Honors Program Boosts Student Achievements Dear Alumni and Friends

A Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Point Park University WINTER 2012 THE POINT QUrbanUad New Park Brightens Downtown Campus Branding the Bison: A New Look for Pioneer Athletics Honors Program Boosts Student Achievements Dear alumni and friends, As we welcome 2012, I want to wish each for the Middle States reaccreditation process, and every member of the Point Park family we are much farther along in assessing our a very happy new year. 2011 marked many student learning outcomes than we have significant accomplishments for our University ever been. community, and we’re confident that the year ahead will be even better. Another point of pride for the Point Park community has been the official opening of 10 The University reached a key milestone in our new Village Park, which took place last 2011: completion of a rigorous self-study September. It’s been a joy to see the over- TABLE OF CONTENTS and evaluation process to meet the whelmingly positive reception the park has reaccreditation requirements of the Middle received and to see so many students, faculty, 2 Feedback 26 In Focus States Commission of Higher Education. staff, alumni and neighbors come together in Photography programs span 2 News and Views We are proud to report, thanks to the hard this beautiful new outdoor center. The Village the spectrum from fine arts work and dedication of our faculty, staff and Park clearly has already become a key space to photojournalism 10 Village Green students, that the University has achieved for Point Park and our neighborhood, just New Urban Park at the 28 Alumni Connection full reaccreditation. as we expected it would. We look forward to Academic Village brightens the opening of a new restaurant in the park, Downtown campus 29 Class Notes Known as Point Park Excellence, that self- Osteria 100, later this spring. 16 12 evaluation process endures as the University’s Strong Medicine 34 Back to the ’Burgh Business Professor Archish continuous improvement program, which We invite you to stop by to enjoy the park Friends and classmates reunited focuses in particular on assessment of and new restaurant, and take a closer look Maharaja talks about preparing on campus Oct. 7-9 for a student learning. In the world of higher at all the ways in which Point Park is for health care changes weekend of fun, from a Third education, the term “academic excellence” transforming our Academic Village and the and choices Avenue street festival to an alumni refers to ongoing quality improvement. Downtown community. dinner honoring faculty 16 With Honors We have used the Middle States evaluation 26 Honors program enhances 36 Pioneer Athletics process as a guide for our strategic initiative Hope to see you in the neighborhood. learning experience for Cross country teams are making of Academic Excellence. This involves top students measuring how well we’re achieving student Warm regards, strides on the path to success learning outcomes and using those baseline 18 Branding the Bison measures to set goals. I believe, as a result Pioneers mascot takes center of our strategic planning and our preparation stage in new athletics logo TALK TO US! The Point wants to hear from you. Send your A Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Point Park University WINTER 2012 24 Protect and Serve Dr. Paul Hennigan comments and suggestions to: From humble beginnings to THE POINT President On the cover: URBAN third in command on the Pittsburgh Managing Editor QUAD The new Urban Park at the New Park Brightens Downtown Campus Marketing and Communications Greening Academic Village shines as police force, alumna Maurita Bryant the Bison: A New Look for Point Park University Pioneer Athletics Honors the campus community joins embodies the credo Program 201 Wood Street Boosts Student Achievements together for a fall concert. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Photo by Jim Schafer. Phone: 412-392-6108 Fax: 412-392-6185 President Managing Director of Director of Organizational Writers Photographers Email: [email protected] Paul Hennigan, Ed.D. Communications and Identity and Photography Amanda Dabbs Ian Bradshaw Client Services Dalton Good Colleen C. Derda Tom Bell The Point is published by the Department of marketing and Communications, Point Park University, 201 Wood Street Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of published Vice President of Nancy Commella Camille Downing Chelsey Engel information. Please visit our web site at www.pointpark.edu for current information regarding University programs, departments, alumni activities and events. Jim Judkis External Affairs Manager of Printing Terra McBride Nondiscrimination, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Initiatives Mariann Geyer Managing Editor and Office Services Cristina Rouvalis Richard Kelly This policy affirms Point Park University’s commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and the pursuit of diversity. Point Park University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, Cheryl Valyo Don Pastorius Kevin Taylor Charles Moss sex, age, religion, ancestry, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, caregiver status or familial status in the administration of any of its educational programs, activities or with respect to employment or admission to the University’s educational programs and activities. This policy is in accord with local, state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title Senior Director of Marketing Jennifer Vella Martha Rial Christopher Rolinson VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the and Communications Graphic Designers Christine Zapinski Pittsburgh Human Relations Act. Inquiries regarding these regulations, policies or complaints of discrimination should be referred to the human resources officer, telephone number 412-392-3952. Inquiries Jim Schafer regarding Title IX and the Title IX regulations should also be referred to the senior vice president, academic and student affairs, as the Title IX coordinator, or deputy coordinators, the human resources officer Mary Ellen Solomon Christie Martz Frank Walsh or the dean of students. Judy Sporka Andy Weier POintparK.EDU 1 NEWS AND VIEWS Professional Advancement High School Musical Theater Awards Christopher player in men’s soccer. He still holds the school record for on Broadway. Lalama also served as Rolinson, single-season hitting at .477 in 1999. He hit .405 for his Michele L. Langbein, Ph.D., assistant choreographer at the TEDx Conference associate professor career to rank fourth in school history. professor and director of the Saturday at Nemacolin Woodlands last November. of photojournalism, Fast program in the School of Business, Point Park performers included student was named one of Halsel, from Pittsburgh, was an NAIA First-Team All-American presented a paper on “The Importance of dancers Taylor Knight, Ebony Cunningham Pittsburgh’s 40 in 1996-97 when he led Point Park to the NAIA Final Four. Green Business Practices and Sustain- and Jenna Smith and drummers Gordon Under 40 honorees He averaged 21.9 points and 13.4 rebounds per game during ability” on Sept. 12 at the Robert Morris Nunn and Charles Hall. in the November Photo by Patricia Rolinson. his career. He went on to play professional basketball in University Sustainability Conference. 2011 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine. Europe for eight years and two more in the CBA. Winners are chosen based on their Rochelle Z. Klein, assistant professor passion, commitment, visibility, diversity Photo by Tom Bell. Lang, a native of McDonald, Pa., ranks third in school history and coordinator of music education/ and overall impact on the region. with 1,681 career points and fifth with 874 career rebounds. Core, is the author of a feature article in Pioneer Hall of Fame The power forward holds the Point Park record for games Clavier Companion, an international piano The Global Cultural Studies program The Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame inducted five members for played and led the team to its best record of 19-12 as a teaching magazine. She profiled faculty launched a series of lectures last the Class of 2011 in a ceremony on Oct. 9. This brings the senior in 1993-94. her former professor, pianist-pedagogue fall. Robert Fessler, Ph.D., professor total number of honorees to 45 individuals and one team. Louis Nagel, with whom she reconnected and acting dean of the School of Arts Smith, from Thornhill, Ontario, is Point Park’s all-time leader at the National Conference for Piano and Sciences, initiated the series on The Hall of Fame Class of 2011 included Ryan D. Ellis in home runs, hits, runs and RBIs. His 41 homers are 14 more Pedagogy. At the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Oct. 11 with “Why Can’t You See Things (Baseball and Men’s Soccer, 1997-00), DeVaughn Halsel than the next closest alum, and his 197 RBIs rank 28 better Klein served as music director/pianist My Way? The Psychological Dynamics (Men’s Basketball, 1996-98), Lara Lang (Women’s Basketball, than any other Pioneer player. Smith led Point Park to its 10th for the Conservatory Theatre Company’s Underlying the Development of Cultural World Views.” Robert Ross, Ph.D., assis- 1990-94), Michael D. Smith (Baseball, 1997-00) and NAIA World Series in 1998. 2011 production of The Time of Your Life. Lindblom (left) and Miller. Photo by Jim Judkis. Oli Theodorsson (Men’s Soccer and Basketball, 1995-97). tant professor of humanities and human Theodorsson, a native of Iceland, was an NAIA All-Region Andrew Conte, assistant professor of Ronald Allan-Lindblom, associate sciences, presented “Waiting for War Ellis, from Munhall, Pa., was NAIA Honorable Mention All- performer in men’s soccer and also an important starter on journalism and director of the Point vice president and artistic director of the (and Other Strategies to Stop Gentrification): American for the baseball team and also an NAIA All-Region Point Park’s trip to the men’s basketball Final Four in 1996-97.

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