School of Engineering – Page 12

Behrend Reacts: What’s making you happy this week?

Published on October 16, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

Whether it’s a free t-shirt from Health and Wellness, a hard-earned A on an exam or simply the change in seasons, there’s plenty to smile about on campus this week.

So we asked Behrend students: What makes you happy?

Jian Riccadonna, first-year student, Plastics Engineering Technology, from Cranberry: “I would have to say that I’m looking forward to the Penguin’s game this Saturday.”

Rachel Frye, first-year student, Communication, from Pittsburgh: “Going home this weekend and spending time with my boyfriend.”

Patryk Sperka, first-year student, Mechanical Engineering, from Erie: “The weather. My brother and I climbed out onto my roof last night to hangout and it was perfect. There was a warm breeze. It was just blissful.”

Julie Guidry, first-year student, Mechanical Engineering, from Pittsburgh: “I like the smell of the pine needles that have fallen off the trees. Just fall, in general, is making me happy.”

Alexa Latshaw, sophomore, Biology, from Franklin: “I would have to say the weather. It’s been really nice and warm this week.”

Kristen Collins, junior, Communication, from Wattsburgh: “The thing that makes me the happiest is just being able to spend time with my husband.”

Robbi Kitelinger, first-year student, Division of Undergraduate Studies, from Tidioute: “The weather, hanging out with my boyfriend, and going home to see my sister soon.”

Brittany Thomas, sophomore, Wildlife and Fisheries Science, from Bethel Park: “My Theta Phi Alpha sisters, especially my “Big”, Chelsea. I’ve had a rough couple of weeks and my sisters are always there to help.”

Corey Flesik, sophomore, Industrial Engineering, from Pittsburgh: “Not having exams to study for this week makes me really happy.”

Darliny Rivera, first-year student, Nursing, from New York: “Getting my nursing final over with, and just being here. I love Behrend.”

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 Nicole Krahe at ndk5089@psu.edu.

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Behrend Reacts: Who is your favorite professor?

Published on October 8, 2014October 8, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

Author William A. Ward once said; “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

With so many dedicated professors on our campus, we asked Behrend students, who is their favorite and why?

Samantha Raible, senior, Biology, from Pittsburgh: “I would have to say my favorite professor is Dr. Pam Silver, Professor of Biology. She was tough but always took the time to help students. She made things interesting enough to keep us awake at an 8:00 A.M class.”

Cat Hensley, first-year student, Geography, from Michigan: “Dr. Michael Naber, lecturer in geosciences. He’s easygoing, funny, and has Harry Potter glasses.”

Cassie Peters, sophomore, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, from Erie: “I would say Ms. Luciana Aronne, lecturer in chemistry. She is supportive, motivational and keeps class interesting.”

Ronnie Cox, sophomore, Physics, from Erie: “My favorite professor would have to be Mr. Adam Combs, lecturer in mathematics. He is not going to take it easy on you but will take the time to go over things you don’t understand.”

Lindsey Chase, first-year student, Kinesiology, from Randolph, N.Y: “Mr. Scott Rispin, lecturer in art. He makes things fun and interesting, and is very personable. You can tell he cares about his students.”

Pat Kress, sophomore, Finance, from Erie: “I would say my management professor, Dr. Ryan Vogel, assistant professor of management. He is enthusiastic and relates concepts to college students well. He makes an 8:00 A.M class bearable.”

Matthew Moreau, senior, Biology, from Massachusetts: “Dr. Michael Campbell, a professor of biology. He engages you and makes things interesting. If you pay attention in class, it’s really rewarding.”

Katie Powers, first-year student, Biology, from Clearfield: “I would say Mr. Scott Simpson, lecturer in chemistry. He’s young and you can tell he’s excited about teaching. He also does experiments every day which is really cool.”

Mary Bradley, first-year student, Division of Undergraduate Studies, from Erie: “My favorite professor is Dr. Angela Rood, lecturer in psychology. She breaks the class down to make it easier to understand and does activities every day to keep things fun and interesting.”

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Behrend Reacts: What makes you stand out?

Published on October 2, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

Junker Center was teeming with anticipation yesterday as over a thousand Behrend students flooded the athletic facility in hopes of meeting future employers.

Amidst the fervor and preparation, we asked Behrend students: What makes you stand out?

Joshua Fox, senior, Mechanical Engineering, from Port Allegany: “I’m part of a Physics three plus two program, which means I’ll be earning a degree in Physics as well as Mechanical Engineering.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “Domtar and Keystone Powdered Metal Company.”

Michael Diana, senior, Mechanical Engineering, from Zelienople: “I’ve been working since I was 14 years old, so probably my experience and work ethic.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “Keystone Powdered Metal Company and Cummins, Inc.”

Mia Chies, sophomore, Electrical Engineering, from Zelienople: “I think I stand out because I am a woman in engineering and there are few of us.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “Aerotech and LORD Corporation.”

Benn Baxter, senior, Mechanical Engineering, from Port Allegany “I’ve been a contractor for about five years, I think it gives me a little more experience than others might have.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “LORD Corporation and John Deere.”

Kayla Cochran, senior, Psychology, from Meadville: “I’ve been really involved on campus. I’m a part of the Pennsylvania Aggression Reduction Center (P.A.R.C) where I work with Dr. Charisse Nixon, to train people in the community to become mentors for school-age children.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the Perseus House, and the Barber National Institute.”

Mitchell Miles, sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, from Erie: “My experience with software programs and the relationships I have with some of the business representatives.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “GE and LORD Corporation.”

Ryan Koch, sophomore, Project and Supply Chain Management and Management Information Systems, from Pittsburgh: “My commitment and experience. Also, I’ve job shadowed at a few of the companies.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “UPMC, U.S. Steel and Northrop Grumman.”

Daniel Grim, senior, Software Engineering, from Greenville: “I’ve had three prior internships in the field and I’ve done a lot of research.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “U.S. Steel and Erie Insurance.”

Bret Henchar, senior, Software Engineering, from Zelienople: “I have experience with the software some of the companies use.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “Northrop Grumman and Progressive Corporation.”

Andrew Link, senior, Mechanical Engineering, from Erie: “My prior experience and the amount of research I’ve done on the companies I’m planning to talk to.”

What companies are you interested in speaking with today? “Aerotech, Parker Aerospace, and US Endoscopy.”

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Behrend Reacts: What is your favorite thing about fall?

Published on September 25, 2014September 25, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Nicole Krahe
Marketing Communication Student Assistant, Penn State Behrend

Famous for our foliage, Erie has become a mecca for autumn leaf lovers, as well as those in favor of cooler weather.

With greens quickly becoming golds, reds, and oranges, we asked Behrend students what their favorite part of the fall season is.

Lakyn Hauptman, first-year student, Liberal Arts, from Titusville: “I like the colors of the leaves and the overall feeling of change. To me, fall is about happiness, being thankful, and spending time with your family.”

Shkurte Latifi, senior, Communication, from Kosovo: “Boots! You can wear anything with them.”

Rachel Frye, first-year student, Communication, from Pittsburgh: “Definitely the clothing. It’s cold enough to wear longer sleeves but warm enough that you don’t have to bundle up completely.”

Danielle Lee, first-year student, Childhood and Early Adolescent Education, from Erie: “My favorite thing about fall is the crisp air and my birthday in October.”

Molly Beth Black, Communication, Junior, from Oil City: “The weather is typically comfortable and the leaves are gorgeous, especially here at Behrend.”

Reagan Campbell, first-year student, Division of Undergraduate Studies, from Washington, D.C: “Bigger fashion catalogs! It’s not too hot or too cold so you can get away with wearing whatever you’d like. And the changing leaves, of course.”

Brian Boyd, sophomore, Sports Medicine, from Pittsburgh: “My favorite part about fall is the trees, especially around here. The scenery is really nice.”

Dan Kozubal, sophomore, Chemical Engineering, from Saegertown: “Definitely archery season. It’s a stress relief at the end of the week to go home, get up in a stand, and shoot my bow.

Lauren Blachowski, sophomore, Biology, from Philadelphia: “I love everything about fall! My favorite part is probably pumpkin picking and just being with my family.”

Burhaan Farah, sophomore, Electrical Engineering, from the Dominican Republic: “Where I come from, the weather is always very humid and hot. It cools down a lot in fall though, from early September to late November is perfect.”

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Behrend faculty and staff recommended reading – Part II

Published on July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Did you get through all those titles I gave you last week? No? Slacker! (Just kidding, of course). Break out your to-read list because I’ve got some more suggestions for you straight from lips, er, keyboards of the book-loving faculty and staff members at Penn State Behrend.

Without further ado, recommended summer reading part two:

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin is one of the shortest and most powerful books I’ve ever read. It was published fifty years ago, and I read it as a teenager and reread it five years ago. It is nonfiction and tells how the author, through medication and dye, transformed himself into a black man to experience what it was like to be black in the south in the 1950s. It’s hard to believe how recent this history is.” — Dr. Eric Corty, associate director of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of psychology

“I’ll second Black Like Me. I read it several years ago and it really sticks with you. I use Ann Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down in class, and every time I read it I’m stuck by how well she captures both the culture clash of the new Hmong refugee and the western medical model’s failing. For fun, I’m reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It consists of eight historical novels written about the Scottish Jacobite upraising and those who eventually immigrated to America. I’ve heard there is a TV series about it being filmed in Scotland now.” — Dr. Dawn Blasko, interim associate dean for Academic Affairs and associate professor of psychology

I recommend House of Breath , Come, The Restorer and Arcadio, all by William Goyen, who is considered in Europe to be one of the greatest writers America has ever produced. Ironically, he’s little known here. All his stories and novels are wonderful, but the books recommended are, in my opinion, his best three novels. The House of Breath was his first novel and Arcadio was his last (published posthumously). Enjoy. — George Looney, professor of English and creative writing

I would recommend The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. Not only is he one of the best science fiction writers ever and not only did he receive his fourth Hugo Award for this novel, but this book is really imaginative and captivating. Heinlein depicts an entire society on the moon (and its rebellion against Earth) several years before we had even step foot there. This novel is science fiction at its best. — Dr. Amy Carney, assistant professor of history

I found The Presidents Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy to be inspiring. It’s about how current and former presidents have cooperated through time to accomplish great things. For fiction, I recommend Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. It’s a great story about “life, death, and hope in the Mumbai undercity.” — Dr. Greg Filbeck, professor of finance

I’ll recommend One Summer: America in 1927 by Bill Bryson. Bryson is a classic storyteller known for his bestsellers such as A Walk in the Woods and A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, but One Summer is the book we all should have all read in some high school or college history class. It consists of juicy and amazingly true stories of Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Henry Ford, Calvin Coolidge (who seems to have been the worst President ever), and many others of that era. It’s fun and kind of makes you feel intellectually thin for not knowing more history. — Dr. Darren Williams, professor of physics and astronomy

I recently discovered that British author Mary Stewart (The Crystal Cave, among many others) died this year at age 97. Her suspense and romance novels featured independent females in exotic locales and they enthralled me as a teenager. I’ve been picking them up at yard sales for years and want to re-read them this summer. She also wrote several Arthurian novels that were very popular. — Jane Ingold, associate librarian at Lilley Library

I just finished Delivering Happiness a Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh who is the CEO of Zappos. I had heard that Zappos was a tremendous company, and I like inspirational books. It was good for me to read something out of my field, too. It caused me to do a lot thinking outside of the (shoe) box. — Ann Quinn, lecturer in biology

Mr. Spaceman by Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Olen Butler is an intensely clever, funny, and poignant book. The prose is spare and lovely. The plot weaves historical events from the flight of the Kitty Hawk through the Vietnam War into a larger, compelling story about Desi, the spaceman of the title, his wife, Edna Bradshaw, their cat, and a bus of twelve people he abducts. — Ruth Pflueger, director of the Learning Resource Center and lecturer in English

The Atomic Chef by Steven Casey contains true stories of human error and things that go really wrong and why, from switching embryos to getting locked in an ATM room. I actually use this as a textbook in my upper-level human factors psychology classes. The Zen of Zombie Better Living Through the Undead by Scott Kenemore is a fun and easy read. It is kind of like Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff but from a zombie’s point of view. The Sword of Truth is the first in a large fantasy series by Terry Goodkind. And, finally, 1408 by Stephen King is an interesting, shorter horror-type story. They made it into a movie a few years ago, but it didn’t do the book justice. — Dr. Heather Lum, research associate in psychology

In need of a new read? Check out these titles recommended by Behrend faculty and staff members – Part I

Published on June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 by Behrend Blog1 Comment

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Ah…summer. Time to kick back with a good book. We asked some of the faculty and staff members at Penn State Behrend to share their suggestions for summer reading.

If, like me, you always forget which books you want to read in the future, try one of these strategies.

1. Make a list using the “note” feature on your smart phone or tablet, and you’ll always have your list with you when you’re browsing at the Lilley Library or out shopping.

Or…

2. Create a wish list at an online bookseller (I use Amazon) and add titles to your “to read” list when friends recommend them. It’s a convenient and easily-accessible way to keep track of books you want to read. (Tip: See if you can borrow the book through the Lilley Library before you purchase. I’m linking the books below to Amazon just so you can see the covers and read customer reviews, if you wish.)

OK….get your pencil/mouse/smartphone ready because you’re going to want to add a lot of these books to your list. I’m going to give you half the list today & the other half next Thursday, July 3).

I am finishing Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. A bit too much description of the sometimes drug-addled state of the protagonist, but a good summer read. Also discovered a very talented Sardinian writer, Michela Murgia. Her best known work, Accabadora, is translated into an excellent English version and is just haunting. — Dr. Sharon Dale, associate professor of art history

Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind is on my summer reading list. I’ve heard that it is a wonderful story that provides a unique perspective into the growing population of people diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Oh, and it includes Disney references, so I’m happy. — Dr. Carrie Payne, coordinator for strategic proposal development.

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham is an interesting look at what might possibly have led to humans being who we are today. Much evidence is given through prior anthropological work and cases. There’s not too much jargon and it’s easy to read. Also, Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen. It’s a very sarcastic and witty tale of a typical nature-loving protagonist versus an environmental destructive antagonist. — Dr. Mike Naber, lecturer in geosciences

I am reading The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by social psychologist W. Pennebaker this summer. This is a very insightful book on how “words… are like fingerprints… windows into people’s personalities.” — Dr. Carol Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

As one of Behrend’s resident sport fanatics, I’ll recommend Play Their Hearts Out by Sports Illustrated writer and Pulitzer Prize winner George Dohrmann. The non-fiction title chronicles Dohrmann’s eight years spent covering the grassroots AAU Basketball scene and the seedy nature of the sport. In the book, he details how coaches almost view their players as investments and reveals the questionable role that sneaker companies play in youth basketball. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, this tale of corruption, greed, and power makes for a must-read. — Steve Orbanek, marketing communications specialist.

Anything by Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers). He is one of the most popular storytellers who brings a different flavor to social trends. Drive and A Whole New Mind are two of my favorites by author, Daniel Pink. I’d also recommend Emotional Intelligence and Focus by Daniel Goleman, who is a psychologist who has an amazing talent for explaining today’s wicked issues with psychological theories. Creativity, Inc., written by Pixar CEO Ed Catmull is an amazing book. And, finally, The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane is a must-read for everyone. — Dr. Pelin Bicen, assistant professor of marketing

Redeployment by Phil Klay has received great reviews. It’s is a book of short stories by a former Marine who served in Iraq. Each story is written from the point of view of a different narrator – foot soldier, chaplain, foreign service officer, to name a few. The stories are compelling as they provide insight into the challenges and suffering of war from different perspectives. — Dr. Rick Hart, director, Lilley Library, who reminds us to “Think of the Lilley Library’s ‘Browsing Collection’ for your summer reading needs!”

I just finished The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-Prize winning book about a 13-year-old boy who miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother and is abandoned by his father, only to be taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Don’t let the book’s bulk (2.1 pounds in hardcover) scare you off – The plot flies. — Chris Palattella, marketing communications coordinator

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman. This is a non-fiction book about Huguette Clark, an heiress to a huge fortune amassed by her father. Of course, all this money led to lots of family drama. Huguette lived the last twenty years of her life in a hospital while her two New York City luxury apartments, her mansion on the coast of California, and her country home in Connecticut sat empty, except for the property caretakers. Interestingly, I just read an NPR story that said many of Huguette’s belongings will soon be going to auction. — Dr. Mary-Ellen Madigan, senior director of enrollment management

That should get you through the week. 😉 I’ll post more next week — Thursday, July 3!

For Outstanding First-Year Student, the sky is the limit

Published on May 12, 2014May 13, 2014 by Behrend Blog1 Comment

By Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Specialist, Penn State Behrend

Bangladesh women do not typically come to America to pursue a college education, but there’s nothing typical about Ramisa Fariha, this year’s recipient of the Outstanding First-Year Student Award.

For starters, the Narayanganj, Bangladesh, native, who recently completed her first year as a Biomedical Engineering student at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a diehard professional wrestling fan. She draws inspiration from her favorite World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, Batista.

As a child, Fariha would watch wrestling with her brother, Sajjadul Karim Chowdhury. They both had their share of favorite wrestlers, but there was something about Batista that resonated with Fariha.

“Batista’s favorite quote is, ‘Work hard and the sky is the limit,’” Fariha says. “That’s become my favorite quote.”

But it’s more than just an inspirational catchphrase for Fariha. It’s a guiding philosophy that she has taken to heart.

Fariha has a lofty goal.

“In my country, a woman is always blamed when she cannot give birth, even when it’s not her fault,” Fariha says. “I want to one day create an artificial ovary, and I want it to be non-mechanical, so it can work inside the human body.”

While she knows her aim is high, she’s confident that hard work will get her there, and she’s wasted no time at Penn State Behrend, swinging for the fences in her very first year.

Not only does she have a 3.82 GPA, but she is a member of the Lion Entertainment Board, event correspondent for The Behrend Beacon, Residence Life Service Leader for Center of Service, a member of the Lambda Sigma national honor society and the 2014-2015 elected president for the Muslim Student Association.

Fariha says she thought of Batista often during her studies and even rewarded herself with a silver Batista pendant after winning the Outstanding First-Year Student Award at the sixty-fifth annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 27.

She says she also attributes some of her success at Penn State Behrend to the warm welcome she has received. She describes Dr. Mary-Ellen Madigan, director of enrollment management, as a “second mother,” and says her professors and friends have also made her feel at home.

Fariha says winning the award, which recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates outstanding promise of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through achievements in his or her first year of study, was a moment she will never forget.

“For me, when I heard Kelly Shrout, (presenter and associate director of Student Affairs), say ‘Bangladesh,’ that was the proudest moment of my life,” she says. “A lot of people think of Bangladesh and only think about the negative things.”

Fariha says the award made her family very proud. Her father, Ahsanul Karim Chowdhury, is one of the top lawyers in Bangladesh and has always emphasized education. Fariha’s mother, Laila Nahar Chowdury, taught her to work hard and to not take anything for granted. Her brother, Sajjadul Karim Chowdhury, has encouraged her at every step along the way.

“This award shows that I’m here to do something special,” Fariha says.

Fariha says she is excited to return to Narayanganj this summer, so she can watch wrestling with her nieces and start a new generation of fans. She knows some people say professional wrestling is fake, but she doesn’t care.

“If you start to rationalize everything, you lose the fun in life,” Fariha said.

Fariha hopes that more students from Bangladesh will consider coming to Penn State Behrend in the future. From the moment she started to look at colleges, Fariha said Behrend just felt like home, and she believes other Bangladesh natives could have a similar experience.

Her best advice to new students?

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There will always be people who will like who you are and some who don’t,” Fariha says. “I would change nothing about my first year at Penn State Behrend because I’ve been myself.”

Behrend alumnus launches game on Android Market

Published on April 1, 2014 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

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.”

Women in History Month: Meet Mildred Doherty

Published on March 17, 2014March 20, 2014 by Behrend Blog1 Comment

By Chris Palattella Public relations coordinator, 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 Mildred Doherty, our first female engineering faculty member.

Mildred Doherty, 1963

The first female member of Penn State Behrend’s engineering faculty is remembered as a gregarious Renaissance woman with many interests, chief among them a deep affection for her Irish heritage.

In 1960, Mildred Doherty—“Mid” to her friends— arrived on a campus so thinly staffed that the infirmary nurse doubled as the bookstore manager. Doherty brought a unique skill set for a woman of her generation, having worked as a technical writer, a civilian supervisor for the U.S. Air Force, and as head of the U.S. Signal Corps’ examination and evaluation section for radar operations. But gender wasn’t an issue, according to a faculty colleague. “No one was concerned that she was a woman teaching engineering, because Mid laid down the law for her students,” Ed Masteller, professor of biology emeritus, said. “I think that was her military background. She had specific expectations about the way things should be done.”

Doherty’s all-business comportment must have been contained within Otto Behrend Science, because among her contemporaries she is universally remembered for her infectious sense of merriment, passion for travel and genealogy, and can-do attitude. “My husband and I loved her because she was a fun girl, a really fun girl,” says retired physical education instructor Irene Edwards. “She was so interesting, and just a delight to be around.”

Although Doherty lived in a small Behrend family-era cabin near what is now Lilley Library during the week, she entertained at her home in Centerville, a farmhouse originally owned by her Irish grandparents. Masteller and his wife, Marianna, would make the trip to Crawford County for picnics, potlucks, and book clubs; Mary Turner, a distant cousin of Doherty’s, says she vividly remembers a summer party that ended in fireworks.

Doherty’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration would start with Mass at Immaculate Conception Church of Mageetown. (Doherty’s mother’s family, the Magees, had founded both the church and community.) After that came the ‘tin band,’ a boisterous parade of revelers who walked back to Doherty’s home for dinner and Irish coffee. “We’d march with kettles and spoons, banging and making noise and having a great time,” Edwards says.

After her retirement, Doherty’s passions were traveling to visit family and friends and researching the genealogy of the Doherty and Magee families. She created a small museum space within Immaculate Conception to display artifacts related to the area’s early Irish Roman Catholic settlers and cataloged and mapped the graves in the church’s cemetery, where she was buried following her death in April 1985.

More About Mildred

Born: October 7, 1909, in Franklin.

Education: 1926 graduate of Oil City High School; 1932 graduate of Saint Xavier College (now University) in Chicago with a B.S. in mathematics and minors in chemistry and physics.

According to Irene Edwards, Doherty said she was able to attend college only because of significant scholarship support. “She would take the bus back and forth from Oil City to Chicago. I remember her very funny stories about that. It was always an adventure, but then she was an adventurous critter.”

Continuing education: Also studied at St. Louis University, Grove City College, Clarion University, and the University of Houston.

Career detour: Doherty left the U.S. Signal Corps to care for her aging parents. During that time she worked as the librarian at Titusville High School.

A word from her niece: “Aunt Mid was the one person—and I’ve never met another person like her—who never said anything bad about anybody,” says Nancy Cotter, daughter of Mildred’s sister Margaret. “Never negative. No gossip. That was something I really admired about her.”

A warm send-off: For her retirement in 1970, Doherty’s Behrend colleagues bought her Centerville home’s first furnace. She threw a furnace-warming party and had all the guests sign their name on the unit.

4 last-minute gift ideas for gamers

Published on December 18, 2013 by Behrend BlogLeave a comment

Dr. Matthew White, lecturer in game development

By Heather Cass
Publications & Design Coordinator, Penn State Behrend

Um….this is hard to believe, but Christmas is just 6 days away. Yeah, I know, the late Thanksgiving threw us all for a loop this year. This coming weekend is your last chance to shop for the big day.

Don’t panic, we can help. We asked Dr. Matt White, lecturer in game development, to give us some last-minute, go-to gaming gift ideas.

And, yes, there is educational value to gaming (when not abused)! Read: Video Games Can Actually Be Good for Kids and Forbe’s Want to be Smarter? Play Video Games.

1. Kerbal Space Program 7-99. Excellent game about space exploration. Fun and silly for kids, but serious enough for adults. PC only.

2. Nintendo 3DS Zelda Bundle. 3DS and Zelda packaged together. How could you not like this one?

3. PS4/Xbox One. No need for me to write glowing words. These systems sell themselves.

4. Minecraft. Best PC game for children hands down. Fosters creativity, fun, adults like it, too!

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