School of STEAM

Graduating with the class of 2015 were two unordinary “students:” Maizie and JoJo. These “students” came to Saint Francis University from the Central PA Humane Society where they had been given up by previous owners. As part of a psychology course on animal behavior, a group of students guided by Dr. Stephen Gilmour, now professor emeritus of psychology, applied classroom theory in training these “hard-to-adopt” dogs. The end goal was simple: prepare both dogs to find a loving, forever home. Work hard, train hard. Four students—Ann Beliles ‘15, Anna Fielding, Nathan Herdman and Meghan Studds

Originally published in the Saint Francis University Magazine, Fall/Winter 2015. Have you ever had bread, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, chocolate, pickles, beer or wine? If the answer is yes, then you have tasted fermented foods and beverages. But how much do you know about the person and the process behind the flavor and texture of these types of foods and beverages? Since the beginning of time, humans have harnessed the power of fermentation to produce alcohol as well as preserve and enhance the flavor of food. Nearly one-third of all foods consumed world-wide have been fermented. As a result

Ms. Leah (Christ) Trout Biology Major , Class of 2010 Johnstown, PA Leah's Story Taking care of animals was something that always appealed to Leah (Christ) Trout. Growing up on her parents’ farm the menagerie that surrounded her included goats, cats, cows, pigs, and sheep. She enjoyed caring for all of them. Trout particularly remembers a set of kittens on the farm. They had an eye infection, so Trout would diligently medicate and wipe their infected eyes. She knew her attentiveness was helping the kittens get better. Watching the kittens get well solidified that she wanted to make her life’s

The “Real Housewives of the American Civil War” Meet Harry Olafsen, a history major at Saint Francis University. Harry first developed an interest in the Civil War through childhood trips to the Gettysburg battlefield. Combining his passions for studying war and gender studies, Harry investigated individual women’s lives during the American Civil War in order to make arguments about the “domestic war” within homes. In the antebellum period, the cult of domesticity emerged as an ideology encouraging women to be spiritually pious, domestic, submissive to male authority, and morally pure

Teaching the Second World War Meet Garrett Lucas ’15, a recent Saint Francis University history program alumnus. Garrett knew he wanted to design some kind of senior capstone project that would help him be the best high school history teacher he could be. Having a life-long interest in World War II, he realized that teaching about local community members’ involvement in that war would be a good way to help students connect to the past. For his project, Garrett visited the Cambria County Historical Society in Ebensburg (near Saint Francis University) to learn about and take pictures of guns

The Question of Religious Tolerance Meet Nick Astle, a 2015 graduate of the history program at Saint Francis University. Nick was interested in religious history, and in particular in the question of religious tolerance. Nick’s interest came from his personal commitment to his own faith, as well as current events which include many Americans questioning the tolerance of one particular faith -- Islam. Nick decided to study religious conflict and accommodation in early modern India. He chose this particular history because India was ruled by Muslims for almost a thousand years, but with a

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering faculty members, Dr. Wang Guochang (front) and Dr. Alireza Shahkarami, demonstrate the new industry software package that is being incorporated into the curriculum. Students in the new Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering program at Saint Francis University are using a well-known industry software package thanks to a generous donation from Schlumberger , the world’s leading supplier of technology solutions in the oil and gas industry. The donation includes a three-year use and maintenance contract totaling more than $58 million in value for 15 licenses of

Fulfilling dreams in politics Meet Andrew Collier, a 2011 graduate of the history and political science programs at Saint Francis University. Andrew studied both history and political science while at Saint Francis and was quite the go-getter. Andrew was the Executive Vice President of the Student Government Association, a Psi Upsilon Fraternity brother, and Best Buddies Midnight Madness Director of Recruitment and Relations. In addition, Andrew completed two internships in Washington, DC, through the Washington Internship Institute. He interned for the National Federation of Federal Employees

Environmental Healer Following Mom's footsteps in her own way We asked Marie Schoenenberger (’13) why she went into environmental engineering. Her answer was quite thought-provoking. Here’s what she had to say: "My mother is a physical therapist. That path is something that I never ever thought about pursuing when I entered Saint Francis University’s Environmental Engineering program , but as it turns out, I followed it in my own way. I initially was caught up in the “Go green!” hype that brought with it renewable energy, recycling, and a bunch of vegetarians (myself included). I looked for a

Life in the Law Office Meet Julie Cashdollar, a political science student in the class of 2013. Julie came to Saint Francis as a transfer student in the middle of her junior year with an Associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Clarion University. Julie majored in political science while at Saint Francis. She was an honor’s program graduate and was also inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. While earning a degree in political science, Julie demonstrated the utility of how flexible the major program is to study a broad range of subjects, including