Daily Brief

5th Annual Keystone Symposium on Mathematical Research by High School Students

The 5th Annual Keystone Symposium on Mathematical Research by high school students will be held 3:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in 241 Lytle Hall. The presentations will have a strong and essential mathematical component which are centered on pure or applied mathematics or statistics and related areas such as computer science, physics, biostatistics, engineering and economics. It is a slightly different style of high school mathematics and is based on an Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) model, which means the work the students do is original to them with direction from faculty, where appropriate, and is an authentic celebration of the great work of students. The program consists of fifteen-minute oral presentations by students followed by questions from a five-member panel of judges. The judges rate the presentations on rigor, quality and clarity.

Dr. McLoughlin, Department of Mathematics

Ed.D. Student to Co-Facilitate sessions at 2026 PDE ELD Conference

Carrie Skinfill, a doctoral student in Kutztown University's Ed.D. in Transformational Teaching and Learning, will join colleagues to present two sessions at the Pennsylvania Department of Education 2026 English Language Development Conference. She will co-lead the session, "Culture of Collaboration: Formal and Informal Pathways to Impactful ELD Coaching," 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17. Skinfill will partner with other educators for "Preparing Students to Earn the Seal of Biliteracy," 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19. The annual conference, which runs from Tuesday, Nov. 17 to Thursday, Nov. 19, takes place online and is open to all interested parties.

Cathy McGeehan, Education Doctorate Program

Tower: Relics Advance Student Research

From research to exhibition. Julia Sweeney ’26 spent a year uncovering the history of centuries-old religious folk art. Her research came to life through an exhibition at Kutztown University's Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center. Read more about Sweeney's work in the Fall 2026 issue of Tower.

University Relations

AFSCME 2234 Holiday Party

AFSCME 2234 members: Don't forget to return your attendance for our Members 2026 Holiday Party by Monday, Nov. 9, to Chris Ferris, Tracy Reidenhour or Veronique Vlaun. This event will take place Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Kutztown Fire Company Social Hall.

Christina Ferris, Biology, AFSCME 2234

"Beach Day" Joanne Polk Guest Artist Performance

Kutztown University will feature renowned American pianist Joanne Polk 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, Schaeffer Auditorium. Polk is famous for raising awareness of Amy Beach and her music in the modern classical world. Beach (1867-1944) was the first published female composer in America. In honor of her legacy, Polk will showcase a brilliant performance of her music. Polk extends her visit at KU with a presentation at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, "Beyond the Notes: Finding Your Voice as a Musician," and a piano masterclass at noon. Both of these events are at the Wells-Rapp Center.

Kevin Grifone, Music

Spotlight On Mental Health Event

Please join us Tuesday, Nov. 10, 223 MSU, for our Spotlight on Mental Health Event, a collaboration between the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, the Women's Center, It's On Us, the Office of Military and Veterans Services and the Health and Wellness Center.
Schedule:
- 11 a.m. to noon, Keynote Speaker, Sara Lowery
- Noon to 2:30 p.m., Mental Health Resource Fair
- 3 p.m., Documentary screening with documentarian Nicole Amelio-Casper, "The Journey Back to Normal: A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD"
- 4:30-6 p.m., Panel discussion and Q&A with PTS resource providers

Student Affairs

Veterans Day Flag-Raising & Lowering Announcement

Please join us as we honor and recognize our veterans in observance of Veterans Day, Nov. 11. We will be holding a flag-raising at 8 a.m. and a flag-lowering ceremony at 4:30 p.m. to show our appreciation and respect for all those who have served our country.
Join us at the MSU flag for a Red Button group picture, noon Friday, Nov. 13. Please wear your buttons or red on Friday and join us in support of soldiers deployed. We encourage everyone to come out, participate and help us honor our veterans. Thank you to all who have served.

Brianna Mazza, Military and Veteran Services

Military Care Package Donation Drive And Packaging Event

Final reminder to contribute to our Military Care Package Donation Drive in support of our deployed service members.
We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support shown by our campus community. If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, there is still time. We will pick up all donation boxes from campus on Wednesday, Nov. 11, so please drop off any donations before then.
Collection box locations:
- 231 Beekey
- 223 Boehm
- 207 DF
- 205 Graduate Center
- Human Resources Office
- 262 MSU
- MSU Outside Cub Cafe
- Old Main, 5th floor
- 214 Rickenbach Learning Center
- 210 Sharadin
- 109 Stratton
- 113 Stratton
- 215 Stratton
If you're unsure what to contribute, we have put together an Amazon Wishlist with items that would be great additions to our care packages. Every donation makes a difference and helps us show our deployed service members that their campus community is thinking of them and appreciates their service and sacrifice.
Thank you again for your support to make this initiative a success.

Brianna Mazza, Military and Veterans Services

Understanding the International Student Journey

KU faculty and staff are invited to join the International Office to learn about the challenges international students face when coming to and while studying in the United States. Understanding these experiences can help the campus better support international students and recognize the important role they play in students’ academic and personal success. The presentation will take place 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 17, 317 Stratton.
The presentation is being held as part of International Education Week, an annual initiative by the U.S. Department of State that celebrates and promotes international and intercultural educational programming.

Peter Rodenberg, Office of International Education and Global Engagement

Holiday Boxes 2026

In collaboration with Friend Inc., the Community Outreach Center (COC) is hosting its annual Holiday Box drive to support local families in need. Please consider donating a box from your office. Completed boxes must be delivered to the COC by Thursday, Nov. 19. Please email Amanda Garcia if you need your box picked up. Thank you for your generosity.

Amanda Garcia, Community Outreach Center

Free IP Education Coming to PA’s Creative Entrepreneurs Through New Statewide Series

Artists, designers, makers, musicians, writers and other creative business owners across Pennsylvania will soon have new resources to understand and protect their work. The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (PASBDC), headquartered at Kutztown University, have been awarded a Pennsylvania Creative Industries Innovation and Impact Grant to launch The IP Simplifier Series for PA Creatives and Small Business Owners. For creatives, intellectual property (IP) is often their most valuable business asset. This three-year, $300,000 statewide initiative, running September 2026 through August 2029, makes copyrights, trademarks, patents and licensing, practical and approachable. The series will offer 36 monthly webinars with recordings available online, in-person IP workshops in eastern and western Pennsylvania, an IP toolkit and workbook available at SBDC locations statewide and five self-paced online courses that will remain publicly available after the grant ends. Through PASBDC’s partnership with the Penn State Law Intellectual Property Clinic, participants will also have a clear next step when they’re ready to formally protect their work. Dates and registration details will be announced in 2027.

Sarah Mailloux, Pennsylvania SBDC Lead Office

Chambliss Undergraduate Student Academic Achievement Awards

Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate undergraduate students graduating in December 2026 or May 2027 for this prestigious award. The nomination deadline is Monday, Feb. 8, 2027. Nominees should exemplify an exceptional individual achievement in one or more categories. See the Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Awards webpage for more details and use the Chambliss Undergraduate Student Academic Achievement Nomination Form to submit a nomination.

Heather Arbuckle, Grants & Sponsored Projects

Can We Still Talk? The Constitution, Disagreement, and Our Shared Future

I've recently been able to join several FYS courses and speak about free speech and bias on public college campuses.  To help keep this conversation going on our campus with staff, faculty and students I encourage you to join "Can We Still Talk? The Constitution, Disagreement, and Our Shared Future," 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, Zoom. Jeffrey Rosen, a nationally known constitutional scholar and author, will host the official kickoff of IUP’s Center for Civic Dialogue. We’ll connect the Constitution to a question we all face: how do we live, and keep talking, with people whose views we strongly oppose?

Jerry Schearer, Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity & Inclusion

Faculty Diversity Service Award - Deadline Extended

The deadline for the 2026-27 Faculty Exceptional Service Award for Diversity has been extended to Sunday, Nov. 15.
We welcome nominations of faculty who have provided support to historically underrepresented and at-risk members of the university community. More information about the criteria can be found on the nomination form. Nominations can be made by faculty, staff or students.

KU Faculty Exceptional Service Award for Diversity Nomination Form 2026-2027

Jerry Schearer, Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity & Inclusion

Kim Recognized as SMA Research Fellow

Dr. Jayden Kim, professor of Sport Management, was named a Research Fellow of the Sport Marketing Association (SMA) at its annual conference, held Oct. 28-30 in Baltimore, Maryland. This prestigious recognition acknowledges his sustained commitment to scholarly excellence and significant contributions to research in sport marketing and business. An internationally recognized scholar, Kim has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and delivered more than 100 presentations at national and international conferences. His research focuses on neuromarketing, consumer behavior, brand management and emerging media technologies. Kim holds Research Fellow distinctions from both SMA and the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM).

SMA Research Fellow

Soojin Kim, Sport Management