News Archive

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Twenty-seven Westminster College students recently graduated from the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing and will continue their coursework at Westminster to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College Director of Athletics Jim Dafler announced his retirement following over three decades as a member of the Titan Athletics staff.
 
"It has been my great pleasure and honor to have served as Director of Athletics at Westminster for the past 22 years, and to have been a member of the Titan Athletics staff for the past 32 years," Dafler said.
 
"During his more than 30 years as a coach and Athletic Director at Westminster, Jim has demonstrated outstanding leadership, modeling for hundreds of Titans the highest levels of sportsmanship and excellence," said Westminster College President Kathy Brittain Richardson. "His wisdom, integrity and humor have contributed much to the college's Leadership Team, and he will be greatly missed."
 
Under his leadership and guidance, Westminster has become a landing spot for student-athletes all across the country to come and compete at world-class facilities. Dafler helped lead the construction and renovations of state-of-the-art facilities to further enhance the student-athlete experience and to provide as many opportunities as possible for all Titans to succeed. These top-level facilities include the UPMC Sports Complex, the Westminster Varsity Softball Field, the Westminster Varsity Baseball Field, and the Bill Rankin Indoor Golf Center.
 
"There are too many people to thank but I would be remiss not to single out Coach Ron Galbreath who recommended my hiring to previous Director of Athletics Joe Fusco, and Joe who not only hired me but then 10 years later recommended me to be his successor, and President Tom Williamson who subsequently hired me as Director of Athletics," said Dafler. "I still have to pinch myself thinking that I have served in the A.D. position at Westminster following Titan icons Grover Washabaugh, Harold Burry, Buzz Ridl, and Joe Fusco. To see my name in the same sentence with those men has been and will continue to be very humbling."
 
Dafler led the charge of adding four new varsity sport programs, including Women's Golf, Women's Track & Field, Men's lacrosse, and Women's lacrosse – and the reestablishment of the Diving program. He also assisted in the transition of Westminster's move from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to NCAA Division II to NCAA Division III.
 
Additionally, Dafler oversaw multiple renovations and improvements to Harold Burry Stadium (including artificial turf and bleachers, all-weather track and venues for field events, and the Joseph B. Fusco Plaza, and the Jerry C. Neff Gate) and to the Memorial Field House (including the James F. Edwards and Mansell Educational wing additions, the Grover Washabaugh lobby project, the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium and Ron Galbreath Court projects, the fitness center renovation, the football locker room expansion and renovation, the Chet and Hilda Claire Student-Athlete Lounge, and the Dar Huey Heritage Center).
 
"I have benefitted from the support of past and present members of the Athletics staff, the Westminster community, and the College Board of Trustees. Westminster Presidents Tom Williamson, Rick Dorman, and especially Kathy Brittain Richardson have each helped me grow professionally in my role, and always were more than willing to listen and to act upon concerns and issues that I thought impacted the Titan Athletics program. And, of course, I will always treasure the great many student-athletes who I have had the good fortune to get to know personally and to watch compete as Titans. Their efforts motivated me each day I was on the job."
 
During Dafler's tenure at Westminster, teams, student-athletes, and coaches have been recognized regionally and nationally, including numerous All-Americans, conference players of the year, scholar-athletes, conference championships, coaches of the year, and all-conference players.
 
Dafler joined Westminster in 1989 as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team, later being promoted as the head coach, and became the Director of Athletics in 1999. During his coaching tenure, Dafler helped Westminster win five Keystone-Empire Collegiate Conference (KECC) titles and two NAIA Division I National Playoff appearances. For his entire head coaching career, Dafler was just four wins away from 200.
 
"I also must thank my wife Cindy and my children and grandchildren for supporting me with their unconditional love every step of the way. In the end, I have been blessed more than I deserve to have had the opportunities that were afforded me and my family at Westminster, and I will be forever grateful for all those who contributed to that."  
 
There is no doubt Dafler has cemented his name in the "Titan Tradition" lore and has helped paved the way for future Titans to succeed for generations to come.
 
Dafler's retirement is effective July 31. Westminster will conduct a national search for a new Director of Athletics in the coming weeks.

Monday, June 7, 2021

The Center for the Environment (CFE) at Westminster College kicks off its summer educational programming series with “Forest Therapy: Science Fact or Fiction?” at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at the college’s outdoor Field Station located at 937 Fayette-New Wilmington Road in New Wilmington.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Three Westminster College students placed among the top 10 finishers of the Zingale Big Idea Competition.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Westminster College’s McGill Library will host a children’s summer storytime series each Tuesday this summer.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Jim Curtis '83, Community Services Manager for the City of Indio in Indio, Ca., shares his passion for planning high-end events, including his involvement with the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival each year. He touches on how the tragic accident that took the life of his best friend from Westminster College led him to following his passions without "could've, would've" in his vocabulary.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

The Westminster College Center for the Environment will offer six virtual college prep workshops this summer, giving high schoolers an opportunity to learn about the environment and build their college readiness skills.

Friday, May 28, 2021

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Westminster College senior thrower Dalton Anderson (Butler, PA / Moniteau) earned All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday.
 
Anderson, earning the first All-American citation of his career (National Qualifier in 2019), finished third in the javelin with a personal-best toss of 62.22 meters (204'2") on his final throw, the best finish at Nationals in the javelin in program history. Anderson joins Ryan Bell '12 as the only Titan throwers to earn All-American status at Nationals and ties for the second-best Titan finisher at National's overall.
 
Anderson also joins sophomore pole vaulter Emma Rudolph (Santa Clarita, CA / Golden Valley) as the second Titan to earn All-American honors this week. Senior thrower Megan Parker (Mercer, PA / Mercer Area) will round out the Titan representatives at National's tomorrow in the shot put at 10:30 a.m.
 
The NCAA Championships are being held Thursday, May 27 through Saturday, May 29 at the Irwin Belk Track Complex in Greensboro, N.C.

Thursday, May 27, 2021

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Westminster College sophomore pole vaulter Emma Rudolph (Santa Clarita, CA / Golden Valley) earned an All-America citation at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday.
 
Rudolph, earning the first All-American honor of her career, tied in 8th place with a vault of 12'1.5" (3.70m).
 
The Titans now have 15 All-American women's pole vault honorees in school history.
 
Also representing Westminster at the 2021 Nationals are senior Dalton Anderson (Butler, PA/Moniteau) and senior Megan Parker (Mercer, PA/Mercer Area). Anderson qualified in the javelin which will take place on Friday, May 28 starting at 4:45 p.m., while Parker qualified in shot put which will start on Saturday, May 29 at 10:30 a.m.
 
The NCAA Championships are being held Thursday, May 27 through Saturday, May 29 at the Irwin Belk Track Complex in Greensboro, N.C.

Friday, May 21, 2021

Westminster College’s Center for the Environment will be offering a middle school STEM day camp this summer for students entering seventh through ninth grades.