The DEC Center, completed in 2012, is one of two new buildings on campus built to LEED Gold standards.

Philadelphia University has been selected to receive the APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities 2013 Sustainability Award, given annually to the educational institution that best integrates sustainable practices into its physical plant operations.

PhilaU is just the fourth college or university in the U.S. to receive this prestigious award, which was introduced in 2012. In 2009, PhilaU became the first four-year college or university in Pennsylvania to win the APPA Award for Excellence in Facilities Management, the highest honor awarded by the APPA.

“The Sustainability Award recognizes that the best management practices concerning sustainability have been embedded into the PhilaU campus culture,” said Tom Becker, associate vice president for operations. “I could not be prouder of all the people and the effort that contributed to this accomplishment.”

Philadelphia University has long been a national leader in sustainability. President Stephen Spinelli Jr., Ph.D., is a signatory of the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, and PhilaU partnered with Honeywell in 2011 to create the first Act! Earth campaign at the higher-education level. The campaign educates the public about modernizing school facilities with more energy-efficient equipment and processes.

The Philadelphia University/Honeywell partnership has placed the University ahead of the curve on peak energy management issues.  Rick Waligora, Director of Physical Plant oversees the automation related to our peak shaving process. The Building Automated System (BAS), which controls more than 85 percent of nearly 1.25 million square feet of campus buildings, enables facilities staff to monitor and measure electrical usage in real time and thus establish trends, track data and manage peak power consumption.

As part of the PhilaU strategic plan, the University committed to constructing all new buildings at the LEED Silver level or better. The SEED Center, a gray-to-green renovated space on campus, was awarded LEED Gold certification in 2012. The DEC Center, completed in 2012, was built to LEED Gold standards and is currently in the certification process.

PhilaU sources a minimum of 15% of its power from green energy alternatives and invests in energy-efficient equipment and supplies. The University also hosts an annual Sustainability Forum and recently competed in Campus Conservation Nationals.

With its B.S. in Environmental Sustainability and M.S. in Sustainable Design programs, PhilaU is an academic leader in sustainability as well. Professor Rob Fleming, director of the sustainable design program, co-wrote the chapter on sustainability in the APPA Operational Guidelines for Educational Facilities Maintenance book, and is the author of the recently published book, Design Education for a Sustainable Future.

“This award recognizes Philadelphia University’s comprehensive approach – from curriculum to facilities management – to sustainability,” said Jeff Cromarty, the University’s vice president for administration and chief operating officer. “It is a great tribute to PhilaU’s leadership in this area.”

Philadelphia University will be recognized for its achievement at the APPA’s annual conference in Minneapolis Aug. 3.

Senior design students showcased their creative and innovative work at the 2013 Senior Design Show, and the top designs received the annual Maurice Kanbar Excellence in Design awards at a May 10 reception.

The student designs across a range of disciplines included graphic design posters, products and board games, a self-balancing electric motorcycle design, green building products and architecture designs, to name just a few of the many innovative works on display.

The many visitors at this year’s show included industry partners, employers, officials from other universities and local school groups, as well as PhilaU faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni.

Kanbar Award winners received a monetary prize for their achievements. The winners of the Kanbar Award for Excellence in Graphic Design Communications were:

• Laura Hofman – Gold Award ($2,000)
• Alexandra Doucette  – Silver Award ($1,000)
• Christina Minopoli – Bronze Award ($750)
• Jewell Richardson – Honorable Mention ($500)
• Jeffrey Stiefel – Honorable Mention ($250)

The winners of the Kanbar Award for Design Excellence in Industrial Design were:

• Brian Celenza – Gold Award ($2,000)
• Christian Loos and Tara Ridgeway – Silver Award ($1500)
• Kristina Gaudio – Bronze Award ($1,000)

The winners of the Employer’s Choice Awards were:

• Architecture – Tyler Dye
• Engineering – Dustin Balton
• Fashion Design – Sarah Fitzgerald
• Graphic Design – Jeffrey Stiefel
• Industrial Design Graduate:  Ken Reita
• Industrial Design Undergraduate:  Brian McClellan  and Mercan Sisman
• Interactive Design & Media – Domenic Bonanni
• Interior Design – Laura Neff
• Sustainable Design – Ethan Megill
• Textile Design Graduate – Jennifer Gin
• Textile Design Undergraduate – Claire Musser

The Senior Design Show included student work from all design disciplines at PhilaU: architecture, digital animation, digital design, graphic design communication, industrial design, interior design, fashion design, textile design, landscape architecture, and master’s programs in digital design and sustainable design.

The award is given to the team that best exemplifies a high degree of sportsmanship, character and ethics among the coaches, players and game day staff. More than 50 regional NCAA Division II and Division III schools are considered annually for the award.

The Rams, under the tutelage of Hall-of-Fame head Coach Herb Magee, went 19-10 in the 2012-13 season, with a trip to the CACC championship game. The team placed three players on the All-CACC squad: senior guard Jim Connolly, freshman forward Peter Alexis and freshman guard Andre Gibbs.

Connolly earned his third all-conference spot, finishing his PhilaU career with more than 1500 points scored. Gibbs was named CACC rookie of the year, and Alexis led PhilaU in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks.

The Sportsmanship Award is named for Sam Schoenfeld, a premier basketball player in the 1920s and 1930s who later became a coach and official. Schoenfeld helped found the College Basketball Officials Association in 1953. He was known for his integrity, fairness and charismatic energy.

The riders, including six PhilaU students, will kick off the trip on Monday, May 20, pedaling south along the Atlantic coast for 2,637 miles from Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida.  To reach Key West by June 22, Swengel estimates the group will need to cover approximately 90 miles each day, or about six hours of riding daily.  During the journey, the team will camp out and also stay overnight in hotels and homes.

The Coast to Coast for MS bike team training for their trip from Maine to Florida.

So far, the team has raised $20,000 toward their $30,000 fundraising goal. Each rider is responsible for raising $3,000 in donations.  The team also includes PhilaU students Max Yousey, Chris Jones, George Renzulli and Michael Otterbein, as well as Kayla Jacoby and Stephen Rosenberger.

Swengel’s interest in raising awareness of MS stems from the impact the disease has had on his family. Swengel’s grandfather was diagnosed with MS in the 1980s and died before Cameron was born.  When Swengel was a teenager, his father also was diagnosed with MS.  Swengel said there are some “genetic tendencies” for MS, which may put the rising junior at a greater risk for developing MS.

The ride will be Swengel’s second long-distance tour to raise money for MS research. As a high school senior, he completed a 50-day cross-country trip, raising more than $22,000 to support the cause.

Swengel, of York, Pa., and Klohr, of Princeton, N.J., said they are motivated by the goal of raising money and educating America about the devastating effects MS has on both individuals and their families.

In a recent interview with WHYY Newsworks, Swengel and Klohr said they share a passion for social entrepreneurship.  “As architecture students, we’re taught to look at a problem and find a solution,” Klohr said.  To read the full story, click here.

Along their journey, the team will be making rest stops at PhilaU (May 28-29), Nags Head, N.C., and the Florida Institute of Technology to promote MS awareness.

To follow the team as they ride across the nation, or to donate money for their cause, please visit coast2coastforMS.webs.com.

Carson Kressley inspired undergraduate students with a heartfelt speech that challenged students to be true to themselves and pursue their passions.

Kressley, an Emmy Award-winning fashion celebrity known for his roles on hit TV shows “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “How to Look Good Naked,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Carson Nation” on the Oprah Winfrey Network, was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters.

“I could tell you that when I sat [at my graduation] in the May sun holding my diploma 22 years ago, I knew where I was headed and exactly how to get there. But I would be totally lying,” Kressley said.

“But if you live your life only following the path you think is approved or acceptable, or the one you think is expected of you, you’ll be making a huge mistake,” he said. “Not a single successful person… has ever done great things because they played it safe. You’ve got to be true to yourself.”

Undergraduate commencement speaker Carson Kressley challenges the 2013 graduates to be true to themselves and pursue their passions.

Earlier in the day, Robert Nydick ’78 gave the graduate Commencement address and was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters.  Nydick, professor of management and operations at Villanova University and a Philadelphia University trustee, spoke about choosing to go the extra mile.

“Be prepared. Be committed. Be passionate, and don’t be afraid to fail,” Nydick said in an entertaining speech.”It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, as long as you get up one more time.”

Nydick is a professor at Villanova University, where he teaches business to undergraduate and MBA students. Earlier in his career, Nydick was an assistant professor at Philadelphia University, and he currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.

More than 800 undergraduate and graduate students received their diplomas at the 2013 Commencement ceremonies on May 11.

President Stephen Spinelli Jr., Ph.D., celebrated the achievements of the graduating class in his commencement address and challenged them to seize opportunities.

President Spinelli spoke to the graduates about acting as leaders in their future careers.

“You leave this campus to engage in a world rife with change. And yet, this chaos may be your greatest stroke of luck yet,” President Spinelli said. “When the circumstances of civilization are in flux therein lays the greatest opportunity to live a productive and fulfilling life, to make the proverbial ‘difference’ in a world desperate for leadership.”

Eileen Chambers ’91, vice president and portfolio manager at the Haverford Trust Company, gave the Alumni Welcome address at the ceremony, welcoming the Class of 2013 to the University alumni community.

Stacey Van Dahm, assistant professor of literature and writing, was recognized for receiving the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Susan Frostén, assistant professor of architecture, was recognized for receiving the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award.  The teaching awards were announced at the faculty reception on May 3.

Megan Freeman, a graduate of the College of Science, Health and the Liberal Arts with a degree in psychology, was honored as the Class of 2013 valedictorian. President Stephen Spinelli Jr., Ph.D. presented the President’s Award for Excellence to Marisa Cooper for undergraduate studies, Katherine Bogash for graduate studies and Zachary Quinter for continuing and professional studies.

Cooper, a graduate of the pre-medical studies program and Christina Jakucs, graduate of the Masters in Business in Administration program, were the winners of this year’s student speaker competition for the undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies, respectively. Both students reflected on their time at PhilaU and urged their classmates to make the most of their degrees and pursue their future with passion.

Closing her speech, Jakucs said, “Abraham Lincoln once said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. We are empowered to do what’s next, so let’s go and be creative.”

Cooper said, “We need to enjoy our future, even if it means taking risks; even if it means going from here without a plan; even if it means that we still don’t know what we want to be when we grow up.”

“Because you know, in the back of our minds, just like we succeeded to get to this point of graduation, we know we will succeed again,” Cooper said. “And however we succeed, each and every time, we will be marked as Philadelphia University alumni.”

Bursts of colors, intricate laser-cut designs, one-of-a-kind lamp shades and delicately patterned origami cranes are on display at the spectacular graduate textile design exhibit in the Paley Design Center through May 11.

Graduate students Gwen Marks, Kimberly Williams, Tina Hutyra, Ingrid Johnson, Grace Mallon, Leslie Song and Jen Gin showcased the best of their designs in jacquards, wovens and prints, which were displayed on long hanging pieces of material, as well as clothing, lamp shades, notebooks and picture frames throughout The Design Center.

Ingrid Johnson  used a laser to cut wool felt into a vibrant hanging, and incorporated grave rubbings  from Laurel Hill Cemetary into her designs.

Each of the students designed some of the flock of origami cranes and pinwheels , which added a festive and ethereal note to The Design Center’s back lawn, along with delicately designed paper chains hung between tree branches.