thiel happenings
Thiel College Announces the Kenneth and Marianna Brown Dietrich Honors Program
Thiel College announced Saturday that the $25 million bequest to the college by late businessman, scholar and philanthropist William S. Dietrich II will first be used to fund the Kenneth and Marianna Brown Dietrich Honors Program. Dietrich’s gift was the largest made to Thiel College in its 145-year history. It became operational upon his passing on Oct. 6, 2011 and was announced to the public on Nov. 3, 2011.
"Bill Dietrich was a model of lifelong learning and self-improvement, and we are happy to honor those who instilled that passion for knowledge in him, his beloved parents and Thiel alumni, Ken and Marianna," said Dr. Troy VanAken, Thiel College president, during the announcement in the college’s Lutheran Heritage Room to an audience of students, board members, faculty and staff, alumni and special guests. "Bill’s generosity, farsightedness and faith will bring the college to new heights as an institution that focuses primarily on academics and a holistic student experience."
The Dietrich Honors Program will expand and deepen the existing Thiel College honors program, creating over time a program that is accessible, integrated into the wider curriculum and featuring a wide variety of honors activities and academic offerings. A re-invigorated honors program is one of the priorities of the college’s newly adopted strategic plan.
The Dietrich Honors Programs honors Kenneth Dietrich ’31 and Marianna Brown ’32, Dietrich’s parents who met while both were students at Thiel. Ken and Marianna instilled in their son a deep love of learning and respect for knowledge, which will serve as a cornerstone of the honors program named in their honor.
"For this reason, honoring Bill’s parents with the naming of the Thiel College honors program—a program that is an essential component of the College’s new strategic plan—is a thoughtful and fitting tribute to the Dietrich family," said Edward J. Grefenstette, the chief investment officer of the Dietrich Charitable Trusts. "With the naming of the Honors Program, let us hope that the Thiel community will now have a constant reminder of Bill’s wisdom—that with the steady support of family and faculty, Thiel students can feel the security to take the risks necessary to achieve great things."
The source of the fund that will benefit Thiel is the Dietrich Charitable Trusts, which are charitable remainder trusts created by Dietrich that own assets primarily generated by the 1996 sale of Dietrich Industries, which were grown significantly through a global investment portfolio. Upon his passing, the trusts will fund a new charitable organization, The Dietrich Foundation, which will administer the funds benefiting Thiel College.
Participate in the Web/E-mail Survey for a chance to win a FREE iPod Touch!
Thiel College’s Information Technology Department is evaluating the effectiveness of our current website and e-mail system. Please help us gather opinions by taking a short survey. A unique survey link was sent to your Thiel e-mail address Monday, Feb. 13.
Once you have submitted your completed survey, you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE iPod Touch! The survey ENDS next Monday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. Once all of the entries have been collected, a winner will be chosen by a random drawing and notified via e-mail.
*Employees currently working in the Information Technology department will not be eligible for the drawing.
Messages from the MIMC
Camtasia Studio
IT is checking our Camtasia licenses and attempting to determine our upcoming needs for this screen capture program. If you have had Camtasia Studio installed on your computer, please contact Leslie Graul with as much of the following information as possible: Which version do you have (4, 5.1, 6 or 7)? Who installed it? What is the software code? Do you have the CD? Do you have the manual? Do you plan to continue using this software for your Thiel courses?
Don't be a room thief: Check schedules for Bly Lecture Hall and other rooms
Last week, an event that had been advertised and scheduled to take place in Bly Lecture Hall had to be cancelled because another group had taken over the room.
Please follow the appropriate campus procedures, particularly when dealing with rooms that are used for group events. Do not merely relocate to a room because it is empty. Check the schedule.
Rooms such as Bly Lecture Hall, computer labs, LHR, Johnson Center rooms and many other locations have on-line calendars. You can find them by clicking the Calendar link on the top right side of Thiel’s home page. You can check them at any hour of the day or night. You also can submit event requests.
To schedule an event in Bly Lecture Hall you can use the web page calendar, contact the MIMC at imc@thiel.edu or call the Records office.
Help Support the Re-opening of the Greenville Memorial Swimming Pool
Purchase a $10 Sheetz Coupon Book (a $25 value!) from Coach Angie Zeuch in the women’s basketball office at the fitness center. You can also attend a Pizza Hut Fundraiser on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 5 - 8 p.m.
Hawaii Raffle Tickets on Sale Now!
Tickets are $20 each. Enter for a chance to win a seven-night stay at a five-diamond resort on Waikiki Beach and round-trip airfare for two! Tickets can be purchased from Jack Leipheimer or Patti Leipheimer in the Student Life Office.
student news
Student-Athletes of the Week
Corey Brown a senior wrestler and criminal justice studies major from Greenville, Pa. earned his fourth-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference title at 133 pounds on Friday as he helped guide the Tomcats to the 2012 PAC team championship, the program’s first since 2009.
Brown, currently 29-1 on the season and 99-24 in his illustrious career as a Tomcat, is listed as the nation’s second-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) individual rankings.
The first Tomcat wrestler to garner all-American honors on three occasions, he has earned Dean’s List recognition in each of his seven semesters and has twice earned a spot on the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll. Brown has also been named a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) after each of his last two seasons. He has been named PAC Wrestler of the Week three times this season and was selected as a PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Month for December 2011.
Kristin Diegan a first-year student on the women’s indoor track & field team and early childhood education major from Hermitage, Pa. finished 16th and ran a season-best time of 6:06.85 in the mile run at Friday’s unscored Baldwin-Wallace College Mid-February Meet.
Friday’s meet consisted of seven NCAA Division II schools, six NCAA Division III schools and one junior college institution. Also a member of the Tomcat cross country squad, Diegan finished 36th and was the ninth freshman to cross the finish line at the 2011 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships with a time of 26:59.0. She currently serves as a tour guide in Thiel’s Office of Admission.
community news & events
Greenville Symphony Orchestra Winter Concerts
Friday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., Hickory High School
Saturday, Feb. 18, 3 p.m. Passavant Center
Edward Groves, SVC Conductor, together with the GSO as they perform a premiere piece composed by Daniel Perttu, assistant professor of music at Westminster College. Two 2011 Rising Stars, Macy McBeth and Stephanie Witzorreck, will also perform at the Passavant Center as well as guest conductor, Dr. Tom Pineo. All under the direction of Maestro Michael Gelfand as he celebrates his 10th Anniversary Season with GSO. Tickets at the door: adults, $15; senior citizens, $12; all students and children, free.
Marcellus Shale Drilling Mineral and Royalty Educational Seminar
Presented by FNB Wealth Management
Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Avalon Golf & Country Club at Buhl Park
1030 Forker Boulevard, Hermitage, Pa.
Click here for more information and contact info.
A Toast to Reading: 3rd Annual Wine Tasting Event at the Greenville Area Public Library
Saturday, Feb. 25, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the library's circulation desk.
$25/person or $40/couple
Featuring wine from: Volant Mill Winery (Volant, Pa.), Wilhelm Winery (Hadley, Pa.) and Heritage Wine Cellars (North East, Pa.).
Contact Jennie Kather with questions or for more information.
special notes
ING Representative
Individual counseling sessions will be held in the Edwin Hodge conference room on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., interested individuals must contact George Loughry to schedule a specific appointment time. He can be reached by phone (412-996-0758) or e-mail george.loughry@ingfp.com.
February is Heart Healthy Month
Click to download the following informational PDFs from Highmark
Heart Health Calendar
General Heart Health Tips
Contact Jennie Kather about donating to the United Way.
campus events
A Good Half Hour —
Worship for All
Thursday, Feb. 16
12:30 p.m.
Johnson Memorial Chapel
"Jesus Steps Up and Steps Down"
Thiel Campus Ministry: Welcoming One Another As Christ Welcomes Us
Wear Red Day
Friday, Feb. 17
Show your Thiel spirit and support for the American Heart Association by donating $1 to wear red, a Thiel shirt accessorized with red OR "My HEART Belongs to Thiel College" t-shirt.
Also, join us in the dome between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the first LSR program for 2012 Strides for Health.
Hearts to honor a loved one will be available in the dome the week of February 17 – 24. Simply place your donation in the lock box provided and write the name of the person(s) on the heart. Hearts will be displayed all week in the dome!
HEADstrong Fundraiser
Friday, Feb. 17
7 p.m. in the Dome
Men's Lacrosse vs. Albion
Sponsored by Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Wear fluorescent green and get a HEADstrong wristband.
T-shirts will be on sale to support the foundation. ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE HEADSTRONG FOUNDATION. Visit www.headstrongfoundation.org for more information.
Sigma Tau Delta Induction Ceremony
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m.
Sawhill-Georgian Room
The English department will induct five students (Kendall DeLashment, Caitlin Ferry, Kayla Ohlin, Calla Parker and Leanna Yeager) into the Alpha Iota Kappa Chapter of this international English honorary society. Dr. Robert Olson, Thiel College’s 18th President, will deliver the Invocation, and Dr. James Bloomfield, Professor Emeritus of History, will serve as the keynote speaker.
Black History Month Events
OBC Annual Soul Food Feast
Sunday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m., LHR
With guest speaker Jimmy Pugh. Live performance by California University gospel choir and great food that will have you coming back for more.
Black History Trivia Game Show
Monday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., LHR
This event is open to students, faculty and staff. Teams will consist of two-to-four members. Topics will include: African Americans in education, politics, sports, movies, music and history. Please RSVP to jwebb@thiel.edu if you’d like to register a team to participate.
Safe Zone Training
Monday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m., LHR
Professor Ted Hoover and colleagues will join us for an hour session on the importance of safe zone training and how to implement this training year around.
The Department of Sociology presents Sy Alli, International Security in a Changing Global Landscape
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., Bly Hall
Sy Alli is a senior security consultant and executive protection expert for Washington D.C. based Collis & Associates, Inc. Alli has 30 years of professional experience in the private security executive protection and investigative fields. He currently serves as senior security adviser/account manager for a Fortune 500 global manufacturing company.
Ash Wednesday Worship for All
Wednesday, Feb. 22
12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Johnson Memorial Chapel
"Turn In and Tune In to God's Mercy and Renewal"
Thiel Campus Ministry: Welcoming One Another As Christ Welcomes Us
contact us
If you’re interested in submitting a story or event to T-Notes, e-mail tnotes@thiel.edu. Our next issue will be Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Deadline for submissions: 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20.