Daily Brief

JPL Mars 2020 Scientists visit KU NASA H2O+H2S Students

KU's NASA H2O cohort welcomed Dr. Katie Stack Morgan and Nicole Spanovich from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to campus Monday, Sept. 16. Students learned about the Mars 2020 Mission structure, science and ethics in preparation for the upcoming visits to the science team meetings. Students will be paired with NASA mentors and have the opportunity to attend a week-long professional conference in the spring. Students in the program are Justin Carbajal, Maria Clark, Lizmary Delarosa-Marquez, Brielle Eisenberg, Christopher Frias, Bailey Gimbor, Aiden Hipsky, Jaylynn Hottenstein, Farhan Karim, Mackenzie McCarter, Dennis Moyer, Moraima Ramos Jimenez, Estiven Rodriguez and Miranda Shiley. Faculty are Donna Demarco and Erin Kraal.

Erin Kraal, Physical Sciences

Eighth Annual Gender and Sexual Minorities Conference

In honor of LGBT History month, the eighth annual Gender and Sexual Minorities Conference is set for Oct. 2-4. We have expanded from one day to three and have a wonderful variety of sessions this year, presented by KU faculty, alumni, current and visiting students. Our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Ashleigh Strange, is the executive director for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on LGBT Affairs and will present “Authentically Who? Finding the me inside of me,” 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, 218 MSU. Please register on Engage; find the session descriptions and presenter bios on our website. Feel free to share with students and the campus community. This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of KU’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center, formerly the GLBTQ Resource Center, and the 30th anniversary of the student organization, Allies. We are inviting alumnx and the campus to share their memories of the Center and Allies. Please find the form on our Engage page.

Learn More

Diane Biehl, LGBTQ+ Resource Center

Suicide Prevention

The National Institute for Mental Health estimates 1,100 suicide deaths per year among college students across the county. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will be on campus 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept. 26, 101 Academic Forum. We invite the campus community to “It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health,” designed for college students with the AFSP-produced short film.

Frances C. Cortez Funk, Health and Wellness Services

Council of Trustees Meeting

The Kutztown University Council of Trustees will meet Thursday, Sept. 26, McFarland Student Union Building.
Committee meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m.:
- Academic and Student Affairs Committee, 323 MSU.
- Finance, Property, and Audit Committee, 322 MSU.
- Human Diversity Committee, 325 MSU.
- University Relations and Athletics and Advancement Committee, 324 MSU.
The Plenary Session will begin at 3 p.m., 250 MSU.

Office of the President

Come to Ignite Kutztown

Join us for a fun evening of engaging presentations at Ignite Kutztown 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, 135 Rickenbach. Come see faculty, students, alumni and community members speak about a variety of topics.

Emily Cripe, Communication Studies

Fall Jazz Jams

We're bringing the heat with live jazz jams 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Rita's Water Ice, 478 W. Main St., Kutztown. The event is free and open to the public.

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Maya Strava Kokkinou, Music

Farewell Reception for Elevated Eats Catering Director Heather Hausman

Please join us in wishing Heather Hausman the best of luck in her next role as she moves forward from Kutztown Dining Services. We will be hosting a reception for Heather noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, South Dining Hall Viewpoints.

Dining Services

Open Forum on Middle States Reaccreditation Process

The Middle States Steering Committee invites all Kutztown University community members to an open forum 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, 101 Academic Forum. The purpose of the forum is to share information about our current institutional reaccreditation cycle and the drafting of our self-study document. We will also share the timeline, with upcoming milestones, in preparation for the evaluation team's visit.

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Karen Rauch, Office of the Provost

Honorary Degree Nomination

The honorary degree may be awarded to recognize distinguished contributions in the service to humanity, scholarship, government, business, creativity, science or the community. Information about the honorary degree, including the nomination process and nomination form, can be found on the Honorary Degree Committee website. The submission deadline is Friday, Nov. 1.

Honorary Degree Committee

Lisa Frye, University Senate President

Employee Preferred Name Policy

Kutztown University recognizes that employees may wish to use a name other than their given first name as recorded on official documents and records. A chosen or preferred name may be a valuable component of a person's identity and impact their ability to successfully navigate the campus environment. Therefore, the university has established this policy that allows preferred first names to appear in select university systems and records, even if individuals have not changed their legal names, except where the use of the official legal name is required by university business or legal obligation or where limited by software or IT systems. Preferred name change request form can be found online.

Office of Equity and Compliance

Luncheon for Women Faculty

APSCUF Social Justice Committee, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and REVEALS grant, will host a Luncheon for Women Faculty 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, 223 MSU. As we embark on a new academic year, we will embrace community, celebrate accomplishments and promote wellness. In addition to a delicious lunch, you can participate in an interactive and introspective experience with author, educator and wellness advocate Veronica Moore titled, "Plant Therapy," where we will explore the connection between plants and mental wellness.

Marlene Nanouh Fares, APSCUF Social Justice Committee