News

• RMU signed articulation agreements last week with Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) to create affordable pathways for community college students to earn a four-year degree. RMU also announced that the Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded the university a $250,000 grant in support of the new RMU Transfer Success Center, a one-stop shop for all transfer students to access university services, including academic advising and financial aid. Each student will be assigned to a transfer success counselor. Read more here.

• RMU will not reinstate its NCAA Division I ice hockey programs for the 2021-22 season, opting instead to continue to raise money for a return the following year. Last month, RMU and the newly formed Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation partnered together in an effort to raise sufficient funds to support the reinstatement of the Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey programs. The university had announced in May that it would discontinue both programs, which were no longer financially sustainable. The Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation was formed by alumni players and other RMU hockey supporters to raise money to revive the programs. Fundraising has been encouraging but is still short of what is needed to immediately reinstate the program and to position both teams to be financially sustainable for the foreseeable future. If, however, RMU can raise a total of $1.4 million in immediate contributions and another $1.4 million in pledges, the university will reinstate both programs in time for the 2022-23 season. Read more here.

• In July, RMU hosted a five-day summer camp called “ALCOSAN Clean Water Academy." This camp had 17 student participants in grades 9-12 from within the ALCOSAN service area. The camp was led by RMU biology faculty William Dress, Melissa Hillwig, Paul Badger, and Catherine Hanna, and assisted by undergraduate Michael Gasdick. ALCOSAN Clean Water Academy revolved around hands-on interactive laboratory exercises, classroom studies, and field activities for the campers. Participants also engaged in research activities to support their learning experience. Lastly, campers were given campus tours to explore other opportunities at RMU. 

• The RMU Center for Innovation and Outreach held its Computer Bootcamp July 19-22 for students in grades 6-9. Sixteen participants gained skills and experiences in a variety of coding languages, computer history, programming, and participated in lab tours. The participants all took home the computer they built themselves! The center conducted post-camp surveys to communicate with parents about the experience and get feedback for potential new camps. 

• Madalyn Bashore, a junior majoring in sport management and accounting, was named to the inaugural class of the National Collegiate Rugby Scholastic All-Americans. The Scholastic All American list includes 41 women and 66 men across all NCR divisions. To qualify as a Scholastic All American, each student athlete must have maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher for the academic year and actively participated in either an A-Side 15s, 10s, or 7s match with their school’s rugby program. Read more here. 

• The RMU men’s golf program saw two of its student-athletes recognized by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) as Srixon / Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars, as recent graduate Kyle Grube and rising senior Chase Miller were both bestowed with the honor recently. To be eligible for Srixon / Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a sophomore, junior, or senior academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their Associate’s Degree and in their last year of eligibility in the NJCAA. In addition, they must have a stroke average under 76.0 in Division I, 78.0 in Division II, 79.0 in Division III, 78.0 in NAIA, or 77.0 in NJCAA, and maintain a career grade point average of 3.2. For 2020-21, all student-athletes who previously received All-America Scholar accolades were eligible. Read more here.

• Haven't gotten vaccinated against COVID-19? The Rite-Aid at Moon Plaza, just across University Boulevard from campus, is offering it for free.

Personal Mention

• Jon Radermacher, associate provost for academic administration and associate professor of media arts, recently competed in multiple events at the American Taekwondo Association’s annual Tournament of Champions, which included competitors from North, South and Central America, as well as Asia. Radermacher is a 3rd degree black belt and certified instructor in Songahm Taekwondo, and his sparring team, coached by 7th degree black belt and RMU alumnus Senior Master Kevin Kaminski, won the national championship gold medal in team sparring for 3-person black belt teams ages 40 and up. Radermacher also won the world championship bronze medal in individual sparring for his rank in the 40-49 age group.

Events

• SAVE THE DATES!  The Career and Professional Development Center will be conducting both an in-person and virtual Career and Professional Engagement Fair in the Fall. The in-person fair will be held at the UPMC Event Center on September 21 from noon to 3 p.m. The virtual fair will be hosted virtually via Handshake on October 1 from noon to 3 p.m. More details to follow.

Editor's Note -- Remember that the Minuteman is now on its summer publication schedule, and will updated every other week until the start of the fall semester.