t-notes - March 13, 2024

Thiel Happenings

Thiel signs agreement to accept students following Cleveland college’s closure announcement

Thiel College is partnering with Notre Dame College to provide a seamless transition for Notre Dame students affected by the suburban Cleveland college’s closure announcement on March 4.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Thiel College celebrates largest Match Day giving event in school history

Thiel College set marks for donors and funds raised with Thursday’s 2024 Match Day event Tomcat Games school officials confirmed Monday.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Goals met and records set

Academic Center main entrance closed as work on Spence Academic Center begins

Work began on March 11 on the main (west) entrance/exit to the Daniel and Dorothy Spence Academic Center will be closed in order to begin exterior construction work to the building. This access will remain closed until the project is completed. The first floor lobby of the Spence Academic Center, as well as access to Bly Hall, the Solution Center, and all academic classrooms and offices will remain accessible throughout the spring semester.

During this time, alternate access to and from the building will be through the Langenheim Memorial Library, the north access to the Academic Center (near the James Pedas Communication Center), the Science Connector, or the Lower-Level of the Science Wing (near the P.A. Program).

Students needing access assistance or temporary accommodations, should contact Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Greg Q. Butcher, Ph.D. at ext. 2031. Employees should contact for access accommodations Director of Human Resources Jennifer Clark at ext. 2858.

Additionally, campus community members are reminded to use caution around the construction zone and to be careful near cordoned-off areas.

The Facilities Department will continue to update campus of any disruptions or closures to the building during the construction process.

For more information, contact Kim Braden ’01.

Anyone who has already completed the wufoo does not need to sign up again.

Next TNT is Tuesday, March 19

Each semester, “Thiel News Time” (TNT) gatherings are an opportunity to meet as a community and share information as the College works together to advance the institution. These sessions take place on Tuesdays during community hours when no classes are scheduled allowing faculty to attend together with the College’s staff.

The next TNT is at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 19 in the Sawhill Georgian Room in the Howard Miller Student Center

The final meeting of the spring is April 30.

Student News

Barr prepares graduates for what they will find after Thiel

John Barr ’70 was the featured speaker at the March 6 Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar. Barr is a retired sales and marketing executive who spent much of his career with the Eastman Kodak Company and has also served on the Thiel College Board of Trustees.

“John applied to only three schools when looking for colleges. They were Lycoming College, Grove City College, and Thiel College. He knew when he stepped onto campus, Thiel was the one he wanted to go to. He started as a sociology major for his first three years and did not want anything to do with business. Eventually, he took a business class with (Professor David) Miller and loved it. He graduated with a minor in business.” Nick DiLullo ’24

“During his senior year, Barr accepted a position at Kodak in Rochester, NY, where he dedicated 28 years of his career. Despite facing challenges, including being let go from his job at Kodak, Barr remained resilient and motivated not to fail. His instincts guided him to embrace change, leading to personal and professional growth.” Jackson Pletcher ’24

“Unlike many of the previous speakers, John Barr did not make his speech about his own life, but rather focused more on what struggles we will face, and how we should face them as we start to move forward from college to the workforce. He also focused on how to determine your own purpose and how he determined his purpose as life presented challenges to him.” Alex Martin ’24

“John Barr started us off with two questions, ‘What is my purpose?’, and ‘How will my purpose help motivate me to make a difference in the world?’. This question forced me to truly think and listen intently to see how he discovered his purpose.” Zach Bergstresser ’25

“The overall message I got from John was that we have this one truly incredible life, and we should make the most of it all.“ Damion Grinnell ’25

“Overall, John was a fantastic speaker and a huge thanks to him!” Connor Lovic ’24

Lessons Learned

“Your lives will always be uncertain.” Nick DiLullo ’24
“Don’t let fear rule.” George Tice ’24
“You are young enough to fail.” Emma Hatfield ’25
“Sometimes you can use a negative voice to propel you to your purpose.” Alex Martin ’24
“Embrace optimism.” Isaac Sasala ’24

Dinner “Dishing”

“I had the pleasure of being the dinner concierge for the night. It was a wonderful experience to share my Scottish heritage with everyone and to express myself through food. I thought the chefs did an amazing job capturing the authenticity of the dishes and brought the culture to life. I’m very thankful to have had this opportunity to work with the AVI to make this experience possible.” Hailey McClain ’24
“I also really enjoyed the food that was served, and it was my first time trying any of it.” Alex Martin ’24
“Also, to note on the meal, it was a great meal, but the Scottish egg was exceptional!” Connor Lovic ’24

Special Notes

HR Notes

Safety Tips as Tornado Season Approaches

Did you know that a tornado can have wind speeds up to 300 mph? Download the infographic for facts about tornados.

Learn more about being safe during a tornado.

Events

Campus Events

Not too late! March Water Challenge
March 1-31
Thiel College

Wellness Committee is sponsoring the annual water challenge. Participants can log their progress toward drinking eight glasses of water per day.

Download the tracking sheet.

For more information, contact the Christine Polochak '96.

Sig Ep’s Pot of Gold
March 18, 19, 20 and 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Bistro, Howard Miller Student Center

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity will host a 50/50 raffle. It will be held in the Bistro.

Men’s Lacrosse: Heidelberg at Thiel
March 18 at 4 p.m.
Rissel-Schreyer Dome

Thiel hosts Heidelberg University in men’s lacrosse.

For more information, contact Sports Information.

Career Tabling: Aflac
March 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Howard Miller Student Center Hallway

A representative from Aflac will be available for students, staff and faculty to discuss available opportunities within the company.

For more information, contact Libbi Brown.

Thiel News Time
March 19 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sawhill-Georgian Room, Howard Miller Student Center

President Susan Traverso, Ph.D. will host Thiel News Time, in which she will provide important campus updates to students, faculty, and staff.

Rotary Meeting
March 19 at noon
Weyers Lounge, Howard Miller Student Center

The Rotary Club of Greenville, Pa. will hold its regular meeting at Thiel College.

Softball: Penn State Fayette at Thiel
March 19 at 3:30 p.m.
Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Penn State Fayette in softball.

For more information, contact Sports Information.

PERC Education Job Fair
March 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, Pa.

Thiel College juniors, seniors and graduate students as well as alumni involved in teacher education, speech language pathology, occupation therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), administration, or other certified school-based professional fields are invited to the PERC Education Job Fair in Monroeville, Pa. Interested students will be able to register with their Handshake accounts.

For more information, contact Liza Schaef at lschaef@thiel.edu.

Baseball: Hiram at Thiel.
March 20 at 2 p.m.
Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Hiram College in baseball.

For more information, contact Sports Information.

Men’s Volleyball: Wells at Thiel
March 20 at 7 p.m.
Beeghly Stadium

Thiel hosts Wells College in men’s volleyball.

For more information, contact Sports Information.

Career Tabling: UPMC
March 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Howard Miller Student Center Hallway

A representative from UPMC will be available for students, staff and faculty to discuss available opportunities within the company.

For more information, contact Libbi Brown.

Concussion Awareness Day
March 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lutheran Heritage Room, Howard Miller Student Center

The Thiel Concussion Management Team will offer a variety of fun and engaging activities with treats and prizes to increase awareness of concussions. Students will be encouraged to take the “melon pledge.”

Kiwanis Club
March 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sawhill Georgian Room, Howard Miller Student Center

The Kiwanis Club of Greenville will have its regular meeting in the Sawhill Georgian Room.

Discovery Day: Education and Performing Arts
March 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thiel College

Prospective students thinking of majoring in the education field or are interested in the college’s performing arts programs will be welcomed for a visitation day. Students will be given a tour of campus, speak with faculty and staff, have an admissions meeting and enjoy a lunch in the Thiel College Cafe.

For more information, contact the Admissions office at admissions@thiel.edu

Community Events

St. Paul’s Tour of Homes at The Colony
March 21 from 2-5 p.m.
339 E. Jamestown Rd., Greenville, Pa.

The Tour of Homes at The Colony is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended.

Reserve a tour time.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 724-588-9613 ext. 1208.

St. Paul’s Ask an Expert 2024 Series
March 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Anderson Fellowship Hall in The Heritage
339 East Jamestown Road, Greenville, PA 16125

Sherri McMahan from Laurel Eye Clinic, Sarah Maietta, Joyce Geisel and Crystal Uber from Connect Hearing and Jaime Mong, D.M.D. from Mong Family Dentistry will participate in the Maintaining Your Senses: Vision, Hearing and Oral Health for Adults presentation.

Reservations required. Seating is limited.

To RSVP contact, Vicki Hildebrand at 724-589-4667 Option 7.

A virtual option will be offered via Zoom. A link will be emailed prior to the event.

Grapes and Growlers Sponsored By Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce
May 18 from 4-7 p.m.
The Bistro, Howard Miller Student Center

General admission is $25 per person. Food will be available for purchase.

For more information or to purchase tickets contact Mark Batt ’87 at ext. 2157.

Etc.

Tomcat Tributes

Tomcat Tributes recognize the teamwork Thiel College employees exhibit each day. Employees can nominate co-workers for recognition in four categories (Random Act of Kindness, Going the Extra Mile, Had a Great Idea, Just Because).

To nominate a fellow employee, visit the Campus Resources link on the Thiel Hub.

Publishing Schedule

T-Notes is published every week during the academic year. It arrives Wednesday afternoons. The next edition will be out March 20, 2024. Send your event or news to tnotes@thiel.edu by noon Monday, March 18, 2024 to be published in that week’s edition.

Submit updates and news

The Office of Communications and Marketing is always looking for good content that can be featured in the weekly staff newsletter (T-Notes), the student newsletter (Thiel Happenings), the website Newsroom or on social media.

Please send any information about you, your students, your department or your colleagues to Dominick DiRienzo M.A.’22.

Information about anything your department is featuring this year, any faculty accomplishments or student activity.

These updates do not have to meet a “newsworthiness” standard and do not have to be things that you are specifically doing or hosting.

If you have any questions,contact DiRienzo at ext. 2188.