Tag Archives: Harrisburg University

Education

Harrisburg University President Leaving, Dr. Eric Darr Appointed Interim President of HU

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After a decade as President and CEO of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mel Schiavelli announced today that he is leaving the university he helped to establish to become executive vice president for academic and student services at Northern Virginia Community College effective July 1, 2012.

Harrisburg, PA, May 24, 2012 – After a decade as President and CEO of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mel Schiavelli announced today that he is leaving the university he helped to establish to become executive vice president for academic and student services at Northern Virginia Community College effective July 1, 2012.

Additionally, the Board of Trustees announced that it has appointed Eric Darr, Ph.D., interim president of the University effective July 1, 2012.

“It has been my honor to work with corporate, government, and community leaders, to help transform the concept of a four-year educational institution in Harrisburg they advanced in 1999 into a reality. This community has accomplished that which many thought could never be done. Working together, we have created an institution of higher learning that emphasizes the partnership between business and education to create workforce-ready graduates,” says Schiavelli.

Schiavelli guided the University from concept to its current $73 million Academic Center at 326 Market Street in Harrisburg. Founded in 2001, the University became the first science and technology focused comprehensive university chartered in Pennsylvania in a century.

During his tenure at the university, total student enrollment increased from 113 in August 2005 to 1,022 (approximately 400 full-time equivalent students) in September 2011. The University also completed a $40-million comprehensive fundraising campaign: CONNECT: The Campaign for Harrisburg University, where it raised nearly $45 million, was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and has been profiled nationally as a new model for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) higher education.

“Mel has taken the vision of the community and formed it into an innovative and effective new model for STEM education. The community is, and will forever be, grateful for creating this gem in our city. We wish him well in his return to Virginia and thank him for his decade of service to create Harrisburg University,” says Robert Dolan, Chair of the Harrisburg University Board of Trustees.

Schiavelli says any successes were a collective effort.

“None of these were personal accomplishments but they were accomplishments of a strong and dedicated team. I believe that there comes a time when it’s appropriate to ask others to continue the work,” said Schiavelli. “This move is a ‘homecoming’ for me because I served at the nation’s second oldest college—The College of William and Mary in Virginia for 26 years. More than half of my professional life was spent in the Old Dominion where I still have many friends and colleagues.”

Begun in 1964, Northern Virginia Community College is the largest educational institution in Virginia and the second-largest community college in the United States, comprising of more than 75,000 students and 2,600 faculty and staff members. NOVA is also one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the United States, with a student body consisting of individuals from more than 180 countries.

A search committee will be appointed by Harrisburg University’s Board of Trustees to launch a national search to identify and interview potential candidates. The Board of Trustees will make the final selection with the goal to appoint the president by July 1, 2013.

“Eric arrived here before we had students and he has helped to build and grow the University from idea to reality. We are confident that he will provide excellent leadership to Harrisburg University,” said Dolan. “He has served as executive vice president and provost since 2007, and he is familiar with all aspects of the institution and with its many external partners. He has had primary responsibility for our academic programs and the recent growth in our enrollments. His experience will be essential as he guides the university during this period of transition.”

Darr earned both a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master of science degree in Industrial Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also earned an MBA and a doctor of philosophy degree in Organizational Behavior and Theory from Carnegie Mellon University where he studied under Nobel Prize Winner and noted organizational theorist Herbert Simon.

While at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles, he conducted research and consulted in over twenty multinational corporations including Arthur Andersen, Gemini Consulting, TRW Space and Electronics, Hughes Aerospace, Bank of America, Xerox, British Airways and Qantas Airlines.

During his career, he has developed and taught Doctoral and MBA courses in organizational learning, organizational change, organization design, process reengineering, business strategy and technology management. Further, he developed and taught executive education courses in measuring intellectual capital, corporate renewal, managing information technology resources, improving product development and creating organizational memory.

He has published numerous articles and book chapters on organizational learning, learning technologies and competitive advantage. He has been an invited speaker at universities in the United States, Austria, Great Britain, France, Australia and the Netherlands. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Center for International Business Education and Research at UCLA.

Prior to joining Harrisburg University he was Chief Operating Officer from 2000 until 2004 at KnowledgePlanet, Inc., a software company located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From 1997 to 2000, Dr. Darr led Ernst & Young’s Knowledge Management Consulting Services.

Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University’s demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu

Contact:
Steven Infanti
AVP Communications
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146
sinfanti@harrisburgu.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu/

Business

Free Community Technology Forum Focused on How to Develop an Enterprise Portfolio Project Management Office

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The event is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., May 17th at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Harrisburg, PA, May 08, 2012 – The public is invited to the Government Technology Institute’s May 2012 Community Technology Forum: “Developing an Enterprise Portfolio Project Management Office with Clarity Technology” featuring Ron Huston President of ClearPoint and Sponsored by CA Technologies. The event is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., May 17th at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Recognized by Computer World Inc. in 2009 as one of the top Information Technology leaders in the world, Mr. Huston brings over 35 years of experience in managing complex diverse organizations, requiring an entrepreneurial spirit, change agent, team builder, facilitator, strategist, and communicator in the private and public sectors.

This event is ideal for CIOs, consultants, developers, managers, analysts, enterprise architects and information technology professionals, educators, faculty, staff and students in project management, and computer or information sciences.

There is no charge for the event but seating is limited. RSVP at www.HarrisburgU.edu/RSVP

Mr. Huston recently retired from the State of Colorado where he was appointed by Governor Ritter in 2007 as the State of Colorado’s Chief Enterprise Architect. As the Enterprise Architect Ron published the Colorado Consolidation Plan, which was the cornerstone to enact legislation creating the Governor’s Office of Information Technology. Today he is president of ClearPoint where he provides executive support for a variety of organizations.

In the past six months Mr. Huston has:

* Initiated planning of the modernization of the Wyoming Health Insurance Eligibility and Enrollment System Master Plan.

* Provided mentoring/training to C-level executives at State, Federal agencies and corporate entities.

* Conducted an examination of the Information Technology organization for the Regional Transportation District in Denver. This work effort resulted in a new organizational alignment of RTD IT implementing new roles for service delivery. These new roles are dramatically changing the culture as a new service delivery model is implemented for supporting the business/divisions.

* Initiated the creation of a Portfolio Project Management Office for RTD. An analysis was completed of how work requests are derived and managed in the RTD IT division. Ron is currently heading a team that is creating work processes, implementing a comprehensive management tool and working with RTD executive leadership to change RTD’s culture for IT services.

CA Technologies is an IT management solutions and software company and a founding member of the GTI, which officially launched in October 2011. The GTI provides education and training for government IT employees through courses, seminars and certification programs, such as the Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program. The University relies on partnerships with companies, such as CA Technologies, to develop content for hands-on workshops and courses which focus on innovations, trends, industry best practices and emerging technologies that can aid in developing future service offerings to meet growing citizen demands.

You can literally take planes, trains and automobiles to the event. The University’s location at 326 Market Street in downtown Harrisburg is near Interstates 83 and 81 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, making it an easy drive to the University from any of Pennsylvania’s major cities. And it’s only a two-hour drive from the University to Baltimore, Washington, DC or Philadelphia. The Amtrak Passenger Train Station and Greyhound Bus Station are one block from our location. And the Harrisburg International Airport is only nine miles from the University. http://www.harrisburgu.edu/campuslife/directions.php

Harrisburg University is located at 326 Market Street in Harrisburg. Free parking is available on the street. Additional parking is available in the Harrisburg Parking Authority operated garage accessible via Fourth Street. Cost for parking in the garage is $5.00 for 0-2 hours. Kiosk for parking accepts cash only. More information on parking rates and directions to the University are found online at http://www.harrisburgu.net/campuslife/directions.php#parking

About Harrisburg University
Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University offers 24 undergraduate and 35 graduate programs. The University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University’s demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email, Connect@HarrisburgU.edu

Contact:
Steven Infanti
Harrisburg University
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-901-5146
SInfanti@harrisburgu.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu/

Education

PA Nanotechnology 2012: Nanotech’s Role in Advancing PA’s Economy Set for June 5th at Harrisburg University

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The PA Nanotechnology conference explores viable nano-based strategies, programs, and resources to assist economic development via education and job creation and retention

Harrisburg, PA, April 19, 2012 – PA Department of Community and Economic Development, A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Lehigh University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Penn State Materials Research Institute, Penn State Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization, University of Pennsylvania Nano/Bio Interface Center and University of Pittsburgh Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering will host the PA Nanotechnology 2012 conference from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on June 5, 2012 at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, 326 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.

The PA Nanotechnology conference explores viable nano-based strategies, programs, and resources to assist economic development via education and job creation and retention. It will promote collaborative nanotechnology research, education, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and commercialization within the Commonwealth. By connecting education and industry, the conference will help provide a platform to enhance innovation, technology transfer, course curricula, job skills, and business growth. This event is an opportunity to publicize and promote PA leadership in nanotechnology R&D, education, and sustaining technology businesses. Promising new technologies and PA businesses will be highlighted.

Nanotechnology involves science and engineering at the molecular and atomic scale, with applications in areas such as life sciences, electronics and energy. In 2010, the NSF and the National Nanotechnology Institute projected that the nanotechnology products market would be $400-1,000 billion by 2015, and $1-3 trillion by 2020. Attendees will have the opportunity to network and gain understanding of nanotechnology trends, evolving applications, workforce development, and partnering opportunities.

Register or become a Sponsor by calling (610) 570-6898 or (717)-901-5168, or online at www.harrisburgu.edu/academics/undergrad/biotechnology/pa-nano-reg.php. Please register by May 22. Registration fee is $50. Late registration (or at the door) is $70. Sponsorship levels are:

$1000 => Platinum – Includes 5 registrations, a display table, company logo and information banner at the venue and in the program booklet, and acknowledgment from the podium

$500 => Gold – Includes 3 registrations, a display table, company logo and information in the program booklet, and acknowledgment from the podium

$200 => Silver – Includes 1 registration, and a display table

Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University’s demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu

Contact:
Steven Infanti
Harrisburg University
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146
sinfanti@harrisburgU.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu

Education

$1 Million Grant from Stabler Foundation to Fund Scholarships at Harrisburg University

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Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has received a $1 million grant from The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation.

Harrisburg, PA, February 24, 2012 – Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has received a $1 million grant from The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation. The grant will create the new Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund at the private university, which will aid students who meet financial need and academic requirements, and have demonstrated a commitment to leadership and service.

This grant will enable the University to provide talented students far greater access to an HU education and ensure that graduates will enjoy the high-paying, high-growth careers that a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education can provide, says Dr. Mel Schiavelli, president of Harrisburg University.

“The creation of our first endowed scholarship fund is a transformational day for Harrisburg University and for the countless number of students who will benefit in the coming years from this grant,” says Schiavelli. “We are grateful to the Stabler Foundation for this grant and for their belief in our students and our mission. Thanks to the unparalleled generosity of supporters like the Stabler Foundation, our students are receiving a gift of opportunity, a gift that will endure, and a gift for the future of Central Pennsylvania.”

With this grant, the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund will in perpetuity provide need-based financial aid to students.

The first recipients will enter Harrisburg University this fall. Scholarship recipients will be required to do their best to “pay it forward” to future HU students. They will sign a moral pledge to begin contributing to the University’s Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund within five years of graduating or completing military service, or after repaying any legally binding educational loans.

“The Stablers believed that the recipients of financial assistance should recognize an obligation and be encouraged to return that which they receive so others, in turn, may receive similar assistance. The pledge will help to ensure that the Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund will continue to grow over time and help college students recognize the value of philanthropy long before graduation,” says Ryan T. Riley, associate vice president of development and alumni relations at Harrisburg University.

The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation was established by Mr. and Mrs. Stabler in 1966 and provides grants exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes. Generally, grants are only made to organizations and institutions that are located, or provide their primary services, in Central or Eastern Pennsylvania.

For more information on how to make a gift to Harrisburg University, contact Ryan T. Riley at 717.901.5140 or CONNECT@HarrisburgU.edu

Contact:
Steven Infanti
Harrisburg University
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-901-5146
SInfanti@harrisburgu.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu/

Business

Unisys Joins Harrisburg University’s Government Technology Institute as Founding Member

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Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has announced that Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS), a worldwide information technology company headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, has become a Founding Member of the new Government Technology Institute (GTI) on the university’s campus.

Harrisburg, PA, November 09, 2011 – “We are pleased to have Unisys as a Founding Member and supporter of the Government Technology Institute (GTI). Unisys clearly values the potential of the GTI to benefit public sector technology leaders throughout the Commonwealth and beyond,” says Dr. Eric Darr, Executive Vice President and Provost at Harrisburg University. “As a Founding Member, Unisys is supporting government IT leaders, and ultimately their constituents, through its participation in the GTI.”

As a Founding Member of the GTI, Unisys will collaborate with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology on a number of thought-leadership symposiums on relevant subject areas.

Anticipated topics include best practices in IT service management and current disruptive trends in the IT field, such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, mobility and social computing.

Under the leadership of Co-Executive Directors Charlie Gerhards and Barbara Shelton, the GTI provides education, training, resources, and networks in which government technology leaders and professionals can learn, collaborate and explore effective technology solutions for Pennsylvania.

“Unisys has a proud history of supporting institutions of higher education, such as the Harrisburg University GTI, that step forward with new and innovative thought leadership programs,” said Reed Laughlin, vice president, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Team, Unisys. “We do extensive work with the Commonwealth, and we increasingly see a real desire on the part of Pennsylvania’s government IT leaders to enhance their skills and knowledge in recognizing the sophistication and complexity of the mission-critical systems that their constituents expect them to provide and support 24x7x365.”

Unisys traces its roots in the Commonwealth to the development of the world’s first large-scale digital computer at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1940s. Today Unisys is a major supplier of information processing services and technology to public sector organizations across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Laughlin adds: “The Harrisburg University GTI provides a new opportunity for Unisys to help the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s IT leaders set the pace of innovation in public sector IT solutions that can be models across the United States.”

About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

About the GTI Co-Directors:
Barbara Shelton was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge as the Deputy Secretary for Procurement for Pennsylvania, where she was responsible for virtually all purchasing activity in the state. She teamed with other government leaders to dramatically improve the state’s procurement processes by making the most sweeping changes to procurement law since 1929. In 2002 Ms. Shelton was asked to lead the Philadelphia regional office of the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA), where she was responsible for over 1,000 employees, revenue of $1.8 billion and an operating budget of over $600 million. In 2005, she went to Washington to lead the merger of GSA’s Federal Technology Service and Federal Supply Service. She designed the new organization, the Federal Acquisition Service, in just over seven months, while performing as Acting Commissioner for all three entities.

Before starting Gerhards Consulting in 2003, Charlie Gerhards served as the Governor’s Secretary of Administration, as well as, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As state CIO he was responsible for establishing statewide policies, standards, and guidelines governing the planning, management, acquisition, security, and use of information technology assets in all Commonwealth agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction, impacting 85,000 state employees. Mr. Gerhards was appointed to this post by Governor Tom Ridge in January 1999 and served under both governors Ridge and Mark Schweiker. He retired from the Commonwealth in January 2003 after 33 years of public service.

About Harrisburg University
Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University’s demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu.

Contact:
Steve Infanti
HU AVP Communications
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146
sinfanti@harrisburgU.edu
http://www.harrisburgu.edu