Wayne Bank Promotes Vonnie Lewis Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to announce the promotion of Vonnie Lewis to Vice President and Lakewood Community Officer Manager. “I am proud to announce Vonnie’s promotion. Her loyalty and spirit play a great role in the success of our Lakewood office. Vonnie’s commitment to sharing her knowledge and creating strong community relationships positively impacts those around her and sets a great example for all of us at Wayne Bank,” said Mr. Donnelly. Lewis joined Wayne Bank in 2005 as a part time teller and has held various positions since. She is responsible for overseeing the community relations and operations of the Lakewood Office. Lewis graduated from Broome Community College, where she received an associate’s degree in accounting. Lewis is a lifelong resident of Lakewood and enjoys the relationships she has built within her community. In her free time, Lewis enjoys camping with her family and helping her children, who she describes as her greatest achievement in life.
United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania Receives $10,000 from Hawk Family Foundation United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) is excited to announce receiving a generous $10,000 grant from the Hawk Family Foundation to support our SCOLA (Scranton Council of Literacy Advancement) Adult Literacy Program. UNC’s SCOLA program has provided free adult literacy and ESL education to Lackawanna County residents, helping both native and foreign-born adults gain essential skills for economic, educational, and family advancement. The program offers ESL classes, citizenship preparation, and family literacy services through tutoring and group lessons. Classes focus on building language skills while encouraging long-term economic mobility, integrating workforce development and high-demand career pathways. Participants improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, with lessons tailored to real-world applications and personal goals. The attached photo includes Lisa Durkin, UNC President and Chief Executive Officer; Maggie Hawk, Hawk Family Foundation Administrator; Audrey Golosky, Assistant Director of Community Education; and Rich Klinkle, UNC SCOLA Volunteer Teacher.
Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Forward Repair Activities Sustain Forward Units Nestled in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Tobyhanna Army Depot is a driving force of global readiness for the joint warfighter. With employees permanently stationed in 43 locations across the globe, Tobyhanna’s talented workforce and expansive capabilities are vital to the readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces and partner nations. These highly skilled professionals bring decades of sustainment expertise to the frontlines, bolstering the DOD and playing a key role in its regional sustainment framework. TYAD is the Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) repair source. A dynamic organization, TYAD’s team manages over 2,500 fabrication and repair programs that provide readiness across the Joint Forces. While most of the workload that Tobyhanna supports is conducted at the depot in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the requirement to repair systems and provide support forward is a critical component of TYAD’s strategy to lead the Army’s Organic Industrial Base in supporting the evolution of mission requirements. In a time where Army leaders look to the OIB as a key component to solve readiness and capability gaps in the sustainment of the Army, Tobyhanna demonstrates an organic, proven, and sustainable model to deliver OIB expertise and capability to forward operating units. In the 1990s, Tobyhanna personnel recognized that the traditional depot sustainment model was evolving and, in response to changing warfighter needs, the depot established permanent Forward Repair Activities, or FRAs, outside of its gates. These FRAs have continuously operated in strategic locations such as Germany, Kuwait, Korea, Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord and play a crucial role in increasing readiness: reducing downtime for units, decreasing transportation costs, and developing support relationships with tactical Army units, which aids in the identification of gaps in current Army sustainment structure for supporting C5ISR systems. Today, CECOM remains the only lifecycle management command with a persistent presence in key locations across the U.S. and within CENTCOM, EUCOM and PACOM. Tobyhanna’s strategic foresight has positioned it well to meet the needs of the future force, including a growing need to repair equipment at forward locations. Forward support services, like the ones already provided by TYAD FRAs, were highlighted by a panel of senior sustainment leaders at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in October. During the dialogue, Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General and Acting Commander Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan touted AMC’s expeditionary capability, noting how it reduced costs and minimized system downtime for servicemembers. The idea of expanding forward support services is underscored by the DOD’s emphasis on the RSF, first announced in May by the then-Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Dr. William A. LaPlante, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, Christopher Lowman. The RSF aims to optimize regional maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations and has three main goals: to prevail in a contested logistics environment; enhance military readiness; and strengthen regional partnerships across joint and allied partners. TYAD’s FRAs provide capabilities not found in tactical formations under the existing two-tiered maintenance system. In addition, FRAs leverage the larger framework of depot capabilities and experience, serving as a mitigation strategy within a contested logistics environment — and thusly enabling the Army to quickly regenerate combat power. Capabilities are tailored to individual theaters of operations, with the ability to rapidly expand or evolve. Teams are augmented by contracted workforce or through the deployment of depot employees across the world. As the Army has transitioned its focus to support multi-domain operations, the maintenance assets in tactical formations require support from the Sustainment Level of Maintenance, especially when employing C5ISR systems in forward environments to support Command and Control functions. Through the employment of its FRAs, TYAD is poised to support these requirements. TYAD’s forward support model has thirty years of proven success, exceeding expectations when taking on new challenges. For example, when AMC needed its OIB to surge support for Ukraine, TYAD had technicians on the ground in Poland in less than 48 hours. Because the support came from the FRA in Germany, the team already understood the theater of operations and had the support network in place to meet AMC’s needs expertly. Partner nations greatly benefit from TYAD’s far-reaching capabilities. A forward support team touched down in Poland this summer for a six-month mission providing C5ISR familiarization training to native warfighters. At the conclusion of the trainings, students will have the ability to maintain and sustain a variety of military equipment from radios to radars. Through developing a wide base of supported customers, TYAD can reduce costs to any single requirement while providing readiness at the point of need. The team at Tobyhanna continues to look to the future, adapting our capabilities to meet the needs of tomorrow. TYAD is developing relationships with private industry to expand its capabilities to operate FRAs at the point of need. Under this construct, TYAD will establish public-private partnerships with companies to leverage their forward factories and maintenance facilities to execute rapid repairs. Conversely, private companies may use the TYAD FRAs as support locations to provide product support to their programs. Through this increase in flexibility, TYAD will enable more rapid sustainment of systems in areas where permanent government owned FRAs are not sustainable, and a more flexible option is needed. The depot is also exploring an expansion of FRAs into the Far East, acknowledging the opportunities for quicker and more reliable services within the remote Pacific regions. Whether warfighters are within the continental U.S. or in the furthest corners of the globe, Tobyhanna Army Depot stands ready to quickly support them, ensuring mission success today, tomorrow and into the future. TYAD is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners. Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, postproduction software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters. About 3,300 personnel are employed by Tobyhanna. While the organization’s headquarters is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna’s worldwide workforce includes employees in 43 fixed locations across the globe. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to deliver integrated C5ISR weapon systems, business systems, and medical sustainment to enable full spectrum combat operations at the point of need.
The Wright Center Physican Named “Well-being Champion” by National Organization Dr. Stephen S. Long Jr., an internal medicine-pediatrics (Med-Peds) physician at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been selected to serve a three-year term as an American College of Physicians (ACP) 2025 Well-being Champion for the Pennsylvania Chapter’s Eastern Region. The ACP Well-being Champion Program was launched in 2015 to address physician burnout and improve well-being, professional satisfaction, and practice efficiency amid health care challenges. Its goals include promoting individual and community well-being, advocating for systems change, and improving the work environment to enhance physician engagement, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. As a trained ACP Well-being Champion, Dr. Long joins a network of over 250 ACP Well-being Champions who are committed to improving the culture and practice of internal medicine by leading efforts to enhance physician well-being and foster a culture of professional satisfaction. “I am truly privileged to be selected as an ACP Well-being Champion,” said Dr. Long, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, native who is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “Physician well-being is critical to providers’ health and the quality of care we deliver to our patients. I am committed to working alongside my colleagues to foster a supportive, sustainable work environment that prioritizes both professional fulfillment and patient-centered care.” As the nation’s largest medical specialty organization, the ACP is dedicated to advancing health care quality and effectiveness by promoting excellence and professionalism in medicine. It advocates for quality patient care, education, and career fulfillment within internal medicine and its subspecialties. Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center, serves as the governor of the ACP’s Pennsylvania Chapter, Eastern Region. A University of Scranton graduate, Dr. Long earned his medical degree from the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and completed his Med-Peds residency at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland before returning to Northeast Pennsylvania. Dr. Long is available for appointments with patients of all ages at The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township, on Mondays and Tuesdays and The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, from Wednesdays through Fridays. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Long, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call the Clarks Summit location at 570-585-1300 or the Mid Valley location at 570-230-0019. Dr. Long is married to Juliette Meyers, an Archbald native and art therapist at The Wright Center.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2025 Field Staff Announced The New York Yankees have announced that Shelley Duncan will return to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2025; his third straight season at the helm. Duncan paced the RailRiders to an 89-win campaign in 2024, finishing with the second-best overall mark in the International League. “Being a part of this organization, I feel very privileged,” Duncan said. “It’s exciting. I said it from the get-go. I feel the same way now as I did on day one. I feel that within this organization, I’m part of the family. There’s a lot of great people here. There are great coaches. Great front office members. Top down, nobody wants to be anywhere else but with the Yankees and I’m about as lucky as can be.” Gerardo Casadiego returns to Moosic for a second year and becomes the team’s new pitching coach. Mike Merganthaler is the RailRiders’ new hitting coach, while Gil Velazquez, Zak Wasserman and Spencer Medick all join Duncan’s staff as well. Velazquez will serve as the bench coach, Wasserman will be the defensive coach and Medick will be the new bullpen coach. Athletic Trainer Brandon Rodríguez rejoins the RailRiders’ support staff and is joined by Assistant Athletic Trainer Nori Subero, Strength & Conditioning Coach Danny Smith, Home Clubhouse Manager Jim Billington and Advance Scouting Analyst Steven DiMaria, who all return to their roles from 2024. Danny Althoff has been added to the support staff in 2025 as the Video & Tech Assistant. “[Having a new staff] is going to be a lot of fun,” Duncan stated. “Year one, I had to get to know everybody. It was also a situation back then where all the coaches had been there. This time, roles will be reversed, and I will have the experience along with Casa [Casadiego]. It is an absolutely amazing group of coaches and I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with all of them.” Duncan, 45, was tabbed as the 20th manager in franchise history in January 2023. He led Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a 73-75 record that summer before going 89-60 last year. Duncan was drafted by the Yankees in 2001; a second-round selection out of the University of Arizona. He reached Triple-A with Columbus in 2006 and spent portions of three seasons in an SWB Yankees uniform. Duncan appeared in 272 games for Scranton/Wilkes- Barre between 2007 and 2009. In 2009, he hit .277 with 30 home runs and 99 runs batted in over 123 games, garnering the nod for International League MVP. His Major League career spanned 330 games for the Yankees, Cleveland and Tampa Bay over seven years. Casadiego, 44, enters his 13th season within the Yankees organization. After playing 10 seasons in Minor League Baseball, including parts of two seasons at the lower levels for New York, Casadiego moved to the coaching ranks in 2014. He joined Duncan’s staff last season as the bullpen coach, having previously been the pitching coach with Hudson Valley in 2021, Somerset in 2022 and Tampa in 2023. Mergenthaler, 36, enters his first season within the Yankees organization after eight seasons with the Cleveland Guardians. He worked his way up through the Guardians’ minor league system, including spending 2024 as a hitting coach for the Columbus Clippers. Mergenthaler was originally selected in the 32nd round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft by San Francisco out of the University of Richmond and played professionally for three years. Velazquez, 45, joins the Yankees minor leagues after ten years as a manager, coach or coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 14th round of the 1998 draft and played professionally for 16 seasons, including 27 games in 2013 for the RailRiders. He began his coaching career in 2015 and managed the Great Lakes Loons in 2016 and the Reno Aces in 2022. Wasserman, 34, enters his second season in the Yankees organization, having spent 2024 as the Hudson Valley Renegades Defensive Coach. He was drafted in 2009 out of high school by San Francisco but chose to play college ball at the University of Louisville. Wasserman signed with Arizona after school and with New York in 2016, when he pitched in 13 games for the Pulaski Yankees. After his playing career ended, Wasserman was the head coach at Lake Michigan College. Later, he moved to Xavier University as a volunteer assistant before becoming an assistant coach in 2023. Medick, 33, has been a coach in the Yankees farm system since 2022. After a stint as the pitching coach for the FCL Yankees in 2022, he served in the same role for Hudson Valley during each of the last two seasons. Medick pitched at Elon University and began his professional career with Arizona in 2014. He closed his playing days with three seasons in the Frontier League. After retiring, Medick became a throwing trainer at both Prime Sports Performance and Driveline Baseball before joining New York’s minor league fray. Rodríguez returns to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, having spent the first half of 2023 with the RailRiders. He enters his fourth season with the Yankees after starting with the Tampa Tarpons in 2022. He took the lead role in Somerset midway through the 2023 campaign and remained in that spot in 2024. Before joining up with the New York, he spent two seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Rodríguez received an Associate’s Degree from the University of Puerto Rico-Ponce, and his B.S. and M.S. in Athletic Training from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Subero enters her fourth season with the Yankees organization and second year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. She is a graduate of the University of Miami with a B.S. in Athletic Training and earned a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University Chicago. Subero, a Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela native, spent 2022 with the FCL Yankees and was the Tampa Tarpons athletic trainer in 2023. Smith joined the Yankees organization in 2017 and has advanced through the ranks, reaching Scranton/Wilkes- Barre last season. He spent 2017 with Pulaski and moved to Staten Island for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. After spending two years with Hudson Valley, including 2021, when he was named the South Atlantic League’s Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year, Smith was promoted to Somerset in 2023. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a B.S. in Sports Medicine in 2014 and earned his M.S. in Sport and Exercise Science at Gannon University in 2015, where he served as a Graduate Assistant. The RailRiders open their 2025 slate on March 28 with a three-game weekend set at Lehigh Valley before a six-game series in Syracuse. The home opener is scheduled for April 8 at 6:35 P.M. as the Rochester Red Wings head to PNC Field. “The team we have on day one might be different than the team we have on day two,” Duncan explained. “That’s how it is, so it’s constantly getting the feel of the locker room and understanding the players. Learning their strengths and weaknesses. You try to put the right groups together. You try to build chemistry with the right culture. There isn’t one secret to unlock the potential. To be successful at this job, it’s all about relationships and I have to get to know everybody. I’m going to go in there with an open book, build these relationships right from scratch, not assume anything, and do everything I can for every player, every coach, and the organization. Hopefully, we build something special.” Please direct any interview requests to Adam Marco – amarco@swbrailriders.com Single-game tickets for 2025 go on sale on February 3 at 10 A.M. Season tickets and flex plans are available now. For more information, contact the RailRiders front office at (570) 969-BALL or visit swbrailriders.com.
University of Scranton Announces Winter and Spring Events January thru April Through Apr. 20 — Art Exhibit: “Gems of Flourishing from The Zaner-Bloser Penmanship Collection.” Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free during library hours. Call 570-941-6341 or email michael.knies@scranton.edu. February Feb. 3 through Mar. 14 — Art Exhibit: “Hudson River and Delaware Valley: Selections from the Mark Biedlingmaier Collection.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Feb. 3 — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Black History Month Table Sit for awareness about the 2025 theme: “African Americans and Labor,” sponsored by the Multicultural Center. First Floor DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-5904 or email multicultural@scranton.edu. Feb. 7 — 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “Hudson River and Delaware Valley: Selections from the Mark Biedlingmaier Collection.” Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Feb. 10 — 7 p.m. Black History Month Film: “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster” with introductory talk by Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Feb. 12 — 6:30 p.m. Asian New Year Celebration and Workshop. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Free. Registration required at https://tinyurl.com/AsianNewYearUofS2025. Email asianstudies@scranton.edu for questions. Feb. 13 — 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine: Humanitarian Responses & Challenges” presented by Richard Greene, former senior advisor and counselor to UNICEF executive director. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Feb. 19 — 5 p.m. Slattery Center Lecture: “Culture and Conflict: New England, Old England, and the Civil War” presented by Len Gougeon, Ph.D. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. Feb. 21-23 — 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Little Shop of Horrors.” Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken, (musical) presented by The University of Scranton Players. Royal Theatre, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 (voice mail reservations) or email players@scranton.edu. Feb. 22 — 12:30 p.m. 24th Annual Northeast PA Brain Bee sponsored by the Neuroscience Program at The University of Scranton. Snow date Feb. 23. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4324 or email robert.waldeck@scranton.edu. Feb. 22 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The Ted Nash Duo and The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Feb. 24 — 7 p.m. Black History Month Film: “Beauty Shop” with introductory talk by Anthony Betancourt, Ph.D. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Feb. 26 — 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “Values and Choices in Art Restoration” presented by Steven D. Hales, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, author, recent Visiting Senior Professor at the University of Cambridge, and a professional-level hand bookbinder and restorer. McIlhenny Ballroom, The DeNaples Center. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Feb. 28 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Recital” featuring Peter Evans, trumpet with Ron Stabinsky, piano. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Feb. 28, Mar. 1-2 — 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Little Shop of Horrors.” Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken, (musical) presented by The University of Scranton Players. Royal Theatre, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 (voice mail reservations) or email players@scranton.edu. March Mar. 1 — 9 a.m. Regional National History Day Competition for junior and senior high school students. The DeNaples Center. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4549 or email nhdparegion2@gmail.com. Mar. 4 – 8:30 a.m. 2nd Annual World Language Day: “Hacking the Power of Language.” The Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration open to University of Scranton students and local high school students/teachers in world language programs. Refreshments, interactive exhibits, and lightning-round beginner lessons in seven languages with a chance to meet world languages and cultures instructors from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Taiwan, and Japan. Call 570-941-4711 or email amy.kuiken@scranton.edu. Mar. 4 — 7:30 p.m. Judaic Studies Institute Lecture: “How the State of Israel Became ‘the Jew’ Writ Large” by Adam Gregerman, Ph.D., professor of Jewish Studies and associate director of the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations at Saint Joseph’s University. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu. Mar. 5 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “General Recital” featuring student musicians. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Mar. 8 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Recital” featuring Jeremy Ajani Jordan, piano. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Mar. 12 – 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “How Dogs Save Our Lives” presented by Cynthia M. Otto, DVM, Ph.D., director, Penn Vet Working Dog Center and professor of working dog sciences and sports medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Mar. 12 – 5 p.m. Slattery Center Lecture: “Ethics in The Good Place” presented by Todd May, Ph.D. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. Mar. 24 through Apr. 11 – Art Exhibit: “The Lackawanna River and Watershed: Art and Interpretation.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Mar. 26 – 7:30 p.m. Judaic Studies Institute Lecture: “A Twin Tale of Survival in the Holocaust” by Bernard Schanzer, M.D., and Henry Schanzer, J.D. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu. Mar. 28 — 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The United States Institute of Peace: Strengthening U.S. Capacity to Prevent, Mitigate, and Resolve Violent Conflict” presented by Lauren Baillie, J.D., M.A., senior program officer, Atrocity Prevention, U.S. Institute of Peace. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Mar. 28 — 5 p.m. Art Gallery Curator’s Lecture: “The Lackawanna River and Watershed: Art and Interpretation.” Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Mar. 29 — 9 a.m. Accepted Students Day for students and their families of The University of Scranton’s class of 2029. Meet representatives from academic departments, student activities/services, financial aid, athletics and tour campus. Various locations on campus. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu. Mar. 31 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum with the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library Collaborative Program: “Umberto Eco: A Library of the World and Panel Discussion” presented by George J. Aulisio, Ph.D., dean and professor, Weinberg Memorial Library, Virginia Picchietti, Ph.D., professor of Italian, and Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theater. Documentary screening, panel discussion and Q&A. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. April Apr. 3 — 5 p.m. 28th Annual ACHE Healthcare Symposium: “Leading Through Mergers and Acquisitions.” McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required. Includes dinner, presentation and panel discussion. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4527 or email spencer.owens@scranton.edu. Apr. 4 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: Rhapsody in Blue at 100 featuring Dr. Frederick Hohman premiering the first full organ transcription of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 5 — 9 a.m. Accepted Students Day for students and their families of The University of Scranton’s class of 2029. Meet representatives from academic departments, student activities/services, financial aid, athletics and tour campus. Various locations on campus. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu. Apr. 7-17 — Environmental Art Show: “Engaging with the Natural World.” Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free during library hours. Call 570-941-4740 or email marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu. Apr. 9 — 5:30 p.m. Graduate Open House. DeNaples Center, 4th floor. Registration required. Free. Call 888-SCRANTON or email gradadmissions@scranton.edu. Apr. 10 — 8:30 a.m. Hayes Family Competition in physics and engineering for high school students. Byron Complex. Registration required. Call 570-941-7509 or email salisa.brown@scranton.edu. Apr. 10 — 4 p.m. Spring Henry George Seminar “Platforms, Giants, and the Neo-Brandeisian Turn in Antitrust” presented by Michael C. Munger, Ph.D., Director, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program, Duke University. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4048 or email janice.mecadon@scranton.edu. Apr. 10 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum with the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Collaborative Program: “Schumann: Music, Mood Swings and Madness” presented by Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, and artistic director, Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. Performance, lecture and reception. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, 525 Pine Street, Scranton. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Apr. 10-12 — 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. Performance: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” presented by The University of Scranton Liva Arts Company. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Visit https://livaartscompany.ludus.com for tickets or email livartscompany@gmail.com. Apr. 12-13 — 8 a.m. National History Day State Competition for qualifying students from Pennsylvania. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4549 or email nhdparegion2@gmail.com. Apr. 12 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “42nd Annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Concert Band and Concert Choir premiering two new works by Dr. Wycliffe Gordon (H. ’06) and Jennifer Krupa, with the composers conducting. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 15 — 11 a.m. Earth Day Fair with interactive games, presentations and information related to the environment and sustainable practices. Atrium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-6267 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu. Apr. 24 — 5:30 p.m. Earth Day “Evening of Environmental Science” and Essay Award Presentation. University student-run interactive science experiments and exhibit of University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest submissions. Essay contest awards will be announced at the event. Atrium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-6267 or email susan.falbo@scranton.edu. Apr. 24 — 7:30 p.m. Judaic Studies Institute Lecture: “Jewish Ethical Perspectives on Civilian Casualties in War: A Tale of Two Sieges” presented by Rabbi Shlomo Brody, Ph.D., executive director of Ematai and columnist for the Jerusalem Post, with a response focusing on Catholic perspectives by Patrick Clark, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies at Scranton. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu. Apr. 24 — 5 p.m. Campus Take Back the Night. Dionne Green. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email brandice.ricciardi@scranton.edu. Apr. 25 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton String Orchestra and guest soloist TBA. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 26-27 — 9 a.m. Saturday; Noon Sunday. Friends of the Library Book Sale. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Call 570-941-6195 or e-mail melisa.gallo@scranton.edu. Apr. 28 through May 9 — Hope Horn Gallery Art Exhibit: “The University of Scranton Student Show Online.” Visit https://www.scranton.edu/academics/hope-horn-gallery/index.shtml or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Apr. 30 — 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World” presented by Theresa MacPhail, Ph.D., medical anthropologist, writer, and associate professor of science and technology studies at Steven Institute of Technology. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Apr. 30 — Noon. Celebration of Student Scholars. Displays and presentations of undergraduate and graduate student research and scholarly projects. Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-7653 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. May May 4 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The Scranton Brass Orchestra and The University of Scranton Singers. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. May 9 — 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “My Russia: What I saw in the Kremlin” presented by Jill Dougherty, Russia expert, former CNN Moscow bureau chief, and adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. McIlhenny Ballroom, The DeNaples Center. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. May 9 — 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band with guest soloist Joel Ross, percussion. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. May 17 — 4 p.m. Commencement Baccalaureate Mass. Byron Recreation Complex. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu. May 18 — 11 a.m. Undergraduate Commencement. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu. May 18 — 4:30 p.m. Graduate Commencement. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu. June June 6 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum: “Vinho and Views: Exploring Portugal’s Wine Heritage” presented by David Falchek, CAE, IOM, CMP, wine writer, author, and writes a drinks column for The Scranton Times, former executive director of the American Wine Society. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, lecture, and discussion. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Schemel Forum Courses Mondays: Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, Mar. 3, 10 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Short Science Fiction, Utopia, and Dystopia: Origins and Innovations” presented by Madeline Gangnes, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of English and Theatre, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Wednesdays: Mar. 26, Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Defining Justice: Western Perspectives from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Thought” presented by George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean and professor, Weinberg Memorial Library, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu. Mondays: Apr. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6 — 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Italy’s Dolce Vita in a Historical Framework” presented by Roy Domenico, Ph.D., professor, Department of History, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email rose.merritt@scranton.edu.
Scranton Area Community Foundation NEPA Healthcare Foundation Welcomes New Board Members The Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation (NEPA HCF) is pleased to welcome several new members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected board members are: C. Catherine Mihalick, JD, CTFA Michael Elmo Clemente Attorney Terrence R. Nealon, Jr. Patrick G. Connors, MD Jason R. Woloski, MD, FAAFP, FCPP These elections reflect the NEPA HCF’s ongoing commitment to bringing together dedicated professionals to support the Foundation’s mission of improving the health and well-being of the region’s people, particularly the most vulnerable and underserved. The Foundation thanks its departing board members for their service and contributions over the years and looks forward to the continued growth and impact of their work in the region. For more information about the Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.nepahealthcarefoundation.org.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Colon Cancer Fund Raised $25,000 Organizers of the Shine Like Susan 5K, all seniors from Abington Heights High School, recently presented a check for $25,345 to the family of Susan Burke in support of the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The Susan Burke Foundation was established in July 2022 in memory of Susan Burke, a beloved community member and running coach who passed away from colon cancer. The foundation provides financial assistance to individuals with a colon cancer diagnosis who are facing financial hardship. The Shine Like Susan 5K, held in July 2024 at Abington Heights Middle School, marked the third year of the event organized by the Class of 2025. Since its inception in 2022, the race has raised over $71,350 to support the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer. The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer Fund, which assists local families in need during their cancer journey. For more information or to donate, visit the Scranton Area Community Foundation website.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity: First Money Match Letters Being Sent to Pennsylvanians This Week Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced today that more than 8,000 Pennsylvanians will receive letters this week indicating that unclaimed property will be automatically returned to them. This marks the first step in the new Pennsylvania Money Match program, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor in July. “This is a truly historic day,” Treasurer Garrity said. “For the first time ever, we’re returning unclaimed property to hardworking Pennsylvanians without requiring them to file a claim or submit any paperwork at all. We truly cut red tape out of state government – and how often does that happen? If you receive a Money Match letter, read it and keep it! About 45 days later, your unclaimed property will arrive in the form of a check from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department.” The first batch of letters include 8,366 claims totaling over $2 million worth of unclaimed property being returned to its rightful owners. The first Money Match checks are scheduled to be sent out in about 45 days. Pennsylvania Money Match authorizes Treasury to automatically return single-owner properties valued up to $500 after a thorough identification and verification process. At least 14 other states have successfully implemented similar programs. “This Saturday is National Unclaimed Property Day, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by sending out the first Money Match letters,” Treasurer Garrity said. “But even if you don’t get a letter, it’s still easy to see if you have any unclaimed property available! Just visit our website and search for your name.” Pennsylvania Money Match was signed into law last year after Senate Bill 24, sponsored by former Sen. John DiSanto, was passed unanimously by both the Senate and House. Similar legislation, House Bill 2092, introduced by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-3), also unanimously passed the House. Treasury plans to send a total of at least three batches of Money Match letters and checks in 2025. “This will be an ongoing effort,” Treasurer Garrity said. “This money doesn’t belong to the state. It belongs to Pennsylvania families, and I want to get it back to them!” Pennsylvania Money Match will not affect claims for properties valued above $500 or those that have multiple owners or other complexities. Those claimants will still need to file a claim and provide any required supporting documentation. More than one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $4.5 billion in unclaimed property being safeguarded by Treasury. The average value of a claim is about $1,600. Since taking office, Treasurer Garrity has returned more than $700 million in unclaimed property and has implemented multiple improvements to the unclaimed property program, all designed to make the process easier and faster, including: Completing a total system upgrade for the first time in more than 15 years; Implementing a fast-track process for many claims; and Allowing direct deposit payments for many claimants. More information about Pennsylvania Money Match is available at patreasury.gov/MoneyMatch.
Penn State Scranton Offers CP/SCP Exam for HR Professionals Calling Human Resource Professionals. If you’re ready to move your career forward and preparing to sit for the CP/SCP exam, this course if for YOU and we’re here to help. Earning your SHRM-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP™) or SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP™) credential can help you enhance your HR expertise, empower positive change in your workplace, and increase your earning potential. Register online.
