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Jambar wins Best Breaking News Story at national convention

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Jambar editors Gabby Fellows, left, and Graig Graziosi, accept the Pinnacle Award at the Naitonal College Media Convention in Austin, Texas.

Jambar editors Gabby Fellows, left, and Graig Graziosi, accept the Pinnacle Award at the Naitonal College Media Convention in Austin, Texas.

The Jambar, Youngstown State University’s student newspaper, won the Pinnacle Award for Best Breaking News Story at the National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas, earlier this fall.

The newspaper won the award for a story on campus union negotiations reported and written by Liam Bouquet of Liberty, Ohio, who graduated this past spring, and Graig Graziosi, a YSU senior from Boardman, Ohio. There were more than 100 entries in the breaking news category.

Jambar editors Gabby Fellows, a YSU junior from New Springfield, Ohio, and Graziosi accepted the award at the conference in Austin.

This photo taken by YSU junior Scott Williams, placed second in the "shoot out" photography competition at the National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas.

This photo taken by YSU junior Scott Williams, placed second in the “shoot out” photography competition at the National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas.

In addition, YSU junior Scott Williams of Austintown won second place in a photo “shoot out” at the conference. In the competition, more than 40 student photographers roamed Austin for two days taking photos of life in Texas. The participants then critiqued each others’ work and selected their favorite two images. Scott’s picture was voted second best. His work will be displayed on the CMA website.

 


YSU sophomore wins scholarship to study abroad in New Zealand

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Leah Bayer

Leah Bayer

Leah Bayer of Brookfield, Ohio, a sophomore at Youngstown State University, has received a $2,500 scholarship to study abroad in New Zealand.

The scholarship to attend the University of Canterbury is from the Education Abroad Network. Bayer, who is majoring in Applied Mathematics and Biology with a minor in Chemistry at YSU, will leave for New Zealand in February and return in late June.

“New Zealand is gorgeous, and the varying landscapes really draw me in,” Bayer said. “The fact that I can go from laying on the beach to snowboarding down a mountain in a span of a few hours is incredible. In addition, the sky is a wondrous place, and I love to stay up late and get lost in it. I cannot wait to be enveloped in darkness at the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve.”

At YSU, Bayer has a 4.0 grade average and is a member of the Leslie H. Cochran University Scholars program, a part of the new YSU Honors College. She has been involved with the YSU Pen Pals program for the last two years and recently joined the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Association for Women in Mathematics and the Biology Club. Bayer has served as president for the Boy Scouts of America’s Venture Crew 726, a high-adventure, co-ed organization that is a branch of the Boy Scouts.

The Education Abroad Network has been running study-based programs specializing in the South Pacific and Pacific Rim with their partner universities for the last 20 years.

Moot Court teams compete in national championship

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Members of the 2015-16 YSU Moot Court team are  Jillian Smith, , Kelly Matanin, Marissa Snyder, Antonette Scharsu, Sadie Fields , Greta Frost,  Michael Marshall, , Miranda Parke, Joseph Ohlin, Angelina Sortini, Matthew McCormick,, Andrik Massaro, Jacob Schriner-Briggs, , Eric Glasgow, Brian Duricy, David Helmick, Evangelos Sisalouis, Matthew Stevens.  Not pictured, Jenette Morell.

Members of the 2015-16 YSU Moot Court team are Jillian Smith, , Kelly Matanin, Marissa Snyder, Antonette Scharsu, Sadie Fields , Greta Frost, Michael Marshall, , Miranda Parke, Joseph Ohlin, Angelina Sortini, Matthew McCormick,, Andrik Massaro, Jacob Schriner-Briggs, , Eric Glasgow, Brian Duricy, David Helmick, Evangelos Sisalouis, Matthew Stevens. Not pictured, Jenette Morell.

Two teams of students from Youngstown State University are competing in the American Collegiate Moot Court Association national championship.

The teams are: Andrik Massaro of Canfield and Jacob Schriner-Briggs of Liberty, and Jillian Smith of Canfield and Michael Marshall of Boardman. This is the third trip to nationals for Massaro and Briggs.

The students competed in the national tournament this weekend, Jan. 15 and 16, at California State University at Long Beach. The YSU teams qualified in November at the Great Lakes Regional competition at Saginaw Valley State University.

This year, 360 teams competed in 10 regional tournaments.  Only 80 teams were selected to go on to nationals.  The only other Ohio schools represented at the national contest are the College of Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan.

Biology student wins prestigious scholarship to study in Japan

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Craig Higham

Craig Higham

Craig Higham of Boardman, Ohio, a senior at Youngstown State University, has been selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Japan this Spring semester.

Higham, who is majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, is receiving a scholarship valued at $4,500. He will be studying at Kawansei Gakuin University in Osaka/Kobe starting March 30 through July 30.

He is one of approximately 800 American undergraduate students from 355 colleges and universities across the United States selected to receive the scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Higham has worked in YSU’s Center for Student Progress as a note taker and a peer tutor. He has also done some undergraduate research with Dave Asch, YSU associate professor of Biology. After graduating from YSU, he plans to pursue master’s and doctorate degrees in neuroscience and a career as a university professor, focusing his research on neural uploading, also called whole brain emulation.

The Gilman program is administered by the Institute of International Education. The full list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships, including students’ home state, university and host country, is available at www.iie.org/gilman.

Two on YSU Moot Court Team achieve national rankings

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Jacob Schriner-Briggs and Andrik Massaro.

Jacob Schriner-Briggs and Andrik Massaro.

Youngstown State University senior Jacob Schriner-Briggs was ranked third in the nation and his partner, junior Andrik Massaro, ranked 15th nationwide in the American Collegiate Moot Court Association National Championship Tournament in Long Beach, Calif.

The ratings were based on individual speaker points awarded Schriner-Briggs and Massaro in debate competition, and their two-person team also ranked near the top against 80 other university teams from all over the country in the two-day event. They were awarded a plaque for ranking among the top eight teams in the country, which is known as the “elite eight.” It was the third trip to the nationals for Massaro and Schriner-Briggs.

Massaro is a political science major, Schriner-Briggs has a double major in political science and philosophy, and they both gained debate and speaking experience through their high school speech teams. Schriner-Briggs, who competed with the Liberty High School speech team, has coached the Canfield High School team; Massaro competed on the Canfield team in high school and is now coaching Liberty’s high school team

Jillian Smith of Canfield and Michael Marshall of Boardman also represented YSU, qualifying for nationals at the regional Moot Court

tournament at Saginaw Valley State University and competing as a team in the California event.

Paul Sracic, professor and chair of Politics and International Relations, coached YSU’s Moot Court teams. “We are extremely proud of all the students that compete in Moot Court,” he said. “They have to be able to grasp complex legal arguments and respond to difficult questions, oftentimes posed by sitting state and federal court judges. This also proves, I think, that YSU has one of the finest pre-law programs in Ohio and arguably in the nation.”

He said YSU is the only publicly funded university in Ohio to sponsor a Moot Court team; the College of Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan were the only other Ohio schools represented at the national event.

Business students excel at Research Challenge

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YSU students, from the left, Nicholas Conti, Samantha Anderson, Kayla Cerimele, Conner Kesner, and Simon Rafidi, placed third in the recent Chartered Financial Analyst Research Challenge in Cleveland. Assisting the team was Fran Wolf, professor of Accounting and Finance.

YSU students, from the left, Nicholas Conti, Samantha Anderson, Kayla Cerimele, Conner Kesner, and Simon Rafidi, placed third in the recent Chartered Financial Analyst Research Challenge in Cleveland. Assisting the team was Fran Wolf, professor of Accounting and Finance.

A team of five students from the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University placed third at the Chartered Financial Analyst Research Challenge in Cleveland.

YSU’s team includes: Nicholas Conti of Hubbard, Ohio, a Finance major; Samantha Anderson of Youngstown, a Finance and Economics major; Kayla Cerimele of Canfield, Ohio, an Accounting major; Conner Kesner of Canfield, Ohio, a Finance major; and Simon Rafidi of Youngstown, an Accounting major.

The Research Challenge is an annual event held globally in association with the CFA Institute. The Institute administers and issues the prestigious CFA certification to investment professionals passing a rigorous set of exams. The Challenge provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to integrate coursework into a project that mimics what analysts do in practice. Following a thorough analysis, students make their buy, sell or hold recommendation on a publicly traded company.

All competitors prepare an in-depth paper and presentation. A panel of business and industry experts grades both the paper and presentation. The competition started in November 2015 with a visit to Signet, Inc. Akron headquarters. The teams were also required to have a faculty and industry advisor in their group. Fran Wolf from the Williamson College of Business Administration and John King, CFA, from PNC in Financial Services in Cleveland assisted the YSU team.

The YSU team made their inaugural appearance at the annual Challenge against nine other rival schools with several years of competition experience. The YSU team placed ahead of other universities whose teams included graduate students.

YSU Ethics Bowl team places second in nation

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The YSU Ethics Bowl team, from the left, Tyler Miller Gordon, Jacob Shriner-Briggs and Lindsay Heldreth, placed second in the nation in the recent Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in Virginia. Also pictured are the team's coach, Alan Tomhave, YSU associate professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Deborah Mower, professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

The YSU Ethics Bowl team, from the left, Tyler Miller Gordon, Jacob Schriner-Briggs and Lindsay Heldreth, placed second in the nation in the recent Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in Virginia. Also pictured are the team’s coach, Alan Tomhave, YSU associate professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Deborah Mower, professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

A team of Youngstown State University students placed second nationally in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl earlier this month in Virginia.

In all, teams from 36 universities competed, including the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Indiana University, Northwestern University and the U.S. Military and Naval academies.

“After the competition was completed, someone who had seen our team during the day and watched the final round said that their ‘arguments were goosebump worthy,’ said Alan Tomhave, YSU associate professor of Philosophy and the team’s coach. “This is a pretty amazing compliment to our team.”

Members of YSU’s team are: Tyler Miller Gordon of Hubbard, Ohio, a junior majoring in French and Philosophy; Lindsay Heldreth of Canfield, Ohio, a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Philosophy; and Jacob Schriner-Briggs of Austintown, Ohio, a senior majoring in Political Science and Philosophy.

The team qualified for the national contest after excelling at a regional competition in Indianapolis last fall. The national competition was in Reston, Va., hosted by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

Tomhave said the entire Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, as well as faculty in other colleges across campus, assisted with the team.

“We have already started recruiting students to participate next year and hope to maintain YSU as a force in the ethics bowl,” he said.

Grad students present research at Diversity of Scholarship event March 17

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Six graduate students at Youngstown State University will make presentations about their scholarly work and research at the annual Diversity of Scholarship event 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17 in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center on campus.

The YSU Graduate Student Advisory Council chose the presenters. The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by March 14th to lahulburtblosser@ysu.edu.

The presenters:

Diane Kandray
Advisor: Karen Larwin
Title: An Investigation of Underrepresented Minorities in the Dental Hygiene Profession
Details: This will be a presentation of an original research investigation. The research was developed for a doctoral dissertation and is being done in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership in the Beeghly College of Education at Youngstown State University. The purpose of this on-going investigation is to explore the career motivation of racially and ethnically diverse dental hygienists and identify best practices to better understand ways to improve the recruitment of underrepresented minority students into the dental hygiene profession. PowerPoint slides will be used to present the statement of the problem, review of the literature, purpose, research methodology, and preliminary results and conclusions.

Danny Cesene
Advisor: Karen Larwin
Title: The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Life Satisfaction in Adulthood
Details: Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences dramatically impact the physical, social, and emotional development of individuals for a lifetime (Erikson, 1968; Schore & Schore, 2008). While numerous studies have demonstrated the injurious effects on children, adolescents, and geriatric populations, there is limited research that identifies how childhood adversity impacts life satisfaction in middle-aged adults. Exploration of this distinctive phenomenon will provide more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking childhood trauma, social attachment, life-satisfaction, and resiliency. Findings from this research may be generalized to better inform and equip educators, clinicians, and social workers in the development of differentiated instructional methodologies, more effective treatment, and improved strategies for intervention.

Stephen Harvey
Advisor: David Morgan
Title: Dualities: Exploring the Mixed Ensemble Compositions of Chris Potter
Details: Harvey will present research on the mixed ensemble music of American jazz saxophonist and composer, Chris Potter. The research was conducted by the transcription and analysis of three separate compositions from the album Imaginary Cities. This analysis will be presented in an adapted analytical format of Rayburn Wright’s Inside the Score. The presentation will then discuss the application of concepts and techniques analyzed in Potter’s music, when applied to my own composition, Suite Childhood, a 3-piece mixed ensemble suite.

Philip Monrean
Advisor: Rebecca Curnalia
Title: The Values of Goldman Sachs: A Marxist Ideological Perspective
Details: The research project uses ideological analysis inspired by Marxist thought to look at the digital publications of Goldman Sachs. The study uses central points of bourgeoisie and proletariat ideology as a coding scheme to analyze YouTube videos and online advertisements published by Goldman Sachs. The goal of this study is to see if Goldman Sachs communicates differently to different classes, depending on the medium of communication that is used.

Jennifer Canter
Advisor: Diana Awad-Scrocco
Title: Creating an Annotation Tutorial: Increasing Meaningful Source Use in Student Writing
Details: How can students be helped to not only improve their writing skills, but also increase their knowledge retention and reading comprehension? This presentation describes an evidence-based research proposal that aims to teach students how to annotate research sources efficiently and effectively. A PowerPoint demonstration presents the research process and data behind text annotation while providing an overview of the benefits for students across diverse academic disciplines at YSU and the greater Youngstown area.

Sepideh Khavari
Advisor: Andy Chang
Title: Predicting Human and Animal Protein Subcellular Location
Details: An important objective in cell biology is to determine the subcellular location of different proteins. Determining the subcellular location is crucial since the function of proteins in the cell is closely related to their subcellular locations. Identifying the subcellular location of proteins can be accomplished either by using biochemical experiments or by developing computational predictors. The objective of this study is to predict the subcellular location of animal and human proteins using computational predictors. The three computational predictors used to predict the subcellular location of proteins in animal and human include random forest, AdaBoost, and SAMME.


Two business students earn Risk Management Association Scholarships

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Jacob Nord and Ken Kilpatrick received the RMA Scholarships in the amount of $3,000 for their academic achievements and commitment to the financial services industry. Both served as interns and look forward to their contributions to the investment industry upon graduation.

Jacob Nord, left, and Ken Kilpatrick.

Kenneth Kilpatrick and Jacob Nord, students in the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University, have been awarded Risk Management Association Scholarships in recognition of their academic achievement and commitment to the financial services industry.

The scholarships are awarded to students in an undergraduate program who are interested in working in the banking industry after graduation. The scholarships can be renewed up to two additional years.

Jacob Nord of Poland is a senior majoring in Finance with a minor in Economics. He received a $3,000 scholarship. Nord is currently working as a financial analyst intern at First National Bank in Hermitage, Pa. He was previously employed as an intern at both the FDIC in Seven Fields, Pa., and the Cafaro Co. He is also a member of the Student Investment Fund and Business Leaders Program in the Williamson College of Business Administration. He will graduate this May.

Ken Kilpatrick of Austintown, a senior majoring in Finance with a minor in Business Economics, is pursuing a career with the investment industry, specifically banking. He received a $2,000 scholarship. His interests include analyzing a company’s financial position, public or private, and rating the company’s overall performance. Kilpatrick is studying to become a Chartered Financial Analyst with plans of testing in June 2016. He was employed as an intern with First National Bank in Fall 2015 and will return as an intern this summer. He plans to graduate in December 2016.

Six students honored as Beeghly Fellows

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YSU Beeghly Fellows for Spring 2016 are, left to right, front row, Yana Flider, Jessica Marando, Alex McFarland; and back row, Fadi El Chammas, Nicholas Conti, Jimmy Garvin.

YSU Beeghly Fellows for Spring 2016 are, left to right, front row, Yana Flider, Jessica Marando, Alex McFarland; and back row, Fadi El Chammas, Nicholas Conti, Jimmy Garvin.

Yana Flider, Jessica Marando, Alex McFarland, Fadi El Chammas, Nicholas Conti and Jimmy Garvin, all students from the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University, have been selected as John D. Beeghly Fellows for the 2016 Spring Semester.

The John D. Beeghly Fellows program provides students with a paid fellowship working with the Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU. Projects include marketing research, preparation of financial statements, export readiness studies, country research, business plan development, cash flow analysis, and sales forecast. Students gain valuable career-related work experience, and are able to position themselves to be competitive in the job market upon graduation.

The program is made possible by an endowment established at the YSU Foundation by Beeghly’s wife and children. Beeghly was a lifelong resident and businessman in Youngstown and son of area industrialist and philanthropist, Leon A. Beeghly. From 1967 until his death, Beeghly served as vice president and director of Standard Slag Co. and Stancorp Inc., a holding company for industrial businesses.

“We are extremely grateful to the John D. Beeghly Family for making this generous investment in our business students,” said Betty Jo Licata, WCBA dean. “Providing our students with career-related experience contributes to the success of our regional businesses and the professional preparation of our students.”

This semester’s fellows are:

Yana Flider of Youngstown is a senior International Business major, graduating in the fall 2016. She is currently a part of the Ohio Export Internship Program, taking a specialized export class in preparation for a summer export internship. Flider is treasurer of Enactus, an entrepreneurial organization, and is a part of the Emerging Leaders Program. Upon graduation she plans to apply for the Mountbatten program, studying towards an MBA and working in London for a year.

Jessica Marando of Hubbard is a senior Marketing Management major and Accounting minor. This is Marando’s second semester as a Beeghly Fellow. She completed a marketing internship in Lexington, Ky., for Vapor Stockroom prior to her Beeghly Fellowship. Marando is a member of Enactus, an entrepreneurial organization on campus, where she has served as public relations chairwoman for the past 2.5 years. Working for Modern Builders Supply since 2008, Marando runs the mailroom while completing a full course load throughout her entire college career. She plans to graduate this May.

Alex McFarland of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a senior Business Economics major. She recently completed a payroll associate internship at Future Systems Inc. McFarland is involved in the Economics Club and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She plans to attend graduate school at YSU for a master’s in Financial Economics and continue on as an Economic Development Advisor for the Peace Corp. in the Burkina Faso region. This is McFarland’s second semester as a Beeghly Fellow.

Fadi El Chammas, originally from Beirut, Lebanon, and now residing in Poland, Ohio, is a senior who will graduate in December 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major of International Business. Chammas is currently part of the Ohio Export Internship Program, and will be placed with a company doing exporting work this upcoming summer. He is fluent in Arabic and French, and gained professional selling experience and customer service skills working in the food industry for more than five years. He has been an intern at the Small Business Development Center since June of 2015.

Nicholas Conti from New Castle, Pa., is a senior Finance major with a minor in Accounting. He is actively involved with the Student Investment Fund and the YSU Racquetball Club, which he founded. He has served in organizational fairs, Crash Days, and student leadership summits at YSU. Conti has worked in the highway construction industry over the last several years and is currently interning with the Ohio Small Business Center as a Beeghly Fellow. He plans to graduate in December.

Jimmy Garvin of East Palestine is a senior Finance major who is interested in small business entrepreneurship and financial planning. Garvin currently is president of the honorary accounting and finance organization, Beta Alpha Psi, and an active member in the Student Investment Fund. Additionally, he tutors at YSU with the Center for Student Progress and is a manager for the Telischak Company, McDonald’s. Upon graduation Jimmy will be relocating to St. Louis to work with Edward Jones to become a financial advisor.

Two YSU students selected honorary delegates for GOP convention

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YSU students Kelly Motika, left, and Sara Pretoka

YSU students Kelly Motika, left, and Sara Pretoka

Youngstown State University students Sara Pretoka of Austintown and Kelly Motika of Hubbard know where they’ll be spending at least three days of their summer vacation this year – at the Republican National Convention.

Pretoka, a senior Criminal Justice major, and Motika, a senior Communications major, have been selected as honorary delegates to the convention July 18-21 in Cleveland.

“It’s great,” Motika said. “I didn’t know this opportunity was even available.”

“I’m really excited to see more of what goes on in the political process,” added Pretoka.

Honorary delegates are guaranteed lodging with Ohio’s official delegation and are invited to exclusive delegate-only functions, including daily breakfasts with national GOP officials, a luncheon honoring major donors, and access to a number of other events. Honorary delegates also get priority consideration for passes to convention sessions.

Pretoka, a 2012 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, is president of Alpha Xi Delta sorority at YSU, is a member of the YSU College Conservatives and works at the candy counter and in the marketing offices in Kilcawley Center on campus.

Motika, a 2012 graduate of Hubbard High School, is the field director at YSU for Turning Point USA, a student movement for free markets and limited government. She also hosted for three years her own show on the student-run Rookery Radio station on campus.

 

Business students inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma honorary

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beta gamma sigma 2016Forty-three students in Youngstown State University’s Williamson College of Business Administration have been inducted into the YSU Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the world’s premiere business honorary.

Beta Gamma Sigma is reserved exclusively for schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. BGS members are found in all 50 states and more than 160 countries worldwide. To be eligible for membership, students must be registered in business administration programs and be candidates for the baccalaureate or MBA degree. Students ranking in the top 10 percent of the sophomore, junior, or senior classes or the top 20 percent of the master’s program at are eligible.

This induction ceremony marked the 17th class at YSU. The Williamson College of Business Administration has now inducted 689 students.

beta gamma sigma logoStudents installed are: Maria Bukovinsky and Gina Sherock of Austintown; Kaitlyn Leonelli of Boardman; Taylor Demyan of Brooklyn; Kristen Day of Brunswick; Megan Horner of Burghill; Michael Wilfong of Campbell; Gianna Centofanti, Allison Conroy, Megan Factor, Alexandra Kulisz, and Teresa Volsko of Canfield; Taylor Fletcher of Carey; Cassidy Stoddard of Columbiana; Joseph Scott of Cortland; Anthony Peterson of Dover; Hailey Cassidy of Howland; Amber Miller of Leavittsburg; Nicholas Chretien and Mario Nero of Lowellville; Taylor Garland of McDonald; Alexis Patchen of Medina; Connie Buck of Negley; Nicholas Conti of New Castle, PA; Brigid Tebaldi of New Wilmington, PA; Ellie Pollock of Newark, DE; Chase Connors of North Jackson; Daniel DeLullo of North Lima; James Augustine, Rachael Davis, and Joseph Smith of Poland; Allison Ward of Salem; Gulnara Gumerova and Amanda Macinga of Struthers; Madeline Grimes of Vienna; Sebastian Boland of Wadsworth; Blaine Armstrong, John Fowler, and Megan Guliano of Warren; and Christopher Anderson, Derek Gomez, Joshua Herington, and Mary O’Donnell of Youngstown.

This year’s student officers are Jon Hutnyan, president; Bryan Schiraldi, vice president of Programming; Kayla Cerimele, vice president of Membership/PR; and Leah Finnerty vice president of Alumni Relations.

Diane Sauer, president of Diane Sauer Chevrolet, was the keynote speaker at the induction ceremony. Sauer was recognized as the chapter honoree and inducted into the honor society.

YSU Steel Bridge team tops regional contest, advances to nationals in Utah

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Members of the YSU Steel Bridge team are, left to right, Nico Pagley, David Mendenhall, Tommy Carnes, Harold (BJ) Winner, Kenny Anderson, Nico Lucarelli, Jake Millerleile, Leah McConnell, Miranda DeFuria, Taylor Simcox and Karen Schilling.

Members of the YSU Steel Bridge team are, left to right, Nico Pagley, David Mendenhall, Tommy Carnes, Harold (BJ) Winner, Kenny Anderson, Nico Lucarelli, Jake Millerleile, Leah McConnell, Miranda DeFuria, Taylor Simcox and Karen Schilling.

A team of six Youngstown State University Civil Engineering students defeated teams from 13 other universities and placed first at the Ohio Valley Student Conference Steel Bridge Competition in Cincinnati.

The team, representing the YSU student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will now compete May 27 and 28 in the National Steel Bridge Competition at Brigham Young University in Utah.

“Our engineering students went up against students from 13 other schools in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, including the University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State and Carnegie Mellon, and placed at the top,” said Anwarul Islam, professor and chair of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering at YSU.

“We are proud of their accomplishment and now look forward to the nationals in Utah later this spring.”

The Steel Bridge Competition involves the design, fabrication, construction and testing of a 21- to 22-foot steel structure that meets specifications set by ASCE and the American Institute of Steel Construction. At the competition, the bridge is judged on construction speed, lightness, stiffness, economy, efficiency and aesthetics.

At the regional competition at the University of Cincinnati earlier this spring, the YSU team ranked first overall. The YSU students also ranked first in construction speed, building the bridge in 6.97 minutes, less than half of the time of the second place team – Western Kentucky University at 13.92 minutes. The YSU team also placed first in the economy category and second in lightness, display, stiffness and efficiency.

Team members are Harold “BJ” Winner (captain) of Mercer, Pa.; David Mendenhall of Poland, Ohio; Nico Pagley of Wampum, Pa.; Thomas Carnes of Lake Milton, Ohio; Kenny Anderson of Ashtabula, Ohio; and Leah McConnell of Hubbard, Ohio.

Next Assignment: Psychological Operations in Qatar

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AlumSpotlight Petro photo 2

Kevin Petro, ’93 BS

Uncle Sam put his first call in to a young Kevin Petro in the 1970s, in a small corner of Ohio’s Trumbull County.

A Hubbard native, Petro was a frequent visitor of the nearby air base in Vienna Township. He would take trips with his family up State Route 193 to watch spectacular air shows, glimpse historic military aircraft and tour the ground displays. But among the sights, a few paper pamphlets earned his fullest attention.

“I would pore over the brochures and literature from the recruiters there,” Petro remembers. “Growing up, it was the only thing I wanted to do – be in the military.”

Those pamphlets would shape his ambitions, but years later it would be Petro influencing audiences across the globe, from Latin America to the Middle East, as a colonel in the Army’s Psychological Operations branch and chief of Military Information Support Operations at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) headquarters.

Petro’s official start with the military came right after high school. Joining the Army in 1986, Petro advanced from private to sergeant in three years, with his sights always higher.

“It was my goal to be an officer, and I knew a degree could open that door for me,” he said. Returning home, he traded his dog tags for textbooks on an ROTC scholarship at YSU. He graduated four years later, earning his bachelor’s in Combined Science and his commission as a second lieutenant.

From there, Petro advanced through a career in military logistics that took him from armed intervention and humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti, to peacekeeping operations in the Sinai. A traveler at heart, he loved the adventure and soon climbed the ranks to major, transferring to a position that would see numerous deployments throughout Latin America and Afghanistan.

His new assignment: psychological operations.

“It’s about using truthful information to influence foreign audiences – governments, organizations, individuals – to think and act in a way that’s beneficial to U.S. interests,” explains Petro, now colonel and current branch chief at USSOCOM headquarters, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. “We use theories and techniques from disciplines such as communications, advertising, marketing, psychology, sociology and other social sciences. My job is to synchronize global employment of our unique influence forces.” His responsibilities will be expanding this spring, as he takes command of a task force in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar for a yearlong tour of duty. It’s a leadership role that will bring him to the top of his profession, but the colonel takes it all in stride.

“It’s funny sometimes,” Petro describes a night at home, sitting at the dinner table, the news on in the background, “I’ll see an update flash on the screen about something happening overseas and think, ‘Well, looks like I’ll be dealing with that in the office tomorrow.’”

Responsibility on a global scale has always been an honor to Petro, and he couldn’t see himself doing anything else. “It’s never easy. Not necessarily fun – but always rewarding.”

After his career in service, Petro sees a future in counseling veterans, an audience he’s familiar with from his earlier days as a student employee in YSU’s Veterans Affairs office. “When I think of my college years, I remember the professional and military education I received, but also the camaraderie of the ROTC program and how instrumental the instructors and staff were in our lives,” he said. “My experience at YSU set me up for success in the Army.”

In addition to his undergraduate degree from YSU, Petro holds an MS in Counseling from Long Island University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. He and his wife, Wendolin, live in Tampa; he has a son, Tim, and a stepdaughter, Linda.

(Previously Published in YSU Magazine, Spring 2016.)

Judge’s Memoirs Span Civil Rights Movement

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Alumni Spotlight Judge Nathaniel Jones

Nathaniel R. Jones, ’51 AB, ’56 JD

Nathaniel R. Jones was nine years old, sitting front-and-center in what was then known as Youngstown’s “colored” YMCA, when he first heard a civil rights activist speak. That day, the small boy from a poor black family began thinking about a career in law.

Jones became one of the first African Americans to serve as a federal judge, appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, with jurisdiction over Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky. A graduate of Youngstown College and its School of Law, he has played key role in advancing civil rights, both in the United States and in South Africa.

Thinking back, Judge Jones credits his mother for sensitizing him at an early age to issues like segregation and discrimination. She was a member of the ladies auxiliary at the segregated YMCA and poured tea for the nationally recognized civil rights leaders who spoke there on Sunday afternoons. “I never knew why my mother took me to those meetings instead of one of my three siblings,” he says, pensively, “but it made a big difference in my life. That’s where I understood the role the law could play in accomplishing change.”

Now 89 and living in Cincinnatti, Jones has authored a book of his memoirs that spans his 70-year law career and America’s Civil Rights Movement. Titled “Answering the Call: An Autobiography of the Modern Struggle to End Racial Discrimination in America,” the book is set for release this spring. “I think the book makes the point that we’ve come a long way, but an ominous shadow still hovers,” he said. “We still have serious issues that must be addressed. It’s a continuous march.”

The autobiography traces his early years, growing up during the Great Depression on Youngstown’s South Side, playing football for South High School and serving as president of the city’s Youth NAACP chapter. “Even in high school, I started getting involved with issues of race and discrimination, and there were many,” he recalls.

Alumni Spotlight  Jones book cover

Judge Jones’s book is scheduled for release by the publisher this spring.

An Air Force veteran of World War II, he used GI Bill benefits to help pay his way through college and law school, also working as a printer and editor at The Buckeye Review, a newspaper founded by his friend and mentor, J. Maynard Dickerson.

Jones was a young attorney, just a few years out of law school, when Attorney General Robert Kennedy named him an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland – the first African American in Ohio to hold that position. Seven years later, following a series of violent race riots in Detroit and Los Angeles, another honor: Jones was named assistant general counsel to the Kerner Commission, a panel formed by President Lyndon Johnson to investigate causes and solutions for the racial unrest.

In 1969 he was recruited to be general counsel for the NAACP, where he served for 10 years, arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, battling the idea of “separate but equal” and coordinating national efforts related to school segregation and racial discrimination.

He gave up his activism a decade later, however, when he was appointed to the federal judgeship. “It was a moment of indescribable joy,” he says, remembering the honor. “But my whole life changed. Under the code of judicial conduct, I had to withdraw from any activities that could be perceived as affecting my opinion in deciding a case.”

He continued to be involved in civil rights matters elsewhere in the world. Jones consulted with drafters of the South African constitution that abolished apartheid and served on a team of observers for the first democratic election there. He has taught at Harvard Law School, the University of Cincinnati College of Law and the North Carolina Central College of Law and co-chairs the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Jones retired from the federal court in 1995 after serving more than two decades – but he’s still active in the  law and goes to work everyday. The judge is senior counsel in the Cincinnati office of Blank Rome LLP, a national firm. “People ask me when I’m going to retire,” he said. “I say, retire to what? I don’t have any plans to retire.”

(Previously published in YSU Magazine, Spring 2016.)


Foster Parenting Inspires a New Career Path

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Alumni Spotlight Kim Anderson photo 5

Kim Anderson

Twenty children have called Kim Anderson “Mom” since she became a foster parent eight years ago, and the experience has radically changed her retirement plans.

“So this is my life, part two,” said Anderson. “I’m retired, I just graduated from college, I’ve started a new career and I’m getting ready to adopt a toddler.”

Inspired by the Trumbull County Childrens Service social workers she met caring for foster kids, Anderson enrolled in YSU’s Social Work program as a nontraditional student and, four years later, graduated magna cum laude with a BSW. Now she’s launching career No. 2 as an intake caseworker for Summit County Children Services, commuting to Akron from her home in Liberty Township.

Anderson started working right out of high school as a children’s photographer for Lifetouch Portrait Studios at J.C. Penney, advancing to a management position and retiring after 37 years. She had never considered college because of her demanding retail hours, but early retirement suddenly made it possible.

She continued as a foster parent throughout college, sometimes sharing her home with as many as four children at a time. “There was one period when I had four foster kids with me, all under the age of 5, and I was going to school full time,” she remembered with a laugh. “Now that was a busy time.”

Anderson threw herself wholeheartedly into student life – she served two internships at Summit County Children’s Services, volunteered for the Red Cross, served as president of YSU’s Student Social Work Association, and always excelled in the classroom. In her senior year she brought honor to her university when the National Association of Social Workers named her Ohio Social Work Student of the Year; previously, she had been named NASW’s Student of the Year for the Northeast Ohio region.

As a foster parent, and now as a social worker, Anderson tries to forge relationships with families and help them to see her as an ally, not a threat. “My supervisor describes me as an optimist because I see the potential in people,” she said. “I want to believe that, if we give people the resources they need, they can change. And I try to always treat people kindly and with respect. I think everybody deserves that.”

Drawing on her previous experience as a family photographer, she likes to get professional photos taken of the foster children in her care and shares the photos with their parents. “The parents love that,” she said. “It helps them feel closer, and the kids grow so fast.”

Many of her foster relationships have become success stories – she’s kept in contact with most of the children she’s cared for over the years, and some of their families. But there is one child, a little boy who came to her at three-months and is now nearly two, that Anderson doesn’t want to let go. She has decided to adopt him, if the legalities can be worked out.

“When I signed up for training to be licensed as a foster parent, another parent suggested that I get the “foster-to-adopt” certification. She said I might need it someday,” she said. “I guess I’m glad now that I did that, because it’s happened to me. The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Anderson has two adult children, both living in the Mahoning Valley. Her daughter, Alexis Schmidt, earned bachelor’s degree in Education at YSU and teaches in the Austintown Schools; and her son, Adam DeRaud, is a junior studying business at YSU.

Intern gets deskbound employees up and walking

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Emeka Obinnakwelu Jr.

Emeka Obinnakwelu Jr.

It’s in the news every day: sedentary desk jobs can be hazardous to your health.

That’s why Youngstown State University senior Emeka Obinnakwelu Jr. dedicated this semester to helping YSU employees get active.

Obinnakwelu, an exercise science major serving an internship in the university’s Employee Wellness Program, devised a lunch hour campus walking regimen, serving as advisor, encourager and exercise consultant for the 41 faculty and staff participants.

His supervisor, wellness coordinator Carrie Clyde, started off by asking Obinnakwelu to review the results of employee surveys, reports and health screenings. “I was overwhelmed at first, there was so much information,” he said, “but it helped me to learn what the employees wanted and needed.”

In the eight-week Wellness Walker program he created, participants signed up to walk anytime between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the WATTS, YSU’s indoor training center.

Walkers received incentive points to earn cash and were eligible to win other prizes, such as t-shirts, drink bottles and gift cards. Obinnakwelu monitored the walkers, answered questions, and emailed each participant personalized health tips based on information they provided in their pre-exercise survey. “People seemed to like the program,” he said. “They kept asking me to keep it going.”

Obinnakwelu’s family lives in Union, N.J., about 30 minutes from New York City – his parents emigrated here from Nigeria, but he and his three siblings were born in the United States. His younger brother, a freshman, is also studying at YSU.

Obinnakwelu came to the university on an academic scholarship and regularly makes the Dean’s List. He’s been involved in Student Government and is active in the Golden Key International Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

He is on track to complete his YSU BS in Applied Science in Exercise Science this fall and plans next to pursue a doctorate in Physical Therapy. He’s looking into several schools that offer the program, but YSU is at the top of his list. “I really like it here,” he said. “It’s my home away from home.”

 

YSU students rank in top quarter nationally in mathematics contest

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A team of seven Youngstown State University students ranked in the top quarter of competitors nationwide in the 2015 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, the best known and most prestigious mathematics contest in North America.

Nearly 4,300 students from 554 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada participated.

The Putnam exam, administered by the Mathematical Association of America, consists of 12 questions, each worth 10 points. More than half of the competitors nationwide received a score of 0.

YSU student Josiah Banks of Campbell, Ohio, finished ranked in the top 22 percent of all participants taking the exam, while Michael Baker of Bristolville, Ohio, Jenna Wise of Hubbard, Ohio, and Crystal Mackey of Bristolville, Ohio, ranked in the top 40 percent. Other YSU students participating were Emily Hoopes of Warren, Ohio, Gabrielle Van Scoy of Lisbon, Ohio, and Monica Busser of Farmdale, Ohio.

Seniors accept offers from nation’s top universities and companies

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Honors College LogoYoungstown State University seniors who have been accepted to pursue graduate studies and employment opportunities at some of the nation’s top universities and companies will participate in an Academic Signing Day Ceremony 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 on campus.

“This year’s seniors are heading to some outstanding professional programs and careers, and they’re excited to announce their plans,” said Amy Cossentino, director of the YSU Honors College. “We want to give them the platform to do it properly and celebrate their achievements.”

“The signing event serves to congratulate students and give them a small ‘send-off’ as they continue on to their future endeavors,” said senior James Tancabel of Boardman, who will be attending the University of Maryland, College Park, to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. “The time and effort the seniors have put into their education at YSU has paid off.”

It is the first such ceremony for YSU.  Participating seniors from YSU’s Honors College who will graduate on May 7 will sign a book that will become a historical artifact chronicling the next part of each graduate’s life journey to include both graduate and employment opportunities.

The ceremony is in Fok Hall on the corner of Wick Avenue and University Plaza.

The event follows the 2nd Annual Honors College Recognition Ceremony, which begins at 3 p.m. in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on campus.

The following are some of the spring graduates who may participate in the signing:

  • Nicole Balog of Austintown, Ohio; attending YSU to pursue a master’s degree in Gerontology.
  • Kayla Zitello of Boardman, Ohio; attending Carnegie Mellon University to pursue a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Rebecca VanVoorhis of Canton, Ohio; entering the teaching profession
  • Bre Gwirtz of Canfield, Ohio; entering the teaching profession.
  • Sam Rakocy of North Canton, Ohio; attending YSU to pursue a master’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics.
  • Alana Lesnansky of Youngstown, Ohio; attending Penn State University to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
  • Amanda Shuluga of Campbell, Ohio; attending John Carroll University to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
  • Camron Bagheri of Youngstown, Ohio; attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School to enter the JD program.
  • Gina Mancini of Canfield, Ohio; entering the workforce as a nursing home administrator-in-training at Briarfield Manor Nursing Home.
  • Celeste Marshall of Cortland, Ohio; attending YSU to pursue a master’s degree in Economics.
  • Lindsey Farran of Canfield, Ohio; attending Saint Louis University to pursue Master of Health Administration.
  • Michael Radetic of Youngstown, Ohio; attending Carnegie Mellon University to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
  • Chris Poullas of Hubbard, Ohio; entering the workforce as a hybrid/electric vehicle system engineer at Delphi Automotive.
  • Kyle Spikler of Columbiana, Ohio; entering the workforce as an electrical engineer in the Component Prep team of Global Engineering at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio.
  • James Tancabel of Boardman, Ohio; attending University of Maryland, College Park to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
  • Luke Johnson from the Bahamas; attending University of Pennsylvania to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
  • Natalie Kelly from Renton, Wash.; attending Youngstown State University to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
  • Alex Welsh from Austintown, Ohio; attending Youngstown State University to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
  • Victoria Ferry from Cortland, Ohio; attending Youngstown State University to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
  • Brandon O’Neill of Lordstown, Ohio; entering the workforce as a project superintendent at Turner Construction Co. in Cleveland.
  • Alec Kalis of Austintown, Ohio; pursuing a medical education.
  • Ashley Orr of Columbiana Ohio; attending the University of Oxford to pursue graduate study in Economics.
  • Alex McFarland of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attending Youngstown State University to pursue a Master in Economics.
  • Jordan Edgell of Turtlepoint, Pa;. attending George Washington University to pursue a Masters in Forensic Science and Friction Ridge Analysis.

YSU students excel at international mathematics competition

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Two teams of Youngstown State University students won Meritorious awards in this year’s Mathematical Contest in Modeling competition.

The award places the YSU teams in the top 9 percent of the nearly 7,500 teams from around the world. In all, YSU had six teams and 18 students participate.

“I am so impressed by the outstanding performance of our students and their enthusiasm to model challenging applications using mathematics,” said Angela Spalsbury, chair of YSU’s Mathematics and Statistics Department. “We are very proud of our students and faculty members who help prepare them.”

Jenna Wise of Hubbard, Kyle Gumble of Austintown and Michael Baker of Bristolville, received Meritorious designation for their submission titled “Math-Tub: Heat Map for the Greater Good of Bathtime”.

Also receiving Meritorious honors were Kayla Zitello of Boardman, Camron Bagheri of Youngstown and Elizabeth Urig of Canfield for their submission titled “Bubble Baths: A Thermal-Fluid Investigation”.

Both teams were advised by George Yates, professor of Mathematics and Statistics.

In addition, four all-freshmen teams wrote successful solutions in the competition. “This is a remarkable achievement by our students who are so earlier in their college education,” said Paddy Taylor, associate professor. The teams:

  • Joseph Ciarniello, Joshua Potkanowicz and Kayla Rektor, all from Austintown.
  • Joshua Fromel of Canfield, Nicholas Tancabel of Boardman and Trenton Cersoli of Millerton, Pa.
  • Andrew Welsh of Austintown, Montana Gessler of Poland and Andrea Beck of Canfield.
  • Thomas Carnes of Lake Milton, Taylor Townsend of East Palestine and Derek Kozlowski of Columbiana.

The competition is conducted annually by the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications. Teams of three students have 96 hours to develop a model of the problem, create a solution, and submit a written report for judging.

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