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For the ninth year, Saint Francis University has been named a “Military Friendly School” by VIQTORY. This year, the university earned the organization’s Gold Award , which suggests that its programs scored within 10 percent of the 10 th ranked institution within a given category. This designation reflects the high standards upheld by the university in serving military families. The university's service-focused mission couples well with their duties as active duty or reservist men and women. SFU also welcomes veterans who have honorably served and seek to successfully transition into the

Cade Young, a freshman General Engineering major with an Aviation concentration , completed his first solo flight in a Diamond DA40 NG, flying out of the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport on December 9th. Cade is only one semester into the Aviation program and is excited with how quickly he progressed in the program. “When I went down to the airport that morning I had no clue I was going to be flying solo. I was told that I was getting close and could possibly solo before Christmas break, but I didn’t see it coming so soon. When the flight instructor, Larry Servinsky , stepped out

Chemistry professor, Dr. Samantha Radford , and two of her classes, Environmental Chemistry and Human Toxicology are working with the community to bring more awareness to the under-reported issue of lead exposure in Central Pennsylvania. Several cities in Pennsylvania, including Altoona, have a higher children’s lead exposure rate than that of Flint Michigan, even during their recent lead crisis. The city of Altoona ranks second worst in the state with an alarming 20% of children having elevated lead blood levels. Dr. Radford worked with the Saint Francis University Center for Service and

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates the U.S. has likely surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of crude oil. Sophomore Teresa Reid is inspired by the growth of the industry in the U.S., and is looking to the future when she can toss her hat into the ring and work with some of the best petroleum and natural gas engineers in the world. “Out of all of the engineering fields, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) was most intriguing to me because of the opportunities stemming from growth of the industry in the U.S.,” said Reid. Since well

Ali Evans is a Finance and Accounting major at the Shields School of Business . She is graduating in December 2018. Why did you major in Accounting and Finance? I came to this school as a Chemistry major. I didn’t really know at the time what I wanted to do. My freshman year, I decided to go on the Spring Break in London trip with the Shields School of Business. That’s where I fell in love with the London financial district. We toured the Bank of England and Lloyds of London , and met with several alumni who work there. When I got home I immediately spoke with Dr. Logue and Dr. Frye about

English and Philosophy double major, Shayna Boisvert, will be presenting at the National Popular Cultural Association Convention (NPAC) held in Washington, DC, this spring. Shayna will be presenting alongside professors, independent scholars, graduate students, and perhaps even a few undergraduates. Her presentation pertains to her research on the link between Nietzsche and 21st Century literature. The following is an abstract from Shayna’s presentation: According to the philosophy of Nietzsche, human existence is, in and of itself, a tragedy. Taking great influence from Greek tragedy, he

Saint Francis University’s Environmental Engineering students get hands-on experience working on real projects from local organizations. These projects allow the students to get out into the field as an undergraduate, and perform work that makes a difference. In one such project, Environmental Engineering students, along with SFU’s Center for Watershed Research and Service (CWRS), are partnering with Altoona Water Authority and other agencies to assess the level of impurities and improve the water quality of a drainage impaired by historic coal mining near the Kittanning Run stream in Logan

I'm Dr. John Harris , 1982 graduate of Saint Francis University, and now the Chair of the Engineering , Computer Science and Mathematics departments at SFU. But forty years ago this year I faced the same questions as you: "What should I major in at college? And what college?" Yeah I get it, I am old, but I still remember the fear I felt, the very real concern that I might make the wrong decision. It is a big decision. Huge, right? Well, I had three major things going for me as a senior in high school: awesome parents that loved me and wanted me to go to a safe school where I could get a solid

The number one ranked nursing program in Pennsylvania by RegisteredNursing.org has achieved yet another milestone. Saint Francis University’s Nursing Program received notice from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing that their 2018 National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) pass rate was 100 percent. This news makes Saint Francis Nursing the only nursing program in the state to have a 100 percent first-time pass rate for the past five consecutive years. “We are delighted by this accomplishment, and so grateful for all of the time and effort that the faculty, students, and

With a passion for politics and an interest in women’s equality issues, Harry Olafsen has spent his time at Saint Francis focusing on gender studies. As a history and English double major he hopes to continue to encourage a brighter, more accepting future for everyone. Go to previous item Go to next item Harry Olafsen History major English major Class of 2018 Interning at the DNC Researching "The Real Housewives..." History at Saint Francis English at Saint Francis Meet Harry Olafsen, a literature lover and social activist A self-proclaimed liberal Democrat, Harry Olafsen is passionate about