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Ralph Stewart Added To Board Of Trustees As Centre County Representative

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has appointed Ralph Stewart to the Board of Trustees as the College’s Centre County representative.

Ralph Stewart, Borough of Bellefonte

The motion follows the College’s plans to open a new location in Bellefonte, PA, beginning in Fall 2024. Stewart’s duties as the Centre County representative will be to bring forward the interests of the region regarding educational advancement. His initial term will expire on July 31, 2026, at which time he will be eligible for a three-year reappointment.

“I am delighted to welcome Mr. Stewart to the College’s Board of Trustees,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, Pennsylvania Highlands President. “His wealth of experience, local connections, and commitment to education will undoubtedly contribute significantly to our institution’s continued growth and success. We look forward to working closely with Mr. Stewart as we shape the future of our college and empower our students to achieve their dreams.”

Stewart is currently the Bellefonte Borough Manager, a position he has held since January 2001. He has worked within Bellefonte Borough since July 1994, starting as the Planning, Zoning, Code, and Grants Administrator before becoming the Assistant to the Borough Manager and the Assistant Borough Manager.

He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association (PRWA) Board of Trustees, the PA State Association of Boroughs (PSAB) Board of Trustees, and the Centre County Airport Authority Board.

“I am honored to be on the board and to help anywhere I can,” Stewart stated. “Pennsylvania Highlands Community College brings a high-quality and affordable career education option to this region. Every industry needs well-trained people. Their timing could not have been better. We welcome them to Centre County.”

Stewart holds a certificate in Community & Economic Development, a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Penn State University. He has also graduated from the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg and the Centre County Leadership Program.

New Certificates In Criminal Justice & Culinary Arts Added

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has announced the addition of new Criminal Justice and Culinary Arts certificates. Both are set to start with the Fall 2024 semester. 

The Culinary Arts program consists of eight classes, with seven of them taking place at the College’s new Center for Culinary Excellence in downtown Johnstown. This cutting-edge facility is furnished with high-quality equipment, offering students a valuable hands-on learning experience. 

The Culinary Arts program extends over three semesters and totals 23 credits. The in-person courses can be taken in different combinations, including four classes in the first semester, two in the second semester, and two in the third semester.  

Students will be prepared for entry-level and management positions within the food service industry. They will receive a general business management foundation and advanced culinary skills that can be applied to future employment.  

“If you have a passion for food, adding culinary knowledge and skills to your degree can help diversify your skill set and make you more desirable to industry employers,” stated Megan Adams-West, Culinary Arts Program Coordinator. “This program is designed for individuals who aim to possess an associate degree and have a serious interest in advancing their culinary knowledge.” 

The Criminal Justice program is designed to be completed in one year, consisting of 18 credits. Students will take three classes each semester.  

Students will be prepared for an entry-level position in any of the three criminal justice components – law enforcement, courts, and corrections. It provides students with classes designed to introduce them to each component of the criminal justice system with an emphasis on how these components relate to, interact with, and complement one another while seeking public safety and equal justice for society. 

A Criminal Justice certificate can also be earned by graduating from the Pennsylvania Highlands Police Academy. 

“The new certificate is a viable option for those students looking to learn various skills necessary to enter entry-level work in the criminal justice system or having a desire to find out about the educational aspects of the criminal justice system,” stated Dr. Robert M. Clark, Professor of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences. “This certificate is an excellent pathway to numerous opportunities within the system or to apply the credits into our Criminal Justice associate degree program.” 

Both certificates can be applied toward earning an associate degree within similar programs of study.  

Diversity Committee To Host Interfaith Roundtable

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Diversity Committee will be hosting an Interfaith Roundtable on Wednesday, April 17, from 5 to 6:30 PM inside the Auditorium at the College’s Richland Campus.

This event aims to be a discussion-filled evening with guests and featured speakers sharing their views on a variety of world religions, exploring what makes faith practices meaningful, and what those have in common in terms of worship. There will be five featured speakers, including:

• V. Rev. Elijah Bremer – OCA priest, rector of Holy Assumption Orthodox Church, educator at Penn Highlands, historian, author, husband, and father.
• Catherine S. Cox – Professor of Humanities at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and ba’alat korei (scroll reader) at Temple Beth Israel in Altoona, a member of the Union for Reform Judaism.
• Samaah Izmirli-Sbeitan – Treasurer for the Islamic Center of Johnstown in Windber. She has raised five children and is dedicated to promoting inclusion, diversity, and acceptance via workshops, international dinners, and safe places for like-minded people.
• Brandon C. King – Minister of Music and Ordained Elder at Christ Centered Community Church, Johnstown, and a Child Welfare Ongoing Caseworker for Cambria County Children and Youth Agency.
• The Very Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R., Ph.D. – President of Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA.

Those who cannot attend can view the event via Zoom. The Meeting ID is 843 7678 8238 and the Passcode is 441852.

Basketball Athletes Receive Honors; Wyatt-Taylor Named All-Region, Wilson Given Honorable Mention

The National Junior College Athletic Association announced that Pennsylvania Highlands Community College sophomores Joziah Wyatt-Taylor and Jamar Wilson were awarded Men’s Basketball Division III All-Region 20 honors for the 2023-24 season.

Wyatt-Taylor (Johnstown, PA) was named to the First Team for his second All-Region selection after earning Honorable Mention in 2022-23. Wilson (Baltimore, MD) was given Honorable Mention.

“These young men have represented our college so well over the last two years,” stated Sue Brugh, Director of Student Activities and Athletics. “They excelled both on and off the court, while showing what it means to be a Black Bear athlete. We are very proud of them.”

Wyatt-Taylor led the Black Bears with 21.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He ranked second in Region 20 in points per game, total points (582), field goals made (222) and blocks (20).

His rebounding average and total rebounds (247) were both third in the region. Wyatt-Taylor was also named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week for January 17-23, 2024, where he set a new school record for points in a game after tallying 46 against Westmoreland County Community College.

Wilson tallied 15 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. He was second in Region 20 in assists (121), fourth in steals (52), and fifth in rebounds per game. Penn Highlands now has 52 total athletes who have received All-Region honors in its 14 years of athletics.

Joziah Wyatt-Taylor, All-Region

Jamar Wilson, Honorable Mention

Penn Highlands Awarded Gold Military Friendly® Designation

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce that it has earned the 2024-2025 Gold Military Friendly® School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® Schools Awards designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2024-2025 survey, with 537 schools earning awards level designations in Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Penn Highlands was one of 243 schools selected for “Gold” award status for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs. The 2024-2025 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in G.I. Jobs magazine’s May issue and found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer), and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our process,” stated Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships for Military Friendly ®. “This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages institutions to consistently evolve their programs. Award level schools have gone beyond that standard, Showing true commitment and dedication in their efforts. The Military Friendly® benchmark promotes positive educational outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community.”

About Military Friendly® Schools (www.militaryfriendly.com)
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria, and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate.

About Viqtory (www.viqtory.com)
Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs® and Military Friendly® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity.

About Pennsylvania Highlands Community College 
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has served over 60,000 community members throughout western Pennsylvania, including the Laurel Highlands and Southern Alleghenies regions. Offering over 40 degree and certificate programs in seven unique pathways, Penn Highlands has the highest graduation rate of all Pennsylvania community colleges.