Newsroom

College to offer free Prep Math Class in Richland and Blair

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be offering a free prep math class to assist those in our community who would like to prepare for an easy transition to college without having to incur any financial costs. This no-cost college prep class will be held at our Richland Campus and Blair Center, beginning in January.

This college prep math class with prepare students for college-level math courses. Students in the course will learn pre-algebra and introductory algebra. They will complete homework assignments, take quizzes, and complete tests in a traditional classroom setting.

Students who take this course will have the benefit of individualized attention in a small-sized classroom. After successful completion of this non-credit course, students will be prepared and confident to take college-level math courses at Penn Highlands Community College.

This college prep math course will begin on Tuesday, January 17th, and will end on Monday, May 1st. The course runs daily, Monday through Thursday.

For students interested in taking the course at our Richland Campus, it will be held from 12:30pm to 1:45pm. For students interested in taking the course at our Blair Center, it will be held from 9:15am to 10:30am.

For more information or to register, please contact:

• For Richland Campus: Student Success Center at 814.262.6451 or studentsuccess@pennhighlands.edu.
• For Blair Center: Julie Patosky, Director, at 814.201.2700 or jpatosky@pennhighlands.edu.

College Strengthens Ties in Computer Science with Area Universities

Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has made great strides when it comes to the College’s Computer Science program and its ability to assist students wishing to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

A recent addition to the existing transfer agreement between Penn Highlands and UPJ enables Penn Highlands’ students an affordable way to earn their Computer Science associate’s degree and then transfer to UPJ with Junior standing in either of their two Computer Science tracks. “This represents a major milestone for our Computer Science program,” commented Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Computer Science Program Coordinator at Penn Highlands.

Penn Highlands’ students from across the Southern Alleghenies region can now graduate with an associate’s degree in Computer Science and transfer seamlessly into Pitt-Johnstown for their bachelor’s degree. “We’re extremely excited to partner with the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown to help local students receive the degree they want,” continued Dr. Slonka.

Dr. Slonka has also strengthened the College’s transfer relationship with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). While Penn Highlands’ graduates in Computer Science were already able to transfer to IUP, those students can now transfer with Junior standing into one of IUP’s four Computer Science tracks.

“The most exciting part of this new relationship is IUP’s designation as a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence,” explained Dr. Slonka. Under this agreement, students wishing to become cyber security analysts can transfer into the Information Assurance track at IUP.

Additionally, IUP has agreed to bring its expertise in this area to assist Penn Highlands in becoming an NSA Center of Academic Excellence as well. IUP Computer Science Department Chair, Dr. David Smith, noted, “Together, IUP and Penn Highlands are preparing the next generation of cyber security professionals for the workforce in government and industry. Our centers will mutually promote cyber security awareness by providing seminars, talks, summer camps, and other activities for our communities.”

Richland Campus to host Conspiracy Theory Presentation by Hungarian Visiting Scholar

Dr. Péter Krekó, Fulbright Visiting Scholar

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be hosting a free lecture from Dr. Péter Krekó, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, on Monday, November 14th, in the College’s Richland Campus Auditorium. His presentation, “The Psychology of Conspiracy Theory”, will begin at noon.

Péter Krekó is a Director at the Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based Central European political research and consultancy firm. He is an Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences in Budapest, and a member of the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence.

Dr. Krekó regularly serves as a commentator on international media. He has written many publications, including: A Russian Spy in Brussels, The Conspiratorial Mindset in Europe, European Far-Right and Putin, and A Hungarian Putin, and Russian Influence.

This presentation is conducted through the Fulbright Scholar Program’s Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF). OLF enables Visiting Scholars to share their research interests, speak about their home country, and exchange ideas with U.S. students, faculty, and community organizations. Through these lectures, colleges and universities forge relationships with the Fulbright Scholar Program and Visiting Scholars.

This event is open to the public.

Assistant Professor & Local Business collaborate on award-winning Research Paper

Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, for his work on the research paper entitled Phishing Our Clients: A Step Toward Improving Training via Social Engineering. The paper was selected as the Best Research Paper at the 2016 International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) Conference.

Dr. Slonka, who also works as a Senior Systems Engineer at Precision Business Solutions, collaborated on this research paper with Brian Shrift, President of Precision Business Solutions. Their research paper was chosen using a double blind process from a poll of more than 130 research papers.

The IACIS 2016 Conference provides a showcase for the latest research in practice and pedagogical topics that focus on how information systems are used to support organizations or enhance the educational process. To highlight that small businesses are susceptible to security threats, the researchers conducted a study where their clients were phished.

Former Cam. Co. President Commissioner Holtzman honored with Board Room Dedication & Scholarship Creation

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently honored former Cambria County President Commissioner Kathy Holtzman through the creation of an endowed scholarship and the naming of the College’s Richland Campus Board Room.

Mrs. Kathy Holtzman was a leader in the development of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. In 1994, as President Commissioner of Cambria County, she enacted the Sponsorship Articles of Agreement between the County and Cambria County Area Community College (now Penn Highlands), laying the foundation to provide higher education to countless residents throughout the area. Mrs. Holtzman’s service to the College continued as she served as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2015.

Dr. Melissa Murray, Associate Vice President of External Affairs, stated that in recognition and gratitude of her public service, dedication to education, and betterment of the community, the College’s Foundation was able to work with the Holtzman family to raise over $11,000 for the creation of the Kathy Holtzman Memorial Scholarship. Much of the funds were raised during the Foundation’s annual jazz reception event, “Corks & Kegs”, where over 120 community members gathered. Prior to the event, College President Dr. Walter Asonevich gathered with Kathy’s family and local legislators to celebrate the naming of the “Holtzman Board Room”, an honor unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees during their August 2016 meeting.

Brenda Zartman, Kathy’s daughter, and Lea Gendelman, Kathy’s granddaughter, played a large part in the success of the event and the creation of the scholarship.

“Kathy Holtzman spent the majority of her lifetime in the interest of education and public service, and our family is overwhelmed by the recognition offered by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College,” Gendelman said. “We are honored that the Board chose to recognize her contributions to the College with the dedication of the Holtzman Board Room, and we are thrilled that the Foundation Board is enabling us to continue her legacy by allowing more students to pursue higher education through the Kathy Holtzman Memorial Scholarship.”

Contact the College’s Foundation for additional information on how to donate to the Kathy Holtzman Memorial Scholarship at 814.262.6499 or foundation@pennhighlands.edu.

Left to right: Lea Gendelman, Devin Cobaugh, Dr. Walter Asonevich, David Gendelman, Robert Holtzman, Dale Zartman, and Brenda Zartman

New signage outside of the College’s Holtzman Board Room.