Wigbels Receives Prestigious Award - Penn State York

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All Things Blue White
Keeping in touch with alumni and friends of Penn State York www.yk.psu.edu September 2010
On the Calendar...
Scholarship Thank You
Dinner
Thurs., Oct. 21, 6:00 p.m.
Lion’s Den, Joe and Rosie Ruhl
Student Community Center
Invitation to Scholarship Donors
and Student Recipients
Alumni in the Spotlight
Presentation and Ice Cream
Social
Thurs., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Lion’s Den, Joe and Rosie Ruhl
Student Community Center
Featuring Lee Stout, author
of Ice Cream U: The Story of
the Nation’s Most Successful
Collegiate Creamery
Free event but registration in
advance required
See article on page 3 for details
Career Networking with
Students
Thurs., Oct. 28, 11:30 a.m.
Interested in hosting a table?
Paw Search
Pullo Family Performing Arts
Center
Fri., Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Variety show benefit event.
Tickets: $5 student, $10 all
others.
www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu
Information Sciences and
Technology Students Provide
the Community with
Solutions Provide the
Serving the needs of the community is
a major component of the information
sciences and technology integration
and problem solving (IST 440W) class
taught by Bill Cantor, P.E., instructor
in information sciences and technology
(IST). “The community projects have been
a great success over the years. The students
benefit by working with organizations that
need help with a project. The organizations
benefit by receiving high quality solutions
at no cost and the students get exposed to the
important work that occurs on the organization’s
front lines. These projects help the community while
showcasing the students’ abilities for potential employers.”
Cantor said.
This year’s project was a Virtual Expo designed for the York County Chamber of Commerce
(YCCC). Past projects included developing the online registration system for the York Fair and
developing a Web site for the York County Area Agency on Aging.
The initial project began with the fall IT project management class (IST 302) where the
students performed the preliminary project planning and requirements gathering. The design,
development, testing, and deployment of the Virtual Expo were carried out by the spring
semester IST 440W class. It was designed to provide YCCC members with online exhibitor
booth space, giving them a cost-effective Web marketing opportunity to reach new customers
and generate new leads. It went live at the YCCC’s Business & Technology Expo on May 4.
The students attended the expo where a booth was provided to showcase their work. Dave
Montez, a senior IST student, was the booth manager. “Preparing for the Expo has been
rewarding and challenging,” said Montez. “I’ve met many new people and have learned that
the IT world is not the only place that is unpredictable. You have to be able to rapidly adapt to
changing circumstances. This whole project has been an excellent learning experience”.
PDH’s for PEs: Penn State York - Meeting the Needs of the
Region’s Engineering Community
Penn State York is offering a spectrum of continuing education activities to meet the Act 25 of 2010
mandate that professional engineers (PEs) must complete 24 professional development hours
(PDHs) in each two–year renewal cycle to renew their license. From four-hour courses to one-day
workshops, to structured certificate programs, engineers can design the PDH program that best fits
their schedule or their employer can customize a program for their engineering staff. . . . and stay
local! Contact Jeff Warner at jwarner@psu.edu for details.

Romano Honored for Over 40 Years of
Penn State Leadership
The Penn State Board of Trustees on Friday, July 9, approved the
naming of a portion of the administration building at Penn State
York in honor of John J. Romano, recently retired vice president for
Commonwealth Campuses and former campus executive officer at Penn State York. After
more than four decades at Penn State, Romano retired June 30.
“John Romano served as campus executive officer at Penn State York from 1985 to 1993 and under his leadership the
campus experienced unprecedented growth both in numbers of students and in faculty and staff,” said Joel M. Rodney,
current chancellor at Penn State York. “It was John who worked with private and civic leaders to secure the transfer of 33
acres of land from the City of York and this action led to the construction of the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center
and the Lee R. Glatfelter Library in 2005. He also led the campaign that
resulted in the building of the M. S. Grumbacher Information
Sciences and Technology Center in 1991.”
The Board of Trustees allowed the campus to unveil
the building name prior to Romano giving York’s
commencement address on May 14. In a surprise
ceremony with about 100 guests in attendance,
Romano, accompanied by his wife Stephany and
daughter Alexandria, graciously accepted the honor.
From left: Joel Rodney, Penn State York chancellor (2002
- present), John Romano, former Penn State York campus executive
officer (1985 - 1993), Don Gogniat, former Penn State York campus
executive officer (1993 - 2002)
Faculty in the Spotlight
Harley Hartman, P.E. – Award winning faculty member and so much more . . .
Harley Hartman ’04, ‘08, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, has multiple spotlights shining
on him at Penn State York: as an instructor in engineering, as a member of the
Engineering Industry Advisory Committee, and as he takes on a new role as the
liaison for Penn State York’s new community partnership program called Technavate*.
Hartman keeps his professional skill sets polished through his work in the local
manufacturing community with his consulting business, H-Cubed Engineering. He
brings his experiences from working in the field into the classroom to benefit his
students. This spring he was one of the recipients of the James H. Burness Award for
Excellence in Teaching (nominations come from students and other members of the
campus community). One student wrote “I feel I learned more in his classes than
any of the others I’ve taken at Penn State.”
Hartman’s new role with Technavate* is to be the point person for the campus
and the surrounding communities, as companies in the area ask for assistance from Penn State. His job is to
evaluate the request and research the potential resources within the entire Penn State system to find the best fit for
supporting the companies’ needs.
A Penn State York alumnus, a current Penn State parent, a professional engineering licensee, an excellent instructor,
and industry/community liaison . . . all reasons why we are so Penn State proud to have Harley Hartman as a
member of our Penn State York family!

Stay Connected - Get Connected
Spring 2010: Thanks for Joining Us
WE ARE Penn State York at Disney’s Epcot
- Fire and Ice 2010
This past March, Penn State York continued
a spring tradition of bringing Florida alumni
together for some fire and ice at Epcot.
Waterfront seats for fireworks and Penn
State Berkey Creamery ice cream were
once again the highlights of the event. This
year we partnered with Harrisburg and more than doubled the
attendance. We were hosted by Central Pennsylvania Penn State Disney interns and were delighted to have retired
faculty and future Penn State alums as part of our group.
Take Your Best Shot to Support Penn State York
“No foolin” . . . on April 1 the York campus hosted its second annual sporting clays event at Central Penn Sporting
Clays to raise funds for Penn State York athletics. Old and young, seasoned and new, men and women . . . 98
shooters were on hand to enjoy perfect weather (75 degrees and sunny); compete for prizes that included four football
tickets to the 2010 Illinois game, and Bass Pro gift cards; and enjoy a post-shoot pig
roast that would compare to the best gourmet tailgate at Beaver Stadium . This year
we enjoyed the company of three celebrity station hosts to entertain and challenge
our attendees as they navigated the course: Evan Forrester, news anchor for Fox43;
Earl David Reed, radio personality and comedian;
and Rich Chilcoat, Penn State York head soccer coach.
Shooting more clays than the station hosts entered you
into drawings for a skybox date at the York Revolution sponsored by
Susquehanna Real Estate, a car detail/drive a Porsche SUV prize package
from Autohaus Lancaster, and tickets to see Earl David Reed at the Pullo
Family Performing Arts Center at Penn State York. Next year we will
expand the shoot to include a women’s division. We invite you to become
a sponsor of this exciting event – your support will make a difference in
the lives of our students. Join us on Thursday afternoon, April 21, 2011, to take aim
and fire at our third annual clay shoot for Penn State York! For more details go to www.yk.psu.edu/clayshoot or call
717-718-6781.
Fall 2010/Spring 2011: You’re invited!
Alumni in the Spotlight – Featuring Lee Stout and Ice Cream U
Visit the campus on October 21 for an ice cream social and to hear author, Lee Stout, retired head
of Public Services and Outreach for the Special Collections Library at Penn State and University
archivist for twenty-eight years, share his wealth of knowledge about Penn State, and especially
the history he has chronicled about The Penn State Berkey Creamery. Ice Cream U: The Story of
the Nation’s Most Successful Collegiate Creamery was published in 2009 and tells the story of one of
Penn State’s most popular destinations as well as the nation’s oldest and most successful creamery.
Many alumni over the years tell their own stories about waiting in line for a cone of their favorite
flavor on the way to or from class. The Penn State York Bookstore will have Ice Cream U books on site for sale, and
Stout will take time at the end of the event to sign autographs . . . a perfect holiday gift for the Penn State fan who
has everything! This event is free, but you must register in advance to assure we have enough ice cream on hand for
everyone to enjoy. For more details and to RSVP, contact Iona Conlon at 717-718-6781 or iona@psu.edu.
Engineering Reunion 2011
Penn State York engineering alumni . . . plan to join us next May for an engineering reunion in conjunction with the
grand opening of the new Ralph G. and Madeline B. Swenson Engineering Center. Renovations should be completed
by May 2011 and we want our alumni to visit and help us celebrate. Tom Parker ’60, instructor at York in 1962, and
one of his former students, Richard Dietz ‘63 are our reunion volunteer coordinators. If you would like to join the
planning team, please contact Di Hershey at 717-771-4127 or dkh13@psu.edu. Look for your invitation in the spring!

&
All Things Blue White
Newsletter Staff:
Di Hershey
Director of Development
717-771-4127
dkh13@psu.edu
Iona M. Conlon
Alumni and Development Specialist
717-718-6781
iona@psu.edu
Office of Development
1031 Edgecomb Avenue
York, PA 17403
Barbara H. Dennis
Coordinator Publications and Promotions
717-771-4128
bhd5@psu.edu
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity,
and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. YK 11-31.
Design and layout by FreshConcepts, 717-225-9966
Alumni in the Spotlight: Wigbels Receives Prestigious Award
Photos from TakeAimAtCancer.org
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
York, PA
Permit No. 1163
Jeff Wigbels ’76, recently founded TakeAimAtCancer.org to provide funding for cancer
research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Creating a support organization for
something or someone Wigbels is passionate about is nothing new for this alum. He
established Penn State’s first Chi Gamma Iota (XGI) fraternity at the York campus to
provide support for veterans, like him, who were persuing their education after they served
their country in the Vietnam War.
Wigbels’ passion for cancer research also results from a personal connection. In October
2006, the day before his wife Tiffany delivered their second child, he learned that his doctor
discovered tumors in his chest, abdomen, and brain. The initial treatment recommended
was heavy radiation and chemotherapy, but Wigbels wanted a second opinion. He
journeyed to MD Anderson to learn more about BATTLE (Biomarker-based Approaches
of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination) and began this innovative treatment
that December. His cancer has been reduced to a tumor in his lung, which has been shrunk
to half its original size. Today, Wigbels is watching his children grow up.
This past May, Wigbels received MD Anderson’s Making Cancer History Award. It is
given to individuals who truly make a difference in the lives of others by demonstrating
caring, integrity, and discovery. He shares this honor with a very prestigious group of
past recipients: Bob Schieffer, Sam Donaldson, T. Boone Pickens, and Laura Bush. The
program during the awards dinner, A Conversation With a Living Legend – the Honorable
Sam Nunn, was moderated by Bob Schieffer, and both gentlemen were on hand to
congratulate Wigbels.
You can learn more about Wigbels’ journey and commitment to fight cancer by going to TakeAimAtCancer.org.

During the 84 years that Penn State has been offering courses in York and especially during
the 54 years since our campus was founded, we have served the educational, economic and
cultural needs of our community. Thousands of our alumni continue to live and work right here in South Central
Pennsylvania and many of them continue to upgrade their job skills by taking continuing education courses either
on campus or at their places of work. We have grown from a two-year institution into one that offers eight Penn
State bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in their entirety in York.
As we proceed with our For the future campaign, Penn State York is poised to move to the next stage in our ability
to serve York’s needs in the 21 st Century by:
•
•
•
•
•
Message from the Chancellor
Joel M. Rodney, Ph.D.
Sustaining a tradition of quality with our new Edward M. Elias Science Building and remodeling our
historic Main Classroom Building to include the Ralph G. and Madeline B. Swenson Engineering Center
to accommodate our growing electro-mechanical engineering technology program
Enriching the student experience and internationalizing the campus to prepare our students to lead the way
in a global economy
Enhancing honors education to give our best students the opportunity to explore their chosen areas of
study in depth
Building faculty strength and capacity to support practical, community-befitting research that involves
students and faculty working together.
Ensuring student access and affordability by endowing scholarships to offset the constant erosion of
support from the Commonwealth to public higher education
Penn State York needs your philanthropic support more than ever before and I invite you to join us For the future of
our students, our campus and, ultimately, of our entire community.
Elias Science Building continued from other side...
During the dedication ceremony Elias’s son, Michael, shared these comments about his father. . . . “Ed Elias
loved Penn State and loved life. His family saw this for every day of his life, and experienced his passion for the
Blue and White for over fifty years. His work for the University was very
consuming. With each new campaign for the expansion of the campus,
he was able to move the campus to the next level of academic excellence.
People saw his passion and believed in his abilities to deliver, and he did
that for over thirty-five years. If I could speak for him, he would want to
express his gratitude and heartfelt thanks for this honor. He was a humble
man who loved life and Penn State. This building will provide a reminder
to each of us that with love and passion great things can be achieved.”
Following the celebration in the Elias Building, the attendees joined ticket
holders in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center for the special show
David Joyner, M.D. (left) and Jack Ham
to commemorate the grand opening : The Science of Sports: Casual
Conversations with Jack Ham and David Joyner, M.D. Ticket proceeds
and donations during the two events helped raise over $4,000 for the Penn State York Science Equipment Fund. If
you would like to make a donation to help the campus purchase equipment for the new biology and chemistry labs,
please contact Di Hershey at dkh13@psu.edu or 717-771-4127.

The Swenson legacy at Penn State York began with Ralph and Madeline
(pictured in the background) and continues today with the next two generations:
the Swenson children, Greg, Gary and Carol, and two of their granddaughters,
Jessica and Kristan. All were on hand to review the final designs for the Ralph
G. and Madeline B. Swenson Engineering Center with the architect, Frank
Dittenhafer and Dr. Joel Rodney, Penn State York’s chancellor .
The Future of Engineering at
Penn State York
Renovations are underway to transform the old
chemistry labs into a state-of-the-art engineering facility,
the Ralph G. and Madeline B. Swenson Engineering
Center, thanks to the generous $750,000 gift from the
Swenson Family Foundation. This is an exciting gift to
the campus because it celebrates three generations of
the Swenson family supporting Penn State York – the
parents, the Swenson siblings, and Ralph and Madeline’s
grandchildren.
“We are pleased and honored to carry on the legacy
of our parents and grandparents, Ralph and Madeline
Swenson, for future generations,” said members of the
Swenson family Jessica Christensen ‘04, Greg Swenson,
Carol Tanzola, Gary Swenson, and Kristan Winand.
The extensive renovation, including a new entrance
on the exterior of the existing building, will more than
quadruple the programs current electro-mechanical
engineering technology (EMET) and mechanical
engineering technology (MET) space from two labs at 1,220 square feet to three areas totaling 5,100 square feet. Total
cost of the project is approximately $1.35 million. The projected completion date is the summer of 2011.
The late Ralph G. Swenson served in numerous capacities on the Penn State York Advisory Board from 1976 to
2006. His daughter, Carol Tanzola, took over this family tradition in 2007 and continues to serve today. Equipment
and motorcycle parts that date back to the time when Swenson had a leadership role at Harley-Davidson York will be
featured in the center’s lobby area. Swenson was president of the Harley-Davidson York operation and was one of the
13 executives who purchased Harley-Davidson Inc. from AMF in 1981.
If you would like to make a gift to support this renovation project, please contact Di Hershey at 717-771-4127 or
dkh13@psu.edu.
Edward M. Elias Science Building Grand Opening – Spring 2010
Elias family members, from left: Evangeline Elias, Rosalind
Singh, Michael Elias, Ella Elias Burnard
On March 1, 2010, Penn State York celebrated our first major
success associated with the campus’ For the future Campaign – the
completion of the Edward M. Elias Science Building renovation
project. If you were a student on campus between 1970 and
2004, you would remember studying in this space – it was the
campus library. It has now been transformed into state-of-the-art
biology and chemistry labs, including the Zimmerman Biology
Lab, named in memory of Kathryn W. Zimmerman.
The grand opening brought together the Elias family, celebrity
guests (Jack Ham and David Joyner, M.D.) faculty, staff, and
friends from the York community and beyond to honor Ed Elias.
The white lab coat event (not black tie) showcased a science
theme with attendees donning white lab coats when they arrived.
Continued on other side...