Daily Brief

Science Olympiad at KU

Meet Hannah Wolfe, a junior Secondary Education English major who played a key role in last week's Central East Regional Science Olympiad. This annual event brings together more than 600 middle and high school students from across eastern Pennsylvania to compete in more than 40 events and showcase their STEM skills. Wolfe served as a Science Olympiad assistant, helping coordinate volunteers, secure raffle sponsors, support social media efforts and ensure the event ran smoothly from setup to breakdown. She also helped create a welcoming and organized environment for both students and volunteers throughout the day. “I love the community and the opportunity to build connections. It is exciting to see students show off what they know and be recognized for it. Being part of something that encourages students to explore STEM and think about their future is incredibly rewarding,” Wolfe said. Through this experience, Wolfe gained hands-on exposure working with students while strengthening her communication skills, building confidence in professional settings and preparing for her future career as an educator. Watch the feature on WFMZ 69 News.

University Marketing/Social Media

Celebrate Springtime Traditions at Easter on the Farm March 28

Celebrate Pennsylvania German Easter traditions and the vibrant folk culture of the region at Easter on the Farm, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 28, at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. Easter on the Farm is a free, fun and educational event for the whole family featuring folklife demonstrations, live musical performances by some of the region’s finest folk musicians, kids’ activities, animals, local folk artists and our annual Easter egg hunts (12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.).

Easter on the Farm

University Relations

Healthy KU Health Fair

The Health and Wellness Center invites all students, faculty and staff to the Healthy KU Health Fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, 218 MSU. Enjoy interactive activities with various local health and wellness partners. Small-group demonstrations of healthy movement led by KU students and faculty. Student attendees can receive a t-shirt or tote while supplies last.

Shannon Merkey, Health and Wellness Center

Ingeniux CMS Accessibility Training

Accessibility is not a feature, it is the foundation of an inclusive web. Ingeniux CMS Accessibility Training will take place 10 a.m. Tuesdays, and 1 p.m. Thursdays, 200 Stratton. This training introduces key principles and practices to help ensure your website content is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. You’ll learn how accessibility strengthens usability, supports legal and ethical responsibilities and creates better experiences for all users. This training is for anyone working in the Ingeniux content management system. Registration is required for this training.

Kelly Smith, Marketing and Communications

Rescheduled AFSCME 2234 Membership Meeting

AFSCME 2234 will hold its March membership meeting 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 203 Academic Forum. Since the university closed Monday, March 16, we hope the new date will work with your schedule. Please plan to attend; dinner will be provided.

Christina Ferris, Biology, AFSCME 2234 Vice President

New Spin Class

We have a new spin class 12:15-1 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, South Studio, Student Recreation Center. Our graduate assistant, Mikaela Scott, is the instructor. Reserve your bike by preregistering for the class.

Tracy Turner, Recreational Services

Better Than Heroes: Live-Action Dungeons and Dragons

We invite you to embark on this legendary quest that is about to unfold and this time you won't just hear the story, you'll watch it come to life. The Office of Student Involvement is hosting Better than Heroes, a live‑action Dungeons and Dragons event, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28, Schaeffer Auditorium, featuring a cast of comedians who will step into character, roll the dice and improvise their way through a chaotic, hilarious fantasy adventure. Think epic battles, questionable decisions, dramatic monologues and jokes that hit harder than a critical strike. Join us for a night of laughter, storytelling and unpredictable D&D mayhem. Tickets are required for all who embark on this quest. Acquire your ticket online at no cost to our KU community members or $5 for outside friends and family.

Better Than Heroes Tickets

Laura Fenimore, Student Involvement

Speculative Fiction Examples of Neurodiversity Talk

Drawing on pop culture, critical autism studies and personal experience, Tara McMullin, autistic writer and critic, makes the case that speculative fiction offers a window into not-so-alien minds, inviting audiences not only to connect with neurodivergent-coded characters but also to navigate the world through their perspective. During her presentation on “Expanding Empathic Bandwidth: Speculative Fiction and the Double Empathy Problem,” at 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 30, 218A MSU, McMullin asks how can we imagine minds that work differently from our own? Contrary to popular belief, neurodivergent people do this every day by navigating a social world that is constructed on neurotypical scripts and assumptions and taking on the burden of bridging the gap between themselves and others. Neurotypical people, by contrast, often simply lack the access to neurodivergent interiority that would make doing more of that work possible. Speculative fiction, and any authentic representation of neurodivergence on the page or screen, becomes essential to expanding our empathic bandwidth. Bring your lunch, enjoy a talk and expand your bandwidth. Sponsored by the Title III Grant.

Title III Grant Upcoming Events

Becki Fogerty, Academic Affairs

Miller-Keystone Blood Drive

Miller-Keystone Blood Center will be at the Student Recreation Center Wednesday, April 1. Register online to reserve your donation time slot and make a life-saving contribution. Every donation matters.

Community Outreach Center

Midterm Progress Survey Available

The Spring 2026 Midterm Progress Survey will be available for faculty in Starfish Tuesday, March 24 through Thursday, April 2. This is a great opportunity to support and motivate students. Faculty are encouraged to use the survey to send kudos to acknowledge strong performance, reinforce positive habits and encourage students to finish the semester strong. The survey also allows faculty to raise flags of concern for students who may be in danger of failing, who might benefit from withdrawing or who are facing specific academic challenges. Each kudos and flag message includes the option to add additional content, with two templates fully open to personal messages. All message templates can be viewed in Starfish D2L. If you have any questions, please email starfish@kutztown.edu, call 610-683-4106 or join a Starfish Express Workshop.

Nancy Brynildsen, Center for Student Success & Academic Excellence

UGRC Student Workshop Series: Inclusive Research Practices

Please encourage your students to attend this week's UGRC Student Workshop Series, 11 a.m. Thursday, March 26, 287 Old Main, "Inclusive Research Practices: Whose Story Matters?" Panelists Ali Akarcesme, Brenda Muzeta, Amber Pabon and Leslie Sotomayor will focus on methods, data, outcomes and how researchers don’t always ask who the research is built around or who gets left out. This collaborative presentation highlights three case studies centering inclusive research practices. Attendees will be invited to critically reflect on their own research practices.

Undergraduate Research and Creativity Workshop Series

Lynn M Kutch, Undergraduate Research and Creativity