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Thursday, October 5, 2023

Westminster College will host its Fall Open House from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 21. The event is open to high school and transfer students who are interested in attending or learning more about Westminster College.

The visit will consist of tours of the campus with student guides who can give their input on their personal campus experiences. Students and their families will also hear from faculty and staff about majors and academic opportunities and will be provided with information about scholarships and the admission process with financial aid. 

In addition, there will be same day admission decisions for those entering fall 2024.

To register for the event, please click here. For more information, please contact the Office of Admissions at 724-946-7100.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

A Westminster College junior biochemistry major spent 10 weeks this past summer working on computational simulations of the histone mRNA degradation complex at Duquesne University.

Gabriella Hunter from New Baltimore, Mich., was chosen to participate in the Integrated Computational and Experimental Chemistry National Science Foundation-Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) Program.

Hunter worked in the biochemistry lab on the project “Role of 3'hExo in Histone mRNA Degradation” alongside Duquesne faculty members Dr. Rita Mihailescu and Dr. Jeffrey Evanseck, Westminster College Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Patrick Lackey, and graduate students Caylee Cunningham and Adam Kensinger.

The team worked on creating a better understanding of the degradation process and learning the roles of every structure involved, testing to see how the 3’hExo interacts with the mRNA when it is degrading it.

Hunter says that Westminster College prepared her well for this opportunity, as she was already familiar with the techniques and lab equipment she was using. She was also confident in her understanding of chemistry and biology that was critical to her research.

Lackey, Hunter’s campus mentor, was an integral part of Hunter’s experience.

“He helped explain a lot of background information and aided me along with the presentations we had to do, but he also let me figure things out on my own. That really made the experience interesting, because I could be independent as I learned a lot from doing it on my own,” Hunter said.

At the conclusion of the program, which ran from May 22 to July 28, Hunter presented her research poster at the Duquesne University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Hunter’s future plans include pursuing a career in research and going to graduate school to eventually work as a chemist in formulation or research in the development of cosmetics.

The Integrated Computational and Experimental Chemistry NSF-REU Program is made possible through the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Defense's Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Education (ASSURE) program and the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program.

For more information about Westminster’s biochemistry program, click here.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Westminster College welcomed three new faculty members to the campus community for the 2023-24 academic year. Joining the College this fall are Dr. Andrew Bain in the School of Social Sciences, Martha McGrath-Brown in the School of Business and Dr. David Lehman in the School of Arts and Humanities.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Matt Lewis, senior columnist for The Daily Beast, will deliver the keynote speech at Westminster College’s 22nd Mock Convention at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the Will W. Orr Auditorium on Westminster’s campus.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

High school students interested in studying music are invited to participate in Westminster College’s Music Major for a Day events on Monday, Oct. 9, and Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The event is hosted by Westminster’s School of Music and gives students a glimpse into the campus life of a music major. Each day will have a specific focus of interest. High school sophomores, juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend campus events on one or both days. Attendees will be paired with a current college student to shadow for the day and there will opportunities to play or sing with ensemble rehearsals.

The Oct. 9 event will concentrate on woodwinds, brass and percussion. On Oct. 10, strings, voice and keyboard will be highlighted. Both days will provide opportunities to attend classes, participate in rehearsals, and meet with faculty and current students. 

The event is free and lunch will be provided to all attending. Same day admissions will be available to students interested in applying to Westminster for fall 2024.

Westminster is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music. To register, visit www.westminster.edu/music.

For more information, please contact Dr. Timothy Winfield, chair of Westminster’s School of Music and associate professor of music, at 724-946-7274 or winfietd@westminster.edu.
 

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Westminster College is encouraging students to make connections with members of the local region through a new community engagement initiative, Beyond the Quad.

Friday, September 29, 2023

An article penned by two alumni and a professor from Westminster College’s biochemistry program has been published in RNA Biology, a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of ribonucleic acid research.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Dr. James C. Rhoads, professor of political science and current department chair at Westminster College, recently presented at the 39th annual Q conference at Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

As part of Westminster College’s 2023 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, four alumni and one current student will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Reception and Dinner on Friday, Oct. 6.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

The Westminster College Celebrity Series will present the jazz rock Grammy Award-winning group Blood, Sweat & Tears (BS&T) at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, in the Will W. Orr Auditorium.