November 2012 Archives

Paterno Fellows have a special interest in undergraduate research since they are required to complete a senior thesis as members of the Schreyer Honors College.  And the Discovery Grant--$3000--for research to be completed next summer.  Do plan to apply--the deadline is February 8--particularly if you are now in your junior year (but freshmen and sophs are also eligible).  You have a very good chance to win one of the grants, and the application process is really pretty simple.

There will be two opportunities for students to prepare competitive applications.  First, on Monday, December 17, from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. in 124 Sparks, there will be an overview and Q&A session for interested students. (If you cannot attend this session, write to Barb Edwards at bae1@psu.edu and she will arrange a make-up session.)  On December 17 the application process will be reviewed (it is indeed really pretty simple) and most of all, advice will be offered on how to come up with a compelling topic for research.  Then during the second week of classes in January, there will be an info session on the applications themselves (with examples of past successful proposals).

Note Well:  For the past few years the College of the Liberal Arts has had more Discovery Grant winners than any other PSU college.  The biggest reason, of course, is the quality of our students. (If you go to the Discovery Grant site, you can find a list of previous winners and the titles of their projects.  Many of the winners are Liberal Arts Paterno Fellows.)

But another reason is that Liberal Arts cooperates with Old Main in funding worthy Discovery Grant applicants.  That means Paterno Fellows have an excellent chance of being funded--if they apply!  So do plan on putting forward an application, and do plan on coming to the info session on December 17. 

You have a darn good chance to win, in other words.  So give it a try!
For students unable to attend this workshop, an additional information session is scheduled for Monday, December 10, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. in room 107 of the HUB.  Please refer to the event flyer for more information on this session.

Congratulations to Rachel Franceschino:  she was just elected 2013 Panhellenic Council President.  A double major in Political Science and in Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Rachel will be responsible for overseeing the governing body for Penn State's twenty-two nationally or internationally affiliated sorority chapters. The Panhellenic Council unifies and oversees the various sororities and serves as their collective link to the campus and surrounding communities. PHC works throughout the year to organize events of common interest to the more than 2,000 women that belong to PSU chapters. 

Read the Collegian story about Rachel's election here:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/11/13/New_Panhellenic_Council_president_elected.aspx

Paterno Fellows will receive $1,500-$5,000 from the College of the Liberal Arts toward meeting their research, study abroad, and internship aspirations; and build a portfolio of experiences that will influence employers, professional schools, and graduate schools. These are the types of experiences that prepare students for leadership and that students and alumni describe as the most defining and unforgettable moments in their college careers.

The priority application deadline for spring 2013 College of the Liberal Arts Enrichment Applications is Saturday, December 1, 2012.  Students should apply for funds through the Liberal Arts Enrichment Funds online system, and indicate that they are in the Paterno Fellows Program.

For more information, please see: http://blogs.la.psu.edu/laus-announcements/2012/10/spring-2013-enrichment-funds-application-priority-deadline-december-1.html

On Monday, October 22, the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board met with Jack Selzer to discuss ideas for enhancing the program. Attending were Briana Adams, Sean Dooling, Laura Dzwonczyk, Coral Flanagan, Doug Smith, and Danielle Mackintosh.

First the Board gave suggestions for the meeting between first-year aspirants that was then coming up, and they decided that the Big Event for spring (based on voting by Paterno Fellows) would be an evening at the Broadway show "The Addams Family."

Then the Board discussion focused on ways to build the Paterno Fellows community:

• Can we find a way for Fellows to contact each other? A listserve?
• Is there a way that Fellows can be listed on the website, so people can see who's involved?
• Could the Paterno Fellows build on the SHC idea of allowing students to go to dinner with a faculty member, to discuss a certain topic informally?

Board members agreed to work together to suggest activities that would be purely for fun (e.g., a ski outing), perhaps among students in the same graduating class, as a way to encourage relationships.

Groups might also be created in order to provide group service opportunities. For example, there might be ideas for service over Spring Break that could even be supported with PF funding.

The Board members emphasized the need to get additional information to Fellows in junior and senior year to let them know what's expected.

Beginning last spring, Barb Edwards joined the Liberal Arts staff as a key person supporting the Paterno Fellows Program.  In addition to assisting me in all sorts of ways, Barb works very closely with Liberal Arts advisers to keep track of the progress of Paterno Fellows and PF aspirants.  She handles the details of PF events, takes care of communications (like this one), and has become indispensable in other ways large and small.

Barb is 100% dedicated to Paterno Fellows themselves, so stop by 119 Sparks the next time you are in the neighborhood to say hello and introduce yourselves.  A key reason why she joined the team was to have a chance to work very closely with students.

Barb's background is ideal for her current duties.  She grew up in Pittsburgh, she has called State College home since 1984, and so she knows the community and the state very well indeed.  Barb and her husband, Terry, are proud parents of Penn Staters--daughter Kelley ('09, Advertising/Public Relations) and son Chris ('13, Psychology).  When she has time, Barb enjoys taking long, brisk walks with her Golden Retriever, Tawny; she is a fan of Penn State sports and musical theatre; and she is an avid puzzler.

Before joining the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies (LAUS) staff in March, Barb worked at Park Forest Middle School, where she provided support to teachers, organized team events and activities, and had the pleasure of supervising students in study halls and in the lunchroom.  Next she moved to Penn State's Rock Ethics Institute in the College of the Liberal Arts, where for eight years she planned conferences, lecture series, and workshops, communicating with faculty and leading ethicists from Penn State, across the country, and around the world.

Barb is happy to be working with students once again (and equally happy to have graduated from middle school!) in her role as administrative assistant for the Paterno Fellows Program and for Liberal Arts Advising.  Do stop by and say hello!