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Seven Students named to All-PA Academic Team

The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges honored the 23rd Annual All-Pennsylvania (All-PA) Academic Team at an awards banquet held in early April in Harrisburg. The awards recognize an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities.

The 2017 All-PA Team consists of 44 outstanding community college scholars from across the Commonwealth. The All-PA Team is administered by Phi Theta Kappa, the national two-year college honors society. Those honored from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College included the following seven students:

• Rachel Blackburn (Altoona)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Science in Accounting

• Nicholas Braniff (Revloc)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Science in Computer Science

• Sadie Carney (Johnstown)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Hunter Connor (Boswell)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Science in Criminal Justice

• Mary Anne Cowfer (Tyrone)
  Graduation Date: December 2016
  Degree: Associate of Arts in Psychology

• Kylee Doyle (Holsopple)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Jessica Shaffer (Ebensburg)
  Graduation Date: May 2017
  Degree: Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Pennsylvania Highlands would like to congratulate these students on their academic achievements, and look forward to what each of their futures will hold.

Crisis Intervention Training hosted at Richland Campus; Professor among Participants to earn Certificate

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently hosted the Laurel Highlands Region Crisis Intervention Team as they provided their annual Crisis Intervention Training during the final week of March to officers and others in the field.

This weeklong (40-hour) training program teaches individuals various techniques on how to engage with people in crises, including those who are mentally ill. Participants were able to hone their verbal de-escalation skills with the goal of creating nonviolent intervention through voluntary compliance.

Additional training topics dealt with handling the mentally ill, juveniles, and people with personality disorders, suicide prevention, and substance abuse. This program is currently in its 10^th year.

Twenty-one police and corrections officers from multiple counties attended the program, including the College’s own Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences, Dr. Robert Clark. After completion, all received a certificate during a graduation ceremony

Blair Students participated in Clean Up of Altoona

On Saturday, April 8th, students from the Pennsylvania Highlands Blair Center participated in a spring cleanup of a key thoroughfare in the City of Altoona. The intersections of 6th & 7th avenues with 7th & 8th streets are high traffic areas and are often the first to be seen by visitors and tourists.

Members of the Blair Center Student Activities Club swept remnants of this winter’s road treatments from the sidewalks in addition to gathering trash and debris in conjunction with the City of Altoona’s Public Works Department. Students arrived at these intersections around 8:00am, and continued to clear the area until noon.

Participants of Altoona Clean Up (L to R): Jen Daniels (Community Volunteer), Jenda Sible, Tracey McClellan and daughter, Rachel and Aaron Bakaysa, John Donnelly (AASD School Board President), Keith Bryant, Matthew Pacifico (Mayor of the City of Altoona), Joseph Eckels (Big A Booster Club President), Rebecca Rago, and Julie Patosky (Blair Center Director).

Somerset Center to host combined open house with Conemaugh Allied Health

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Somerset Center will be hosting a combined open house with Conemaugh Allied Health on Monday, March 20th, from 5:30pm to 7pm. This open house will be held at the College’s Somerset Center, located in the Somerset County Education Center at 6024 Glades Pike, Suite 210.

Individuals attending will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from both organizations. If you are interested in a Conemaugh Health program or simply wanting to learn more about earning your college degree, this event is the perfect place for you to begin and have any questions answered.

To learn more about this event or if you have any questions about Penn Highlands Somerset, please contact us at 814.443.2500, 1.888.385.PEAK, or somerset@pennhighlands.edu.

Three Professors certified as Cybercrime Investigators; look to advance Criminal Justice & Information Technology

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce that three full-time faculty members were recently certified as Cybercrime Investigators by the International Fraternity of Cybercrime Investigators (IFCI). Congratulations to:

• Dr. Robert Clark, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Social Sciences
• Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
• Mr. Dennis Miller, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

By completing the IFCI-CCI (Certified Cybercrime Investigator) Professional Certification exam, Dr. Slonka, Dr. Clark, and Mr. Miller received in-depth, hands-on technical training from some of the top experts in federal law enforcement, as well as first-class instruction from highly recognized university professors.

The certification process provides training in a myriad of cybercrime topics including – but not limited to – network intrusion, system forensic artifacts, deleted file recovery and file carving, forensic acquisition, memory and malware analysis, and more. Completing the certification program ensures that Dr. Clark, Dr. Slonka, and Mr. Miller have an expertise in all of the previous fields.

Penn Highlands is consistently looking for new and innovate ways to help our region and its population find success in today’s technologically advanced society. These three professors understand the College’s vision and have taken it upon themselves to advance the College’s Criminal Justice and Information Technology degree programs for the success of the students these programs serve.

“Penn Highlands is here to help our community thrive,” stated Trish Corle, Vice President of Student Services. “Our faculty members have a clear understanding of how changes within industry demand a response in the classroom. This represents a forward-thinking approach to higher education that speaks volumes about their commitment to students and their discipline.”

To help better serve our community and our students, Penn Highlands has expanded our Information Technology program into three separate tracks under the leadership of Dr. Slonka: Cyber Security, Network Administration, and Server Administration. All three tracks are designed to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately in any number of entry-level positions.

Our Criminal Justice degrees are built for students to either immediately enter the workforce or to easily transfer to a four-year institution with junior standing. Students have found success in many fields through our program – from the police force to crime statistics analysts and more.

About the International Fraternity of Cybercrime Investigators
The U.S. Department of Justice recognizes cybercrime as one of the biggest threats facing our nation’s security, prosperity and safety — and it’s not a threat that will simply go away. At IFCI, our mission is to equip highly skilled analysts and investigators to combat this threat both in the U.S. and abroad.

From Left to Right: Mr. Dennis Miller, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice; Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Dr. Robert Clark, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Social Sciences.