News

• RMU is one of the top 50 "Best Value Schools" of all national universities in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges rankings, and moved up 9 spots in the overall rankings. RMU also was noted for business, engineering, nursing, and student veterans. Read more here.

• RMU has received a $1.5 million grant from the Allegheny Foundation to help fund the next phase of renovations to the John Jay Center for the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. The Allegheny Foundation grant will cover the cost of significant upgrades to three teaching laboratories for organic chemistry, biochemistry, and biotechnology. 

  On Wednesday, RMU celebrated the completion of the first phase of renovations of the John Jay Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 14,000-square-foot expansion includes four engineering laboratories, an interactive digital presentation collaborative space, a 3-D printing space, and leadership and innovation suite. That project was funded by a $5 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Read more here.

• RMU's annual Day of Giving takes place next week on September 21, in honor of the university's founding on that date in 1921. You can help RMU reach our centennial goal of getting 1,000 donors by giving now at rmu.edu/dayofgiving. That's right: You don't have to wait until September 21 for your gift to count. Give today and help RMU get ready for what's next!
   
• RMU has partnered with Vitalant to host another Blood Drive next Wednesday, September 22 from 10 AM - 4 PM in the John Jay Gym. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate. Walk-ins are welcome. Appointments are recommended. Click here for more info. 
   
• The week of September 20 is RMU's Study Abroad Fair Week! A mix of in-person and virtual events will provide students with information about 2022 FLEAPs, as well as semester and summer study abroad programs. Please encourage your students to attend! Event details, including online links for the virtual events, can be found on Revolution here (make sure to log in).

  Study Abroad Fair Week includes:

  • Monday, September 20, 2-3 p.m.
    EuroScholars Research Semester Abroad (virtual info session)
  • Tuesday, September 21, 4-5 p.m.
    Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership (virtual info session)
  • Wednesday, September 22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
    Info Tables for Semester & Summer Abroad Programs (Nicholson, 3rd floor lobby)
  • Wednesday, September 22, 2-3:00 p.m.
    CAPA Drop In Office Hours (virtual, sign up in advance here)
  • Thursday, September 23, 11 a.m. to noon 
    Nebrija University in Madrid, Spain (virtual info session)
  • Thursday, September 24th, noon to 1 p.m.
    Diverse Identities Abroad & Scholarships, presented by CIS Abroad (virtual info session)
  • Thursday, September 24th, 2-5 p.m.
    Meet Your FLEAP! - Spring 2022 FLEAPs announced (Nicholson, 3rd floor lobby)

• Do you have an idea for this year’s Creepy Conference? Topics can include hauntings, serial killers, sci-fi, horror, urban legends, UFOs, etc. Creative work welcome! Email a one-page description of your idea to pamboukian@rmu.edu by midnight Thursday, September 30. Those selected will be notified by email and will present a 10-minute talk at the conference. Open to all RMU faculty, students and staff. SET credit for student presenters.

Personal Mention

• Armand Buzzelli, director of campus recreation, has published an article, “Are They Athletes? A Self-Assessment of Athletic Identity Measurement and Perceived Benefits of Collegiate Esports Participants” in Recreational Sports Journal. 

Events

• The RMU CEO Lecture Series will return at 1 p.m. Wednesday, September 29, with a talk by Dave McCormick, CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world. McCormick's talk takes place in the UPMC Health Plan Conference Center in the UPMC Events Center, and will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. The event is free and open to students, faculty, and staff. For more information and to RSVP, go to rmu.edu/ceolectures.

• The Career & Professional Development Center will be hosting two career fairs this fall:

  - In-Person Career and Professional Engagement Fair will be held from noon to 3 p.m. September 21 at the UPMC Event Center.  Up to 75 employers will be participating. Student Registration begins September 1st via Handshake: https://app.joinhandshake.com/login

  -Virtual Career and Professional Engagement Fair will be held from noon to 3 p.m. October 1 via Handshake.com. Students can sign up for 10 minute 1:1 and  30 minute group employer sessions. Student Registration begins September 1st via Handshake: https://app.joinhandshake.com/login

• The RMU Department of Athletics will host a memorial service for Joe Walton after the 2021 football home opener Saturday, Sept. 25, against Howard at Joe Walton Stadium. The event will take place on the field and will feature The Voice of the Colonials, Chris Shovlin, as well as various guest speakers. The memorial service will also be streamed live on the RMU Athletics YouTube channel. Two additional memorial services in honor of Walton are scheduled, both with receptions to follow. The first is Sunday, August 29, at 2:00 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Beaver Falls, Pa. The second is Sunday, Sept. 26, at 2:00 p.m. at Riverview United Methodist Church, which is also in Beaver Falls, Pa. Walton was named the first head coach in RMU football history July 27, 1993, and spent 20 years as the head coach of the Colonials, claiming six Northeast Conference (NEC) titles during his tenure. He passed away Sunday, August 15, at the age of 85. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Walton's honor can be made to the Joe Walton Endowed Scholarship, which can be done using this link.