Valley Views

LVC #1 for Getting a Job for Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, career guidance site Zippia identified LVC as #1 among all colleges and universities in Pennsylvania in its listing of “The Best Colleges in Each State for Getting a Job 2020.” LVC’s placement rate is 95.63%, which was #5 for all U.S. colleges and universities. Zippia used the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard to search “for the college in each state with the highest listed job placement number ten years after graduation.”

“External acknowledgments highlight our integrated approach to career preparation,” said Dr. James MacLaren, LVC president. “This process brings together professors, advisors, and career counselors to help students explore career options, gain practical experience, and forge their career path to professional success, starting their first semester. These employment outcomes, which are greatly assisted by a loyal and supportive alumni network and strong partnerships with employers, result from these combined efforts toward student success.”

In 2019, Lebanon Valley College was #1 in Pennsylvania and #4 among all U.S. colleges and universities for its job placement rate. In 2018, LVC was #1 in Pennsylvania and #1 among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Music for the Virtual Masses

To help ease the lingering uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 situation, three music professors reached out locally and globally to offer online music lessons in the spring: Dr. Shelly Moorman-Stahlman, Dr. Eric Fung, and Dr. Greg Strohman ’08. “It is therapeutic, for it takes our mind off the current situation and transports us into another world,” said Fung, who offered piano lessons to students and alumni.

Moorman-Stahlman used the crisis as an opportunity to continue working with organ students in Brazil who are part of a cultural exchange program with LVC that dates to 2016. “The virus has brought our world together. When the students play, they are not Brazilians or Americans; they are musicians who want to further their art.”

Unlike his colleagues, Strohman has offered online music lessons since 2015, teaching low brass, piano, music composition, and theory instruction to LVC students and the public. And, like his fellow educators, he sees the value of uniting people through music during these difficult times. “Online teaching enables you to work with someone who may live far away, invite them into your home, and be invited into their home at the same time. There is something deeply personal and special about that.”

Athletic Training Receives Initial Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) voted to grant five years of Initial Accreditation to the LVC Professional Athletic Training Program in April. The College is officially “Active—In Good Standing,” and will undergo the second accreditation review during the 2024–25 academic year.

The first cohort of students in the five-year master’s program graduated in May, and the class had a 100% pass rate on the Athletic Training Board of Certification Exam. Alumni in this group studied and conducted research in China, and had clinical experiences from Canada to Texas.

“Achieving accreditation from CAATE under the new 2020 standards will help LVC’s Athletic Training Program continue to stand out from among our competitors, particularly combined with the high-tech and high-touch educational facilities we provide in the Jeanne and Edward H. Arnold Health Professions Pavilion,” noted Dr. Joe Murphy, director and assistant professor of athletic training. “Personal faculty mentoring and clinical and educational relationships with the Penn State College of Medicine, Asia Pacific Athletic Trainers Association, Dublin City University, and professional sports teams also make our program distinct.”

Weaver Appointed Vice President

Matthew Weaver, who arrived at LVC eight years ago from Franklin & Marshall College as a major gifts officer, was promoted to vice president of advancement and secretary to the Board of Trustees on Sept. 1. He was previously promoted to director of development in 2017. In his new role, Weaver has direct oversight of the College’s fundraising efforts, alumni constituent relations, and advancement operations. He and his team also will coordinate support for the work of the board.

In 2019, the board named Weaver secretary of the board. Since he arrived at LVC, the College achieved consistent annual gift revenues and gift commitments in excess of $5- and $7-million, respectively. This summer, the Advancement Division worked with Information Technology to upgrade their ability to make data-informed decisions, and Weaver instituted a staff reorganization to enhance alumni and advancement operations.

Butz ’20 Continues Fulbright Streak

In May, Allyson Butz ’20, an elementary education major with minors in German and global studies, was named LVC’s 11th student Fulbright in the past five years. Butz was selected to receive a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to Germany for the 2020–21 academic year, now scheduled to begin in January. She previously studied in Germany through the College’s Zerbe Summer Study Abroad Scholarship.

Business Students Earn Global Top 100 Rankings

Three student teams in the Business 485 Strategic Management course earned Global Top 100 rankings for their Business Strategy Game performance this past spring. The student groups ran a footwear company and competed against teams around the world for market share, profits, and brand loyalty.

The Hildebrand Company (Vance Hermanson ’20, Rebecca Kutz ’20, M’21, Tyler Lutz ’20, M’21, and Matthew Pados ’20) was recognized for Overall Gameto-Date Score (tied for best Overall Score) and worldwide performance of the week. Emerald Exports (Scott Dickmyer ’20, Adam Eidemiller ’20, Dominique Guimond ’20, and George Thompson ’20) were honored for Return on Average (ROE) Equity (100th). I Wanna Drop Out (Corbin French ’20, Jordan Huhn ’20, Adam Salazar ’20, M’21, and Leah Wingert ’20, ’21) were also recognized for ROE (10th).

Spanish Publisher Releases Language Faculty Book

Dr. Carmen Garcia-Armero, associate professor of Spanish, Dr. Gabriela McEvoy, chair of languages and associate professor of Spanish, and Dr. Fabricio Silva, assistant professor of Spanish, co-authored Espectros del poder: representaciones y discursos de resistencia en literatura y cine en los siglos XX-XXI. The book, which Silva also co-edited, was published by Editorial Pilegos in Spain. The work is a collection of essays that provide a cultural framework for thinking about the relationship between the unconscious and social structures in Spain and Latin America.

Editorial Pilegos also recently published McEvoy’s Palimpsesto. Relatos cortos de irlandeses en el Peru. The book of 23 short stories depicts small scenes of the everyday life of Irish immigrants in Peru. The book spans from the mid-19th century to the 20th century.

Taylor and VA Colleagues Win Grant

Dr. Grant Taylor, professor of art & art history, and his clinical staff colleagues at the Lebanon VA were part of a $25,000 grant for The Seeing Lens: Therapeutic Photography Group. The award was part of the expansion of veteran arts and humanities programming through participation in the VA’s Office of Patient-Centered Care & Cultural Transformation. The grant will fund new art therapy projects, including Taylor’s new initiative, Memory Field: Therapeutic Painting Group, a complementary therapy treating PTSD in veterans.

Bryson ’20 Named PERC Campus Sustainability Champion

The Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium (PERC) named Paige Bryson ’20 a 2020 Campus Sustainability Champion in the spring. For the past two academic years, Bryson has been a member of and intern for LVC’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC). She’s managed all written and social media communications, including the ESAC’s annual report, Green Living Guide, annual Earth Day, and other campus sustainability events. Bryson also served as a data intern, compiling an LVC Carbon Footprint report.

Athletics

(l. to r.): Emily Mealey ’21, Cole Hepler ’20, Ziki Mroz ’23, Jill Moffatt ’20, Keri Jones ’21

Five Named Academic All-MAC

The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) named five LVC student-athletes to its Winter Academic AllMAC Teams. The teams recognize the top student-athletes in the classroom and athletic competition. Emily Mealey ’21 (women’s basketball), Cole Hepler ’20 and Ziki Mroz ’23 (men’s ice hockey), Jill Moffatt ’20 (women’s ice hockey), and Keri Jones ’21 (women’s indoor track & field) were recognized for their academic and athletic achievements.

Moffatt Signs Professional Contract in Sweden

Jill Moffatt ’20, the NCAA record holder for men’s and women’s ice hockey with 4,444 career saves, signed a contract to play professional ice hockey in Sweden in June. She’ll play for Björklöven, which competes in the HockeyAllsvenskan. Moffatt, who also was named MAC Women’s Ice Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is the only North American player on the team.

Perla Named Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach

Rachel Perla was named the head coach of women’s lacrosse in June. She comes to LVC from the University of Scranton and inherits a Dutchmen program that captured its first-ever MAC Commonwealth Championship and NCAA Tournament bid in 2019.

Dutchmen Discussions

Mike Freeman, director of athletic communications, interviewed LVC head coaches for a video series, The Dutchmen Discussions. The new show takes a deep dive into the LVC Athletics scene, with episodes airing throughout the year. Visit GoDutchmen.com to watch.