Hummel Named Interim Dean of Science and Technology

Dr. Lynn Hummel

BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Diana Rogers-Adkinson has named Lynn Hummel ’02/’03M interim dean of the College of Science and Technology. Current dean Robert Aronstam is retiring in June after five years of service to the university.

Hummel has spent his career focusing on student success in educational technology. A BU alumnus, Hummel graduated as a dual major in elementary education and early childhood education in 2002 and earned his Master of Science in Instructional Technology in 2003. He earned a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership and administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012.

Hummel’s previous professional experience includes serving as assistant principal and assistant superintendent in the public school system and as an instructional technology specialist and cooperative education coordinator at a career and technology center.

Since joining BU in 2014, Hummel has served as associate professor, distance education coordinator, interim department chair, and faculty fellow for the College of Science and Technology. He is also a violinist in the University Community Orchestra.

“I am honored to serve as the interim dean of the College of Science and Technology as the search for a permanent dean progresses” said Hummel. “It humbles me to serve our current and future BU students in this capacity.”

“I believe Dr. Hummel’s experiences in educational technology will be a great support to the college given COVID-19,” said Rogers-Adkinson. “He has experiences in leadership in both P-12 and higher education as well. I am confident in his ability to continue to move the college forward during these difficult times.”

Hummel’s work in educational technology has always been student-centered in the pursuit of helping others learn and achieve their goals. He was a board member of the Education Consortium of the Upper Allegheny, which was responsible for the founding and establishment of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. He volunteers for the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT) and serves as the representative to the International AECT organization. Through this role, Hummel is the co-founder of the Technology Education Research Symposium, which recently held its 4th annual event. He is also a member of the International Society for Technology in Education and frequently presents on current educational technology topics at their annual conferences.

Hummel lives in Bloomsburg with his wife Abigail. They enjoy birdwatching, walking, and bicycling around the community.


~from BU news release 5-26-20

Bloomsburg University Students Take Top Two Spots at Cybersecurity Event

The Pennsylvania National Guard hosted a virtual Wi-Fighter Challenge April 24 as part of DeSales University's Third Annual Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Conference. To maintain the physical interaction involved in previous exercises, the organizers mailed the first 50 participants to sign up a Raspberry Pi Kit, a mini computer popular with hardware hacking, which was the focus of the exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard courtesy photo) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Zane Craig)

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania digital forensics majors Nelson Maher and Austin Pasquel finished one-two at the Pennsylvania National Guard Wi-Fighter Challenge on Friday, April 24. The event was part of the third annual Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Conference hosted by the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-hour Wi-Fighter Challenge gamifies concepts to teach the foundational skills required by cybersecurity experts.
To maintain the physical interaction involved in previous exercises, the organizers mailed the first 50 participants to register a Raspberry Pi Kit, a mini-computer popular with hardware hacking, which was the focus of the exercise.

Maher and Pasquel, both of Nazareth, competed against more than 70 other contestants from 11 states. The expanded reach was the greatest benefit of the virtual event, according to organizer Capt. Sean Smith, deputy cyber team chief for the Pennsylvania National Guard.

“The key to success with the virtual event versus the live events were to communicate early and often to get individuals prepared and committed to attend,” said Smith. “We leveraged popular digital collaboration tools as a communication force multiplier.”

First-place finisher Maher entered the event to put what he learned at BU into action. “I learned how to better apply the skills taught in the digital forensics program,” said Maher. “A Raspberry PI is a small, USB powered single board computer. Due to its size, cost, and ease of use, it’s widely used in educational and enthusiast projects. “

“As someone who has done a few cyber competitions, I was very pleased with how this one turned out,” said Pasquel. “I learned how to set up and use a Raspberry Pi, a skill I have always wanted to learn. The challenges started with background info on the Pi, to how to set it up, basic Linux commands, intermediate Linux knowledge, up to the final challenge of a reverse engineering problem.”

For Maher, this area of study has always been an interest. “It’s the reason I chose BU. The maturity, age, and depth of the digital forensics program at BU completely blew the offerings from other institutions out of the water.”

After graduation this May, Maher moves right into a position. “I will start work as a junior penetration tester, but I want to continue to learn and teach others about the field.”

Pasquel, who graduates in Spring 2021, also selected BU for its digital forensics program.
“This is one of the best cybersecurity/digital forensics programs out there as the program was built from the ground up with that specific focus,” said Pasquel. “All my faculty have been great. Dr. (John) Riley has been very influential and is my adviser on my research project that has been going on for more than a year.”

Pasquel is already looking to life after graduation. “I am considering graduate and doctoral programs, Department of Defense positions (from the possibility of a DOD Cyber Scholarship), and the private sector.”

~https://archive.bloomu.edu/news-releases/20-05-06

EGGS department names senior award and scholarship winners

Bloomsburg University’s Department of Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences named its senior award and scholarship winners for 2019-20.

Named as the outstanding senior in environmental geoscience is Leigha Eby and Sabrina Savidge is the outstanding senior in professional geology.   Co-winners of the geography and planning outstanding senior award are Meg Ronan and Kyle Argenziano.

Sabrina Savage

Leigha Eby

Meg Ronan

Kyle Argenziano

Earning the Enman Service Award is Ashley Barebo, while Emily Bruce was awarded the Enman Scholarship for Environmental Field Camp. The Enman Scholarship for geography and planning internship goes to Meg Ronan and Blair Johnston.

The Braun geology field camp scholarship is awarded to Alison Evans and Nathan Gadinski, while Lea Zarr is the Professor Brian and Marty Johnson geography/planning scholarship winner.
The Joshua D. Sonntag ’14 and Chelci A. Kravabloski ’16 EGGS scholarship is awarded to Lacie Pichler, while the Tearpock Field Camp awarded is given to Ian Van Wagenen and William Soha.
~from bloomsburgu.tumblr.com

Blair Johnston

Emily Bruce

Lacie Pichler

Lea Zarr

Nathan Gadinski

Group of digital forensics majors receive Department of Defense Cybersecurity Scholarships

Four Bloomsburg University digital forensics majors have been awarded scholarships under the Department of Defense Cybersecurity Scholarship program. Two students were awarded returning scholarships and two were awarded new scholarships.

Due to the sensitive nature of positions, the names of the students awarded the scholarships cannot be revealed.

These coveted scholarships are only available because of BU’s designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. Each cyber scholar receives full tuition, fees, a book allowance, and a stipend for living expense in exchange for civilian service at a Department of Defense agency upon graduation. The package is worth approximately $27,000 per student.

“I commend each of these cyber scholars for this impressive achievement, and also thank our faculty in the Department of Mathematical and Digital Sciences for their guidance and leadership,” said Bloomsburg University President Bashar W. Hanna. “Given these extraordinary times, it is ever more important for our students to seek opportunities in which they may find a rewarding career path. This scholarship program is one such opportunity, and I’m glad to see our own Huskies being rewarded for their great work.”

The Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program is authorized by Chapter 112 of title 10, United States Code, Section 2200. The purpose of the program is to support the recruitment of new cyber talent and the retention of current highly skilled professionals within the Department of Defense cyber workforce.

Additionally, this program serves to enhance the national pipeline for the development of cyber personnel by providing grants to institutions of higher education.

Center of Academic Excellence
BU is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education with a focus in the area of digital forensics. The CAE designation, jointly sponsored by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, recognizes that Bloomsburg’s digital forensics program has met stringent criteria in regard to its digital forensics curriculum, faculty and research, as well as demonstrated an institution-wide commitment to information assurance practices and cyber defense education.
Students attending CAE designated schools become eligible to apply for related scholarships and grants through the Federal Cyber Service Scholarship for Service Program.

 ~from bloomsburgu.tumblr.com

Recent Publications, Presentations, and Awards

Publications
Jennifer Haney, assistant professor of EGGS, recently published a paper, "Science or Fiction: The Persistence of Disaster Myths in Hollywood Films" in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters.

Debra Minzola, assistant professor of nursing, recently published a paper, "Damage Control Rususcitation of a Patient with Tramatic Aortic Rupture: A Case Report." in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Journal.  This work was a collaboration with the Geisinger Medical Center.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Thermal tolerance varies with dim-light foraging and elevation in large carpenter bees (hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini)" in Ecological Entomology.  Stephen Tapsak, undergraduate Biology and EGGS major, was also an author on the paper, along with collaborators in a 2019 Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, from the University of Kansas, the University of Texas, Pomoma College, University of Aegean, and the University of Central Oklahoma.  Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.

Karl Kapp, professor of Instructional Technology, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Enhancing motivation in workplace training with casual games: a twelve month field study of retail employees" in Educational Technology Research and Development.

Pamela Smith, professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, recently published a paper, "Palliative Care in Dysphagia and Dementia" in Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups.


Adrian Van Rythoven, assistant professor of EGGS, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Ultramafic xenoliths from the 1.15 Ga Certac kimberlite, eastern Superior Craton" in The Canadian Mineralogist.


Sean Hartzell, instructor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "An amelanistic Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Caudata: Ambystomidae) from Eastern Pennsylvania" in Herpetology Notes.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Effect of pan trap size on the diversity of sampled bees and abundance of bycatch" in Journal of Insect Conservation.  Cody Pavlick, a spring 2019 B.S. Biology graduate, was also an author on the paper.  The paper stems from research conducted on Lesvos Island Greece with collaborators in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program from University of Kansas, The College of New Jersey, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Unidad para el Conocimiento (Guatemala), University of the Aegean (Greece), and University of Central Oklahoma. Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.


Presentations
Daniel McCurry, assistant professor of Chemisty and Biochemistry, was scheduled to present at the ACS (American Chemical Society) 2020 National Meeting and Expo.  His presentation, "Modified surface-limited redox replacement for template-free nanodeposition" presented research conducted by BU undergraduate, Stepan Budkin.

Awards 
Pamela Cook and Rebecca Toothaker, assistant professors in nursing, received the 2020 Generating Evidence for Nursing Education Practice Award for their abstract "Student Perceptions of Just Culture in Nursing Education Programs: A Multi-Site Study" presented virtually as part of the 2020 Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC).  This prestigious award was in reference to a national research study in assessing a safe and just culture in nursing educational programs.  The results from this study are a call to action for nursing education to emphasize the tenets of just culture, error reporting, and quality improvement.

BU’s Instructional Design and Technology graduate program ranked second in the nation

Bloomsburg University is ranked second nationally among top online schools for instructional technology in 2020 by the College Affordability Guide. BU is one of two institutions from Pennsylvania, and the only university from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ranked in the top 20.

“This is wonderful recognition for the great work being done by the faculty and students in the MSIT program,” said BU President Bashar W. Hanna. “To be ranked second in the nation shows the value our graduates are bringing to this highly competitive field.”

Karl Kapp, a professor in the department of instructional technology and director of the Institute for Interactive Technologies, is thrilled for the ranking.“We are extremely proud to be featured number two on this list for two reasons. First, it shows just how affordable a master’s degree in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University can be. Many of our students indicate the instructional design degree pays for itself in just a short time after graduation. And second, it validates the knowledge, contribution, and impact our graduates make in the field of instructional technology.  Our goal is for our students to go out and dent the universe and this ranking shows they are having an impact.” Kapp continued. “This ranking also shows why our students have won the DevLearn DemoFest student design/development contest five years in a row. Our students consistently rise to the occasion and are shining examples of BU can produce.”

College Affordability Guide writes that BU students in the online program leading to a Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Design receive hands-on experience working for a real-world client. Each student is matched with an external organization, which could be a business or nonprofit, and creates a working instructional technology product for that organization.

The college runs a national center called the Institute for Interactive Technologies, which receives requests for instructional technology assistance from organizations all over the country. The curriculum for this master’s program requires 33 credits, and students can choose a concentration in corporate training or prepare for a Pennsylvania Instructional Technology Specialist Certification.
The College Affordability Guide based its rankings on:

• Regional accreditation
• CAEP/NCATE/TEAC accreditation (BU accreditation: CAEP-Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)
• Meets state licensing criteria
• Strong “brick and mortar” reputation (e.g., excellent rankings, dedicated educational research centers, history of being a teaching school, etc.)
• High graduate placement rates
• Experienced faculty teaching the online and on-campus courses
• Top U.S. News & World Report online rankings
• Distance learning support services

~from https://bloomsburgu.tumblr.com