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As the Academic year draws to an end, E-Connection will go on hiatus.

We will be back again in mid-August with the start of the 2014-15 Academic Terms.

Have a safe and enjoyable Summer!

Frank A. Cassell Hall, the first sustainable office and classroom building on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus, recently received Gold LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is the rating system used to designate certification of sustainable buildings. It provides third party verification that projects satisfy prerequisites (required elements or green building strategies) and have earned the appropriate number of points to achieve different levels of certification. LEED rating systems generally have 100 base points plus six Innovation in Design points and four Regional Priority points for a total of 110 points. To achieve a Gold LEED rating, a building has to score between 60 and 79 points.

“In many ways, Cassell Hall is a physical manifestation of the exciting transformation that is on-going at Pitt-Greensburg,” said Sharon P. Smith, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. “We are creating a visionary new model for liberal arts education, one that keeps faith with past traditions of learning while simultaneously reconceiving a liberal arts education for a world of rapid change in which ways of thinking and communicating have been transformed. Cassell Hall articulates perfectly within a beautiful campus, respecting that environment, and reconceiving designs from existing buildings in new ways for new learning purposes and thus bridges past and future.”

Cassell Hall, which started construction in 2011, officially opened for use in August 2012 and was the recipient of the 2012 Master Building Excellence Award for new construction under $10 million. Presented annually, the Building Excellence Awards are the highest and most sought after commercial construction industry awards in the region. The building is named in honor of Frank A. Cassell, PhD, the third president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

Forty Eighty Architecture designed the building to occupy the steeply sloping hillside along the south bank of Slate Run. The design of the building specifically incorporates aspects of other buildings on campus including the historic Lynch Hall. Rycon Construction, Inc., served as the contractor for the project.

“FortyEighty Architecture is very pleased that Cassell Hall has been awarded LEED Gold Certification for New Construction from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC and LEED serves as a national benchmark for the design, construction, and maintenance of high performance green buildings, and this Gold Certification highlights the sustainable strategies that root Cassell Hall into both the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus and the western Pennsylvania region,” explained Kent Suhrbier, AIA, LEED AP, principal at FortyEight Architecture.

“While the building was designed to be energy efficient, healthy, and to use its materials wisely, the site’s adjacency to Slate Run required special sensitivity to water use, control and quality,” Suhrbier continued. “We are particularly pleased that Cassell Hall has been awarded all of the available credits for water efficiency and storm water design. By final count, over 32 percent of the materials and components in Cassell Hall come from the western Pennsylvania region, and the project has also been recognized with the maximum available Regional Priority Credits.  I look forward to watching Cassell Hall, its green roofs, and gardens, grow into the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus and community for years to come.”

The building was made possible through funding, in part, from various sources, including the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, which donated the largest gift in the history of the Greensburg campus, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and the Timken Foundation. Federal funds were also provided through the support of Congressman Tim Murphy.

Cassell Hall is a two-story, 16,500 square-foot building that was designed to realize 30 percent annual energy savings and reduce water usage by 50 percent. A complete explanation of the building’s facilities and features may be found here: http://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/cassell-hall.

Highlights include:

·        Two green roofs that feed a rainwater harvesting cistern. The cistern provides non-potable grey water for the building’s toilets and is expected to reduce water usage by more than 50 percent. Grey water is returned to the building for flushing of toilets, a drip irrigation system, and service water at the green roofs.

·        The landscaping around the building that is an extension of the natural site and includes native flowers and trees as part of demonstrative rain gardens and storm water bioswales for on-site storm water management. (Native plants require less watering and help to support a healthy ecosystem. Rainwater from the building roof is collected, filtered through natural plantings, and stored in a 5,000 gallon cistern located below parking.)

·        The use of design elements that enhance shading and natural light in order to maximize daylight while minimizing solar heat gain. 

·        Radiant floors will provide an energy efficient way to heat spaces and keep heat low, where the people are.

·        Energy-efficient heat pumps and advanced mechanical systems with multi-zone controls also contribute to energy savings.

The energy savings from these various features allow the building to use more than:

·        28 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a similar new facility;

·        50 percent less water than a similar new facility.

Additionally, a minimum of 25 percent recycled materials and 25 percent local and regional materials were used in the buildings construction. Fifty-percent of the scrap material created by the buildings construction was recycled or salvaged. Materials used throughout the building were selected because of being made from recycled material or renewable resources. Materials with low VOC (volatile organic compound) ratings were selected for carpeting, paints, and adhesives in order to minimize indoor air pollutants. The building details and finishes are designed to incorporate and demonstrate materials and finishes that are healthy, recycled, and sourced as locally as possible.

Cassell Hall is the most visible evidence of Pitt-Greensburg’s efforts to be greener. Multiple ongoing recycling projects provide a sustainable way for the campus to dispose of paper, phone books, batteries, printer cartridges, books, and shoes.  At the end of each spring term, students also are encouraged to recycle unopened, nonperishable food, gently used clothing, furniture, and gently used household items for donation to multiple charities in the Greensburg area. Other sustainable campus activities include participation in Pitt’s “Read Green” program and a dynamic recycling committee.

Chartwells, the campus dining service, strives to purchase locally grown organic food when possible and reduce wasted food and water usage by eliminating trays. Its other efforts include Project Green Thumb recycling and composting program and the Trim Trax program to track, measure, and reduce kitchen waste.

Complete details on Pitt-Greensburg’s efforts to become greener may be found at http://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/about/going-green-pitt-greensburg.

Alicia DiPaolo and Jess Uhler's Capstone production of

"A Night of Magic" featuring: "A VERY POTTER MUSICAL"

When: April 3-5, 2014

Where: Magical Events: 6:30pm in the Smith Hall Lounge The Musical: 7:30 In Ferguson Theater

$10 regular, $5 Students/Seniors/Pitt ID Proceeds go to the American Alliance for Theatre Education

Note: that the directors have suggested a PG-13 rating For language and some situations and the show may not be suitable for young children.

Read the articles!

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourhempfield/yourhempfieldmore/5805612-74/theater-greensburg-potter#axzz2xG7n16Bm

http://westmorelandtimes.com/news/11557/17/two-pitt-greensburg-students-conjuring-magic-as-they-direct-theatre-production/

Our Discovery Day event provides an in-depth look at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg including admissions, financial aid, housing and residence life.  The program includes a meeting with a professor in the academic division of your choice, financial aid, campus tours, and lunch in our dining hall.  The program runs from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  A $45 application fee waiver to Pitt-Greensburg is offered to students who have not yet applied. Click here to register on-line or call 724-836-9880.

This year’s Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture Series on Contemporary Ethical Issues at the University of Pittsburgh at
Greensburg will feature four local experts who will discuss the issues surrounding end-of-life care.

The Lecture will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at Pitt-Greensburg’s Ferguson Theater (150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601). This event is free and open to the public. To assist with seating, pre-event registration is suggested, and may be done by calling 724-836-9911.

Comprising the panel for the lecture will be:
• Robert Arnold, MD, the Leo H. Creip Chair of Patient Care, Department of Medicine; Director, Palliative Care
Service; Director of the Institute for Doctor-Patient Communication with the University of Pittsburgh; and the Medical Director of Palliative and Supportive Care Institute of UPMC. He has published extensively on ethical issues in end-of-life care, hospice and palliative care, doctor-patient communication, and on ethics education. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Hospice Medicine.

• Helen Burns, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer and a member of the Excela Health Board of Trustees since 2010. She is currently directing the development and implementation of a system-wide palliative care program and consultative service. A clinician, educator, and administrator in acute care community hospitals, academic health care, and public health, she remains as an Adjunct Full Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing where she previously held the position of Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Professor in the Department of Health and Community Systems. She previously served as Deputy Secretary for Health Planning and Assessment for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

• Mr. John Dickson IV, President and CEO of Redstone Presbyterian SeniorCare. Redstone Presbyterian SeniorCare serves more than 600 elderly residents annually at its three campuses in Greensburg, Murrysville, and North Huntingdon. Under Dickson’s leadership, the organization completed the expansion of two new campuses totaling $49 million. Redstone provided more than $2.5 million in charitable care to residents who, through no fault of their own, depleted their financial resources. Redstone was the first in the United States among 5,600 not-for-profit, long-term care organizations to endorse the Quality First covenant with Leading Age, embracing an unwavering direction for the highest standards for aging services.

• Alan Meisel, Director of the Center for Bioethics and Health Law; Dickie McCarney & Chilcote Professor of
Bioethics; and Professor of Law and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. A leading national and international authority on end-of-life decision making and informed consent to medical treatment, Meisel is the principal author of the treatise, “The Right to Die: the Law of End-of-Life Decisionmaking” (Aspen Law and Business), which is in its third edition. He has published widely in the fields of health law and medical ethics in numerous medical, legal, and ethical journals. In 1993, Meisel served on the Ethics Working Group of the White House Task Force on Health Care Reform.

End-of-life care encompasses patients who are in the final hours or days of their lives, as well as anyone who is living with a terminal illness or terminal condition that has become advanced, progressive, and incurable. It is a time when decisions must be made regarding the cessation of medical testing and treatment, while still focusing on quality care in order to make the person comfortable and to control pain and other symptoms of their disease.

Individuals and their care givers face a range of questions and decisions when dealing with end-of-life care. These include palliative care (relief and prevention of suffering), the patient’s right to self-determination of both treatment and life, medical experimentation, the ethics and efficacy of extraordinary or hazardous medical interventions, as well as considerations of the patient’s autonomy.

The Cobetto Lecture Series focuses on contemporary ethical issues. Established in 2005, it is made possible by the support of Dr. Bernard Cobetto and his wife, Ellen. Dr. Cobetto is a 1945 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a 1947 graduate of the University’s Schools of Medicine.

Music at Pitt-Greensburg will present several performances during the spring semester as part of the Joan Chambers Concert Series, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series, and the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale and Chamber Singers. The performances are free and open to the public except where noted and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center unless otherwise noted.

The Pitt-Greensburg Chorale and Chamber Singers will take center stage on April 11 for their Spring Concert: Festival de Musica. The program will feature Jensen’s El Vito, Grau’s Kasat mie la gaji, and the works of Juan Vasquez. The Chorale and Chamber Singers are Pitt-Greensburg’s two choral ensembles under the direction of Christopher Bartley, director of Music.

Pitt-Greensburg’s Joan Chambers Concert Series will feature two choirs this spring.

The Heinz Chapel Choir is the auditioned a cappella choir from the University of Pittsburgh whose eclectic repertoire ranges from motets to jazz. They perform numerous concerts in the breathtaking Heinz Memorial Chapel, including Fall, Christmas, and Spring concerts, as well as many concerts at various local churches. John Goldsmith, who has been director since 1989 and plans to retire later this year, is an alumnus of Chanticleer who teaches sight-singing to Pitt’s music majors. Additional information about the Goldsmith and the choir is available here: http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/story/director-john-goldsmith%e2%80%99s-tonal-memories.

As part of their tour of the Northeast US and Canada, the Tucson Girls Chorus will perform May 27. The group was founded in 1985 and continues to expand the musical tradition of choral singing under the musical leadership of director Dr. Marcela Molina. While the program offers girls, from kindergarten through 12^th grade throughout the Tucson metro area, the opportunity to develop vocal and performing skills in one of the eight choirs, this performance will feature the Advanced Choir.

The Joan Chambers Concert Series is named in honor of Joan Chambers, late wife of President Emeritus George F. Chambers. She was an ardent supporter and representative of Pitt-Greensburg in the community for many years. While her interests were widespread, she especially enjoyed participating in book-discussion groups, attending cultural events, hosting themed luncheons at her home, and spending winters in southwest Florida. The Children’s Literature Collection in Millstein Library, another of her passions, was developed and named in her.

Students participating in the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg’s new piano/voice studio will perform in a recital at 7:30 p.m. on April 16 in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center.

The recital will feature piano and voice students performing works they have been studying this past semester. The students range in ability from beginning to advanced. It will feature a wide range of repertoire, from the classical music of the Baroque Era to contemporary pop music. It will also include the premiere of an original song by Samantha Downes, a junior biological sciences major from Daisytown, PA. Also performing will be Jordan Fessler, a junior biological sciences major from Pittsburgh, PA; Colin Gabauer, a senior English writing major with a music minor from Irwin, PA; AJ Denne, a sophomore psychology major with minors in music and Spanish from Monroeville, PA; Courtney Blazowich, a junior psychology major from Jeannette, PA; and Alyssa McDonald, a junior management information systems major from West Homestead, PA.

The voice and piano studio is open to all students. Interested students are interviewed, auditioned, and selected to participate. In lessons, students work on technique and musicianship through a wide range of repertoire, such as classical, jazz, pop, rock etc. Participants have a role in shaping the curriculum of their studies so it is tailored to their desired goals. Theory study and composition are regularly explored. Studio classes are held throughout each semester where all studio members gather to perform for each other and receive feedback. The semester concludes with a public recital performed by studio members.

Zach Rohlwing, adjunct instructor of Piano and Voice, teaches the piano/voice studio course. He also serves as the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale and Chambers Singers accompanist. A graduate of Simpson College (Indianola, IA) where he studied piano, voice, and music education, Rohlwing earned his master’s degree of music with an emphasis in piano performance from the University of South Dakota (USD). While at USD, he taught class piano and private lessons.  

Rohlwing also performs as a vocalist. He opened the 2013-2014 Joan Chambers Concert Series at Pitt-Greensburg with a piano and voice recital. He is currently music director at St. Mark’s Lutheran in New Stanton and Madison United Methodist in Madison and is a chorus member with the Pittsburgh Opera.

Do you have a relative who is graduating from Pitt-Greensburg in April?  As an alumnus, you can actually present him or her with their diploma at graduation. 

Dr. Sharon P. Smith and the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association invite relatives of graduates (parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, or grandparents) who are Pitt alumni (of any campus) to participate in the 2014 Pitt-Greensburg Commencement Ceremony through the Legacy Presentation Program. 

The PGAA Legacy Presentation Program was created to give alumni the opportunity to escort a graduate onto the stage, present him or her with his or her diploma, and have a picture together during the ceremony.  It is a wonderful way to mark the occasion.

If you have a relative who is graduating from Pitt-Greensburg and the graduating student would like you as the alumnus to participate in the Legacy Presentation Program, please direct them the following link to sign up http://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/graduation/legacypresentation For more information, contact the office of Alumni Affairs at 724-836-7496 or upgalum@pitt.edu.

~ Pitt Degree Contest entries may be made as part of the online RSVP, too. The graduate with the most Pitt degrees in his or her family will be recognized during the pre-graduation breakfast. So we can verify all your family members that are alumni in our system I would like to ask if you could fill out this form by April 4 by clicking on this link: https://pitt.wufoo.com/forms/most-pitt-degrees-contest-information-request/

~ RSVP for the Parent Appreciation Dinner hosted by Dr. Sharon P. Smith, campus president. This event, held immediately following rehearsal on Friday, April 25, requires advance reservations.

The Parents Appreciation Dinner is a unique opportunity for graduating students to pay tribute to their Moms and Dads. this special dinner is hosted by Campus President Sharon P. Smith, PhD, and members of the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association.

Students and parents/guardians are asked to purchase tickets in advance. The cost is $20 for each student and $20 per parent/guardian. Deadline to RSVP and purchase tickets is April 25.

Click here to register online or to see the menu planned for this year's dinner.

For additional information, contact Joshus Gmys at 724-8365-7496 or upgalum@pitt.edu

~ Confirm your honors. Honor cords for cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude will be distributed at the graduation ceremony. You received a letter from Academic Affairs in January regarding your honors. Please be sure to contact them if you have any questions, otherwise your honors may not be listed correctly in the program or announced at the ceremony.

~ Honor Societies: If you are a member of an academic honor society, contact the faculty or staff advisor of that honor society for information regarding honor medallions.

~ Flowers/Commemorative T-Shirts and Teddy Bears: These items will be available for purchase and pre-order from Commencement Flowers. A pre-order link will be available at www.greensburg.pitt.edu/graduation.

~ Commemorative DVD will be available for purchase. Additional information will be available at www.greensburg.pitt.edu/graduation.

You can view graduation information, changes and updates on our web site at www.greensburg.pitt.edu/graduation.

April 3-5: The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company will present “A Very Potter Musical” (music and lyrics by Darren Criss and A.J. Holmes and book by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Brian Holden). Senior VAPA majors Alicia DiPaolo and Jess Uhler will direct this production, which will also raise money for the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE). The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in Ferguson Theater. Tickets, available at the door are $10 (regular) and $5 (students, seniors, Pitt ID).

April 8: A panel discussion focusing on End-of-Life Care will be the focus of the Cobetto Lecture at 7 p.m. Ferguson Theater. Participating will be Dr. Robert Arnold (UPMC), Dr. Helen Burns (Excela Health), John Dickson IV (Redstone Presbyterian Senior Care), and Alan Meisel (University of Pittsburgh). This event is open to the public, but attendees are asked to pre-register by calling 724-836-9911.

April 11: The Pitt-Greensburg Chorale and Chamber Singers will perform their Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. This event is free and open to the public.

April 11: Pitt-Greensburg Honors Convocation in Ferguson Theatre at 4 p.m. with a reception following in the Smith Hall Lounge.

April 12: The Joan Chambers Concert Series will present the Heinz Chapel Choir at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. This event is free and open to the public.

April 25: The Friday Evening Music Club will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. This event is open to the public (donation at the door).

April 25: Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Reception hosted by the PGAA in the Alumni Pavilion at 5 p.m.

April 25: Graduation Rehearsal will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Ridilla Field.

April 25: The PGAA will host an Parent Appreciation Dinner in Wagner Dining Hall at 7 p.m. For additional information, contact Joshus Gmys at 724-8365-7496 or upgalum@pitt.edu.

April 26: Pitt-Greensburg Commencement at Ridilla Field at 11 a.m.

May 2: Pitt-Greensburg will host its 18^th annual Children’s Literature Conference from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Featured speakers are author/illustrator John Rocco and author Steve Sheinkin. Participants can choose from among 10 other sessions specifically for writers, educators, and librarians. Early registration is $70 by March 31. After the deadline it is $80. Full-time students may register for $60. Register on-line at www.library.pitt.edu/UPG-childrens-literature-conference.

May 27: The Joan Chambers Concert Series will present the Tucson Girls Chorus at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. This event is free and open to the public.

August 25: First Day of Classes for Academic Year 2014-15.

Looking for upcoming events on campus? Click here to find more exciting events listed on the Activities Calendar.

The Emergency Notification System allows for a text/voice message to be dispatched to all subscribers that contains the type of emergency, locations, and instructions for subscribers.

An example of when this system would be activated is if there were a weather-related disaster that  would affect campus activities. This system is not used for campus closings due to bad roads or holiday schedule. The system is tested once each semester. Questions may be directed to the Campus Police at 724-836-9865.

Encourage your student to sign up for the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg ENS (Emergency Notification System). As a student of Pitt-Greensburg, they will want to be alerted in the event of an emergency. The system does not restrict students from entering the phone number of another person such as a parent or spouse.

Simply go to http://www.my.pitt.edu, select My Resources, Emergency Notification System. Complete the form on-line to register.

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Christina Guzik
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