Under the Arch

RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES RECEIVES HIRTZEL FOUNDATION GRANT

A $75,000 grant from a local foundation will help Gannon University’s radiologic sciences program upgrade the laboratory technology used by the program’s students.

Gannon officials recently were notified the university had been selected for the grant, made by the Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation in North East. Cynthia L. Liotta, director of Gannon’s radiologic sciences program, said the grant will be used to purchase a Kodak computed radiography image capture and display system.

Up until now, the university’s radiologic sciences students have been able to learn on the most state-of-the-art technology, like that offered by Kodak, only at local hospitals like Hamot Medical Center and Saint Vincent Health Center. Consequently, Liotta has been hoping the program would have an opportunity to acquire such a system firsthand.

“Equipping our labs with this type of system will directly benefit our students,” she said. “They will get significantly more hands-on time with the technology than they’ve ever had. And so when we take them to study in a hospital setting they’ll be much more skilled in using it.”

Liotta said Gannon is fortunate to have secured the grant. “Because of the cost of the technology, many radiologic sciences programs at the college and university level don’t have it in their labs. Some programs also don’t have access to it through local hospitals and facilities,” she added. “So we’re very grateful to the Hirtzel Foundation for this opportunity.”

Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations and X-rays and work closely with radiologists, the physicians who interpret medical images in order to diagnose or rule out disease or injury. For images to be correctly interpreted by radiologists, radiologic technologists must properly administer the imaging examination.

The Kodak radiography system Gannon will purchase through the grant produces computer-generated and displayed images. “This technology is radically different in terms of how anatomical images historically have been produced,” Liotta said.

According to Liotta, computed radiography, also referred to as “filmless radiography,” is revolutionizing diagnostic imaging. Liotta said the difference between traditional X-ray systems and computed radiography is analogous to the benefits that digital cameras offer over their traditional counterparts.

“The biggest advantage to computed radiography is being able to store images and manipulate them to get better pictures of the anatomy,” she added. “With this new technology, if the image is not perfect the first time, it can be enhanced, eliminating the need for a patient to have a second X-ray.”

Currently, nearly 40 students are enrolled in Gannon’s radiologic sciences program, a two-year, associate’s degree offering.

OUR FOLKS

Sympathy extended: please remember all in your prayers as regretfully we announce the death of:

Chuck Quinn, stepfather of Marianne Fisher, secretary, Honors Program; and grandfather of '04 alumnus Sara Fisher.

OUR EVENTS

Friday-Sunday, July 23-25 – Schuster Theatre: Outdoor Shakespeare festival, Shakespeare Summer Nights. Shakespeare Summer Nights will present Twelfth Night and other related show performances. Twelfth Night will begin at 7 p.m., with green show performances beginning at 6 p.m. All events will be held in A.J.’s Way.
Saturday, July 24 – Ut Diligatis Invicem Award Ceremony: Includes a lecture by the award recipient, Dr. Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche. Offered at 7:30 p.m. in the Hammermill Center. More information to follow.
Sunday-Saturday, July 25-31 – Gannon Quality Engineering Design Summer Camp: All student positions in the camp are currently filled. Designed for students entering their junior or senior year of high school. Students will conduct experiments in measurement and design and will build electronics and robotics projects. Call ext. 7620 for more information.
Wednesday, July 28 – Gannon Employee Luncheon – A Taste of the South: Scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lunch will be hosted by Nash Library employees and sponsored by the GEEKs. The menu includes shredded BBQ pork sandwiches, chicken brunswick stew, coleslaw and beverages. Door prizes will be given away.
Tuesday, August 3 – Graduate and Adult Open House: Hosted by Gannon's Center for Adult Learning. Scheduled for 3:30 to 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Palumbo Center. Advance registration is not required; call ext. 7474 for more information.
Sunday, August 22 – 17th Annual Welcome Mass and Convocation: To welcome new students to campus. Mass will be offered at 2:15 p.m. in the Chapel, followed by the ceremony at 3:30 p.m. in the Hammermill Center. The ceremony will be followed by a reception for the students, their families, and the Gannon Community.
“Our Events” is intended to serve as a random sample of campus events. For a more complete listing, refer to Eventcal.

CURRENT BIRTHDAYS

Melanie Gustafson Ropski. Richard Schauer. Mariagrazia Giannelli. Jeannie Kloecker. Mark Jubulis. Mike Vitale. John Kupetz. Margaret Juang. Michael Polon. Tony Rao. Stephen Frezza. Kenneth Gamble. Richard Moodey. James Wortman. Thomas Jones. Robert Brooker. Heidi Menzel. Kim Zacherl. Evelyn Henson. Krista Yoder. Rev. Michael Kesicki. Jim Miller. John Snyder. Thomas Parthenakis. Anne Bolash. Dave Fabian. Joshua Jacobsen. Michele Potter. Joanne Bucceri. Bridget Hammar. Catherine Marsters. Mary Beth Danowski. Joseph Cuzzola. Rev. Aaron Kerr.

THE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE

Monday, July 19 – Logistics Plus visit and tour; Saint Vincent Health System Board meeting. Thursday, July 22 – Erie Downtown Improvement District Association Board meeting. Friday, July 23 – Bi-annual Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Board meeting. Saturday, July 24 – Ut Diligatis Invicem dinner and lecture. Monday, July 26 – Remarks: Governor’s Institute, Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit. Wednesday, July 28 – United Way of Erie County Campaign Cabinet meeting; Nash Library picnic. Friday, July 30 – Meeting with Harrisburg (Pa.) alumni. Saturday, July 31 – Contemporary Issues Forum lecture with Dr. David Kozak, Chautauqua Institution.

DID YOU KNOW?

Special thanks to Gannon colleagues for their assistance with recent media interviews. Dr. Garibaldi did an interview with Lou Baxter of WJET-Channel 24 on the significance of last week's visit to Erie by the delegation from Zibo, China. The delegation, from Erie's sister city, toured Gannon, including Nash Library, Zurn Science Center, and Waldron Campus Center, and had lunch here.
During the month of July, works from photographer Grek Mrotek are on display at Gannon University's Schuster Gallery as part of the Photomedia Center’s 2004 Student Exhibition. The gallery is located on the third floor of Nash Library and is open during regular library hours. For more information, contact Eric Grignol at ext. 5347.
Nash Library has a new addition, and it’s not a book. A family of mallard ducklings is living outside the library, on the lower level, near the corner of West Seventh and Sassafras streets. The information was provided courtesy of Marion Gallivan, library director.
Discover Presque Isle will be held Friday-Sunday, July 23-25. Volunteers are needed to sell frog buttons to visitors and to distribute brochures with information regarding the events. For more information call ext. 5618.
Under the Arch has reverted to its summer schedule and will be published on alternate Mondays. Under the Arch will be posted to the Gannon portal on those Mondays when it is issued. Please note that it always can be accessed from the university’s intranet, located at http://intranet.gannon.edu/.