Tag: writing

Standout Seniors ’25: Meet Ali Ostowar (Management Information Systems)

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Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2025 is ready to make its mark on the world. We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we will introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have conducted valuable research, pioneered innovation, overcome challenges, and engaged in college life in a big way.

Today, we’d like you to meet Ali Ostowar:

Major: Management Information Systems

Minor: Computer Science

Hometown: Olomouc, Czech Republic

Why he chose Behrend: I wanted a quiet and focused academic environment. University Park sounded too crowded for me, so I opted for Behrend, where I could fully concentrate on my studies.

Why he chose his major: My passion for artificial intelligence (AI) led me to explore various academic paths. I chose Management Information Systems because it allowed me to dive deeper into AI while leveraging my previously earned business credits.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend:  Writing my Schreyer Honors Thesis has been the highlight of my academic journey. Having the opportunity to collaborate with professors I admire on a topic I’m deeply passionate about—and successfully completing it—stands as my proudest achievement.

Thesis topic: My thesis explored the role of emotions in economic decision-making, particularly whether they promote or hinder rational economic choices. This question has long been debated and has recently gained renewed interest as artificial intelligence advances, raising the question of the necessity of emotions in decision-making. While some argue that emotions are fundamental to decision-making, others suggest that an emotionless approach might be more desirable in specific contexts.

Challenges overcome: Transferring from the United Kingdom, where I studied International Business for a year, was already a challenge. However, the biggest challenge was shifting my focus from business to AI and cognitive science. Fortunately, with the support of my adviser, I was able to tailor my curriculum to align with my evolving interests, ultimately leading to my acceptance into a top AI graduate program in the Netherlands. (Editor’s note: Ostowar was accepted into three of the top AI graduate programs in the world!)

Advice for first-year students: Don’t feel locked in your initial major. The flexibility of the curriculum and my willingness to explore courses outside my field led me to discover my true passion. Take the opportunity to experiment, and you might find a path you never expected.

Ali has been accepted into the master’s program in Artificial Intelligence at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. After completing his degree, he plans to pursue a career in academia, focusing on AI and Cognitive Science.

Student Photo Project Explores Connection to Natural World

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By Heather Cass, Publications Manager, Penn State Behrend

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Frontier Park in Erie. CREDIT: Railey Kranz

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.

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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:

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An acorn in Wintergreen Gorge. CREDIT: Lyndon Herschell

Found Treasure: Behrend family travel trunk discovered in consignment shop

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By Heather Cass, Publications Manager, Penn State Behrend

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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.”

Standout Seniors: Meet Matthew Enos (Accounting and Finance)

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Penn State Behrend’s Class of 2024 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and all that they have learned and accomplished here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we will introduce you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have engaged in college life in a big way, conducted valuable research, pioneered innovations, and overcome challenges during their time at Penn State Behrend.

Matthew Enos

Today, we’d like you to meet Matthew Enos.

Majors: Accounting and Finance

Hometown: Sharpsville, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Penn State Provost Award

On choosing Behrend: I came to Behrend because of the opportunity to double major in business. On top of that, it is easy to get active and involved in clubs at Behrend.

On choosing his major: I have always enjoyed the stock market, so I started more toward finance. Accounting works well with finance, and I just really enjoyed dealing with numbers, doing taxes and auditing.

His proudest accomplishment at college: The way Behrend developed who I am. My senior year of high school, I would have been afraid to talk to a crowd of people or to someone I didn’t know. Now, I enjoy giving tours of the campus and talking to professionals in the accounting field. I am not afraid to talk in front of big crowds and share my experience at Behrend.

Bring on game night: I enjoy playing board games with my family and friends.

His definition of living a good life: Being close and able to spend time with my family is important to me. I want to be able to live without stressing about bills. To be able to separate work and personal life and enjoy both.

His priorities for the coming years: Doing well at work, getting promoted, and starting to save money for a house.

Advice for first-year students: Do not be afraid to try new things and get out of your comfort zone.

After his graduation in May, Matthew plans to work at KPMG in Pittsburgh in their audit department.