School of STEAM

A First-Year Convocation was held on August 19, and all first-year students were in attendance. The Deans from the Schools at Saint Francis alongside the Provost Wayne Powel, President Father Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R., current student Gabrielle Beck, and alumna Elisha Fleig processed into the filled auditorium to officially welcome students academically to the University and offer words of wisdom. After a welcome and opening prayer, Fr. Malachi expressed his confidence in the first-year students’ ability to succeed, and current student Gabrielle Beck (double major in psychology and Spanish )

Cecelia MacDonald graduated from Saint Francis University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After serving as the University’s Ann Eppard Scholar, interning on Capitol Hill, she decided to combine her love of language with law.

Have you ever come across a stream or pond that was full of a thick, murky, orange sludge? You likely saw a case of Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) pollution. AMD occurs when acidic, metal-rich water emerges at the surface after passing through abandoned coal or clay mines. These metals then precipitate in a thick, orange sludge called “yellow boy” that can smother life in streams and ponds. This summer, two teams of SFU Biology students studied the effects of pollution on freshwater biodiversity. Dr. Lane Loya and Dr. Justin Merry teamed with a group of four biology students as well as faculty

Saint Francis University has recently employed the use of submersible video cameras in its aquariums because of the many educational benefits video could provide for the university and its visitors. The first of these benefits is an underwater view of the1500 gallon salt water aquarium containing several marine vertebrates. We chose to use security cameras that are specialized for underwater use and provide the opportunity to monitor fish behavior, feeding habits, and health. We can check on animal behavior at any point in the day or night, aiding in training of Marine Biology and Aquarium and

Saint Francis University senior Tara Fritz of Johnstown, Pa. was named the recipient of the first ever Social Justice Award from the Lydia Maria Child Society in May. Fritz was recognized for her award during the American Literature Association Conference in San Francisco last month. “I feel so incredibly honored to be the first recipient of the society’s undergraduate Social Justice Award,” Fritz said. “I think my interest in social justice comes from the fact that I am a strong feminist, and to me, being a feminist means not only standing up for women but also for all other marginalized

“Appreciative, humble, intelligent, and persistent—that’s Desmend Phillips,” stated Kristin Weixel, assistant director of the Upward Bound Program at Saint Francis University. Desmend is an incoming freshman in the petroleum and natural gas engineering program, but he is no stranger to Saint Francis University. He participated in the University’s Upward Bound Program where he learned about himself and his dreams, and began making them come true. The Upward Bound Program, celebrating 50 years at Saint Francis University, is a program designed to motivate and prepare students for a four-year

With a passion for politics and a love of writing, Amanda majored in communications and minored in pre-law. Her future plans include attending law school, earning her law degree, and practicing law with efforts of becoming either a judge or a political analyst. Amanda Schiavo Communications major, Pre-Law minor Class of 2016 Interning at the RNC Presenting at a National Conference Communications at SFU Pre-Law at SFU Meet Amanda Schiavo, a passionate writer with a flair for politics “Politics has been a huge part of my family life,” stated Amanda Schiavo. “Looking back to the Bush/Kerry

Ms. Dallas Mosier Chemistry and Criminal Justice Major, Class of 2016 Towanda, PA Dallas’ Story Eight-year-old Dallas Mosier wants to be a forensic scientist when she grows up. Fast forward 14 years, and you will find her still in full pursuit of her dreams. As senior at Saint Francis University, Dallas double majored in chemistry and criminal justice. While the two seem like very different fields of study, Dallas says there are more similarities than you might think. “They both focus on following the data, and I think that is what I enjoy so much,” Dallas said. “Whether it is chemistry or

For the second year in a row, students at Saint Francis University trained and conditioned dogs from the Central PA Humane Society and found them loving families and forever homes. Three different dogs, one goal This year, Saint Francis University welcomed three dogs—Neeko, Jango and Akira—to campus through the help of Central PA Humane Society member and trainer Megan Sanchez. Akira was the youngest, shyest of the three. A puppy with a lot of love to give, Akira was a six-month-old female dog. Neeko was a fun-loving, full-of-energy, three-year-old female dog, and Jango was a very relaxed and

The Environmental Engineering Department at Saint Francis University is pleased to thank Gwin Dobson & Foreman Consulting Engineers of Altoona, Pennsylvania for their generous donation of an Armfield hydraulic flume. The flume is 2.5 meters long (center) and comes with a large hydraulic workbench with pump (right). This flume will be of great teaching and research value in the department. It will provide a tool for courses such as Hydraulics & Hydrology and Fluid Mechanics in addition to student research and real class projects. Standing with the flume are nine of our thirteen Environmental