Under the Arch

LOCAL NEWS ANCHOR TO DIRECT PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Gannon University President Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D., has selected Karla Mullenax Wludyga as director of public relations and communications and as special assistant to the president.

Mullenax’s appointment is effective July 1. She will succeed Jennifer Mailey, who is relocating to Pittsburgh.

Mullenax since 2000 has worked for WJET-TV in Erie, and has served as the station’s primary news anchor at since 2003. She previously anchored the Good Morning Erie and Action News 24 at Noon broadcasts and served as a consumer and general assignment reporter. Mullenax has supervised producers and reporters, conducted live interviews and produced TV newscasts at WJET-TV.

Prior to joining the station, she spent one year in Helena, Montana as an anchor at a FOX start-up station, KTVH/KMTF.

“I look forward to working with Karla in this important role, so that we can continue to promote the numerous positive academic, cultural and spiritual programs and services that Gannon University provides to its students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Erie community,” said President Garibaldi.

Said Mullenax, “I am very excited to start the next chapter of my career at Gannon University. I have tremendous respect for President Garibaldi, and I’m looking forward to working with the Gannon Community to further promote the University and its Mission. I believe my media experience has prepared me well for the responsibilities of the positions of director of public relations and communications and special assistant to the president.”

Mullenax’s awards include: the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards, Best Documentary of 2005, various Golden Mic Awards, and the Erie’s Choice Award, Favorite Television News Personality of 2007. She and her husband, Scott Wludyga, former WJET-TV and Fox 66 Sports Director, won a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Award for their work on the 2004 WQLN (PSB affiliate) documentary “Take Me Out to the Ballgame: a Nine Inning Tour of Pennsylvania.”

A native of Jefferson, Ohio, Mullenax in 1999 earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She has volunteered extensively in the Erie community and has served the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Alzheimer’s Society, Ophelia Project and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

RECENT NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

News of interest on and around campus...

Please offer your congratulations to the following, each of whom will be recognized as a tenured member of the Gannon faculty effective with the 2008-09 academic year. Kenneth McCurdy, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology; Michael Caulfield, Ph.D., associate professor, mathematics; Michelle Homan, Ph.D., associate professor, environmental science and engineering; Ramakrishnan Sundaram, Ph.D., associate professor, electrical and computer engineering; Robin Powers, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology; and Weslene Tallmadge, Ph.D., associate professor, chemistry.
Library adds new display: As homage to Gannon’s ever-growing international community, Nash Library has set up an exhibit focusing on various countries represented by our international students, faculty, and staff. This exhibit includes items from the following countries: Bahamas, Canada, China, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kosovo, Mexico, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. The exhibit will remain on display throughout the summer. Please take the time to view the wonderful artifacts commemorating our invaluable international community.
Gannon faculty, staff and administrators are invited to participate in the university’s Summer Orientation 2008 events. Four sessions are scheduled: June 22-23, June 29-30, July 13-14, and July 20-21. You and a spouse/guest are invited to attend the Sunday evening Parent Socials on June 22 and 29, and July 13 and 20 in the Beyer Hall Cafeteria from 9-10:30 p.m. A Picnic Supper will be served in the Waldron Campus Center at 5:15 p.m. on Sundays, June 22 and 29, and July 13 and 20. Members of your immediate family are invited to attend with you, compliments of New Student Services. If you are interested in attending, contact the Office of New Student Services at ext. 7597 by the Thursday preceding each dinner to make a reservation and request ticket(s). A ticket will be required for each person for admission to the picnic supper.

CAMPUS EVENTS

Monday-Friday, June 16–20 – Health Career Camp at Gannon University: The Health Career Camp will allow the students to work alongside area health professionals. The camp is a collaborative effort between the Northwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NW PA AHEC) Gannon, Hamot Medical Center and Saint Vincent Health Center. Students in grades 9–11 will be able to learn, from practicing health professionals in the region, about the specific health professions that have the greatest demand for qualified workers. Gannon faculty members will discus with the students the importance of cultural sensitivity in health care and some of the situations health care personnel will encounter.
Sunday-Monday, June 22-23 – Summer Orientation, Session I: Gannon colleagues and a spouse/guest are invited to attend the Sunday evening Parent Socials. Contact New Student Services, ext. 7597, for more information.
“Our Events” is intended to serve as a random sample of campus events. For a more complete listing, refer to Eventcal.

THE PRESIDENT’S SCHEDULE

Monday-Tuesday, June 16-17 – Retreat for Gannon Administration. Thursday-Friday, June 19-20 – CIC Board of Directors meetings. Sunday, June 22 – Welcoming remarks to parents and students for Summer Orientation, session I. Tuesday, June 24 – Campus Master Planning meeting. Wednesday, June 25 – United Way of Erie County Board of Directors meeting; ETI Board of Directors orientation training day. Sunday, June 29 – Comments to parents and students for Summer Orientation, session II.

PRAYER CONCERNS

Please remember all in your prayers as regretfully we announce the deaths of:

Avery Michael Bailey, nephew of Katie Bailey, secretary, education, and Justin Bailey, and maintenance worker, physical plant.
Linda Sue Strohmeyer ’98 ’02 MS, niece of Fr. George Strohmeyer, university chaplain.
Jane Pelczar, mother of Dr. Francis (Frank) Pelczar, professor, chemistry department.

WISH HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

Francis Pelczar. Dolores Sarafinski. Lisa Quinn. Greg Andraso. Michelle Mioduszewski. Nancy Holcomb. Michael Beiter. Valerie Rudzinski. Pamela Reynolds. Cynthia DiGangi. Eileen Jolls. David Tobin. Julie Srnka. Rita Briody. Kathleen DeSante. Karen Groh. Karen Arndt. Robert Buzanowski. Pete Mannarelli. Jamie Plaster. Margaret Clark. William Morton. Cleve Wright. Luke Rosielle. Melissa Lesniewski. Rob van Rheenen. Rose Ann Garbulinski. Brenda Peyman. Antonio Moore. Fong Mak. Julie Coppolo. Rev. George Strohmeyer. Msgr. Gerald Orbanek. Eraldo Scacchitti. Jean Green. Kurt Hersch. Yolanda Stewart. Adam Mook. Julie Rentschler. Natasha Stewart.

HAMMERMILL CENTER UPGRADE

Dan Painter of Maffei Strayer Furnishings in Pittsburgh works recently on installing new seats in the Hammermill Center. The old seats in the building were completely removed to make way for the new ones, which are maroon in color.