Recently in From the Director Category

Over the past six years I've become addicted to the Paterno Fellows Program.  And why not?  Thoreau wrote in Walden that "if you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; now put foundations under them"--and our students, faculty, and alumni have certainly offered way-beyond-generous foundations in order to make the Paterno Fellows dream into a reality.  And so for years now I've had experiences with students that I can't get enough of.

For starters, I've met (and introduced students to) a former U.S. President; two Nobel laureates; leaders in business and commerce, medicine and the arts; and the greatest coach in college athletic history (and his incredible family).  Even better, I've gotten to know hundreds of the most ambitious (and most unassuming) students you can imagine.  You get the point.  Addictive.

But for the good of the program it's time for me to withdraw; my term as Director is up as of June 30.  I've asked Dean Welch and Dean Long to find a faculty member to take over who will have plenty of energy and fresh ideas in order that the program might reach its full potential, and already several of our best faculty members have expressed interest.  I will be here to assist in those efforts whenever I can (after all, you can seldom end an addiction completely), and I will enjoy continuing to work with Paterno Fellows as much as I can as a member of the English faculty.

My withdrawal will be good for me too.  It will give me a chance to finish two research projects that I want to tie up before I retire and to do some teaching that I love.  In fact, I'm already planning to offer two honors gen ed courses in the spring of 2014 on the civil rights movement, one of them as a two-credit Spring Break trip to key civil rights sites such as Washington, DC, Atlanta, Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery.  I can't wait, and I hope some of you will be interested in enrolling--stay tuned for details.

Thanks again to all of you for your support, cooperation, and inspiration.  Paterno Fellows and aspirants are what Penn State is all about, so I want to stay involved.  It's another habit, one that I don't want to break.

Aspirants and Paterno Fellows should know that everything is falling into place for the third annual Paterno Fellows Recognition Event.  Be sure to be there on January 14 at 6:45 p.m. in HUB Auditorium. The event will conclude by 7:45 in case you wish to attend the John Legend performance at 8:00.

The evening has been planned in consultation with the the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board and you are expected to attend:

• We expect that Sue Paterno will be there (!), as well as some of the Paterno adult children;
• Liberal Arts Dean Welch and Associate Dean Long and Schreyer Deans Brady and Upneja are set to be there--as well as faculty and some special guests;
• One Featured Speaker will be women's volleyball coach Russ Rose (Mr. Rose, as you know, is among the greatest coaches in women's athletic history, with five NCAA championships to his credit, as well as numerous Coach of the Year designations, five NCAA championships, and a winning percentage of over 85%.  He has coached here since 1979 and has almost 1100 wins);
  
• Paterno Fellow Brian Prewitt will be the second Featured Speaker;
• PF Advisory Board has designed the special PF hoodie that Fellows will receive;
• Irreconcilable Differences and performance poet Jamaal May will entertain with song and verse;
• dessert reception will follow the formal recognition;
• plenty of et cetera.
  

Frequently asked questions:

• "I don't live far from here.  Can my parents attend?"

ANSWER:  Yes. There won't be many parents there, but they are sure welcome if they'd like to attend. (When senior Fellows graduate next spring, parents will be invited to a May event honoring Fellows.)

• "I'm still an aspiring Fellow, not yet an admitted one. I should still attend on January 14, right?"

ANSWER:  Absolutely right.  This night continues a tradition that involves first-year and second-year aspirants as well as admitted Fellows.

• "Do I have to pay for the hoodie?" 
  

ANSWER: Absolutely not!

• "Is it a dress-up affair?"

ANSWER:  Dress as if you were going to an event in Eisenhower.

Welcome Paterno Fellows and Aspirants!

It has been the most sensational summer in Penn State history, hasn't it--and yet I have a feeling that this will also be the greatest academic year in Penn State history.  As they say in Indianapolis, "Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!"  Let me give you a few things to think about as you get settled in, and do drop by when you can to tell me about your summer adventures--studying abroad, taking on an internship, getting your research going, or doing a summer job.

1.  Note that I'm attaching a list of fall semester events that are sponsored or co-sponsored by the Paterno Fellows Program.  It's a preview:  you'll get additional information about these activities periodically.  I know you'll find them interesting and enjoyable.

2.  Note in particular the special event for incoming freshman Fellows and aspirants--the September 4 film "Do the Right Thing."  Afterwards there will be a short discussion session so that freshman students leave the event thinking about the ethical issues that the film presents.  Attention juniors and seniors:  I'm seeking four volunteers to lead the discussion (don't worry:  you'll get some informal guidance about how to do it)--so please register your willingness to help out by writing me SOON at jls25@psu.edu.

3.  Where do we go next with the Paterno Fellows Program, particularly in the light of the Freeh Report and subsequent (and unfolding) events?  I know that many of you are asking this question.  Please know that you will definitely get a chance or chances to register your views on the subject.  I will first be summoning the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board for a meeting ASAP, and the eight of them will help me to arrive at the most appropriate ways of soliciting your input.  Stay tuned.  In the meantime, please look at Paterno Fellow Julianna Viau's thoughtful blog posting on the matter:  it's on the LAUS blog, ready for your thought and for any thoughtful responses or other blog entries that you would like to post: http://blogs.la.psu.edu/laus/2012/08/what-the-freeh-report-means-for-one-paterno-fellow.html

I also recommend the blog postings on the Center for Democratic Deliberation site:  
http://blogs.la.psu.edu/cdd/

Register your ideas, and watch for opportunities to deliberate with others.

4.  Congratulations to our summer Paterno Fellows graduates Ruth Canagarajah, Ju Hyun Park, and Peter Szekeres.

The first class of Paterno Fellows--the amazing "pioneer class"--will be honored at a special reception at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, the day of graduation.  All graduating Fellows are expected to come, and parents and family members will be invited too--as well as faculty advisers and thesis supervisors, university (and Schreyer Honors College) administrators, and other honored guests. 

Full details will be distributed in April. But graduating Fellows should know that Mrs. Sue Paterno is expected to attend in order to offer her congratulations, that the ceremony will also include comments from a Paterno Fellow (to be selected), and that Fellows will receive a special gift in recognition of their achievements.  The ceremony will take place on the lawn between Sparks Building and Burrowes Building, in front of the library.

Graduating Fellows should watch for a short questionnaire asking them to verify information to be included in the reception program.

At the Recognition Event on January 9, the following Paterno Fellows were recognized for meeting the requirements to enter the Schreyer Honors College:

Class of 2013
Craig Anderson, Robert Baldassarre, Denise Bartolome, Andrew Bellwoar, Alexandra Beyda, David Darr, Jessica Deitzer, Alicia Doorey, Jessica Drobnick, Sarah Eissler, Genevieve Farrell, Ryan Green, Winston Hamel, Reba Higley, Matthew Jewitt, Daniel Kannell, Danielle Mackintosh, Victoria Martin, Elizabeth Masgarha, Shannon Mccarrick, Carolina Morales, Courtney Mundt, Megan Naude, Mark Petusky, Gina Ranieri, Dredeir Roberts, Allison Robertson, Harrison Rogers, Beth Rudoy, Lauren Zychowicz

Class of 2014
Chelsea Allen, Chelsea Amaral, Philip Antonello , Tamires Bastos, Carl Boswell, Alexander Brillman, Sean Carr, Lauren Christiansen, Mitchell Culler, Emma Decker, Nicholas Defillipo, Melissa Dijulio, Kimberly Foerster, Rachel Franceschino, Helen Geleskie, Michael Goldenberg, Lili Hadsell, Cortlyn Hagman, Andrew Huffard, So Hyun Jin, Sarina Katz, Kendyl Keesey, Michael Kern, Michael Kramer, John Lee, Seung Wong (Sally) Lee, Zachariah Mandell, Annie Marcinek, Abigail Massaro, Jay Mathias, Jessica Maynor, Samantha Mitchell, Thomas Nichols, Leah Pappas, Katharine Pecorino, Katherine Pettine, Brian Prewitt, Kathleen Quinn, Natalie Roberts, Gabrielle Rosenblum, Devon Santoro, Thomas Shutt, Douglas Smith, Lucas Sobchack, Madison Sopic, Rachel Steinberg, Victoria Thomas, Elizabeth Thorwart, Jordan Tobe, Rebecca Vickery, Alexandra Walsh, Sarah Walsh, Ariel Weber, Sophia Weidner, Hannah Weinberg, James Yarnell, Sean Yu

Class of 2015
Vera Abaimova, Jeanne Almeida, Emily Bellwoar, Alexandra Busalacchi, Katherine Busalacchi, Stephanie Crilly, Kara Crouse, Nicholas Dau, Sean Dooling, Emily Duke, Fallon Dungan, Coral Flanagan, Katherine Greensmith, Carolyn Harmeling, Kari Hartbauer, Sean Lane, Michelle Lenze, Alexandra Manbeck, Erin Mctiernan, Katherine Milliken, Whitney Moore, Christina Nguyen, Reema Pangarkar, Rachel Patchen, Katherine Rhodes, Erik Rocchino, Corynne Ross, Matthew Senior, Julia Shaner, Brian Shiue, Bryn Spielvogel, Benjamin Stewart, Daniel Sulvetta, Keith Taylor, Samantha Yuhas, Zachary Zern

For a story on the event, visit Penn State Live.

Check out the slideshow of photos from the 2012 Paterno Fellows Program Recognition Ceremony:

Joe Paterno, one of the Paterno Fellows main inspirations, the greatest coach in the history of American sports, and an educator who devoted his life to bringing out the very best in young people, died Sunday morning as he had lived: courageous, generous of heart, committed to living an an exemplary life. "He died as he lived," the Paterno family said in a written statement. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Here is what I said at the Paterno Fellows Recognition Event on January 9:

Many of you have read The Aeneid, I know--it's a poem about struggle. That's why it's a Paterno family favorite. Aeneas, the hero of the poem, spends his life struggling in a seemingly never-ending voyage to find a home after the fall of his beloved Troy. He is a tremendously capable man, full of ability and virtue, admired by his compatriots, devoted to his family, crew and community, driven to make a difference, who nevertheless undergoes all kinds of hardships--some of them caused by others or by the elements, some of them brought on by human weaknesses. He escapes from Troy with his son, but fails to protect his beloved wife; he makes some bad navigational moves; he shows his temper; most famously, he has an affair with a woman, abandons her, and drives her to suicide. Aeneas isn't out to avoid trouble; he knows the world is imperfect, fallen; he can't avoid trouble and isn't naïve about his own shortcomings.  But he believes that in the face of that imperfection, it's our job to persevere, to struggle, to excel to the best of our ability anyhow. Life is nothing but trouble, it sometimes seems: get used to it because you can't avoid it.

What matters is how you deal with it, how you respond to trouble. Aeneas in the end learns from all the challenges, perseveres in the face of all of them, and ultimately founds a City on a Hill (seven of them, actually), the city of Rome--a new and better Troy, a better (if still imperfect) community. For that we rightly regard him as a hero.  

And here is what Joepa said to all of us a year ago, at the first Paterno Fellows Recognition Event: http://youtu.be/lgxTpk0JMY0

In the coming days there will be many tributes to Joe Paterno.  I will do my best to let you know about them.  And of course in April there will be opportunities to support Sue Paterno's 5K Stadium Run in support of Special Olympics.  It will be a massive event this year, and your help will be critical.  Watch for announcements about how to get involved.

Our first class of Paterno Fellows--our "pioneer class"!--will be graduating in May, but I guess it's no surprise that some have jumped the gun and graduated early.  With some amazing accomplishments.

We mentioned earlier that Kerri Jasinnas was the first to finish up, this past summer (see Penn State Live for details).
At the Schreyer Honors College medal ceremony on December 16, four more Fellows were honored on the occasion of their Penn State graduation:

Giulia Borriello graduated with honors in Psychology and a second major in Italian; her thesis, supervised by Professor Lynn Liben, was on "Parental Supports for the Development of Preschoolers' Skills through Play."  Her research was supported by a Discovery Grant last summer.

Kate Burlingame finished a semester early, so how did she manage to complete majors in History and in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies--and to do an interdisciplinary honors thesis (supervised by Professor Mark Munn) entitled "Forces of Destruction:  The Collapse of the Mediterranean Bronze Age"?

Jackie Gauthier, a shrewd linguist, majored in Spanish and in French and Francophone Studies and completed a thesis (supervised by Professor Nuria Sagarra) that touched on both languages: "Processing L2 Tense:  A Cross-Linguistic Investigation."  L2 has to do with second-language learning.

Lisa Lotito, with a passion for philosophy and the cultures of the Middle East, completed multiple study-abroad ventures, several interconnected minors, and a major in History.  Her thesis topic, supervised by Professor Janina Safran, was "Freya Stark:  A Study of Travel, Gender, and Empire in the Middle East from 1932-1950."

Congratulations to these outstanding Paterno Fellows!

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 competition gives Paterno Fellows a chance to win significant funding--$2500--for research to be completed next summer.  Do plan to apply--the deadline is February 10-- particularly if you are now in your junior year.  For information and application materials, see visit the Undergraduate Research website.

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. Check out a list of last year's winners and the titles of their projects.  A dozen or so of these students are from Liberal Arts (and nine are Paterno Fellows--Borriello, Dorian, Foster, Heimark, Kilkelly, Ogram, Rotiroti, Sroka, Theberge).  

But another reason is that Liberal Arts faculty and staff help students to refine their applications. To get a head start on the application process, interested students should attend a workshop on January 26 (Thursday) at 4 pm in 124 Sparks.  At the workshop you'll have a chance to see some example proposals (including successful ones!), you'll be able to ask specific questions, and by attending you'll earn the right to share your subsequent draft materials (if you want) with sympathetic and experienced Liberal Arts grantmanshippers. 

You have a good chance to win, in other words.  So give it a try!

Aspirants and Paterno Fellows should know that everything is falling into place for the second annual Paterno Fellows Recognition Event.  Be sure to be there on January 9 at 7 pm in HUB Auditorium.*

The evening has been planned in consultation with the the Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board:

• Joe Paterno's illness will likely keep him away, unfortunately, but we expect that Sue Paterno will be there (!), as well as some of the Paterno adult children;
• Liberal Arts Associate Dean Long and Schreyer Deans Brady and Upneja are set to be there--as well as faculty and some special guests;
• Paterno Fellow Danielle Macintosh is the Featured Speaker;
• Also speaking will be PF benefactor (and San Diego Padres co-owner) Rick Barry;
  
• PF Advisory Board has designed the special PF hoodie that Fellows will receive;
• special mystery guests will entertain with music;
• dessert reception will follow the formal recognition;
• plenty of et cetera.
  

Frequently asked questions:

• "I don't live far from here.  Can my parents attend?"

ANSWER:  Yes. There won't be many parents there, but they are sure welcome if they'd like to attend. (When Fellows graduate beginning in next spring, parents will be invited to a May event honoring Fellows.)

• "I'm still an aspiring Fellow, not yet an admitted one. I should still attend on January 9, right?"

ANSWER:  Absolutely right.  This night will be the beginning of a tradition that involves first-year and second-year aspirants as well as admitted Fellows.

• "Do I have to pay for the hoodie?" 
  

ANSWER: Absolutely not!

• "Is it a dress-up affair?"

ANSWER:  Dress as if you were going to an event in Eisenhower.

*Please note that the location for this event has been changed to the HUB Auditorium.

Here are the Excellence in Communication Certificate Recipients for Fall 2011:

• Rebecca Williams
  
• Autumn Griffin
  
• Kaitlyn Randol
  
• Steven Koller
  
• Evan Kalikow
  
• Rose Monahan
  
•  Joshua Hesney
  
• Ju Hyun Park
  
• Michael Paretti
  
• Julie Swerbinsky

 The ECC isn't just for Paterno Fellows--but it's great to see that 90% of this term's certificate winners are Paterno Fellows. Congrats!