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Penn Highlands reported in top 5% of College Affordability

The U.S. Department of Education lists Pennsylvania Highlands Community College for its affordability through the Department’s release of the College Affordability and Transparency (CATC) Lists. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics using 2014 data, Pennsylvania Highlands ranks 47th in the nation for the lowest net price of two-year public institutions and second in this category for two-year public institutions in the state of Pennsylvania.

The calculation of net price includes a combination of sponsored tuition, fees, and textbook costs for students, minus grants and scholarships received. For the 2013-2014 academic year, 77% of Penn Highlands’ students qualified for and received federal, state, or local aid and/or scholarships.

“This is a testament to the attentiveness our departments have when serving our students and our institution’s commitment to providing the region with an affordable education,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, College President. “Our responsibility is to these students, so that their futures can be positively impacted through local options that lessen the level of debt incurred while pursuing a college education.”

High School Students from the Region earn Full-Tuition Scholarship

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate the outstanding work of the area high school students that were awarded the College’s Board of Trustees Academic Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors in the region that demonstrate excellence in academics and extracurricular activities. Eligible students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in their high school career and participate in various activities and community service.

Scholarship recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Highlands Community College to complete an associate’s degree. Pennsylvania Highlands would like to honor those who will receive the 2016 Board Academic Scholarship:

• Shaina Aurandt of Cresson, PA (Penn Cambria High School)
• Makayla Coughenour of Berlin, PA (Shanksville-Stonycreek High School)
• Michaela Detwiler of Altoona, PA (Altoona Area High School)
• Mattison Fike of Johnstown, PA (Greater Johnstown High School)
• Jordyn Hamilton of Johnstown, PA (Conemaugh Valley High School)
• Autumn Hause of Johnstown, PA (Richland Senior High School)
• Miranda Pastuch of Boswell, PA (North Star High School)
• Kane Stiffey of Johnstown, PA (Greater Johnstown High School)
• Hannah Szpala of Cresson, PA (Penn Cambria High School)

College receives Seven Seals Award

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College was recently presented with the Seven Seals Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The Seven Seals Award is considered to be the most inclusive of the awards given by the ESGR, and is presented in recognition of significant organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes the mission of the ESGR.

Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands Community College, along with current Penn Highlands’ students Chris Schuerch and Scott Mognet, were on-hand to receive the award from ESGR volunteers Greg and Polly Simmons.

About the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)

ESGR, a Department of Defense program, was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,500 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education, and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, service members, and their families. Volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.

Photo is of the Seven Seals Award presentation. Pictured from left to right: Greg Simmons, ESGR volunteer; Scott Mognet, student and retired from the PA Army National Guard; Dr. Walter Asonevich, College President; Polly Simmons, ESGR volunteer; and Chris Schuerch, student and Windber VFW Post 4795 member.

New Adjunct Faculty join College for Summer 2016

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently welcomed new adjunct faculty to its family for the summer semester. Christine Zernick, of Cresson, is the College’s Associate Dean of Adjunct Faculty and oversees adjunct faculty at the College. These new additions include:

• Robert Speicher, of Asheville, will teach Mathematics. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics Education from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
• Rebecca Ritchey, of Duncansville, will teach American Sign Language. She holds a M.A. in Education (Adult Education and Training) from the University of Phoenix.
• Kaitlyn Kieta, of Salix, will teach Biology. She holds a M.S. in Biotechnology from the University of Maryland.
• Benjamin Bukoski, of Johnstown, will teach Physics. He holds a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
• Carl Sell, of Hollidaysburg, will teach English. He holds a M.A. in English Literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
• Richard Bishop, of Ebensburg, will teach Biology. He holds a M.A. in Education from Saint Francis University.

Robert Speicher

Rebecca Ritchey

Kaitlyn Kieta

Benjamin Bukoski

Carl Sell

Richard Bishop

College awarded Grant; plans to add Virtual Reality Training to Health Programs

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has been awarded a Lee Initiatives Grant in the amount of $1,766. The College plans to use this funding to enhance its Medical Assisting, Medical Coding, and Healthcare Information Specialist programs through the development of virtual reality educational tools and videos.

Pennsylvania Highlands plans to begin instituting a portion of the virtual reality programming during the upcoming fall semester with assistance from students in the Media Production program. “This is an exciting time for Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. Innovation is always at the forefront of our minds when developing ways to improve the student experience, and this is a great example of that mindset,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands. “This shows the strong collaborative spirit infused throughout our College as students from different programs will be creating a stronger educational experience together.”

An example of the virtual reality experience being designed is a tour through the human body. This will be where a virtual reality “body-ship” will be “shrunk” to the size of a single blood cell and the student will find him or herself moving through a patient’s veins. The challenge for the student will be to identify body structures and recognize signs of disease.

This collaboration will begin to take shape over the summer and into the fall at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, with a focus on enhancing the Medical Assisting program first. The College is looking to add virtual reality into clinical sessions as soon as possible through the design of the clinical scenarios mentioned above. 

Photo includes (left to right): Rick Bukoski, Instructor of Communication and Media Studies; Tammy Calpin, Instructor of Medical Assisting and Practicum Coordinator; and Dr. Robert Barrett, Chairman of Lee Initiatives. The photo was taken during the Lee Initiatives Grant Awards Ceremony.