This grant will be used to build a global health program.  It will support the establishment of an interdisciplinary major, creation of two tenure-track faculty positions, resources for faculty and curriculum development, collaborative research opportunities for students on and off campus, and opportunities for students to engage in health-related study-away experiences abroad and domestically. Lee Coates, professor of biology and neuroscience, is the project director.

“This grant demonstrates HHMI’s confidence in Allegheny’s leadership role in higher education and our faculty’s strength in cultivating creative and innovative researchers and practitioners in the science and medical fields,” said James H. Mullen, Jr., Allegheny president. “Our students have educational, collaborative research and experiential learning opportunities in the natural sciences that are second to none, and this grant recognizes that fact. We are honored to have been selected and look forward to sharing the expertise and knowledge we gain with other educational institutions.”

Allegheny's HHMI grant will provide support for faculty collaborative research, such as the work Dosalyn Thompson '13, a biology major and psychology minor, has done with Lee Coates, professor of biology and neuroscience, on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Allegheny is one of 47 colleges and small universities in the United States to receive grants totaling over $50 million. Each four-year grant is in the range of $800,000 to $1.5 million – an amount that can have a big impact at these schools, collectively described as “primarily undergraduate institutions.” The small size of most of these schools can make them more nimble than larger research universities and better able to quickly develop and test new ideas. Allegheny was one of only three schools to receive grants of $1.5 million.

“What happens during the undergraduate years is vital to the development of the student, whether she will be a scientist, a science educator, or a member of society who is scientifically curious and literate. HHMI is investing in these schools because they have shown they are superb incubators of new ideas and models that might be replicated by other institutions to improve how science is taught in college,” said Sean B. Carroll, vice president of science education at HHMI. “We know that these schools have engaged faculty. They care deeply about teaching and how effectively their students are learning about science.”

Last April, HHMI invited 215 schools to apply for the competition. Of those invited, 187 schools submitted 182 proposals (two proposals were for joint programs). After two rounds of peer review, David Asai, director of HHMI’s precollege and undergraduate program, and his team convened a panel of 23 leading scientists to discuss and rank the 84 final proposals. “Based on the reviewers’ comments and the panel discussion, we recommended 43 awards to 47 schools. One of those is a joint award,” Asai said.

Since 1988, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has awarded more than $870 million to 274 colleges and universities to support science education. Those grants have generally been awarded through two separate but complementary efforts, one aimed at undergraduate-focused institutions and the other at research universities.

Allegheny is a national liberal arts college in Meadville, Pa., where 2,100 students with unusual combinations of interests, skills and talents excel. One of the oldest colleges in the nation, Allegheny will celebrate its bicentennial in 2015.

Washington Post columnist and political commentator E.J. Dionne, who was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony, delivered the commencement address.

In his address Dionne challenged the Class of 2012 to become “the next great reforming generation in our country’s history.”

“The great reforming generations marry their aspirations to service with the possibilities of politics,” Dionne said. “They harness the good work done one-on-one, in local communities, to larger movements for change in our nation and in our world. They remember what the philosopher Michael Sandel has taught us, that ‘when politics goes well, we can know a good in common that we cannot know alone.’ Your generation has a chance to get us beyond the wreckage of the old culture wars and to sweep aside the debris of prejudice on the grounds of race, gender and sexual preference. Your generation has the opportunity to restore faith in public life and in public action.”

He further challenged the Class of 2012 to “never lose your desire to transform charity into justice, division into civility, selfishness into generosity, cynicism into hope.”

Last year, Dionne joined the national advisory panel for the selection of the inaugural Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life, which was awarded to New York Times columnist David Brooks and syndicated columnist Mark Shields in February 2012. By searching for exemplars of civility in its truest form and lauding them, Dionne and his advisory panel colleagues worked to help change the cultural norm of highlighting acts of incivility.

A nationally known commentator on politics who has been named among the 25 most influential Washington journalists by the National Journal, Dionne appears weekly on National Public Radio and regularly on MSNBC. He is a frequent contributor to MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” and has also appeared on PBS “NewsHour” with Jim Lehrer.

Honorary doctorates of humane letters also were conferred on Carol Glazer, the president of the National Organization on Disability, and two distinguished Pennsylvanians: golf legend Arnold Palmer and statesman and former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. Ridge and Palmer became close friends during Ridge’s tenure as governor of Pennsylvania. They golf together frequently and Ridge has even caddied for Palmer.

Since 2008 Glazer has been president of NOD, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the full participation in all aspects of life of America’s 54 million people with disabilities. Ridge chairs the NOD board.

Saturday’s ceremony concluded with Allegheny president James H. Mullen Jr.’s charge to the class of 2012. He called on graduates to achieve at the highest level as professionals and as citizens, to employ the full measure of their promise and potential in the pursuit of excellence and in the service of others, to live lives of courage and conviction, and to see and appreciate beauty even where others may not.

“I charge you to love this place that has been your home for the last four years,” said Mullen. “As it approaches its third century, I ask you to help it as it sets the standard of excellence for liberal arts learning in America.”

The 32nd oldest college in the nation, Allegheny College will celebrate its bicentennial in 2015.

Founded in 1995, the project has grown from five to more than 50 participating teachers at more than 40 schools, most of which are located in western Pennsylvania. In Creek Connections, K-12 students use neighborhood streams as outdoor laboratories for ongoing water quality investigations. The program extends the reach of the schools’ science curricula and provides authentic research experiences for students as well as assistance and materials that otherwise would not be available to teachers.

“We are pleased to support Allegheny College’s excellent outreach efforts in the Pittsburgh area,” said Frederick Thieman, president of the Buhl Foundation. “Providing a strong foundation in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—is increasingly important, and Creek Connections does just that for K-12 students in our region.”

Creek Connections has partnered with Pittsburgh-area schools since 1998. A full-time field educator, Laura Branby, provides the majority of on-site and on-line support for school participants, organizes the annual student research symposium, represents Creek Connections in environmental outreach events and serves as liaison to collaborators such as Fern Hollow Nature Center, RiverQuest and the numerous environmental professionals who assist with symposia and Creek Camps.

Creek Connections has been recognized for its contribution to environmental education and environmental stewardship through numerous regional, state and national awards. The program is directed by Jim Palmer, associate professor of environmental science and biology at Allegheny College, and managed by Wendy Kedzierski.

The Buhl Foundation, the first multi-purpose foundation in Pittsburgh, was founded by Henry Buhl, Jr. who built his fortune in the retail industry and created the foundation as a memorial to his wife, Louise C. Buhl. The mission of the Buhl Foundation is to create community legacies by leveraging its resources to encourage people and organizations to dream, to innovate and to take action.

The awards, which will be presented at the ACUPCC Climate Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on June 21 and 22, recognize ACUPCC signatory schools that demonstrate unparalleled campus innovation and climate leadership that helps transition society to a clean, just and sustainable future.

“These institutions are leading the way for the academic community by demonstrating how sustainable practices can be put into place on campus that have a long-term impact on creating a sustainable society for the benefit of all,” said Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature. “They have all shown tremendous creativity and an unrelenting commitment to integrate sustainable practices into their campuses and society as a whole.”

Second Nature is the lead supporting organization of the ACUPCC, an agreement between nearly 700 colleges and universities to promote sustainability through teaching and action.

Allegheny, which has pledged to become climate neutral by 2020, has a long-standing commitment to promoting sustainability practices and solutions. Its commitment began in 1972 with the establishment of one of the first environmental science departments in the country and accelerated in recent years when the college became a signatory of the ACUPCC in 2007.

“Everyone at Allegheny has been involved in building a dynamic culture of responsibility in terms of sustainability,” said the college’s sustainability coordinator, Kelly Boulton. “The entire campus community—but especially our students—take an active role in an annual energy challenge to bring down energy consumption. Our students enjoy coming up with new and creative ways to minimize waste. Research on energy alternatives such as switchgrass and biodiesel is being conducted in our classes and outdoor labs.

“And you have only to walk around campus to see sustainability in action through composting facilities, organic turf management, campus gardens, solar panels and more. Students are involved in all aspects of sustainability on campus—even contributing to the design of sustainable features in buildings and renovations.”

In recent years, the college has achieved average reductions of about 25 percent in natural gas and electricity consumption in college buildings with envelope, lighting and boiler retrofits; the installation of three geo-exchange heating and cooling systems; the introduction of rain gardens, a green roof and porous parking for natural storm water management; and two LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residence halls along with a current renovation that also seeks LEED certification.

Allegheny has made a commitment to purchase electricity that is 100 percent wind-generated, which reduces Allegheny’s carbon footprint by 52 percent, and has invested over $2 million in energy retrofits since 2008, with an additional $3.5 million earmarked for efficiency projects through 2020.

“We are pleased to honor Carol Glazer at our Commencement ceremony this year, alongside her National Organization on Disability colleague Tom Ridge, who serves as NOD’s chairman,” said Allegheny College President James H. Mullen Jr. “Together, Carol and Tom work to ensure vibrant futures for Americans with disabilities. They are dedicated to equal opportunity and social justice, and their efforts allow us to continue on the path to becoming a stronger nation.”

Since 2008, Glazer has been president of NOD, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the full participation in all aspects of life of America’s 54 million people with disabilities. NOD’s mission is to find creative solutions to disability employment issues—and to share the lessons from that work.

Under Glazer’s leadership, NOD has developed important new relationships with leading employers, national and local foundations, allied disability organizations, the U.S. Army and scores of new corporate donors to NOD’s programs. NOD has also doubled its revenues while increasing its focus on employment initiatives by a factor of 10.

For seven years prior to joining NOD, Glazer was a program development and management consultant to foundations, universities and nonprofit organizations working to improve conditions in inner-city communities.

She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The Commencement ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Bentley Hall lawn. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the Wise Center Sports Forum. Tickets are required for admission only if the ceremony is held in the Wise Center.

Baxter–one of only nine Americans nationwide recognized–was selected for ”her innovative energy priorities and sustainable living practices making a greener community a possibility in any American city or town.”

All nine were honored at a White House event in Washington, D.C., last week.

“These Americans are helping our country rise to the many challenges of the 21st century,” said Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama. “The White House is proud to feature the stories of these Americans who are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and to out-build the rest of the world.”

At the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Baxter works with communities ranging in population from 75 to over 300,000 to implement sustainability efforts that reduce environmental impact and climate change, help local governments save money and improve quality of life for local residents.

Key programs she works on include the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative and the Mon River Town Program, a community and economic development initiative along the Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining PEC, Baxter served as the first sustainability coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh, in the Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. In this role, she initiated projects to reduce the environmental footprint of city operations and provided education and outreach to the Pittsburgh community.

“We’re both proud and honored that Lindsay has been chosen for this high honor,” said Paul M. King, president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. “She’s helping shine the national spotlight on environmental conservation and sustainability here in Western Pennsylvania and this recognition is certainly a well-deserved credit to her achievements and contributions to this community.”

Baxter also holds a master of science in Environmental Science and Management from Duquesne University. A resident of Pittsburgh, she is currently enrolled in the Renewable Energy Certificate program at St. Francis University.

The concert will showcase the talents of Caitlyn Askey, James Baker, Danae Binder, Bailey Blashford, Brent Carlini, Nicholas Diana, Breana Gallagher, Benjamin Kusserow, Colleen McCaughey, Robert Patterson, Sara St. Peter and William True.

The program will include the opening chorus from “Cavalleria Rusticana,” the dance scene from “Hansel and Gretel,” a comic duet and a quartet from “Fidelio,” the “Promise of Living” quintet from Aaron Copland’s “The Tender Land” and a duet from Mendelssohn’s opera “Hochzeit des Camacho.”

Three scenes will be performed from “The Marriage of Figaro.” The program will conclude with two scenes from Gilbert and Sullivan: one from “Princess Ida” and the finale from “The Gondoliers,” which will bring all the performers together on stage.

Professor of Music Ward Jamison will accompany the singers, and Instructor of Music Vicki Jamison will narrate. Staging for the scenes was coached by Professor of Theatre Beth Watkins.

“We are proud to have E.J. Dionne address our graduating class at the same time that he will receive an honorary degree,” said Allegheny College President James H. Mullen Jr. “Not only is E.J. one of the most respected political commentators on the national stage today, but he has been a particular friend to Allegheny through his service on the national panel that advises Allegheny on candidates for the Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life. His remarks will surely inspire our newest graduates, as they always inspire me.”

At Commencement, Dionne will focus on how students can make a difference in the community, and reference the need for civility in our culture.

Last year, Dionne joined the advisory panel for the selection of the inaugural Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life, which was awarded to New York Times columnist David Brooks and nationally syndicated columnist Mark Shields in February 2012. By searching for exemplars of civility in its truest form and lauding them, Dionne and his advisory panel colleagues worked to help change the cultural norm of highlighting acts of incivility.

The Commencement ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Bentley Hall lawn. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the Wise Center Sports Forum. Tickets are required for admission only if the ceremony is held in the Wise Center.

A senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and University Professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture at Georgetown University, Dionne has been named among the 25 most influential Washington journalists by the National Journal.

A nationally known commentator on politics, Dionne appears weekly on National Public Radio and regularly on MSNBC. He is a frequent contributor to MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” and has also appeared on PBS “NewsHour” with Jim Lehrer.

Dionne has received numerous awards including the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams Award, which honors a major journalistic contribution to the understanding of politics. His best-selling book, “Why Americans Hate Politics,” won the Los Angeles Times book prize and was a National Book Award nominee. His newest book, “Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent,” will be released in June.

Dionne graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and received his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Media coverage of the ceremony is invited. For more information, contact Kathy Roos at 814-332-5950 or Mary Solberg at 814-332-6202.

About Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a national liberal arts college where 2,100 students with unusual combinations of interests and talents develop highly valued abilities to explore critical issues from multiple perspectives. A selective residential college in Meadville, Pa., Allegheny is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives” and is also featured in “Harvard Schmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League to the College That Is Best for You” and Peterson’s “Competitive Colleges, 400 Colleges That Attract the Best and the Brightest,” among many other guidebooks. One of the nation’s oldest liberal arts colleges, Allegheny will celebrate its bicentennial in 2015.

Founded in 1995, the project has grown from five to more than 50 participating teachers at more than 40 schools, most of which are located in western Pennsylvania. In Creek Connections, K-12 students use neighborhood streams as outdoor laboratories for ongoing investigations into water quality. The program extends the reach of the schools’ science curricula and provides authentic research experiences for students as well as assistance and materials that otherwise would not be available to teachers.

Creek Connections has partnered with Pittsburgh-area schools since 1998. A full-time field educator, Laura Branby, provides the majority of on-site and on-line support for school participants, organizes the annual student research symposium, represents Creek Connections in environmental outreach events and serves as liaison to collaborators such as Fern Hollow Nature Center, RiverQuest and the many environmental professionals who assist with symposia and creek camps.

Creek Connections has received numerous regional, state and national awards for its contribution to environmental education and stewardship. The program is directed by Jim Palmer, associate professor of environmental science and biology at Allegheny College, and managed by Wendy Kedzierski.

More information about Creek Connections can be found at http://creekconnections.allegheny.edu/.

Both the Wind Symphony and the Wind Ensemble are under the direction of Professor of Music Lowell Hepler. Robyn Dixon Costa, who has been the principal English hornist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2001, will perform as guest soloist at Sunday’s concert.

Membership in the 100-member Wind Symphony is open by audition to all Allegheny College students. In addition to their campus concerts, the Allegheny ensembles in past years have toured the eastern, southern and midwestern United States. The Wind Ensemble is a 40-member ensemble auditioned from the Wind Symphony.

Robyn Dixon Costa is also an associate musician with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and plays oboe and English horn with the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra and with the Music at Penn’s Woods Festival Orchestra. She teaches oboe at Bloomsburg University, Juniata College and the Grier School in Pennsylvania. She has been a performer/storyteller with the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Artist-in-Schools program, GCAC’s Children of the Future program and a resident artist with Chamber Music America’s Rural Residency Program.

Sunday’s program will open with “The Keystone” by Robert W. Smith, a musical tribute to Pennsylvania and to the historic events that shaped America. Next on the program is the hymn “Amazing Grace,” set for symphonic band by Frank Ticheli; Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Overture to “The Wasps”; and an arrangement of the hymn “God of Our Fathers,” written by Claude T. Smith and conducted by Assistant Professor of Music Jennifer Dearden.

The Wind Ensemble will take the stage to perform Gaetano Donizetti’s “Concertino for English Horn and Symphonic Band,” with Robyn Dixon Costa as soloist, and Eric Whitacre’s “Noisy Wheels of Joy.”

The Wind Symphony will return for the final portion of the program, beginning with the “Radetzky March” by Johann Strauss, adapted by Alfred Reed. Johan de Meij’s “Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings” will follow, a work that the composer conducted with Allegheny students earlier in the semester.
The program will continue with Billy Joel’s “Air (Dublinesque),” adapted for symphonic band by Barbara Lambrecht, and conclude with John Philip Sousa’s march “The Fairest of the Fair.”

Lowell Hepler, professor of music and director of bands at Allegheny College, has served as guest conductor for music festivals ranging from county through all-state levels. Principal Tuba with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lake Erie Ballet Company, he is also a member of Undercurrents, a tuba/euphonium quartet made up of college and university faculty in western Pennsylvania, and the Allegheny Brass Quintet.

Hepler has served as president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association and is past-president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity. He has also served as the Pennsylvania chair for the College Band Directors National Association. Hepler was the 2010 recipient of Phi Beta Mu’s Pennsylvania Bandmaster of the Year Award.