Our faculty are always engaged in interesting academic projects such as conducting research, publishing articles/books, and participating in academic conferences. Below is a sample of program-level and faculty highlights from the Spring 2022 semester.

Academic Program Updates

  • A total of 131 students have expressed interest and have been accepted into the Future Heroes program since its inception with two students currently awaiting approval from UPMC.  
  • Mount Aloysius has expanded the Surgical Technology Program and will welcome its first cohort to the DuBois campus of Penn Highlands Healthcare this fall (2022).  The program is structured similarly to the UPMC Future Heroes program with a scholarship from MAC and forgivable loans and sign-on bonuses from Penn Highlands.  The goal is to enroll 10 students per year.  To date, 16 students have been accepted into the program and 7 have paid their deposits.
  • The Student Research Committee held the 17th annual Student Research Symposium showcasing the work of 101 student researchers and their 12 faculty mentors.  This work engages students and requires them to apply course learning in ways that deepen their understanding and appreciation.  In addition, multiple projects produced data that contribute new knowledge to their field of study.  

Faculty Highlights

  • Dr. Michael Shipman (Assistant Professor for Accounting) with valuable assistance from Dr. Cathleen Golden (Associate Dean of Continuing Education & Strategic Partnerships/Business Department Chairperson) demonstrated meaningful and impactful teaching, as well as service to the community, through his work with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.  From February through mid-April, Dr. Shipman and his students completed 244 federal returns and 244 state returns.  See VITA Stats 2022 for additional details.
  • Dr. Cathleen Golden (Associate Dean of Continuing Education & Strategic Partnerships/Business Department Chairperson) attended the 39th Annual Academic Chairpersons Conference, Kansas State, on February 8-11, 2022.
  • Kim Washington (Director for Student Success and Persistence) participated in the Navigate New Partner Launch, an intensive virtual event. Work continues on the implementation of the new software by fall.
  • A series of events were held by Sarah Kordish (Career Development Coordinator) to help students get ready for the Career Expo, including a Resume Workshop, Elevator Pitch Workshop, and a Prepare for the Fair event.
  • Dr. Danny Anderson (Assistant Professor of English/Fine Arts Department) published “1934 Horror Film ‘The Black Cat’ Slinks Easily Into Our Time of Terror” based on a movie shown in his Horror Film class.
  • Dr. Don Talbot (Professor of English and Fine Arts) offered two Arts for Healing sessions (March and April) at the Cambria County Library, Johnstown, as part of the Library’s CREATE (Community Energized by Art, Talking, and Empathy) program.
  • Mr. Christopher Mingyar (Assistant Professor of Accounting and Business Administration/Coordinator of Assessment & Accreditation for the Business Department) attended the Endowments and Foundations Conference on May 18, sponsored by the SFA Society of Pittsburgh.
  • Dr. Sara Rutledge (Professor of Education and Department Chairperson, Education and American Sign Language/English Interpreting)
    • was invited to serve on the Child Outcomes Assessment/School Readiness Team for Early Head Start, Head Start and PreK Counts, and Community Action Partnership of Cambria County.
    • attended the Board of Directors Meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators on April 4, 2022.
  • Kristi Smith (Department Chair and Assistant Professor of IT) attended the NCAE-C Northeast Regional Hub Town Hall & Designation Ceremony to receive the CAE designation certificate at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.
  • Dr. Elizabeth Mansley (Professor of Criminology) presented and moderated a panel at the Eastern Sociological Society’s Annual Conference Meeting in Boston, MA on March 13 on “Community-Engaged Courses and the Pandemic: Creation, Continuation and Modifications.”
  • Jennifer Gmuca (Instructor of History)
    • has successfully completed the American History Comprehensive Examinations in the Doctoral Program of History at Liberty University.
    • created and is the advisor for the Mount Aloysius College History Club.
  • Nick Mastromatteo (American Sign Language/English Interpreting Instructor)
    • was approved for a grant to attend the National Association of the Deaf Biennial Conference in June.
    • participated in a Deafhood Conference in March.  The workshop was organized by the Deafhood Foundation and focused on a reframing of the historical, cultural, and linguistic reality of Deaf people and works to convey how society can embrace the Deaf community and celebrate Deaf values and sign language.
  • Dr. Emily Houseknecht (Program Director, Associate Professor of Physical Therapist Assistant) and Dr. Christa Stipanovich (Assistant Professor Physical Therapist Assistant) presented “Stepping Forward: Improved Health Across the Lifespan” at the Academic Fieldwork Thank You Seminar on April 7th at Mount Aloysius College.
  • Sharon Miller (Co-Coordinator for Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences – Associate Professor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences), Dr. Felicia Holliday (Co-Coordinator for Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences – Associate Professor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences), and Rebecca Hickman (Instructor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences) attended the 2022 Pennsylvania Society of Radiologic Technologist (PSRT) State Meeting at the Wyndham Garden in Boalsburg, PA, on March 25 and 26.  Ms. Miller was elected as the PSRT Vice President and will be on the Scholarship Committee and the Licensure Committee, Dr. Holliday will serve as Chair of the Poster Committee and Nomination Committee, and Ms. Hickman will serve on the Poster Committee.
  • Dr. Heather Zonts (BSN Program Chair, Assistant Professor of Nursing) was selected to be a peer evaluator for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
  • Dr. Carol McIlhenny (Assistant Professor of Nursing) successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Elements Affecting Nursing Empowerment Scores of Perinatal Nurses Taking an Electronic Fetal Monitoring Course,” which completes her Ph.D. in Nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
  • Dr. Julie L. Decker (Assistant Professor of Nursing) served as a contributor to a recently published textbook, Veteran-Centered Care in Education and Practice published by Springer Publishing.  The textbook was conceived and edited by Drs. Brenda Elliott, Katie A. Chargualaf, and Barbara Patterson.  For her contribution, Dr. Decker joined Dr. Carma Erickson-Hurt DNP, ACHPN, Lt CDR US Navy Nurse Corps (Ret.) to create a chapter on occupational and environmental exposures of the military population.  The chapter identifies common exposures incurred by members of the military during their service in World War II to the present, while discussing the potential short- and long-term health effects.  In November of 2021, the work was honored with a Sigma Theta Tau International 2021 Capstone Book Award.  Additionally, the American Journal of Nursing designated the work with a Book of the Year Award 2021 in the category of Nursing Education/Prof Development.
  • Leslie Syrett (Adjunct Instructor) served as an Expert Content Reviewer, Assessment Technologies Institute, ATI Engage Mental Health, Chapters on The Nursing Process in Mental Health Nursing; Neurocognitive Disorders,  January 2022.  She also presented “Constructing Mental Health Simulations using Standardized Patients for the ASN and BSN Student” at the Spring 2022 Meeting of the Regional Psychiatric Nurse Educators Interest Group, State College, PA, and volunteered for the Out of the Cold: Centre County shelter for community members struggling with homelessness.
  • A Pop-Up Colloquium on Ukraine was held on campus on March 10, 2022.  The event was organized by Dr. Laura Lansing (Professor of Psychology.)  Other participants were Dr. Anthony Dragani (Professor of Religious Studies), Jeff Sunseri (Assistant Professor of Information Technology), and Maggie Lykens (Professional Librarian.)  Participants discussed the religious, political, technological, and psychological aspects of the Russian invasion and answered audience questions.

Faculty / Student Collaboration

  • The Student Research Committee held the 17th annual Student Research Symposium showcasing the work of 101 student researchers and their 12 faculty mentors.  This work engages students and requires them to apply course learning in ways that deepen their understanding and appreciation.  In addition, multiple projects produced data that contribute new knowledge to their field of study.
  • Andrea Guttman (Program Director/Instructor, Ultrasonography Program) and the Ultrasonography students attended the Education for the Sonographic Professional (ESP) Ultrasound Live Webinar on March 25-27th.  Some of the topics included “Ultrasound Physics SPI” presented by Richard Palma, “Musculoskeletal Sonography” presented by Brian Tollefson, and “Vascular Technology” presented by William B. Schroedter and Jean M. White-Melendez.
  • Under the supervision of Justin Williams (Instructor of Information Technology & Canvas Administrator), the Cyber Defense Team has been working hard to prepare for the National Cyber League (NCL) spring season by participating in guided training and small-scale games provided by NCL.  The students participated in the Team Game for NCL on April 22nd.  The Team anticipates finding out their NCL season results sometime after May 27.
  • Vox Nova celebrated its 25th anniversary with Nancy Way (Assistant Professor of Music / Vox Nova Director) as director.  Over 35 MAC Alumni returned for the concert, with many participating alongside current vocalists on select pieces.  The choral group also presented three Stations of the Cross concerts at churches across the area during their Lenten celebrations.
  • The MAC Theatre Department, under the direction of Dan Evers (Assistant Professor, Theatre Director), presented Urinetown for three showings in April.
  • Dr. Donald Talbot (Professor of English and Fine Arts)
    • partnered with Evolution Expressions Arts for Healing founder and MAC Psychology graduate, Taylor Clark, to host an art show and expressive arts evening for Evolution Counseling’s K-12 student artists.
    • participated in the NAMI Blair County Conference in April along with 16 MAC Expressive Arts students.  The students assisted as conference volunteers, while Dr. Talbot offered a workshop on Visual Life Mapping.