Daily Brief

Local Color: Cultivating Communities by Gwendolyn Yoppolo

When you grow a plant, you grow an ecosystem and participate in communities of ancestry, place and culture. In this presentation titled "Local Color: Cultivating Communities," professor Gwendolyn Yoppolo will tell stories about plant-based color from her research connected to the KU-Rodale Institute collaborative dye garden project 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, 120 Sharadin Arts Building. Rooted in the principles of regenerative agriculture, the dye garden project also investigates notions of native and invasive plants while analyzing cultural understandings, relationships of power and ways of relating to plants. Tending the dye gardens has been an act of intimacy with these plants and our campus communities, dwelling in the histories of each and envisioning how our relationship to plants, people and places can provide us with sources of color and inspiration. Faculty First Thursday presentations provide an opportunity for faculty to present their ongoing work to colleagues and students from across the College of Visual and Performing Arts. This free presentation is open to the entire university community and is presented by the Dean’s Office of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Refreshments will be served 10:30-11 a.m. and presentations will be 11 a.m. to noon.

Faculty First Thursday

Joselyn Wynter, CVPA Dean's Office

KU Math Faculty's Research is Highlighted as Cover Article for Inside OR

The research work of three KU math faculty and several of their students was highlighted as the cover article for the June 2023 issue of "Inside OR," a publication of the Operational Research Society. The article titled “Solving Hard Combinatorial Optimization Problems with General Purpose Integer Programming Software: A Guide for OR Practitioners” was written by Drs. Fran Vasko (emeritus), Yun (Amy) Lu and Myung Soon Song. To date, the solution strategy discussed in this article has been successfully applied to solve a variety of difficult combinatorial optimization problems resulting in seven published journal articles. Former KU students who participated in this research as KU students include Anthony Dellinger and Emre Shively-Ertas (both co-authors on four articles) and Bryan McNally (co-author on three articles). This research is ongoing with the math faculty and math and computer science students. An example of a hard combinatorial optimization problem is the classic knapsack problem in which the best items to insert into a knapsack must be selected without exceeding the knapsack’s capacity. Many industrial and business applications involve solving knapsack problems that have far more possible packings than all the outcomes for the Powerball lottery.  Hence, finding the best (optimal) packing can be extremely difficult. Complete enumeration of all the alternatives would take thousands of years using today’s fastest computers.  

Yun Lu, Department of Mathematics

Lentz Named Fellow in the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association Policy and Advocacy Fellowship Program

Lori Lentz, director of Extended Learning at Kutztown University, has been elected as a fellow in the prestigious Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) Policy and Advocacy Fellowship program. This recognition underscores Lentz's commitment, expertise and contributions to the workforce development field.

Lentz Named Fellow

University Relations

Christmas on the Farm Returns December 2

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center is set to host Christmas on the Farm 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, 22 Luckenbill Road, where attendees can treat themselves to live music in the schoolhouse, traditional crafts, folklife demonstrations, hearth-cooking, live animals, children’s activities and much more. Christmas on the Farm is a celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch holiday traditions.

Christmas on the Farm

Sarah Edris, Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

KU Student Veterans Emergency Fund Hat Fundraiser

We are all sold out, but do not despair, we are now accepting advance orders for our next shipment of hats. Join the club. Hats feature our exclusive olive drab (aka Army green) and are on sale for $20 with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Military and Veterans Services Emergency Fund. They are good quality - soft, stylish and make great gifts. We will contact you with an anticipated delivery date. Payment upon delivery. Thanks for helping our office provide aid to students in need. Order yours today at the link below.

Hats for Sale

Military & Veterans Services

Spring 2024 Student Course Assistant (SCA) Requests

Tutoring Services is now accepting requests from faculty for Student Course Assistants (SCA) for Spring 2024. Learn more about the SCA position by clicking here. To request an SCA, please complete the Student Course Assistant & First-Year Experience Guide Request Form: Spring 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact tutor@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4207.

Adam Troxel, Tutoring Services

Establishing Your Scholarship - CEL Cookie Chat

The CEL invites you to join us 11-11:50 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, 6 Rohrbach Library to talk about establishing our scholarship and creative work at a teaching-focused institution. Faculty co-hosts for this topic are Mauricia John and George Sirrakos. Like all cookie chats, it is drop-in, so if you are running late or have to leave early, you are still welcome to chat face-to-face with cookies. If you are unable to attend, please join us via Zoom.

CEL Cookie Chat

Erin Kraal, Center for Engaged Learning

Join Us for the CSC355 Software Engineering Demo Day

The Department of Computer Science and Information Technology is proud to announce the fall Senior Seminar Software Engineering Demo Day 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, 218 McFarland Student Union Building. Presentations are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m and poster sessions are 1:30-3:30 p.m. Students have worked for two semesters on their projects, including web, mobile, PC applications and a fingerprint scanning application. Plan on attending all or part of the day, live and in person. Thank you for your support of our students.

Donna DeMarco, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology

Football Fan Bus to Slippery Rock

The Kutztown University football team will compete in the NCAA DII Super Region One championship game noon, Saturday, Dec. 2, at Slippery Rock University. Support the Golden Bears in their historic season and quest for a regional title both at the game and on campus. Events are free and open to the public. A fan bus is available for all students, employees and fans. Join the KU cheerleaders and travel to Slippery Rock to cheer the Golden Bears to victory. Bus departs 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, from the E-2 parking lot at the Student Recreation Center and will return to campus immediately following the game. Register here by noon, Friday, Dec. 1. Individuals are responsible for purchasing game tickets (purchase game tickets online). Questions can be directed to athletics@kutztown.edu.

Learn More

University Relations