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There was a lot going on at Millersville University during 2016. Based on the number of readers on the Millersville News blog combined with the likes/shares/interactions on social media – here are the top 10 stories for the year:
#10 – Music Program Gets a Half-a-Million Dollar Upgrade
Over the past three years, enrollment in the Music Business and Technology program has grown almost 600 percent. One working recording studio was not enough to handle the increased number of students, so the Music department added two new recording studios at a cost of almost half-a-million dollars. The new studios include the latest state-of-the-art recording equipment and is sure to alleviate some of the congestion of only having one studio.
#9 – Field Hockey Wins PSAC Championship
In improbable fashion, the Millersville field hockey team beat No. 1 ranked East Stroudsburg and then two days later, No. 2 ranked Shippensburg to win the PSAC Championship. Millersville was behind for the first 47 minutes of the game, but managed to pull out a win with two goals in less than 20 minutes. The PSAC title was the team’s second in the last four years.
#8 – Grants; MU Prof Collaborates on $2.5 Million NSF Grant, Cebra-Thomas Grant and Migrant Access grant. Millersville received many grants in 2016, here are three of them;
Dr. Nanette Marcum-Dietrich, professor of STEM education is collaborating on a $2.5 million NSF grant to give middle school students the opportunity to learn about weather.
Dr. Judith Cebra-Thomas, associate professor of biology is researching the evolutionary development of turtles with the assistance of a $507,736 research grant from the NSF.
The children of migrant workers in Pennsylvania now have easier access to college, thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the College Assistance Migrant Program. The co-principal investigators are Dr. George Drake, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services and Dámaso Albino Jr., director of the Migrant Education Program.
#7 – Make A Wish
Make-A-Wish ® grants the wishes of children battling life-threatening medical conditions, and with the help of Millersville University Athletics, the wish of one local boy was revealed at halftime of the Feb. 20 men’s basketball game. Everest Kennedy, a six-year-old boy from Elizabethtown, Pa., attended the game with his family and heard about his wish coming true.
#6 – MU Remembers Karlie Hall and Teen Dating Violence Awareness month
February was Teen Dating Violence Awareness month and Millersville dedicated the month to Karlie Hall, the MU freshman who was killed in her residence hall on campus in 2015. The month featured the Red Flag campaign which uses a bystander intervention strategy to address and prevent sexual assault, dating violence and stalking on college campuses.
#5 – Baseball; finished NCAA runner-up and four players went to the pro ranks.
The Millersville baseball team set a PSAC record for wins in a season and finished national runner-up. Millersville was only the third team from the PSAC and the region to play for the championship. On the heels of an amazing season, the baseball team also had four players sign contracts to play major league baseball. Brandon Miller, Reid Anderson and Tyler Orris were all drafted and Jim McDade signed as a free agent.
#4 – Made in Millersville
With over 340 student participants, the third annual Made in Millersville was the largest celebration of student scholarship and creativity yet. Highlights from the event include the electric VW bus exhibit, a scanning electron microscope demo-station led by Dr. Mark Atwater, and powerful spoken word performances with faculty adviser Dr. Caleb Corkery.
#3 – Climate/Sustainability
MU’s Climate Action Plan, a Sustainability Day and Admissions Goes Paperless all helped to propel sustainability to the forefront during 2016. Millersville’s Climate Action Plan provides a framework for achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. The University celebrated Campus Sustainability Day with a visit from Matt Grocoff, a nationally-recognized leader on net zero energy buildings. And, the Undergraduate Admissions Office will save about 135,000 sheets of paper and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 2,700 lbs. in one year, with one step: going paperless.
#2 – Election year; Bernie Sanders on campus and the Election Extravaganza Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders stopped by Millersville University and held a rally in Pucillo Gym in April during his bid for the Democratic nomination for President. And in November, Civic and Community Engagement held an election night extravaganza that included food trucks, interactive inflatables, hungry hippos and a Hilary and Donald jousting ring.
#1 – APSCUF Strike and Big Boys, Big Band, Big Sound For the first-time ever, professors across Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education went on strike in October. During the 3-day strike, an eclectic mixture of popular hits and old classics filled the air as APSCUF members picketed in front of the Francine G. McNairy library. This lively soundtrack energized the crowd, encouraged car honks and drew attention across campus and beyond. The Big Boy Brass Band came together only a month before the strike. The group consists of recent graduates and current college students, most of who are enrolled at Millersville University. APSCUF membership has ratified the contract.
