Dear Juniata Community,
The beginning of a new semester is a time marked with excitement, opportunity, and campus traditions. It's a date on the calendar I eagerly anticipate.
I am appreciative of the opportunity to serve as acting president during President Jim Troha's sabbatical. Working with the senior team, the faculty, and the broader campus community, I pledge to sustain our forward momentum as we plan for the future. During the spring semester, we will engage in a master planning process, open the Statton Learning Commons, recruit students into new academic programs, and strengthen experiential opportunities.
Our center for community engagement spearheads many of those experiential opportunities including the organization of our fifth annual Day of Service to observe Martin Luther King Day. We had a record number of volunteers with 110 members of the campus community spending the day before the start of classes working together in the broader Huntingdon and Mount Union communities at 15 different sites in keeping with the civil rights leader’s life and legacy.
With students back in their classrooms, I'd like to recognize our faculty for providing our students with the instruction that prepares them to become global citizens of our world. This commitment to quality is evident in the significant achievement of our Department of Accounting, Business, and Economics (ABE), which was reaccredited through 2030 by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education. IACBE's unequivocal endorsement is testament to the strength of our ABE programs, faculty, and students.
I look forward to sharing updates with you each month through this newsletter and to seeing you at events or on campus in the new year. The spring 2024 semester is filled with an array of academic and co-curricular opportunities.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service, observed on Monday, January 15, 2024, is a day to celebrate the civil rights leader's vision of building the "Beautiful Community." Juniata College students, faculty, and staff spent the day taking part in local community service opportunities with Cookies for Caregivers, Mount Union Community Library, Bethel AME Church, Huntingdon Community Center, Huntingdon Borough Tree Commission, Huntingdon County Humane Society, Huntingdon County United Way, Broad Top Area Medical Center, Alexandria Memorial Public Library, Hartslog Heritage Museum, Rails to Trails, Huntingdon Area School District, Huntingdon Arts Council, Frank P. Hommon American Legion Post 24, and Huntingdon Food Pantry.
Coffee on the Quad
Students received a warm welcome on their first day of classes at Coffee on the Quad, a biannual tradition at Juniata College. The advent of the start of classes is celebrated with free coffee from Standing Stone Coffee Co., served on the quad with a selection of treats. The event brings students, faculty, staff, and local alumni together for a time of well wishes.
Juniata Career Day
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, February 23, 2024
Does your company, organization, or agency offer internships, research positions, or jobs to college students? Does it hire new college graduates? If so, we cordially invite you, or another representative from your organization, to join us at Juniata College’s Career Day - A Job, Internship and Networking Fair.
Last year, more than 400 students and 110 employers attended the event, including Fortune 500 Companies, Penn Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work in PA” award winners, and other national and international companies.
We are looking to grow our numbers of registered employers from 62 to 110 to ensuring our students have many employers to meet on Career Day. This event is a wonderful way to support Juniata because we just need your time. There is no charge to attend the event as an employer with an informational table.
For more information, visit www.juniata.edu/career-development/career-day.php
In the News
Finding Fort Roberdeau
A team of history detectives, including Ryan Mathur ’96, professor of geology, and Jonathan Burns, director of the Cultural Resource Institute and instructor of history and art history, and James Stuby ’94, recently published “Finding Fort Roberdeau” in Historical Archaeology. The article recounts the team’s search for the exact location of the Revolutionary War-era fort built in 1778.
Scholarships Available
Building upon Juniata’s dedication to eliminating financial obstacles to higher education, qualifying college-bound students from selected Central Pennsylvania counties (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Somerset) can secure scholarships that may add up to 100% of tuition for four years while residing on campus.
New Partnerships
Heights Philadelphia
Heights Philadelphia is an educational nonprofit organization formed in December 2022 by the merger of Philadelphia Futures and Steppingstone Scholars. Heights supports more than 3,000 students in Philadelphia working to achieve the goals of college and career success. Following its first year of operation, Heights has formalized partnerships and agreements with 12 higher education institutions including Juniata College. Heights institutional partnerships offer students exclusive opportunities, increased access and support and affordability in the college application and enrollment processes.
Cristo Rey Network
The Cristo Rey Network is comprised of 39 Catholic, career-focused, college preparatory schools and is committed to educating and supporting economically disadvantaged students, many of whom are first generation college students or students of color. The Cristo Rey Network’s mission is to deliver “a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college."
Juniata Athletics Receives Community Service Award
Juniata College was honored by the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) as a recipient of the NADIIIAA Community Service Award in the Special Olympic Activity category on January 12, 2024, at the NCAA Convention held in Phoenix, Arizona.
“The Juniata partnership with the Special Olympics of Central Pennsylvania is a special one. I have very fond memories of volunteering for four years when I was a student-athlete here and I am extremely proud to see where the program has grown,” said Nikki (McLellan) Ayers ’06, athletic director at Juniata College. “This event really showcases who Juniata student-athletes are at their core. They are champions of inclusion and dedicated in their service to others.”
The NADIIIAA Community Service Awards program was established in 2001 and recognizes the many contributions NCAA Division III student-athletes regularly make to their campuses and local communities. The three categories of consideration are one-time activities or projects, Special Olympics activity, and community partnerships. The winning institutions in each category are awarded a $1,000 contribution to their respective general scholarship fund.
The award recognizes the impact community service has at the institutional level and in the broader community within the 2022-2023 academic year. Juniata College hosted the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania (SOPA) Central Fall Sectional on October 1, 2023. Each year, this event garners the full support of Juniata athletics, the community, and College administration to create the best possible experience for the 529 SOPA athletes (811 total delegation members) in attendance. The Central Fall Sectional allows these athletes to advance to the state competitions in bocce, volleyball skills, volleyball teams, soccer skills, soccer teams, flag football, long distance run/walk, and powerlifting.
Juniata athletes plan the day months in advance, run each event, keep score, officiate games, post media, cheer, organize food, run Olympic Village, provide awards, and more. Planning begins in January with a committee of eight students and one adviser and continues throughout the fall semester, with ongoing communication between the committee and SOPA. The 2022-2023 Central Fall Sectional would not have been possible without the more than 400 student-athletes who volunteered in shifts throughout the day.
Upcoming Events
Juniata Presents: Canadian Brass
Thursday, February 8, 7:30 p.m. in Rosenberger Auditorium
This group is an important pioneer in bringing the sound and excitement of brass music to international audiences. The five virtuosi bring talent, wit, and charm to their dynamic and family-friendly orchestral, choral, double quintet or stand-alone programs. Education is at the forefront of their 50+ year history!
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