Students in Photo 202: Fundamentals of Professional Photography recently completed a photo essay project based on “The Land Ethic,” an essay written by Aldo Leopold in 1949 that argues for a deeper connection between humans and the natural world.
Leopold suggests that humans need to expand their concept of ethics beyond just people and animals to include the land—soil, water, plants, and more. The “land” is not something we own, but something we are a part of, and we should treat it with care and respect. Leopold proposes that we should think of ourselves as caretakers, responsible for maintaining balance and harmony with nature.
Urban park. CREDIT: Chelsea Quijas
Tommy Hartung, assistant professor of digital media, arts, and technology, instructed students in the class to choose an area and create a series of five 360-degree panoramic images that document the landscape and the biome it contains.
“The site they chose could be anywhere from urban to complete wilderness,” Hartung said. “Students were also required to take notes documenting the ecosystem and use their notes to draft a 500-word essay to go with the images.”
A second part of the assignment involved time-lapse photography.
“The element of time and motion related to photography has allowed humans to see systems develop by compacting time into short motion clips,” Hartung said. “It allows a focus that the human experience may overlook about the location.”
Dobbin’s Landing in Erie. CREDIT: Evan Gerdes
The students’ essays are impressive and thought-provoking. See for yourself at the links below:
Ernst and Mary Behrend, whose Glenhill farm property formed the core of Penn State Behrend in 1948, were avid world travelers.
“It was a very important part of their lives,” said Jane Ingold, reference librarian and archivist at the college’s Lilley Library. “We have many photos and postcards that they collected while on their frequent trips abroad. We even have some film of them visiting the locks at the Panama Canal.”
Thanks to the eagle eye of a Behrend food service staff member and the generosity of Steve Miller, associate director of Housing and Food Services, Ingold has another treasure to add to the Behrend collection: one of Ernst’s travel trunks.
“One of my employees mentioned that they saw an old steamer trunk that had ‘E. Behrend’ stamped on it on a photo posted on social media by One-Eighty Consignment and Thrift Shoppe in Albion,” Miller said. “I knew as soon as I saw it that it belonged in Behrend’s archives.”
When Miller drove to Albion to see the trunk, he was surprised at its condition.
“Normally, the leather handles on this type of steamer trunk deteriorate over time, but the handles on this trunk had not,” Miller said. “It appears to have been stored fairly well for some time.”
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Behrend Blog talked with Miller, a history buff, to learn more about the trunk, which he purchased and donated to the Behrend archives.
Do you know where the trunk came from?
The best the store could gather was that the man who sent it to the store for consignment sale had received it from his wife’s uncle. Who that is or why he had the trunk is unknown.
How do you know it belonged to Ernst Behrend?
It has a brass identification plaque reading “E.R. Behrend Erie PA, U.S.A.” and “E.R. Behrend, Erie, PA” is written in white paint on the front.
Does it have any other identifying marks?
It has a shipping sticker from the American Express Railway Company (AERC). The AERC was formed in 1917 from an amalgamation of three express companies: First Express Company, Pony Express, and Wells Fargo Express. This was an effort to streamline shipping to aid in the war effort as the U.S. was involved in World War I at the time. The AERC was sold in 1929, so this dates the trunk to the 1917–1929-time frame.
It appears the trunk was shipped either to or from Newport, Rhode Island, which makes sense as the Behrend’s had a summer home there in 1913.
The sticker also has the abbreviation “N.Y.N.H. & H.” This is a reference to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Service from this railroad ran from eastern New York state through Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The shipping sticker places the value of the trunk at $300, which is approximately $4,800 in today’s dollars.
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Were trunks commonly used by travelers then?
Steamer trunks or cabin trunks, which were named after their ability to be stored in the cabin of a steam ship, became popular in the 1880-1920 time period. They had a lower profile than typical shipping trunks to fit under berths in trains and steam ships. The trunks were typically identified with the name or initials of the owner. In addition, they carried notations to identify the contents of the trunk for appropriate storage. In the case of the Behrend trunk, a painted circle with “B” in the center.
You suspect this was one of many trunks the Behrends used?
Yes. Wealthy families typically traveled with many trunks to store their belongings for a long journey. The trunks were typically prepared by the house staff (maids, butlers, etc.) and shipped with a courier service to be placed in a steam liner berth or a train cabin.
Plans for the trunk
Ingold displayed the trunk with a few other Behrend family travel artifacts in the Glenhill Farmhouse during last month’s Parents, Families, and Alumni Weekend at Behrend. This summer, she plans to create a larger display about Ernst and Mary’s travels centered around the trunk that will be on display in the fall 2025 semester.
“It’s in remarkably good condition,” Ingold said. “But things were built to last back then.”
There’s much more to Penn State Behrend’s faculty and staff members than what you see on campus. In this occasional series, we’ll take a look at some of the interesting, unconventional, and inspiring things that members of our Behrend community do in their free time.
Joel Normand, lecturer in business statistics, and his wife, Maria DiSanza, own Luminary Distilling and Eatery in Erie.
At Penn State Behrend, Joel Normand, lecturer in business statistics, teaches students how to use statistical methods, like probability theory and hypothesis testing, to make informed decisions and solve business problems. It’s something he is well versed in, having applied it to his own venture, a micro-distilling hobby that has grown into a thriving Erie business.
Normand and his wife, Maria DiSanza, own Luminary Distillery and Eatery on upper Peach Street as well as a bottle shop on North Park Row in downtown Erie, where they sell a variety of small-batch artisan spirits.
Normand began dabbling in home brewing, wine making, and distilling in 2010 while working as a high school math teacher.
“I had always wanted to be involved in the alcohol industry,” he said. “Spirit production, as well as micro distilling, was growing in popularity nationally.”
He spent about seven years perfecting his recipes for brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, moonshine, and more, and he and Maria opened a small bar and bottle shop in March 2017. Normand knew that selling bottles alone wouldn’t generate enough revenue, so when they outgrew their first location, the couple decided to think bigger.
In 2020, they purchased the former Fuhrman’s Cider market at 8270 Peach Street and blended the two businesses, merging the cider mill and bakery with a restaurant and bar serving their signature Luminary cocktails. Two years later, they opened a bottle shop and bar at 36 North Park Row through a partnership with Erie’s Downtown Development Corporation.
Behrend Blog talked with Normand to learn more about the math-teacher-turned-distiller’s “secret” life.
Is there a story/significance to the name “Luminary”?
Every bottle we produce has a label with the definition of Luminary: “A person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere.” It is my hope that I can mesh producing carefully crafted spirits with educating consumers about distillation.
How did you get started in distilling?
Distilling begins with proper fermentation. That’s where my prior experience with making beer and wine came in handy. I had a few family friends that dabbled in distillation, and I attended several workshops with master distillers to acquire the proper knowledge to make great spirits.
How do you and your wife manage your business partnership?
We focus on our strengths. I generally oversee production and day-to-day operations, while Maria deals with scheduling, inventory, employee management, and finances.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge has been maintaining a consistent and well-trained staff, which has been especially difficult during the COVID era. I’ve had to transition from production to managing a diverse group of individuals.
What have you learned the hard way?
Things break down all the time. If you can’t fix it yourself, you’re paying a premium to get someone else to fix it.
The food at Luminary is not typical bar food. Was that important to you and your brand
We always strive to provide something a bit different for our customers. That includes a unique menu that changes quarterly. People can get the usual comfort food anywhere. We aim to provide something more.
What do you wish you knew five years ago?
Not to spread myself too thin with too many projects or facets of the business, and to focus on a few things that I do well.
What did you think would work but did not?
I was hoping to have many more outside sales, as well as a stronger presence in the online market. It’s a bit saturated with other distilleries and spirits.
What was a surprise success?
Our focus on cocktails and event planning for large parties. We have a highly competent staff that can offer a unique experience.
What is your favorite cocktail/liquor at Luminary?
Our best sellers are our Apple Pie Moonshine and our Coffee Liqueur. Personally, I prefer our Summit Gin. If I had to choose a single favorite cocktail, it’d be a Rye Whiskey Old Fashioned.
What is your favorite dish/meal?
Our unique pizzas, such as pear and prosciutto, as well as our Reuben are some of the most popular food options. I prefer our Mediterranean salad.
What is in the future for Luminary?
We plan to consolidate some of the many things we currently do into a more focused approach. We have also toyed around with the idea of a food truck. We’ll see what opportunities present themselves!
Alumnus, deputy director of elections in Michigan, to speak at Penn State Behrend Monday
Adam Fracassi-Wier, deputy director of elections for the state of Michigan.
Adam Fracassi-Wier, deputy director of elections at the Michigan Bureau of Elections, will discuss the state of elections and election security when the Speaker Series returns to Penn State Behrend at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21. His talk, “Facing the Storm: Resilience in Elections after 2020,” will be held in the Metzgar Center. The program is free and open to the public.
Fracassi-Wier graduated from Penn State Behrend in 2012 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science, International Studies, and English. He earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 2014. His career includes serving as Michigan’s assistant attorney general from 2015 to 2018, as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University College of Law, and currently as deputy director of elections at the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
Behrend Blog talked with Fracassi-Wier to learn more about what it’s like to work in elections and election law in an increasingly partisan environment.
What are your biggest challenges right now?
Election administrators across the country are understaffed, underfunded, and under attack. This is the biggest challenge. We have to manage elections and election administration in a hyper-partisan environment that fuels misinformation, all while ensuring the safety of ourselves, our staff, other election officials, and poll workers. I’ve had to add different facets to my job that I never thought I would have to add. For example, I’m no longer just an attorney – I’ve had to add communications and marketing into my daily responsibilities.
What does it feel like to oversee election integrity when so many are distrustful of our elections today?
This is a heavy burden, especially in this era where misinformation and distrust are rampant. Being a nonpartisan civil servant who ensures elections are fair is critical, but it brings risks and requires constant communication and transparency. I take very seriously my responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen can vote while balancing it against the necessary security checks in the system. It’s hard when something you have dedicated your life to is constantly under threat, and things that you have always done because the law requires it, now are the things making you a target.
How do you fight that disinformation and assure voters that Michigan’s elections are secure?
Transparency and communication are vital. We have had a lot of success going to folks directly with messaging. What I’ve seen in the last four years is that many people are interested in the system but don’t understand it. I have allocated and created new resources in the last several years that are focused on providing educational materials and clearly communicating what we’re doing in advance of doing it. Engaging with voters directly and providing them with accurate information is key to building trust.
I’ve also had a lot of success by coordinating with local officials (clerks, township supervisors, etc.) on the messaging. In many instances, voters will trust their local officials.
The key is just to be a constant source of truth. I’ve been able to build trust with both Democrats and Republicans, voters and elected officials, because I’m consistent in what I do, and the decisions I make are not based on politics.
You secured a $40M budget increase to improve election operations in Michigan. What were you focused on improving?
Voters in 2022 passed a constitutional amendment that dramatically changed elections in Michigan. They implemented early in-person voting, mandated that drop boxes be available in all jurisdictions, and required the state to pay for the return of all absent voter ballots. But this required significant funding for us and the local clerks. I was very fortunate to be able to obtain $40 million to fund the constitutional amendment and the subsequent legislation that passed, but it wasn’t enough to fully fund our office and the local clerks’ offices.
Michigan has more than 1,600 township, city, and county clerks who all have different election roles. We are one of, if not the, most decentralized systems in the country for running elections. More than 900 clerks’ offices are single-precinct jurisdictions that likely have only one staff member—themselves. This is not enough to run elections. When I sought funding, I sought approximately $125 million for our office and the local clerks. Everyone thought I was crazy for asking for that, but I had the numbers to back me up. I obtained $40 million, and we spent it almost immediately, with more than $30 million being allocated to clerks directly. With this money, we were able to fund thirty-five additional staff members at the Bureau of Elections, more than doubling our staff.
Since 2020, clerks have seen the number of ballots being returned by mail more than double. We went from approximately 25 percent voting by mail to approximately 55 percent. The funding allocation allowed us to buy new equipment for clerks to account for this increase and ease processing. This funding also allowed us to build a new pollbook to be used to better detect and prevent double voting during the early voting period, buy equipment for clerks to administer early voting, and fund poll workers for jurisdictions.
What do you wish people knew about the election and election security?
Trust your election administrators. Almost every single election administrator – regardless of party affiliation – administers the election the same. We all believe in upholding the integrity of the election while ensuring that voters can exercise their most fundamental right of casting a ballot. If you have questions about the process or want to know more, contact your election official. Start that dialogue with them in a respectful manner, and you will find that they will engage and help you to the best of their ability.
It’s also important to know that there are backups for everything. Michigan uses paper ballots, as do many other states. Even if you don’t have a paper ballot, there are still backup records to do recounts and audits. All of these are done to verify the accuracy of the results.
After 2020, our office conducted more than 250 audits across the state. The Auditor General audited our office, and the Senate Oversight Committee, led by Republican Senator Ed McBroom, examined everything as well. The audits showed that while there are always improvements to be made, the system worked as it should. We have not seen and do not continue to see massive voter fraud like what is suggested by several candidates.
Is there a better way to handle elections in the U.S.?
Our system is very similar to systems across the world. There are positives and negatives with every system, but I think a “better” way is dependent on the eye of the beholder. What you’re seeing in several states are different methods of electing officeholders that are affecting the policies, starting with redistricting.
Several states—Michigan included—have an independent redistricting commission that draws lines in a nonpartisan manner. In Michigan, this has resulted in a more evenly split legislature. Right now, democrats control both chambers, but only by two seats in each house. If either chamber flips, it would likely only be a two-to-four seat majority for either party. This results in less partisan bills passing in several states.
Additionally, other states have changed from a plurality-based approach to rank choice voting, where voters rank the candidates in order of preference to ensure that whoever wins obtains a majority of support rather than a plurality. Alaska has a system where everyone runs together in the primary and the top four vote earners advance to the general election, regardless of party, to run in a rank choice election.
As the Behrend Athletics Day of Giving campaign comes to a close, we are excited to share that our sports teams have exceeded their goal, raising nearly $113,000!
Our student-athletes and their coaches will directly benefit from this support, which will help cover the growing costs of travel and meals. Proceeds also will be used to purchase new equipment, uniforms and warm-up gear.
Sincere thanks to all Behrend alumni, coaches, faculty, staff, family and friends who have contributed to this campaign. Your support will enable our student-athletes and coaches to focus on training, competing, studying and making Penn State Behrend proud of their efforts.
If you haven’t participated in the Day of Giving campaign, you can still support Behrend Athletics until 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, making a gift to one or more teams. Details are at https://give.psu.edu/penn-state-behrend-athletics.
Thank you again for your support of Behrend Athletics!
By Heather Cass, Publications Manager, Penn State Behrend
Eileen Letson, vice president of finance at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, was the featured guest at the “Blue Chair Chat” discussion series presented by Penn State Behrend’s Women’s Engagement Council at McGarvey Commons on October 3.
Letson, a 1988 Behrend accounting graduate, talked about her career choice, shared her experience working for convention centers and arenas, offered plenty of sage advice, and dished on what it is like to work with some big performing artists (who shall remain nameless) with an audience of students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and community members who attended the free event.
The Blue Chair Chat series was designed by the Women’s Engagement Council to be a friendly conversation between women in a comfortable and cozy environment, so Letson was interviewed by her friend and former Behrend classmate, Barb Byers, a 1987 Communications graduate who is the director of content development for the University at Buffalo division of university advancement.
Letson talked about the financial side of arena operations, giving attendees a behind the curtain look at what happens to box office proceeds (it goes to the promoter), how the artist gets paid (that’s up to the promoter), how her office determines which events are successful (profit-and-loss statements), and the one thing arena staff hope no event promoter requests (confetti).
A few takeaways for students and recent grads from Letson’s talk:
Believe in yourself. Imposter syndrome is real, especially for young women, but trust your education. You have something to offer and important talents to bring to the table.
Pick a mentor you connect with. Find someone you admire or wish to emulate. Age, gender and position in the company doesn’t matter, choose someone you connect with that can help you grow.
Don’t be afraid to ask why. Rather than just learn a set of steps or procedures, ask questions to determine the “why” behind it. Understanding why you need to something a certain way will help you do it properly.
Join clubs and/or volunteer. Letson said one of the most important things current college students can do to gain leadership and life experience is to serve in a club or do volunteer work. “Whatever they ask you to do, do it well, and don’t complain,” she said. “It’s all a learning experience and doing the things nobody else wants to will earn you respect.”
Admit your mistakes. If you make a mistake, own up to it, and fix it. Later, you can explore why it happened, what you learned from it, and how to prevent it from happening again.
By Heather Cass, Publications Manager, Penn State Behrend
You could spend Friday night watching Netflix and binging episodes of your favorite comfort show or, you could expand your viewing horizons at Behrend’s weekly International Film Screening Series.
The series, sponsored by Behrend’s Digital Creations Club and BOLD-C (Behrend Open Lab for Digital Creations), will run on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. in Reed 117 through November 11. Students, faculty, and staff can enjoy a different film every week and free pizza, too. (Student couples, take note: that’s a free date night!)
International film festivals are more than just celebrations of cinema—they are crucial spaces for artistic expression, cultural exchange, industry growth, and social advocacy. They help cultivate an appreciation for diverse forms of cinema, encouraging audiences to explore films beyond mainstream Hollywood productions.
Sean Martin, a junior Digital Media Arts and Technology major, student manager of BOLD-C, and president of the Digital Creations Club, spearheaded the effort to bring the semester-long series to Behrend. He chose the films from three different streaming services available to the Penn State community, taking care to find a wide variety.
“Students, faculty and staff should come and watch these films because they offer a completely unique and compelling look into a different culture, time, and story from an artistic perspective,” Martin said.
Showing this Friday, October 11, is Battleship Potemkin, a film set “in the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905 when the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutiny against the brutal, tyrannical regime of the vessel’s officers. The resulting street demonstration in Odessa brings on a police massacre.”
Several more films are planned this semester. Martin said that he is especially looking forward to L’Age D’or on October 25 and All About My Mother on November 1.
Penn State Behrend’s rich history of influential women begins with Mary Behrend, who in 1948 donated her Glenhill home to the University in memory of her late husband, Ernst, founder of Hammermill Paper Company.
Recognizing that legacy and the growing importance of engaging women in leadership roles, Behrend formed the Women’s Engagement Council (WEC) in 2020 to encourage women to become involved in the life of the college, serve as a resource for Behrend students, enhance the personal and professional goals of its members, and more.
The Council’s directors are committed to supporting and lifting women around, which is why they are spearheading a new event – Wellness Fest – to be held on Thursday, September 19, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Behrend’s McGarvey Commons.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will address 8 Dimensions of Wellness: emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, social, physical, and spiritual.
“It’s a great opportunity to see what resources are available from Penn State Behrend and in the Erie area to help you achieve whole-body well-being,” said Anne Eisert, chair of WEC’s Outreach Committee. “With more than thirty organizations attending, there will be something for everyone.”
Wellness Fest is being held in partnership with Behrend Student Wellness Services and is part of Penn State’s Healthy Campus Initiative.
“Initially we were going to focus on mental health,” Eisert said. “But then we realized a person’s well-being is influenced by a lot of factors that contribute to mental health, so we decided to widen the focus for a whole-body approach.”
In addition to exhibitors and interactive stations, participants will be able to take part in free activities including yoga, sound meditation, animal interactions, and a group hike in Wintergreen Gorge.
Communications alumna wins award for her work at WQLN
Kristen (Bessetti) Nielsen ’16 stands out. From her colorful, creatively shorn hair and dozens of tattoos to her infectious, wide smile and obvious joy for life, she is a woman who enjoys being unconventional.
Case in point: She applied to Penn State Behrend on a whim as a 24-year-old mother of two, searching for a new beginning after leaving an abusive relationship. She arrived ready to explore.
“Just because I was an older student didn’t mean I had any idea what my future career path would be,” Nielsen said.
She soon found her niche and graduated in 2016 with a degree in Communication with a focus on Broadcast Journalism, and a Women’s Studies minor.
While still in school, she obtained an internship at WJET/WFXP and YourErie.com, a broadcast news outlet in Erie. After she graduated, the station offered her a job as an in-studio camera operator. She then moved into the newsroom as a news videographer before being promoted to multimedia journalist.
“I’m pretty sure I could have gotten the Guinness World Record for most tattooed news reporter,” she quipped.
After a three-year stint as the morning show producer, Nielsen moved to WQLN, Erie’s public broadcasting station, where she works as an assistant producer on Chronicles, an immersive docuseries that showcases the Lake Erie region’s past and present.
A year later, Nielsen and her team were in Cleveland, hoisting a golden Emmy statue from the Central Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for their work on the three-part Chronicles: Bellwether episode exploring the political evolution of Erie.
Nielsen, who went from an unlikely college student to an Emmy award winner in just eight years, can scarcely believe it herself.
“When I was a student at Behrend, I never would have imagined accomplishing half the things I have to this point, and I’m still early in my career,” she said. “Anything is possible when you really care about the work you do.”
Behrend Blog talked with Nielsen about her career trajectory, the advice she has for other Communication students, and why her husband is glad she made the jump from news to historical storytelling.
What is your role in the WQLN Chronicles series?
I am an assistant producer, but with a small crew, we all pitch in on a variety of tasks. Whether it’s operating a camera, setting up lights, writing scripts, animating lake monsters, monitoring audio, directing, or holding a boom mic, most of us have been credited with multiple roles in each episode. I also help a lot with marketing.
How many seasons are there, and are more to come?
We just wrapped up Season 2 with an episode on Strong Vincent. As it stands now, there will be one more season, which will finish next summer.
What are some of the topics featured in the series?
The USS Wolverine, the nation’s first iron-hulled ship, which was built in Erie; rum running during prohibition; the Behrend family; the Hammermill Paper company; Lake Erie shipwrecks; Antarctic expeditionist Paul Siple, aka “the Father of wind chill”; military strategist John Boyd; Civil War hero Strong Vincent; composer Harry T. Burleigh, and much more! You can find a full list and links to each episode at: wqln.org/shows/chronicles.
How do you decide what to feature?
The mission of the series is to focus on the lesser-known history of our region, so we look for things that have not been done over and over, like the War of 1812. We did do a two-part series on Daniel Dobbins, who does not get as much credit as he should for building the fleet for the Battle of Lake Erie.
What has been your favorite episode so far?
The three-part Bellwether episode, which won the Emmy, is the first project I put a lot of work into when I got to WQLN, so I call it my “baby.” Chronicles had a total of eighteen nominations across several categories. Seeing how all our work paid off has been really gratifying.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on an hour-long episode for Season 3 about journalist Ida Tarbell. She grew up in the Titusville region during the oil boom and went on to expose John D. Rockefeller’s corrupt practices in the oil industry. Her work led the Supreme Court to break up the oil monopolies.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
In news, we worked very fast, running from story to story, event to event, grabbing some b-roll and putting it all together as quickly as possible. Working on Chronicles is the exact opposite. I’m learning to dig deeper to tell a fuller story. I’m also learning a great deal about the equipment and techniques used in more film-oriented productions.
Why is this type of historical storytelling important?
First, it is important to not let the stories of those who came before us be forgotten. Second, understanding the history of the town you come from or live in makes life more interesting. When I walk downtown now, my mind is flooded with facts and images of what it once was. Compare that to when I was working in news and my husband made a rule that I couldn’t point out all the “murder” houses I would see along our journey. This new lens is much nicer.
The yearlong celebration of Penn State Behrend’s 75th anniversary has been an opportunity to reflect on the growth of the college and the contributions of those who helped make Behrend what it is today.
With help from Rod Troester, associate professor emeritus of speech communication, we have collected stories and life lessons from retired faculty members who remember a very different Behrend. Here are some of their reflections:
“I never looked at my time at Behrend as ‘work.’ I felt comfortable slipping into my office in the evening or on weekends in my slippers, often bringing my dog, Ginger, with me for company.
“I took advantage of the swimming pool and the ski slope behind the Otto Behrend Science building. I recall my daughter, Rebecca, then just a youngster, proudly coming over from the swimming pool to my office and informing me that she was able to swim two lengths of the pool. This entitled her to be on the forward deck of our sailboat.
“I loved teaching, and doing so at Behrend. I found it a joy to go to work each day.”
~ Robert Tauber, professor emeritus, education
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“I remember traveling with Dean Baldwin and students to the College English Association conference in Pittsburgh, where we shared an elevator with John Updike. We also went to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, where we saw Christopher Plummer perform the title role in ‘King Lear”; and to the PEN International conference in Toronto, where I had a conversation about melons with Arthur Miller in an open-air market.
“None of this would have happened without the help of the terrific Behrend community of faculty, staff and students.”
~ Greg Morris, professor emeritus, American literature and English
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“I was hired in 1968. My husband, Ben Scott, taught in the Physics department. He was hired the same year I was and retired in 1988.
“I was a chemist. During my 36-year tenure at Behrend, I saw the college develop from a two-year feeder institution to University Park to a flourishing, four-year campus.
“I retired in 2004. I stay in touch with the chemists, and with a few other faculty members in the School of Science.”
~ Mary Chisholm, professor emerita, chemistry
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“I was hired in 1970. That makes me second-generation Behrend Center faculty, but first-generation Behrend College faculty. I was part of the crowd of newbies hired that year to staff the four-year majors that were to make Behrend a baccalaureate-granting institution.
“There was little to work with at the time. Some of us joked that launching the college was like an old Mickey Rooney—Judy Garland movie: ‘Gee, kids, let’s put on a show in the barn.’ But Behrend provided a wonderful and unique opportunity for a career. In an age of academic retrenchment, Behrend bucked the trend and gave us a shot at a much more exciting and fulfilling project. It’s growing success is an achievement well worth celebrating.”
Members of the Penn State Behrend Women’s Engagement Council with Eileen Letson ’88, center left, and Barb Byers ’87, center right. 
conference in Pittsburgh, where we shared an elevator with John Updike. We also went to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, where we saw Christopher Plummer perform the title role in ‘King Lear”; and to the PEN International conference in Toronto, where I had a conversation about melons with Arthur Miller in an open-air market.
generation Behrend College faculty. I was part of the crowd of newbies hired that year to staff the four-year majors that were to make Behrend a baccalaureate-granting institution.
BEHREND BLOG 