texas at Austin
Family/pets: “I spend a lot of time being what Elizabeth Gilbert terms a “sparent” or spare parent to my nieces and their children. I have a brown tabby, Tye, who was adopted from a local shelter.”
Favorite thing about Behrend: “The resources we have to help students are great. We have access to almost anything in the world that a student would need.”
Advice for today’s students: “Having a librarian in your corner can make a big difference in your academic career. Befriend one.”
Favorite hobbies: “Reading (now there’s a surprise), organizing anything from papers to events, genealogy.”
Last book read:Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson
Three books that everyone should read:The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, and Getting Things Done by David Allen
Why is it important that we preserve history?: “This series that you and your colleagues are writing on Women of Behrend wouldn’t be possible if we hadn’t chosen to preserve our history.”
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
They say first impressions are everything, and attendees at Thursday’s Spring Career and Internship Fair at Penn State Behrend would probably agree.
Hundreds of Penn State Behrend students lined up to mingle with more than 150 employers at the career fair. They were dressed to impress from head to toe, and they all shared a similar goal: land an internship or job.
We asked some students how they set out to make a strong impression at career fairs.
Robert Surrena, senior, Mechanical Engineering: “It’s just one of those things I was taught as a little kid. Step one, you walk up, look the employer in the eye, and then shake his or her hand.”
Ryan Price, senior, Electrical Engineering: “It’s important to just be confident and do your prep work.”
Michael Cochran, sophomore, Broadcast Journalism: “Just try to be unique. I tried to connect with them on a personal level and see what they have to offer.”
Zachary Naples, sophomore, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering: “I just try to make good eye contact, have a firm handshake, and ask good questions.”
Hannah Kelly, sophomore, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering: “I make sure that I dress professionally. When I walk up to employers, I smile, shake their hand, and look like I’m interested in their company.”
Kristine Campbell, junior, Chemistry: “I think it’s important to dress professionally. Another good thing is to have copies of your résumé and make sure they’re accurate.”
Brian Wilking, junior, Accounting: “The key is being able to come across as a professional but also showing that I am different from everyone else and can be an asset to their team.”
Michael Boadu, senior, Political Science: “I always believe that your first impression makes the difference. Rather than reading from a book about what you have to do, it’s better to just be natural.”
Sarah Green, sophomore, Mechanical Engineering: “It’s important to introduce yourself, say what your talents are, and ask questions instead of just having them ask you questions.”
Gillian Groff, senior, Management Information Systems: “It’s important to be confident in yourself when you go up to employers and make sure they know what you’re looking for. Experience also really does help.”
Behrend Reacts is a regular Thursday feature at the Behrend Blog that tries to get the campus pulse on a current topic, whether it’s serious or trivial. If you have a question to suggest for Behrend Reacts, please email Steve Orbanek at sco10@psu.edu.
By Steve Orbanek Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend
One of the Science Olympiad’s stated goals is “to create a passion for learning science.” If the organization is looking for an ambassador, it need not look any further than Gary Fye.
Fye, a first-year Biomedical Engineering major at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, was a volunteer judge at the regional Science Olympiad held at Behrend this March.
More than 400 students from thirty-three area school districts competed in forty-six science-related events. Among the participating schools was North Clarion High School, which happens to be Fye’s high school alma mater.
From grades seven through twelve, Fye participated in the Science Olympiad. In fact, he took first place in at least one event every year but ninth grade.
“The time just never seemed to last long enough,” Fye said. “It was something I really, really enjoyed.”
That enjoyment is still present today. Although Fye was at home in Leeper, Pa., for spring break, he traveled on a bus with his former high school just so he could volunteer his time at the Science Olympiad.
Experimental Design, the event Fye judged, had participants experiment with a springboard and then propose a hypothesis based on that experiment. Experiments like this are what helped pique Fye’s interest in science and engineering years ago.
“It broadens your horizons. You really get a feel for lab work,” he said.
After attending his first Science Olympiad, Fye’s interest in science only grew. In middle school and early high school, he was appropriately nicknamed “Gary Fye the Science Guy.” The name referred to Fye’s love of science, but it was also a word play on Bill Nye, who was the host of the popular PBS children’s show “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” Fye also happened to be a big fan of Nye, which made the nickname an even better fit.
The Science Olympiad influenced Fye in another way as well. The event exposed him to Penn State Behrend.
“I would actually put that as one of the number one reasons as to why I’m here at Behrend,” Fye said. “It definitely introduced me to engineering concepts.”
BEHREND BLOG 