Daily Brief

Celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week with Filmmaker Alice Wu

Come celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week with director and filmmaker Alice Wu 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, Boxwood House or Zoom for a Q&A. The event will be followed by a screening of Wu's pivotal film "Saving Face," now a part of the Criterion Collection, 4 p.m. in 116 MSU.

Liz Van Verth, LGBTQ+ Resource Center and Allies

History Department Celebrates Anne Cardinal

At the recent History Awards ceremony held Tuesday, April 21, department secretary Anne Cardinal was recognized and gifted an honorary plaque for her 15 years of dedicated service to the students and faculty of the history department. Congratulations, Anne, and best wishes in your continued work here at Kutztown University. You are golden today and always.

John Stanley, Society, History and Culture

History Year End Celebration

The Department of History held its year-end celebration Tuesday, April 21. Congratulations to the following students:
Scholarship Winners
- Willits: Arthur Giza
- Story: Owen Rector
- Mazzaferri: Juliette Crowell, Mark Moser, Patrick Moran
- Yashek: Xander Hirsch, Keiyana Mosley
Senior Awards
- Beck: Ryan Ward
- Mazzaferri: Ella Czeiner
- Outstanding Seniors: Leilani Neal, David Hunsicker, Courtney Bray, Chelsea Garcia
- MLK, Jr: Leilani Neal
- Outstanding Minor: Logan Kade
Mu Xi Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta Inductees
-Ragen Bower, Juliette Crowell, Jack DeMicoli, Ryan Dibella, Sean Donnelly, Shane Fraser, Chelsea Garcia, Jordan Gutkin, Owen Leidy, Cayley Minner, Gavin Pierson, Molly Schaffner, Dominic Zientara

John Stanley, Society, History and Culture

AI in Practice: Faculty Forum Brings Disciplines Together

On Thursday, April 23, a full house gathered for CEL’s "How Am I Using AI?" Faculty Forum, part of an ongoing workshop series that continues to draw strong engagement from the KU community. This practice-centered session brought participants together to examine how AI is being integrated across disciplines. Flash talks by Donna DeMarco, Junior Robson, Greg Kaufinger and Chris Habeck offered concrete examples ranging from developing shared approaches to AI to building course-specific agents, rethinking assessment and working with complex datasets. The session moved from focused presentations into an open, lively discussion, with presenters, attendees and guests actively engaged in asking questions, sharing experiences and offering support. The level of participation reflected sustained interest in exploring how AI is shaping teaching and research at KU. The conversation reinforced several priorities: aligning AI use with student learning outcomes and research goals, examining assessment practices with care and creating opportunities for faculty to share emerging approaches. As with other recent CEL programming, the workshop highlighted the value of structured, faculty-driven dialogue in making sense of rapidly evolving challenges in higher education.

CEL Programs and Events

Center for Engaged Learning

College of Business Dean Search Candidates

Candidates for the position of dean of the College of Business will visit campus today, Monday, April 27 to Friday, May 1. Please view the website for candidate information and a schedule of open forums available for faculty, staff and students. Candidates' names and vitae will be posted two business days prior to their visit.
- Candidate A, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, April 27, 183 MSU
- Candidate B, 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, 183 MSU
- Candidate C, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 183 MSU
- Candidate D, 10:45-11:45 a.m. Friday, May 1, 107 de Francesco

Dean of the College of Business Search

Katie Bowen, College of Business

Scoop Night at Rita's with KU Chamber Players

Join the KU Chamber Players 6-8 p.m. Monday, April 27, at Rita's in Kutztown for an evening of live chamber music and sweet treats. Bring a friend, or two, grab your favorite ice cream and make it a cozy, musical night while supporting the players.

Engage

Maya Strava Kokkinou, Music

KUR Interviews President Cavalier

If you missed Dr. Philip Cavalier as the special interview guest on Kutztown University Radio (KUR) Wednesday, April 22, you can hear it on-demand. 

Mike Regensburger, KUR

Dissertation Defense for Margaret Lerch

Please join the College of Education 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 213 Beekey, for a public dissertation defense by Margaret Lerch, "Resonant Cracks in the Music Curriculum: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in the Secondary Music Classroom." The dissertation chair is Dr. Christopher Weiler and the committee members are Dr. Amber Pabon and Dr. David Ramage.

Catherine McGeehan, College of Education, Ed.D. program

Kutztown SBDC to Host Illuminate Berks County Event Connecting Entrepreneurs and Resources

The Small Business Development Center at Kutztown University (KUSBDC) will host the third annual Illuminate Berks County event 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading. The event is designed to bring together Kutztown University students, faculty, entrepreneurs, small-business owners and community members to connect, collaborate and build a stronger local economy. As more individuals look for how to start a business in Pennsylvania, register a business in Pennsylvania and market a business online, Illuminate Berks County offers direct access to trusted resources and support. Attendees will enjoy dinner, free professional headshots and opportunities to engage with regional resource partners who provide guidance on how to grow a small business in Pennsylvania and promote a business locally. The event creates an accessible space for individuals at any stage, whether they are exploring a business idea or actively growing a company. Illuminate Berks County also highlights Kutztown University’s role in regional economic development by connecting the campus community with real-world entrepreneurial resources and opportunities. Participants will leave with new connections, practical insights and a clearer path forward for their business goals. “The event brings together the heart of Berks County, our small-business owners that keep our community engaged,” said Rachael Wolfe, consulting manager at KUSBDC. As part of the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) network, KUSBDC provides no-cost, confidential consulting to help businesses start, grow and prosper.

Illuminate Berks County Dinner RSVP

Rachael Wolfe, Kutztown Small Business Development Center

ACT Presents: Company

Kutztown University's fully student-run theater group Actors Creating Theater (ACT) is performing "Company" 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30, 7 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 2, Schaeffer Little Theater. From musical theatre's most renowned composer, Company is largely regarded as Stephen Sondheim’s best work and the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book.

Tickets for Company

Derek Mace, ACT Advisor

Healthcare Open Enrollment for SSHE Employees

For APSCUF Faculty and Coaches, Non-Represented, OPEIU Nurses, POA/SPFPA Security and Police Employees:
You received an email Monday, April 20, about open enrollment for the PASSHE SSHE Healthcare Plan. Open enrollment is only for two weeks: Monday, April 20 to Friday, May 1. Coverage will be effective July 1, 2026. More details are online. If you would like to sign up for healthcare, cancel your healthcare, add or remove family members/dependents, you will need to do this during the two-week open enrollment period. The only other time you can make these changes is if there is a qualified life change. If you are adding a family member to your plan, you must enter them into the "My Family Members" tile before you can add them to your plan. You will also need to provide confirmation documentation, such as a marriage license, birth certificate, adoption paperwork, etc., to the HR office within two weeks of adding them to your plan for your dependents to be eligible for the coverage. For a spouse, you will need to complete additional paperwork for them to qualify for healthcare coverage. Please reach out to HR for these forms. Tip - Look for the tiny "Next" button at the very bottom of the page to move through the enrollment process. Healthy U Current Plan Holders: there are only six weeks left for you to complete the Healthy U annual survey to qualify for the lower healthcare premium. If you have not completed the survey, please make sure to do so ASAP. The rates are increasing for next year and you will pay significantly more for your plan.

Elisabeth Manwiller, Human Resources

DSW Dissertation Defense for Faith King

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Social Work are pleased to announce Faith King will defend her Doctor of Social Work dissertation, “Exploring Color-Blind Racial Attitudes and Critical Race Theory Informed Beliefs among School Social Workers ,” noon to 2 p.m. Monday, May 4, via Zoom. The dissertation chair is Dr. Juliana Svistova.

Juliana Svistova, DSW Program Director, Social Work

President's Open Hour

Faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by and talk with President Cavalier during his open hour 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 4, MSU Fireside Lounge. President Cavalier welcomes your thoughts, concerns and suggestions regarding KU.

Office of the President