Daily Brief
March 16, 2026
KU Job Fair for Educators
KU is hosting its bi-annual Job Fair for Educators 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Monday, March 16, 218 MSU, for our education students. Seventy education employers are on campus for our students. Stop by and support them as they search for their future careers.
Career Development Center
Dissertation Defense for Heather Stay
Please join the College of Education 11 a.m. Monday, March 30, 215 Beekey, for a public dissertation defense by Heather Stay, “We Need to do Better: Exploring Educators' Perspectives of Transformative, Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Learning.” The dissertation chair is Dr. Amber Pabon and the committee members are Dr. Christopher Weiler and Dr. Tabetha Bernstein-Danis.
Catherine McGeehan, College of Education, Ed.D. Program
KU hosts Internship and Job Fair
The KU Career Development Center hosted more than 80 employers for its annual Internship and Job Fair Wednesday, March 11.
University Relations
Weather
Weather forecasts are provided by KU's Dr. Michael Davis and "Monsoon Mike" Regensburger
Low pressure going through the Great Lakes will produce showers and thunderstorms. Some of those storms may be severe by the afternoon with strong winds the primary threat. High temperature near 67.
Announcements
AFSCME Membership Meeting
AFSCME 2234 members, please join us for our monthly membership meeting 5 p.m. Monday, March 16, 203 Academic Forum. If you have any questions, please feel free to bring them to the table. Dinner will be provided.
Christina Ferris, AFSCME 2234 Vice President and Biology Department Secretary
March Madness Golden Bracket Challenge
The Office of Human Resources is excited to host the March Madness Golden Bracket Challenge for the Men's and Women's NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournaments. Employees can enter the Men's Golden Bracket Challenge and the Women's Golden Bracket Challenge. The password for both bracket challenges is GoldenBears. The winner of each bracket challenge will receive a prize from the Office of Human Resources. Men's brackets must be submitted by 12:15 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Women's brackets must be submitted by 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 20.
Bradley Davis, Human Resources
PSECU Financial Education Center Closing, But Service Not Ending
The PSECU Financial Education Center, 280 McFarland Student Union, will be closing its doors Thursday, March 19, for the remainder of the year. However, PSECU remains committed to supporting the campus community, offering comprehensive banking services, financial literacy programs, on-campus ATMs, program support for student organizations and scholarship opportunities for student members while participating in campus programs such as visitation days and New Student Orientation. PSECU will remain available to assist members or those looking to open a membership and can be reached at 1-800-237-7328, extension 3838. The Campus Manager can be reached at 717-461-0099. If you have any questions, please reach out directly to PSECU or contact Anne Reel, Business Risk Manager, at 610-683-4049.
Anne Reel, Business Services
Department of Social Work Presents 22nd Annual Community Forum
The Department of Social Work will hold its annual Community Forum 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 27, Schaffer Auditorium. This year’s theme is “Bridging Knowledge and Practice: Social Work Strategies for Housing Stability” and will include speakers from New Bethany, Reading High School, Lebanon VA Medical Center, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and others. This event intends to bring knowledge about housing problems and potential solutions within Berks, Lehigh and surrounding counties. It is a great opportunity for professional networking. Admission is free with a total of six continuing education credits available, including three in ethics. Interested individuals can fill out the Community Forum registration. Additional information, including the agenda, will be added to the Kutztown Department of Social Work Events Page as it becomes available. We hope to see you there.
Christopher Harris, Social Work
Speak at Ignite!
Our Spring 2026 Ignite Kutztown event is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 135 Rickenbach, and we want you to speak. The basic idea behind Ignite is: what’s the nerdy passion you want to share with other people? Make a five-minute speech with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. This can be anything you're passionate about, from a hobby to a research subject to a general interest. It doesn't need to be about what you teach, but it could be, as long as you can cover it in five minutes. Thus far, we've had topics ranging from The Last of Us, to Apples, to Playing with Action Figures as an Adult, and many others. Here's a great video on Why and How to Give an Ignite Talk. If you're stumped for topics, there are many YouTube videos of Ignite talks from around the country. Contact cripe@kutztown.edu for more information.
Emily Cripe, Communication Studies
New Student Orientation - Save the Dates
We are excited to share the Summer 2026 New Student Orientation dates.
- Freshmen Orientation: July 8-11, July 22-25 and August 18
- Transfer Orientation: May 28, June 18, July 1, July 21 and August 19
We are ready to build off our 2025 orientation changes and look forward to collaborating with our campus partners to make 2026 even more successful.
Brett Santos, New Student Orientation
With Gratitude
I want to express my profound gratitude for all the beautiful cards and other messages of sympathy shared with me during my recent bereavement. Your support and kindness following my father's passing have been a great comfort to me. I feel lucky to work with so many caring people.
Karen Rauch, Office of the Provost
Upcoming Events
| Date | Time | Event |
| March 16-20 | -- | Spring Break |
| March 16 | 10 a.m. | Job Fair for Educators 218 MSU |
| March 16 | 5 p.m. | AFSCME Membership Meeting 203 Academic Forum |
| March 17 | 9:30 a.m. | Green Zone Training 250 MSU (RSVP) |
| March 23-27 | -- | Neurodiversity Celebration Week |
| March 23-24 | 11 a.m. | Grad Fest 218 MSU |
| March 23 | 1 p.m. | Training: Run-Hide-Fight 183 MSU (RSVP) |
| March 23 | 1 p.m. | Dissertation: Kaitlyn Herling 245 Beekey |
| March 23 | 6 p.m. | R.A.D. Training 22A Old Main (RSVP) |
| March 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Music Mondays Schaeffer Auditorium |
| March 24 | 2 p.m. | Reception: Mary Bononno 250 MSU |
| March 24 | 6 p.m. | R.A.D. Training Georgian Room (RSVP) |
| March 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Percussion Ensemble Wells-Rapp Center |
| March 26 | 11 a.m. | Phenomenal Women's Awards 218 MSU |
| March 26 | 6 p.m. | R.A.D. Training Georgian Room (RSVP) |
| March 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Planet Nine: The Search Is On Planetarium |
| March 27 | 8:30 a.m. | Social Work Community Forum Schaeffer Auditorium |
| March 28 | 9 a.m. | Accepted Students Day O'Pake Fieldhouse |
| March 28-29 | 9 a.m. | Blast Trombone Choir 114 Schaeffer |
| March 28 | 11 a.m. | Easter on the Farm Heritage Center |
| March 30 | 11 a.m. | Dissertation Defense: Heather Stay 215 Beekey |
| March 31 | 7 p.m. | Ignite! 135 Rickenbach |
Athletics
Fellin, Szeplaki Each Earn All-America Second Team at NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships
Michael Fellin placed 11th in the 60m and Andrew Szeplaki finished ninth in the pole vault as both Golden Bears earned Second Team All-America status Friday, March 13, at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Fellin, Szeplaki Earn All-America Second Team
Sports Information
Retter Earns All-America, Finishes Fifth at Wrestling National Championships
Freddie Retter concluded his wrestling season as a two-time wrestling All-American with a fifth-place performance Saturday, March 14, at the Danny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Retter Earns Wrestling All-America
Sports Information
Quartet of Golden Bears collect USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region Honors
Four Kutztown University indoor track and field student-athletes earned 2025-26 NCAA Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Atlantic Region honors. On the men's side, Michael Fellin (60m) and Andrew Szeplaki (pole vault) received the recognition, and on the women's side, Taylor Funk (pole vault) and Jensen Kraft (mile) were honored. Fellin and Szeplaki were PSAC champions in their respective events, while Funk and Kraft both finished All-PSAC with third place finishes in theirs at the PSAC Indoor Championships Feb. 28 and March 1.
Golden Bears Earn All-Atlantic Region Honors
Sports Information
| Date | Time | Event |
| March 20 | 1 p.m. | Baseball vs. Shippensburg (DH) North Campus Field (Watch | Stats) |
| March 20 | 2 p.m. | Softball vs. Mansfield (DH) North Campus Field (Watch | Stats) |
| March 21 | 1 p.m. | Women's Lacrosse vs. Millersville Keystone Field (Watch | 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 socialequity@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 01, 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.