Daily Brief

Representative Rozzi Honored for Career Achievements

Kutztown University honored Rep. Mark Rozzi, a 1996 KU graduate, at halftime of Saturday’s Golden Bear football game, Oct. 14. Rozzi was elected to serve as state representative for the 126th Legislative District Nov. 2012. Rozzi was elected by his peers as Speaker of the House Jan. 3, 2023. He served as speaker for two months, where he scheduled three special elections, visited four cities on a statewide listening tour, held a Special Session for victims of childhood sexual abuse and passed five bills that would reform Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for those who endured childhood sexual abuse. Rozzi’s legacy lives in the House chamber through the adopted rules he drafted, which he wrote with the intention of improving the legislative process by minimizing instances of hyper-partisanship. Rozzi earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Kutztown University with a concentration in pre-law and constitutional law. His legislative priorities include education, property tax relief, improving the commonwealth's aging infrastructure system and safeguarding our children from predators. President Hawkinson and Alex Ogeka, executive director of the KU Foundation, have arranged for a brick to be placed in Alumni Plaza honoring Rozzi’s outstanding achievements as a Kutztown University alumnus. They were joined Saturday by Matthew D. Bradford, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader.

University Relations

The Frederick Douglass Institute Fall Lecture Series Featuring Dr. Theresa Y. Robinson

FDI invites students, staff and faculty to the Fall 2023 Lecture Series featuring STEM educator, Dr. Theresa Y. Robinson, Elmhurst University, 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, Multicultural Center. Dr. Robinson will deliver her voice on "What Equity in STEM is to the Black Woman," which draws from her research on diversity in STEM and Douglass' vision of educational access and opportunity for all people. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and a hands-on workshop. FDI welcomes the campus community and appreciates it if attendees RSVP using this link.

Frederick Douglass Institute webpage

Amber Jean-Marie Pabon, Frederick Douglass Institute

The Office of Extended and Lifelong Learning is Excited to Announce

Starting January 2024, Kutztown University will provide all students, faculty and staff with free access to Coursera's Career Academy. This new offering aligns with our commitment to serve diverse learning needs and expand educational opportunities within our community. Coursera's Career Academy offers a robust catalog of non-credit courses, professional certificates and micro-credentials focused on in-demand skills across business, technology, data science and more. These self-paced, asynchronous learning resources enable individuals to build new capabilities and reskill for career advancement or transition at their own pace. Learners can explore Coursera's extensive course library and customize their own professional development journey tailored to their interests and goals. Faculty members may also use the Career Academy to supplement their courses and degree programs by empowering continuous learning through non-credit resources. Access will be provided through our new Destiny One non-credit registration platform. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this powerful resource for skills-based learning at no cost starting next semester. This initiative reflects our ongoing efforts to equip members of the university community with the knowledge and capabilities to succeed in the modern workplace. Additional information about the Coursera Career Academy (e.g., demonstrations, training and other resources) will be released in the coming weeks. For additional information, contact lentz@kutztown.edu.

Extended and Lifelong Learning

Lori Lentz, Office of Extended and Lifelong Learning

Food Drive for Military Families in Need

Will you consider making a food item donation? Keystone Military Families (KMF) provides support to deployed military and their families by sending letters and cards, personal care items, snacks and local favorites to the deployed personnel and logistical, economic support and assistance to dependent families. They shipped 11,000 care packages last year. KMF also operates a food pantry that currently assists more than 100 families per week with food, clothing, baby necessities, pet food and household goods. This support is available to any Pennsylvania veteran or active duty military in financial need. Donations are anonymous. KMF also supports KU students who are military connected with perishable and non-perishable food items. Please consider supporting KMF so they can continue to help veterans in need. The most needed items are listed on the link below or request a food drive list at veterans@kutztown.edu. Even one can of food makes a difference. Thank you for your support.

Veterans Awareness Week

Military & Veterans Services

National Transfer Student Week

In recognition of National Transfer Student Week (Oct. 16-20) - Day 5 Fact: Did you know that for Fall 2023, 69% of KU's transfer student population transferred from a 2-year vs. 4-year institution? 

Transfer Student Week Schedule

Lisa Grabowski, New Student Orientation

CEL Cookie Chat: Your Anxious Students and You

Recent surveys have shown that about 35% of students in our classrooms are diagnosed with anxiety. In the next Cookie Chat, 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, CEL 6 Rohrbach Library, we will watch a short, six-minute film about college students and anxiety. Lynn Kutch from German Studies, along with Cesar Velasquez from Counseling and Psychological Services, will facilitate a conversation with current first-year students about how anxiety impacts our students and classrooms. The featured cookie will be monster cookies (it is Halloween, after all).

CEL Events

Center for Engaged Learning

Call for Presentations PASSHE STEM Student Research Conference

The 2023 PASSHE STEM Student Research Conference will be held Saturday, Nov. 11. This conference offers all PASSHE students (undergraduate and graduate) opportunities to present any research they have conducted in the STEM disciplines listed below. The conference is currently being organized in person. Students may submit their presentations to the conference using this link. The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. The conference will feature a keynote speaker, oral and poster presentations by undergraduate and graduate students, awards for oral and poster presentations, lunch and refreshments. For more information please visit the conference website.

Conference web page

Brooks Emerick, Department of Mathematics