News

• RMU has again been awarded Gold status among institutions that have earned 2022-2023 Military Friendly Schools award level designation. The designation indicates a high ranking of participating schools based on factors including retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students and for student veterans. It comes from Viqtory, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. Read more here.

• Starting this fall, RMU students will be able to save time and money on course materials each semester. The RMU Book Bundle program is being launched in partnership with Barnes & Noble College (BNC), which manages the RMU campus bookstore and associated school branded e-commerce site. The RMU Book Bundle program will allow all students to pay one flat rate of $27 per credit each semester to have all their course materials, for all their classes, delivered before classes begin, regardless of the number of textbooks. Physical books will be conveniently delivered in a single package, and all digital course materials can be accessed through the Blackboard learning management system or download code. Learn more at rmu.edu/books.

• The academic accolades keep stacking up for Kahliel Spear, senior forward of the RMU men's basketball team, who was named to the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Second Team Tuesday, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Spear is the first basketball student-athlete in RMU's NCAA Division I history, in either gender, to earn Academic All-America® status as well as the ninth male student-athlete in athletic department history. The selection of Spear to the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Second Team also marks the fifth consecutive year that RMU has had at least one CoSIDA Academic All-American. Read more here.

• Admissions will be holding their annual Accepted Student Day Event on Saturday, March 26 in the UPMC Events Center. High school seniors who are accepted to RMU are invited to join us to talk to faculty, staff, and current students about what makes the RMU experience so special. If your department is interested in participating and have not yet confirmed your interest, please reach out to Amanda Beal at beal@rmu.edu by EOD on Tuesday, March 22.

• Please take a few moments to share your thoughts about your interest in participating in employee resource and/or affinity groups in this survey. An affinity group provides an opportunity for people who share a common identity to gather and connect with other people who share aspects of their affinity, especially in situations in which aspects of their identity are in the minority or are marginalized. Possible ERG/affinity group designations might include the following:

  -Disability
  -Veteran Status
  -LGBTQIA+ Identity
  -Race
  -Ethnicity and Culture
  -Gender
  -Religion (interfaith groups or single religion)
  -Age (i.e. recent graduates, Millennials, Gen X, over 60, etc.)
  -Family Structures (caregivers for elderly parents, caregivers for differently-abled family members, working parents, single parents, adoptive parents, etc.)
  -New Hires
  -Job Responsibility

  Employee resource groups are ultimately self-led and directed, although Human Resources and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion are here to assist any groups with training for group leaders and ongoing support and involvement as needed. Please note that all employees are welcome to join any group, so long as they either share a characteristic with the group or are an ally of that group. In other words, specific characteristics are not required for participation. All participants are expected to treat each other with civility and respect. These groups are meant to be constructive and supportive spaces, and bullying, harassment, and incivility will not be tolerated. ERGs and affinity groups must all reflect the mission and/or core values of the university.

Personal Mention

• Ann Jabro, university professor of communication, was selected to serve as a judge for the Public Relations Society of America's Silver and Bronze Anvil Awards.  For more than 75 years, the Anvils have been considered the icon of the public relations profession and the benchmark of high performance in communications. The Silver Anvil Awards celebrate the best strategic public relations campaign of the year while the Bronze Anvil Awards recognize outstanding tactics that contribute to the success of overall programs or campaigns. Due to the pandemic, the judges will not meet in New York for the day-long evaluation process but rather conduct the process via synchronous virtual.

You're Invited

• A whole slew of events are planned for Women's History Month, all around the theme "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." See the complete schedule at www.rmu.edu/REVOLUTION.

• Want to get started with birdwatching? The RMU Library and Honors Program are proud to present “Getting to Know Birds: An Introduction to the Joys of Birdwatching” on Wednesday, March 23, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the RMU Library. Librarian and avid birdwatcher David Bennett will show you all the eagle-eyed equipment and avian apps that you need, plus some great places to look for our feathered friends that are close to campus. Everyone is invited to attend. Let's flock together! 

• Marina Fontolan, the Spring 2022 Rooney International Visiting Scholar, will give a lecture at 3 p.m. March 23 titled Localization, Games, and Authenticity: Perceptions from Localizers. Localization is the process of translating and adapting games to different languages and cultures, which generate many debates over the meaning of authenticity in games. Using examples from different game publishers across the world,  Fontonlan examines how localization experts (localizers) discuss what authenticity is and the different aspects it has when they are localizing a game, including art changes and cultural references. Fontolan is an experienced historian and science and technology studies scholar at University of Campinas (Unicamp - Brazil). Fontolan received a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Policy from Unicamp (Brazil), and holds further certificates in History from Unicamp (Brazil). Fontolan’s primary research subject is on sociological aspects of video game localization. Co-hosted by SIHSS and SEMS. The event will take place in Hopwood Hall with a reception to follow.

• Creativity at Work, scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at Yorktown Hall, is a networking event for the following majors/fields: Advertising, Communication, English, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Journalism, Public Relations, and the Media Arts. The event is free and open to all RMU students and alumni. The opening session, "The Value of Professional Organizations & Marketing" will set the tone by addressing how networking has evolved in the post-pandemic job market. 

  After that, participants will be able to interact with panel discussions specific to their career fields and ask working professionals key questions. This year's panels include professionals from KDKA, the Tribune Review, Video Consortium Pittsburgh, and the Carnegie Science Center. Creativity at Work concludes with a networking reception, to allow one-on-one interactions with our panelists. Pre-registration is required; visit www.rmu.edu/creativityatwork for more information

• On March 24- 25, the Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program presents RMU’s Sixth Annual Women and Transformational Leadership Symposium. This two-day, in-person event features women leaders in our region and topics that impact the region's move toward gender equity and the advancement of women.

  This event is free and open to the public! Learn more and register here: rmu.edu/wtls. Please register by March 15th to secure your spot! This event is SET-eligible for students. 

  March 24 Keynote Speaker: Lee Dingus, Beyond the Images: Daughters of Turtle Island
  Lee Dingus has been active in many aspects of Native American affairs and human rights for more than 20 years. She has served as chairperson for the VA Pittsburgh Health care system, EEO committee chairperson, the Native American program manager, and is the current chairperson of the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board Native American Heritage Committee. She has served on various boards in the past to many local and national Native American organizations. Lee is co-founder of Echoes of the Four Directions, a Native American cultural and reference source. Dingus has been a diversity trainer and Equal rights trainer, for the VA healthcare system both on the local and national levels in areas of Native American culture and diversity training. She has provided diversity training to the City of Pittsburgh police department, as well as local police departments and colleges and universities in the tri-state area. Dingus has served the IRS and Social Security Administration as a Native American adviser. She currently works as a part-time test administrator for Personal Professional Centers but continues to serve as the chairperson of the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board Native American Heritage Committee, and as a community Native American advisor for the federal government and the community at large. 

  March 25 Sessions and Panel:
  -The WLMP Student Speaker Series, Building for the Future
  -Implementing Intersectional Health Justice. Facilitated by Morgan Overton, Vice-Chair of the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission
  -Connecting with Purpose in 2022. Facilitated by Stephanie Masters, Clifton Strengths Certified Coach and Organizational Development Consultant 
  -Lunch Panel: Gender, Identity, and Success in STEM Fields. Moderated by Dr. Rika, Carlsen, Faculty Advisor for RMU's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers 

• Join the WLMP and the Center for Global Engagement for a Women's History Month Coffee Hour featuring Rooney Scholar Marina Fontolan from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Wheatley Atrium. Fontolan will be presenting Game Studies and Diversity: Going Beyond Traditional Approaches and will be available to answer questions and connect after the presentation. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with an international scholar and network with others on campus. This event is SET-Eligible for the Global Explorer's Program. Coffee and pastries will be provided. This event is open to the entire RMU campus. All WLMP members, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend! 

• The Title IX Office is pleased to announce that Mike Domitrz, founder of The Center for Respect, will host a dynamic discussion with staff and faculty about the necessary elements to build and maintain a positive work environment. Please save the date for Monday, April 4, from noon to 1 p.m. at Massey Theater. RSVP is required for this event. Lunch is on us and the learning is on you! Please fill out the Google form by March 25. To learn more about Mike and his work, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Giacomino at giacomino@rmu.edu.

• The RMU Counseling Center and AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) are teaming up again! Join us on Saturday, April 9, for our annual Out of the Darkness Color Walk/Run for suicide prevention. Interested participants can register now at afsp.org/RMU. After the walk, stick around for free food (from Revival Chili, Hot Bunz, and Dad’s Pub & Grub food trucks) and our Dance Party for Prevention on the Nicholson Patio/Lawn. Runners and walkers should also plan to swing by the Moxie Selfie Station & Photo Booth to capture a few colorful memories! Please visit the afsp.org/RMU website for more information on the day’s agenda and FAQs. We hope you’ll join us as we work to raise money and awareness for this important cause! Interested in volunteering? Please email Sarah Walters at walterss@rmu.edu. 

• Graduate Admissions will be holding a series of Virtual Open Houses between March and April to talk about the Master's Degree programs available at RMU. Hear from Admissions experts and Program Directors about program requirements, typical degree progression, and our alumni outcomes. There will also be time to ask any questions you may have. If you or anybody you know is interested in attending, we will be offering the following events:

  Wednesday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. - MBA Virtual Open House
  Monday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m. - Graduate SEMS Virtual Open House
  Tuesday, March 29 at 5:00 p.m.- Instructional Leadership Virtual Open House
  Wednesday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m. - CIS Virtual Open House
  Thursday, March 31 at 5:30 p.m. - Health Services Administration Virtual Open House
  Wednesday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m. - Nursing Virtual Open House
  Thursday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. - Organizational Leadership Virtual Open House
  Monday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. - Cyber Investigations and Intelligence

Upcoming Sports

NCAA Division I

• Men's lacrosse vs. Marquette, Saturday, 3/19 @ noon at Joe Walton Stadium

Go to rmucolonials.com for ticketing and other information about NCAA Division sports at RMU.

Upcoming Concerts 

• Trinity of Terror, April 7
• Lil Durk, April 26
• Whiskey Myers, May 1
• CHEER Live, July 12
• Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesia, October 14 and 15. (Please note the new dates. All tickets will be honored.)

All concerts are at the UPMC Events Center. Go to www.upmceventscenter.com for more information.