Daily Brief

Astronomy Outreach: Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse in Ohio

Kutztown University’s Observatory Director, Dr. Phill Reed, and Planetarium Assistant Lauren Murphy, took their outreach on the road for the recent total solar eclipse. They set up in Lakewood Park on the shore of Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, and shared conversations and telescope views with countless people. The 60-mm Hydrogen-alpha telescope gave a red view of the Sun that showed spots and surface granulation. The eight-inch telescope’s white-light solar filter revealed more details of the three large pairs of sunspots, as well as silhouettes of lunar mountains during the partial eclipse phase. The real show was during totality, when bright pink flares and prominences looked like gigantic flames through the unfiltered telescope and when “beads” of sunlight could be seen beaming through the valleys in the Moon’s mountainous skyline. The viewing event took place throughout the afternoon Monday, April 8, and totality lasted from 15:13:28 to 15:17:23 (3 minutes, 55 seconds). Photos are courtesy of John Rivera-Resto.

C. R. Chambliss Astronomical Observatory and KU Planetarium

Rare Bird Visits KU

A rare bird was discovered in a retention pond on campus by Dr. Greg Setliff, biology, and his zoology class while on a campus walk on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 16. Setliff described a usual marsh bird with long legs that held its tail up and walked funny. This turned out to be a King Rail – a secretive marsh bird that is rarely seen in Pennsylvania. To put this rarity into perspective, the last sighting of a King Rail in Berks County was in 1958. The rail appeared to stay at KU for just a one-day stopover during its spring migration. This sighting highlights the importance of native habitats, even small ones, for supporting wildlife in suburban landscapes.

Todd Underwood, Biology

FDI Debate Competition

Kutztown University's Frederick Douglass Institute's new debate team, The North Stars, participated in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) FDI Research and Debate Conference held at Millersville University on April 9-10. The debate resolution was: "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should implement school choice in K-12 education." School choice is a prominent topic nationally as politicians consider utilizing federal, state, and local education funding for school vouchers to subsidize private and religious school tuition.

Mark-Handy Phanor (Political Science, '26) and Damaiya Turner (Criminal Justice, '27) proudly represented Kutztown University in the FDI debate competition. Their participation underscored their dedication and the caliber of education at Kutztown. In preparation for the competition, the students underwent rigorous training on debate conventions, rhetoric, and public speaking led by Dr. Amber Pabon (FDI Director, Associate Professor) and Mr. Dan Sleiman (EdD Transformative Teaching and Learning '26). During the competition, The North Stars engaged in debates, networked with peers, and honed valuable skills. Most notably, Phanor and Turner emerged victorious in their first round. FDI invites everyone to celebrate our accomplished debaters!

FDI expresses gratitude to the Provost’s Office, Student Success, the KU Foundation, and the Business Office, as well as Dr. Joseph Croskey, the FDI Executive Committee, FDI Executive Director, and Dr. Denise Pearson, Vice Chancellor, for their generous support.

Frederick Douglass Institute

Sienna Sky, The Fredrick Douglass Institute

Sidewalk Sale

KU Campus Store's Sidewalk Sale will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, April 23, 218 MSU. Stop in and shop deeply discounted items from apparel and gifts to art supplies. This sale is excluded from online and while supplies last. We will have music and yard games in addition to the sale. We hope to see you here.

KU Campus Store

Kyle Rex, KUSSI

Open Hour with Provost

Faculty, staff and students are invited to drop by and chat with Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, during her open office hour 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, Old Main concourse. Faculty and staff who would like to have a conversation, but for whom this time does not work, are welcome to contact the Office of the Provost at 610-683-4155 to schedule a time to meet.

Office of the Provost

Anne Imschweiler, Office of the Provost

Empowering Kutztown University Faculty and Staff: Integrating Generative AI into Your Work

Join us noon Thursday, May 2, for an enlightening Lunch and Learn session provided by KU ADVANCE. Learn to harness the potential of generative AI in your professional and personal life. This session on AI promises to be an exciting lunch hour, offering a deep dive into the fundamentals of generative AI, its practical applications and the ethical considerations it entails. Through interactive activities and collaborative strategy development, you'll gain hands-on experience and the skills necessary to seamlessly integrate AI tools into your daily life. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of AI integration, enhancing efficiency and innovation in your work at Kutztown University. Register now to secure your spot and start your journey towards becoming an AI-savvy professional.

Office of Vice Provost

Senior Exhibition for BFA in Art

Seniors earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art are having their Senior Exhibition in the Miller Gallery April 20-28.

Miller Art Gallery

Karen Stanford, CVPA Galleries and Community Outreach

History Year-End Celebration

The Department of History's Year-End Celebration was held Tuesday, April 16. Winners included: 
 - Beck American History Award: Jacob Galle.
 - Mazzaferri Award: Jordan Folks.
 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Award: Melissa Fatzinger.
 - Outstanding Seniors in History: Sam Dunlap, Josh Hudak, Alyssa Katz, Jevin Lippincott, Jenna Shupp and Aaron Wessner.
 - Outstanding Minor: Sarah Lazarchak.
 - Willits Scholarship: Leilani Neal.
 - Story Scholarship: Olivia Bing.
 - Mazzaferri Scholarship: Anthony Batista, Ella Czeiner and Alexis Wright.
 - Yashek Scholarship: Nikolai Kochel.

Michael Gabriel, History

Tickets: Baseball to Play at Coca-Cola Park Thursday, May 2

For the first time in program history, the Kutztown University baseball team will take the stage at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, for a doubleheader against East Stroudsburg University 10:35 a.m. Thursday, May 2. Tickets are available for purchase. Parking at Coca-Cola Park will be free and some concessions will be available. The Iron Pigs team store will also be open to fans during the games. Fans can follow the game via live stats on kubears.com, or can tune into the stream on the PSAC Sports Digital Network.

Sports Information