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Monday, October 30, 2023

Dr. Kathleen Howard, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Swarthmore College, will present the 16th Annual Ken and Nancy Long Chemistry Lecture at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in Hoyt Science Center 101.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Westminster College will continue its Beyond the Quad art series on Wednesday, Nov. 1, with screenings of entries from the Titan Terror Project film competition.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at the New Wilmington Borough Amphitheater with the film competition’s award winners announced during the evening. Audience members will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites.  Film entries are in the horror genre but are meant to be suitable for all audiences, with content appropriate for viewers of all ages.

The Titan Terror Project is a short film competition open to the community with entries due by Oct 27. Film entries should be two to five minutes long and all films should feature a doll. The films will be split into three judging categories: Newbies for first-time filmmakers and Repeat Offenders for those with experience with filmmaking. There is also a category for high school students.

“We want people to get out in this colorful time of year and make a short movie now. Take advantage of the spooky season,” said Bradley Weaver, adviser for the film contest and a faculty member in Westminster’s School of Communication.

The event is free and open to the public, and popcorn and other refreshments will be provided. In case of inclement weather, screenings will be held in Mueller Theater, located in McKelvey Campus Center on Westminster’s campus.

Beyond the Quad is supported by Westminster College alumni Bob and Debby Caleskie Jewell, both 1980 graduates, and coordinated by the Center for Professional Development and Community Engagement at Westminster College.

For more information, contact the PDCE’s Dr. Helen Boylan at boylanhm@westminster.edu or 724-946-6293.

Friday, October 20, 2023

Westminster College’s Foster Art Gallery will host an artist lecture and gallery reception for ceramics artist Jeremiah Ibarra from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the gallery located in Patterson Hall.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Peyton Aujay, a senior at Westminster College, was one of six musicians awarded an opportunity by the Pittsburgh Creators’ Project for his musical talent.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Westminster College has been awarded $437,351 by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support the development of an on-campus high-fidelity nursing simulation lab that will benefit current Westminster nursing students and first responders in the region.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Westminster College students and faculty members from the School of Communication and Center for the Environment showcased their new interdisciplinary work at the 83rd Pennsylvania Communication Association (PCA) Annual Conference held at Slippery Rock University on Friday, Sept. 29.

They presented “Westminster’s Green Team: Communication at the Intersection of Science, Sustainability, and Social Media,” delivered as part of the PCA’s salon session on “Rachel Carson: Listening to the Voices of Nature.”

Avery Keenan, a sophomore environmental science major from Cranberry, Pa., introduced his research with Dr. Patrick Krantz, associate professor of environmental science, on using real-time monitoring of bee hives to study temperature regulation, swarm behavior and honey production.

Hallie Hughes, a sophomore environmental science major from Jeannette, Pa., presented her research on nature therapy being done in collaboration with Dr. Helen Boylan, professor of chemistry. Their research investigates the combination of mindfulness outdoors and its effect on stress, attention span, and short-term memory.

The presentation culminated with Reid Sanderson, a junior broadcasting and sports communication major from Meadville, Pa., who discussed his research with Bradley Weaver, broadcasting and sports communication lecturer. Sanderson’s work is the creation of environmentally focused education media that communicates science and initially focused on the research of Keenan and Hughes. One of Sanderson’s video packages was shared as part of the presentation and was favorably received by the audience.

“We received positive feedback and witnessed how ‘The Green Team’ project sparked some inspiration among PCA members,” said Weaver. “A few asked for our social media links. They want to share the videos with their colleagues and students.”

Keenan and Sanderson had the opportunity to work on their projects as summer research fellows funded by the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research. Grants from the Drinko Center covered registration fees for all three students.

Questions about this project can be directed to Dr. Patrick Krantz at krantzpd@westminster.edu.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Jamie Kohler, director of McGill Library and associate professor at Westminster College, will present the 2023 Henderson Lecture at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18, in the Witherspoon Rooms of the McKelvey Campus Center.

Monday, October 16, 2023

The Westminster College School of Music invites all high school orchestras and individual high school string players to join current Westminster students at String Festival Day on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Will W. Orr Auditorium.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Westminster College students involved in the Buzzfeed cluster course served as video volunteers for the Bags & Blessings 5K Run/Walk in Beaver County in September.

Runners and walkers of the event—which was sponsored by Bags & Blessings, a non-profit charity established to help bring hope and love to those undergoing cancer treatments—shared with students their stories about why they were participating.

The recorded interviews will be shared with Bags & Blessings for use on social media.

“I thought this experience was very heartwarming and it was super interesting to hear from the participants of the race. Hearing stories of what some of those people have overcome and faced in their lives is truly amazing,” said Adam Coppins, a junior environmental studies major from Lewiston, N.Y.

Students worked under the guidance of Bradley Weaver, lecturer in Westminster’s School of Communication and an instructor in the Buzzfeed cluster course, which links environmental science and digital social media courses.

“I was very proud to see our students follow the protocols we mapped out in class about being empathic, understanding boundaries, asking open-ended questions and being supportive in recruiting people to share their reasons for running and supporting the organization,” Weaver said.

The project will connect to environmental science later this semester, when students will help bottle Westminster Bee Company’s honey harvest and share with Bags & Blessings to be included in care packages for cancer patients. Students will deliver the honey and conduct another set of interviews with volunteers.

The idea for this cluster course is attributed to Dr. Patrick Krantz, associate professor for the environment and director of the outdoor laboratory, and Dr. Terri Lennox, professor of computer science emerita.

Krantz said incorporating the honey element into the cluster course was inspired by a friend undergoing chemotherapy.

The raw, local honey produced at Westminster’s apiary is free from harmful chemicals and safe for patients undergoing treatment, Krantz said.

To learn more about the Buzzfeed cluster course, please contact Weaver at weaverbl@westminster.edu.

Monday, October 9, 2023

Westminster College political science alumna Anne Tillie '17 has been named to Crain's Cleveland Business' "Twenty in Their 20s" list. Tillie went into public service after graduating from Westminster and is currently project coordinator for the City of Cleveland.