Volume 30, No. 31
April 30, 1999
Contact: Mike Carpenter (570) 662-4848
mcarpent@mnsfld.edu
War Hero O'Grady To Speak at MU Commencement
War-hero and author Captain Scott O'Grady will provide the address
at Mansfield University's Spring Commencement Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m. on the
university's Karl Van Norman Field. Approximately 300 MU students will receive their
degrees during the ceremony.
O'Grady came to national attention during his struggle to survive when
his plane was shot down over hostile territory in war-torn Bosnia. In June 1995, O'Grady
was helping enforce the NATO no-fly zone policy in the skies over Bosnia when a
Soviet-made anti-aircraft missile slammed into his F-16. O'Grady not only survived the
missile impact, he used a variety of mental and physical survival techniques to sustain
himself in a barren and hostile landscape for six days.
O'Grady's saga brought the eyes of the nation upon him at a time of
national mourning following the Oklahoma City bombing. For nearly a week the nation
anxiously awaited while efforts were conducted to ascertain his location and condition.
Six days after O'Grady's plane was shot down, the Army, Navy, Air Force
and Marines combined their efforts and successfully rescued him. He had lost 25 pounds,
was dehydrated and was suffering from severe hypothermia.
O'Grady now serves at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, WA, as an
instructor for the Joint Survival Agency. He also tells his Bosnian survival story in his
book "Return with Honor," which spent six weeks on The New York Times best
seller list. In addition, O'Grady has published "Basher Five-Two," a children's
edition of his original story. He is one of the national spokespersons for St. Jude's
Children's Research Hospital, and is active in other charity work.
O'Grady attended the University of Washington for one year before
transferring to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. He earned a bachelor
of science degree in 1989 and was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers
Training Corps program in April 1989. Following college, O'Grady attended the Euro-NATO
Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas in 1989. O'Grady has
accumulated more than 1,300 flying hours in T-37, T-38 and F-16 aircraft, including over
1,000 in the F-16.
In the event of inclement weather, the commencement ceremonies will be
held in Decker Gym.
MU SIFE Team Wins "Rookie of the Year Award"
A team of 10 students from MU's SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) program participated in the regional competition April 13 in Philadelphia, PA capturing the "Rookie of the Year Award." SIFE encourages students to take what they are learning in different classrooms and apply it to real life situations and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach projects. MU SIFE students presented their outreach programs to a panel of national business leaders and entrepreneurs who rated the overall effectiveness of each team's efforts. Students also met with dozens of corporate representatives from the Philadelphia business community to discuss job opportunities. Abe Ghods, business and economics, is the group's advisor.
The last issue of the Updater for the 1998-99 academic year will be May 7. Publication will resume in the fall.
The hours at the Kelchner Fitness Center for Final Exam Week (May 3-6) are 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. The fitness center will be closed May 7-16 and will reopen Monday, May 17. Summer Session I hours will be Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. The fitness center will be open during Summer Session II Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and Sunday from 4-8 p.m.
There are still openings in several Center for Lifelong Learning summer day and overnight camps. High School Music Overnight Camp for youths ages 11-18 runs from July 17-24 and Youth Music Overnight Camp for children ages 8-11 runs from July 11-17. For more information or to register please contact (570) 662-4244 or E-mail: pboyce@mnsfld.edu.
Art Day Camp for children ages 6-15 is July 12-16 (8:30 - 11:30 a.m.) and Computer Day Camp for youths 4-15 runs from June 21-25 (8:30 - 11:30 am). A Saturday Non-Credit Computer workshop for Microsoft Excel is scheduled for May 15 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and a workshop for Access is scheduled for May 22 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost for each computer workshop is $50 with limited seating. For more information or to register for the art or computer camps please call (570) 662-4851 or E-mail: agaugler@mnsfld.edu.
Abe Ghods, business and economics, was named a "Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow" in recognition of leadership and support of the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) program at MU. Founded in 1975 and active on more than 600 college campuses internationally, SIFE is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with businesses and higher education to provide college students the opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.
Abe also presented a two-hour training workshop on customer services to managers and supervisors on April 22 at MU. The session emphasized factors that enhance the performance of a sound customer service program at an institution like Mansfield University. Understanding those factors can lead to proper planning, implementation, and evaluation of an effective customer service in order to develop a competitive advantage. The training session was sponsored by the Human Services Department.
Roger Hetrick was recently laterally reassigned as Systems Analyst 3 in the Information Technology Department.
R. Douglas Pinkney was laterally reassigned as director of institutional research in the Provost's office.
John Peropat was promoted to regular, full-time information technology technician.
Gary Barber was appointed refrigeration mechanic.
Scott Miller, writer/editor, has taken a position as Public Relations Director at Penn State Geisinger Health System. During his 10 years as MU, Scott was instrumental in building a strong news bureau and had several stories that went national and international. He won a national CASE award in 1992 for his work on the first night football game centennial and helped develop and maintain the MU website.
The baseball team dropped both ends of a key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader Wednesday to visiting Millersville University, 3-0, 6-2. Mansfield (30-17/13-9 PSAC East) hosts Bloomsburg University Saturday needing a sweep of its PSAC East foe to stay alive in the playoff race. Shippensburg University swept a doubleheader with West Chester Wednesday to open a two-game lead over Mansfield with two games left to play. Shippensburg (15-7 PSAC East) hosts first-place Kutztown Saturday in a conference doubleheader and can clinch the final playoff spot and second place in the East with one win or a Mountie loss. In the event of a tie for the final playoff spot, a one-game playoff will be held at a neutral site.
The MU softball team ended its 1999 season Sunday, splitting a doubleheader with Kutztown University in a PSAC match up. Mansfield won the first game 8-0 and dropped the second 1-7. In the first game, junior pitcher Kelly Morris tossed 5 1/2 innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits and striking out eight batters. Senior Steph Kent, who was in her last game ever at Lutes Field, went 3-3 with three RBI. Rosie Pagana was 2-3 with two RBI and one run scored and Kirsten Stevens was 2-3 with one RBI. Mansfield ends its regular season at 19-19 overall and 9-15 in the conference.
The MU men's and women's track teams each had impressive showings in a home meet involving five other schools Saturday afternoon. Lamar Crawford won three individual events, and Dave Coyle took firsts in two others as the Mountie men placed second. Crawford won the high, long and triple jumps, while Coyle won the 200 and 400 meters. Dave Banyar won the javelin event.
In women's competition, the Mountaineers tied Robert-Wesleyan for team-high honors with 133 points. Nichole Beckel won the 3000-meter run for the Mountaineers, Kim Carman won the pole vault event while Karen Krouse won the discus.
'This is one of the great, obscure topics," A historian on the subfield of bachelor studies in the April 30 issue of "The Chronicle of Higher Education."