Daily Brief
April 23, 2024
Astronomy Outreach: Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse in Ohio
Kutztown University’s Observatory Director, Dr. Phill Reed, and Planetarium Assistant Lauren Murphy, took their outreach on the road for the recent total solar eclipse. They set up in Lakewood Park on the shore of Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, and shared conversations and telescope views with countless people. The 60-mm Hydrogen-alpha telescope gave a red view of the Sun that showed spots and surface granulation. The eight-inch telescope’s white-light solar filter revealed more details of the three large pairs of sunspots, as well as silhouettes of lunar mountains during the partial eclipse phase. The real show was during totality, when bright pink flares and prominences looked like gigantic flames through the unfiltered telescope and when “beads” of sunlight could be seen beaming through the valleys in the Moon’s mountainous skyline. The viewing event took place throughout the afternoon Monday, April 8, and totality lasted from 15:13:28 to 15:17:23 (3 minutes, 55 seconds). Photos are courtesy of John Rivera-Resto.
C. R. Chambliss Astronomical Observatory and KU Planetarium
Rare Bird Visits KU
A rare bird was discovered in a retention pond on campus by Dr. Greg Setliff, biology, and his zoology class while on a campus walk on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 16. Setliff described a usual marsh bird with long legs that held its tail up and walked funny. This turned out to be a King Rail – a secretive marsh bird that is rarely seen in Pennsylvania. To put this rarity into perspective, the last sighting of a King Rail in Berks County was in 1958. The rail appeared to stay at KU for just a one-day stopover during its spring migration. This sighting highlights the importance of native habitats, even small ones, for supporting wildlife in suburban landscapes.
Todd Underwood, Biology
FDI Debate Competition
Kutztown University's Frederick Douglass Institute's new debate team, The North Stars, participated in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) FDI Research and Debate Conference held at Millersville University on April 9-10. The debate resolution was: "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should implement school choice in K-12 education." School choice is a prominent topic nationally as politicians consider utilizing federal, state, and local education funding for school vouchers to subsidize private and religious school tuition.
Mark-Handy Phanor (Political Science, '26) and Damaiya Turner (Criminal Justice, '27) proudly represented Kutztown University in the FDI debate competition. Their participation underscored their dedication and the caliber of education at Kutztown. In preparation for the competition, the students underwent rigorous training on debate conventions, rhetoric, and public speaking led by Dr. Amber Pabon (FDI Director, Associate Professor) and Mr. Dan Sleiman (EdD Transformative Teaching and Learning '26). During the competition, The North Stars engaged in debates, networked with peers, and honed valuable skills. Most notably, Phanor and Turner emerged victorious in their first round. FDI invites everyone to celebrate our accomplished debaters!
FDI expresses gratitude to the Provost’s Office, Student Success, the KU Foundation, and the Business Office, as well as Dr. Joseph Croskey, the FDI Executive Committee, FDI Executive Director, and Dr. Denise Pearson, Vice Chancellor, for their generous support.
Sienna Sky, The Fredrick Douglass Institute
Weather
Weather forecasts are provided by KU's Dr. Michael Davis and "Monsoon Mike" Regensburger
Strong high pressure gives us another lovely day with mostly sunny skies and temperatures a little milder than yesterday, topping out at about 67. Southerly breezes at about 15 mph. Clouds increase tonight ahead of a cold front.
Announcements
Sidewalk Sale
KU Campus Store's Sidewalk Sale will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, April 23, 218 MSU. Stop in and shop deeply discounted items from apparel and gifts to art supplies. This sale is excluded from online and while supplies last. We will have music and yard games in addition to the sale. We hope to see you here.
Kyle Rex, KUSSI
Open Hour with Provost
Faculty, staff and students are invited to drop by and chat with Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, during her open office hour 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, Old Main concourse. Faculty and staff who would like to have a conversation, but for whom this time does not work, are welcome to contact the Office of the Provost at 610-683-4155 to schedule a time to meet.
Anne Imschweiler, Office of the Provost
Empowering Kutztown University Faculty and Staff: Integrating Generative AI into Your Work
Join us noon Thursday, May 2, for an enlightening Lunch and Learn session provided by KU ADVANCE. Learn to harness the potential of generative AI in your professional and personal life. This session on AI promises to be an exciting lunch hour, offering a deep dive into the fundamentals of generative AI, its practical applications and the ethical considerations it entails. Through interactive activities and collaborative strategy development, you'll gain hands-on experience and the skills necessary to seamlessly integrate AI tools into your daily life. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of AI integration, enhancing efficiency and innovation in your work at Kutztown University. Register now to secure your spot and start your journey towards becoming an AI-savvy professional.
Office of Vice Provost
Senior Exhibition for BFA in Art
Seniors earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art are having their Senior Exhibition in the Miller Gallery April 20-28.
Karen Stanford, CVPA Galleries and Community Outreach
Academics
History Year-End Celebration
The Department of History's Year-End Celebration was held Tuesday, April 16. Winners included:
- Beck American History Award: Jacob Galle.
- Mazzaferri Award: Jordan Folks.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Award: Melissa Fatzinger.
- Outstanding Seniors in History: Sam Dunlap, Josh Hudak, Alyssa Katz, Jevin Lippincott, Jenna Shupp and Aaron Wessner.
- Outstanding Minor: Sarah Lazarchak.
- Willits Scholarship: Leilani Neal.
- Story Scholarship: Olivia Bing.
- Mazzaferri Scholarship: Anthony Batista, Ella Czeiner and Alexis Wright.
- Yashek Scholarship: Nikolai Kochel.
Michael Gabriel, History
Employment Opportunities
These are the non-instructional positions open on our online job board at http://employment.kutztown.edu (Menu to OOC postings):
Job Number | Job Title | Job Term | Advertise To |
2024-0028 (internal) | NEW - PT Heritage Center Research Access & Clerical Assistant (internal) |
PT | 4/26/2024 |
OOC 24-12 | ASA Executive Director for Administration | FT | 5/1/2024 |
2024-0045 | APEX Government Marketing Specialists | FT | 4/26/2024 |
2024-0056 | Patrol Officer Trainee | FT | 5/5/2024 |
2024-0055 | Patrol Officer | FT | 5/5/2024 |
2024-0035 | Key & Lock / Card Access Specialist | FT | Continuous |
OOC 24-10 | Staff Attorney (Transactional) | FT | 4/28/2024 |
2024-0027 | MR2 HVAC/Plumbing | FT | 4/28/2024 |
2023-0183 | Budget Analyst | FT | Continuous |
2023-0168 | Landscape Maintenance Specialist | FT | Continuous |
23-24 Custodial Pool | 23-24 Custodial Worker 1 Pool | FT | 6/28/2024 |
23-24 Clerical Asst Pool | 23-24 Clerical Assistant Pool | FT | 6/28/2024 |
23-24 Asst Coaches | 23-24 Assistant Athletic Coaches | PT | 6/28/2024 |
Upcoming Events
Date | Time | Event |
April 23 | 10 a.m. | Sidewalk Sale 218 MSU |
April 23 | 11 a.m. | CSIT Thesis Presentation Zoom |
April 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Concert: Rock Ensemble III Schaeffer Auditorium |
April 24-27 | -- | Bearfest 45 Campus |
April 24 | 11:30 a.m. | Dissertation Defense: Kealsey McNeil Zoom |
April 24 | 3 p.m. | Open Hour with Provost Old Main Concourse |
April 24 | 3 p.m. | Hip-Hop at KU: Graffiti Workshop 113 Sharadin |
April 24 | 7 p.m. | Hip-Hop at KU: Writing Workshop Multicultural Center |
April 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Concert: Rock Ensemble II Schaeffer Auditorium |
April 25 | 11 a.m. | University Curriculum Committee Zoom |
April 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Council of Trustees Committee Meetings 322, 323, 324, 325 MSU |
April 25 | 3 p.m. | Council of Trustees Plenary Session 250 MSU |
April 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Concert: Rock Ensemble I Schaeffer Auditorium |
April 29 | 1 p.m. | Title III Grant Information Session Zoom |
April 30 | 9 a.m. | LVHN Mobile Mammograms Student Recreation Center |
April 30 | Noon | Title III Grant Information Session 183 MSU |
April 30 | 3 p.m. | AVP and Dean of Students: Candidate A 183 MSU |
April 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Hip-Hop at KU: Showcase Schaeffer Auditorium |
May 2 | Noon | Integrating Generative AI into Your Work Zoom (RSVP) |
Athletics
Tickets: Baseball to Play at Coca-Cola Park Thursday, May 2
For the first time in program history, the Kutztown University baseball team will take the stage at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, for a doubleheader against East Stroudsburg University 10:35 a.m. Thursday, May 2. Tickets are available for purchase. Parking at Coca-Cola Park will be free and some concessions will be available. The Iron Pigs team store will also be open to fans during the games. Fans can follow the game via live stats on kubears.com, or can tune into the stream on the PSAC Sports Digital Network.
Sports Information
Date | Time | Event |
April 23 | 1 p.m. | Softball vs. Millersville (DH) North Campus Field (Video | Stats) |
April 26 | 1 p.m. | Baseball vs. Shippensburg (DH) North Campus Field (Video | Stats) |
April 27 | Noon | Women's Lacrosse vs. Millersville Keystone Field (Video | Stats) |
Accommodations
Persons with a disability, and who require accommodation, should notify the Disability Services Office two weeks prior to the event at 610-683-4108 or email DSO@kutztown.edu, TDD number: 610-683-4499, in order to discuss accommodations. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations. Please note: Kutztown University does not provide wheelchairs or other mobility devices.
Non-Discrimination Statement
Kutztown University does not discriminate in employment or educational opportunities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. To discuss a complaint of discrimination, please contact the Office of Social Equity, Old Main A-Wing, Room 02, by phone at 610-683-4700 or by email at pena@kutztown.edu. Pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Kutztown University does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, including admissions and employment. Any inquiries regarding the application of Title IX at Kutztown University may be made to Bradley Davis, the university’s Title IX coordinator, located in Old Main A-Wing, Room 02A, by phone at 610-683-4782 or by email at titleix@kutztown.edu. You may also contact the Office for Civil Rights located in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg., 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-1100, by phone at 800-421-3481 (TDD: 800-877-8339), by fax at 202-453-6012, or by email at OCR@ed.gov.