PASSHE University Students Take Summer Education Beyond the Classroom

From research labs and Special Olympics sidelines to community internship
and study abroad, students across the state universities of Pennsylvania are
gaining experience and building skills for what comes next.

HARRISBURG, PA - Their classrooms looked completely different this summer, but the common connection is putting learning into practice.

A chemistry major researched a protein linked to Parkinson's disease. Two athletic training graduate students helped keep more than 2,000 Special Olympics athletes safe in the summer heat. A biomedical science major studied a threatened species in Alabama. In Germany, a mechanical engineering student saw physics put into action.

Across Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, students are spending the summer learning in laboratories, workplaces, communities and places far from home. The locations are different, but the opportunity is all about putting classroom learning into practice.

"Experiences like these help students discover what they can do with the knowledge and skills they're gaining in college," said Christopher Fiorentino, chancellor of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. "They are building skills, confidence and experience that will prepare them for what comes next. Pennsylvania benefits when graduates are prepared to put those abilities to work in our businesses, organizations and communities."

Across PASSHE's 10 universities, here are examples of learning by doing this summer.

This summer, Cheyney University student Ziyah Hilliard worked as a production assistant for Major League Baseball, in partnership with BAM Productions, supporting events related to the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Recognized for a strong work ethic, professionalism and leadership, Hilliard was selected for an expanded internship at the MLB Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, the site made famous by the 1989 film.

"The internship challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, build relationships with professionals across the sports and entertainment industry and strengthen skills that I will carry into my career," said Hilliard.

Commonwealth University senior Richard Rouse spent the summer in the field searching for eastern indigo snakes in Alabama, studying the federally threatened species under the guidance of faculty mentor Jennifer Deitloff. He presented his findings at the Susquehanna Valley Undergraduate Research Symposium, along with nearly 100 other student researchers.

"Seeing these snakes in the wild and participating in fieldwork was an unforgettable experience that made the research feel very real," said Rouse. "This experience has given me confidence in conducting research, analyzing data and presenting scientific information to others skills that'll be valuable in veterinary school and throughout my career."

For three days at the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games, ESU athletic training graduate students Olympia Curley-Katrishen and Cameron Nunez taped ankles, treated bruises and helped keep more than 2,000 athletes safe in the summer heat. Both former ESU student-athletes, the pair gained professional, real-world experience and plan to return as Games volunteers next year.

"They were so appreciative of the small things we did for them and so grateful for us being there to volunteer, that it really showed how much it means to them to be able to have this opportunity to compete," Nunez said.

Ten IUP students spent a week learning and working with members of the Navajo Nation as part of an anthropology service-learning course. Through hands-on work such as farm labor and irrigation projects, students learned about the Navajo language, food traditions, dance, the Kinaalda, a women's coming-of-age ceremony and the impact of the land on the culture.

"There was no possible way to experience everything we did from just a classroom and books," said Deb Slagle, who graduated from IUP in May with a degree in ecology, conservation, evolution and biology. "You have to be there, physically and mentally, to connect with them and their customs."

Corbin Teeters joined dozens of students conducting field research on coastal ecosystems as part of an internship at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Virginia. A recent graduate of Kutztown University with a major in geology and a minor in marine science, Teeters spent more than two months researching Carolina Bays, shallow, elliptical depressions found along the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. He analyzed sediment samples to reconstruct the environmental history of a Carolina Bay and potentially determine how and when it formed on the Delmarva Peninsula.

"This research has been a great stepping stone in my path to graduate school," said Teeters. "The opportunity to plan and execute my own research project has given me the skills and confidence to pursue graduate work in the marine geosciences field."

At The Kintock Group in Philadelphia, Millersville psychology major Madison Willard spent the summer learning how people rebuild stability after incarceration, studying substance use disorder and treatment, attending Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and talking with staff about recovery and reentry. The experience deepened her understanding of the challenges formerly incarcerated people face when returning to their communities.

"The internship reinforced my long-term goal of becoming a substance-abuse counselor by showing me how critical consistent guidance and treatment are for individuals navigating both recovery and reentry," said Willard.

Jordan McCown is one of four PennWest students placed with regional partners this summer through a $332,000 McElhattan Foundation grant supporting workforce development in Clarion and Venango counties. Working with the Chamber's Be Here Venango initiative, Jordan interviews local business owners and residents, using his background in student journalism to tell the stories that shape the region's economy.

"I like to start by getting to know the person, then go deeper. It's about listening and finding where the story can go," said McCown. "I've been hearing why they came here, what they like about the area and what their business means to them."

At Leuphana Universitt in Lneburg, Germany, mechanical engineering major August Wildermuth saw firsthand how German classrooms connect physics directly to hands-on application, including using pulley sets to model physics problems discussed in his class. Wildermuth hopes to one day apply those engineering skills to building sets and gadgets in the film industry.

"The experience was incredible, because a lot can change in a year and a lot can change a person in a year," said Wildermuth. "During my exchange, I shared awesome experiences that I will keep with me for a lifetime."

In a campus lab, chemistry major Cooper Alleman is using E. coli cells to create and isolate alpha-synuclein, a protein primarily found in brain neurons. Working under SRU assistant professor Jessica Sarver, he's researching the membrane-binding dynamics of proteins that help transmit signals in the brain, a line of research also linked to diseases like Parkinson's.

"There was so much that I didn't understand going into it, and it was honestly so fun to dive into this and learn a lot of new things," said Alleman, who plans to attend medical school. "Lab techniques are a huge section on the MCAT - thanks to this research, I'm familiar with a lot of techniques I'd never heard of before."

As a brand strategy intern with Sallie Mae, Salea Lawson gained hands-on experience researching competitor and consumer trends. Lawson learned about the opportunity through West Chester University's spring job and internship fair. She credits her preparation to a Marketing 440 course, where she gained consulting experience through partnerships with the Chester County Chamber of Commerce and the Chester County Bar Association and its foundation.

"I've learned that marketing is more than creativity," said Lawson. "It's about understanding the consumer, looking at the data, and being able to turn those insights into a strategy. The internship also helped improve my confidence in presenting my ideas and analysis to others, which is valuable when presenting recommendations to a company."

These experiences are only a glimpse of how PASSHE university students are putting what they learn to use this summer.

For some students, that means building new skills. For others, it means working with people whose experiences are different from their own, solving problems in unfamiliar settings or seeing an academic challenge in a new way.

Across PASSHE, experiences like these complement classroom learning and help students build the knowledge, skills and confidence they can carry into their careers. In doing so, Pennsylvania's state universities are helping to prepare the skilled graduates who employers and communities across the commonwealth need.

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is Pennsylvania's public university system, with a mission to provide high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. State System universities award more than 20,000 degrees each year and have more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania.

The State System universities are Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, PennWest University, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and West Chester University of Pennsylvania.