December 30Th, 2018 PROFILES

E1 PRESIDENTIAL December 30th, 2018 PROFILES Bloomsburg University Keystone College Pennsylvania College of Technology Clarks Summit University King’s College Penn State Hazleton East Stroudsburg University Lackawanna College Penn State Scranton Fortis Institute Luzerne County Community College Penn State Wilkes-Barre Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Marywood University Wilkes University Johnson College Misericordia University University of Scranton Collective higher education investment in Luzerne County exceeds $519M ILKES-BARRE — Teri Ooms, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development at Wilkes University, said a 2018 study shows that collective higher education investment in Luzerne County exceeds $519 million and supports 3,147 jobs in the community with more than 700 jobs being from sectors Wother than higher education. By Bill O’Boyle the primary driver deter- spending when their ity and business activ- community’s social sec- • $167 million — State [email protected] mining if a business will families and friends come ity — not just in higher tor, you create “a fertile payroll taxes. Ooms said she ran a locate in a region.” to visit,” Ooms said. education, but in critical Petrie dish” producing • $136 million — high-level model of eco- Ooms said from the “Finally, their capital specialty trades as well, sustainable economic Municipal taxes (wages nomic impact based on community college pro- projects create short-term Van Genderen said. momentum. and local services taxes). the number of employees grams to the professional economic boosts through “With high demand According to a 2017 • $17.9 billion — Total at Wilkes, Kings, Miseri- degree programs, higher construction. All in all, for graduates of LCCC’s study done by the Associ- economic impact of pri- cordia, LCCC, and PSU/ education creates the their collective annual welding, automotive and ation of Independent Col- vate college and universi- WB. She said since it is region’s workforce pipe- economic impact — not leges & ties in Pennsylvania. based only on current line. including student and vis- Univer- Another recent study employment and doesn’t “Equally important itor spending — is about sities of done by the Association include student and visi- and mostly overlooked, $421 million annually, Pennsyl- of Independent Col- tor spending, it is a very higher education is an and they employ about vania, leges and Universities conservative estimate of economic driver in and of 2,000 individuals.” private of Pennsylvania — The the economic impact in itself,” Ooms said. “The Wico Van Genderen, colleges Economic Impact of Luzerne County. institutions are criticized president/CEO of the and uni- Independent Higher Edu- “Luzerne County has a for being nonprofi ts, i.e. Greater Wilkes-Barre versities cation in Pennsylvania — number of higher educa- exempt from property Chamber of Commerce, play a revealed that the nearly tion institutions which taxes, but their economic said there is a “collegiate major 290,000 students enrolled impact energy” in Luzerne Coun- role at independent colleges supports ty that now extends from in the and universities in Penn- our com- downtown Wilkes-Barre state’s sylvania spend $1 billion munities to the Back Mountain econo- annually, or $2.7 million in so and beyond. my: a day at local Pennsylva- many “The alignment of • nia businesses. The total different business and academics $5.67 economic impact of this ways.” makes for a great local billion spending is $1.7 billion. Ooms economic ecosystem,” — Sala- Student spending in the said the Van Genderen said. “Wil- ries and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre colleges kes, Kings, Misericordia, wages region was reported at and uni- Penn State/Wilkes-Barre, paid to $335 million. Students versities and Luzerne County employ- spent their money on: are major Community College ees, • Book publishers employ- have all expanded their Van Genderen mak- • General merchandise ers with programs and their facili- additive manufacturing ing private colleges and stores family- ties, resulting in more programs, there’s now universities the fourth • Grocery and conve- sustaining students and deeper spe- a waiting list to enroll largest industry employer nience stores jobs. cializations.” at LCCC’s Technology in PA. • Real estate rentals She said Van Genderen said Wil- Center,” he said. “Add • $9.6 billion — Insti- • Amusement and rec- employ- kes and Kings have seen academic capital, busi- tutional expenditures. reation establishments ees rein- the largest increases in ness innovation, and com- • $1.8 billion — Stu- • Restaurants vest their incoming undergraduate munity leadership and dent and visitor spending • Clothing stores Ooms earnings and graduate students, you have a strong synergy ($1.7 billion in student • Telecommunications contribute so much to in the resulting in new down- in which the whole is spending, $155 million in and utilities the region,” Ooms said. region through purchas- town investments and a greater than the sum of visitor spending). • Furniture and home “First, they support ing local goods and ser- regional “college-town” its parts.” • $1.1 billion — Value furnishing stores economic development vices. And the schools vibe. Van Genderen said by of federal funds received • Wholesale trade activities since they have themselves buy local Strong academic capital connecting the academic for research and develop- industries the capacity to provide goods and services. provides a great ecosys- capital of the colleges ment projects. “Further, there is tem for STEM-based and universities to the • $945 million — Con- Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570- a trained and skilled 991-6118 or on Twitter @ workforce. Workforce is impact of student spend- innovation, research, growing and diverse struction and renovation ing and additional entrepreneurial creativ- businesses and to the projects. TLBillOBoyle. GeisingerE2 2 Sunday, December 30, 2018 PRESIDENTIAL PROFILES: BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY Times Leader Bashar W. Hanna, Bloomsburg University Name: Dr. Bashar W. Hanna Title: President of Bloomsburg University Quote: “It takes a village. Every student who comes to Bloomsburg and enrolls will fi nd a village of people working to help them succeed.” Submitted Dr. Bashar W. Hanna has served as the 19th president of Bloomsburg University since 2017. LOOMSBURG — There are many practical reasons for Dr. Bashar W. Hanna to take an interest in Bthe needs of fi rst-generation college students. By Roger DuPuis have a support system are emergency scholar- alumni and business part- sylvania that charge three aware Valley University [email protected] at home to help them ships available for stu- ners to make opportuni- times our tuition are in Doylestown from 2011 nowhere near those kinds until 2016. There’s also a very per- navigate — fi rst the dents so we can remove ties available to as many of pass rates,” Hanna He previously served sonal motivation: He once application process, but obstacles that are not students as we can to get said. as associate provost at was one of them. also the matriculation and academic, and that could professional experience, • The university’s Ithaca College in Ithaca, “I am profoundly successful completion stand in the way of them whether it’s shadowing accounting program “con- N.Y.; and before that was proud that 35 percent of (of a degree), because earning their degrees.” someone in the industry tinues to be a leader,” dean of the College of our freshmen are fi rst- mom and dad never went Bloomsburg also has the student is studying he said, adding that Liberal Arts and Sciences generation college stu- through it,” he added. a program known as or whether it’s an intern- graduates “are incredibly and interim provost at dents,” said Hanna, who In a larger sense, how- “Professional U,” which ship for the semester successful in passing the Kutztown University. has served as the 19th ever, helping students is designed to connect or summer, whether it’s CPA exam.” He also served as chief president of Bloomsburg complete their degrees • More recently, academic offi cer and University since 2017. and succeed in careers “Every student, regardless of Bloomsburg also cre- dean of academic affairs Hanna and his family is a key focus for Hanna ated a digital forensics for DeVry University – emigrated to the U.S. and Bloomsburg. where they’re from, the color of program, which Hanna Pennsylvania as it earned from Syria four decades “We have a national said has received authorization to operate ago, and as a fi fth-grader epidemic, in my mind, their skin, the gender they sub- recognition from fed- in this state, and earlier barely spoke English. where only 50 percent scribe to, comes here and fi rst and eral offi cials, including was associate dean of the Today, he is an accom- of college-bound stu- certifi cation from the College of Science and plished academic and dents end up fi nishing a foremost feels like they belong on Department of Home- Technology at Temple. administrator who leads degree,” Hanna said. land Security. His vision for Blooms- the third largest of the 14 “I think it is a national campus in a welcoming environ- “That is not common burg is a place where universities in the Penn- catastrophe in the mak- ment where they can thrive.” for a regional public “every student, regardless sylvania State System of ing when you have state school,” he said. of where they’re from, the Higher Education, with millions of students out students with profession- undergrad research expe- Background color of their skin, the more than 9,600 stu- there with some college als off campus in order rience,” he said. Hanna earned his B.A. gender they subscribe to, dents, 56 undergraduate credit, no degree, but to help integrate their He also sees several in biology; his master’s comes here and fi rst and programs and 20 gradu- almost all of them have academic experience with “hallmark programs” on degree in developmental foremost feels like they ate programs.

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