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Thank you to Jean Yang (PGSS 2003)

posted May 1, 2022, 6:01 PM by Janet Hurwitz

Thank you to Jean Yang (PGSS 2003) for volunteering to speak to PGSS alumni about observability but also about academia, entrepreneurship, women in CS and so much more.



PGSS and Science Olympiad

posted May 1, 2022, 5:58 PM by Janet Hurwitz   [ updated May 6, 2022, 6:15 AM ]

Thank you to Nathan Keim (PGSS 1999) who spoke to students at the Statewide Science Olympiad Finals about PGSS.

Thank You to Jerry Jacob (PGSS 1999)

posted Apr 11, 2022, 7:21 AM by Janet Hurwitz

On April 10, Jerry Jacob (PGSS 1999) gave a virtual talk to fellow PGSS govies on "Fighting microbes: from C. diff to COVID-19". The talk was timely and fascinating and prompted some interesting discussions during the Q&A. Although our PGSS Speaker Series was originally aimed at our recent alumni, we were happy to have PGSS alumni from 1983 through 2021 on the Zoom, including some MD's and medical students. 

Thank You to Hilary Justh (PGSS 1992)

posted Mar 15, 2022, 6:42 AM by Janet Hurwitz

On March 13, 2022, Hilary Justh, a planetary scientist, spoke to our PGSS alumni about her life-long dream of working at NASA and her journey from Lock Haven High School to the Marshall Space Center. She shared ideas with students about how to prepare for a career at NASA, the many opportunities there, internships, and her exciting work. Al Cangahuala (P SS 1982) was at the talk and said he uses some of Hilary's reports where he works at JPL! 

Thank you to Parag Patil, M.D. (PGSS 1984)

posted Feb 13, 2022, 4:09 PM by Janet Hurwitz

To kick off Superbowl Sunday, Parag Patil spoke to a group of PGSS alumni from 2019-2021 as well as some fellow PGSS 1984 alums about Restorative Neuroengineering: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Tackling Neurological Network Diseases regarding much of his cutting-edge research. He emphasized that students shouldn't worry too much--everything does work out. Two things he especially encourages: gratitude and optimism for the future. Happily, he and three other PGSS 1984 govies were able to chat afterward--three have kept in touch since 1984 and one re-united with them. Thank you so much for volunteering, Parag!

Thank you to Erika Conn Iyengar (PGSS 1988)

posted Jan 17, 2022, 4:45 PM by Janet Hurwitz

Thank you, Dr. Erika Iyengar for being the January speaker for our 2022 Speaker Series! Yesterday, Dr. Iyengar spoke about her path to becoming a professor at a small liberal arts college. Her infectious enthusiasm and helpful advice made this talk relevant for all PGSS Govies in high school and college, even those not specifically interested in biology or becoming a professor. We enjoyed hearing her stories about TA’ing undergrad courses at Cornell, researching at the Friday Harbor Laboratories in Washington, and taking field trips to the ponds around Muhlenberg College.

PGSS 2021 Closing Ceremonies

posted Aug 6, 2021, 3:44 PM by Janet Hurwitz   [ updated Aug 6, 2021, 3:45 PM ]

On August 6, 2021, at 4 p.m. PGSS 2021 Closing Ceremonies took place. Student Speaker Alejandro Lucena, chosen by the other PGSS 2021 govies to represent them, said, "From all over Pennsylvania, we came together, virtually, but together all the same, to learn...It says a lot about a person when they get good grades, but it says more when they actively seek knowledge. And that is what we have done." He concluded, "...here, at PGSS, we have built not only a community of passionate students, but also a family that will never stay apart." This is what we hope to build each year at PGSS--a community that lasts a lifetime.

PGSS 2021 is in full swing

posted Jul 23, 2021, 7:10 PM by Janet Hurwitz

Dancing, origami-making, classes and research--it's all happening virtually once again.

PGSS 2020 College Destinations!

posted Jun 2, 2021, 11:08 AM by Janet Hurwitz

Thank you to Liam Hower (PGSS 2020) for putting together this wonderful map showing the college destinations for PGSS 2020.

PGSS 1986 Virtual Reunion

posted Mar 21, 2021, 4:15 PM by Janet Hurwitz

Seventeen members of the PGSS class of 1986 met for a 35th reunion via Zoom on March 20, together with Program Director Barry Luokkala, who first joined the PGSS faculty as the physics lab instructor in 1986. They included Darren Blue, Ann Corsi, Matthew Fisher, Brian Hart, Yumi Ijiri, Souheil Inati, David Jablonski, Susan (Jackson) Quick, Richard Junod, Lisa (Kreger) Hetrick, Timothy McHugh, George Moellenbrock, Michael Pirrello, David Reiley, Michelle Szpara, and Akila Viswanathan. In a 90-minute meeting, we had time for each attendee to share for several minutes about what they've been doing for the past 35 years. We learned about each other's families, careers, hobbies, and side hustles. A sampling of our careers includes radio astronomy (George Moellenbrock),  IBM Watson deep learning (Brian Hart), nanoparticle physics (Yumi Ijiri), venture capital (Scott Lenet), environmental health and safety (Michael Pirrello), healthcare project management (Richard Junod), cell biology (Ann Corsi), and ophthalmology (Susan Quick). Our geographic distribution included California (3), Arizona, New Mexico (2), Texas, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania (4), Maryland (3), and North Carolina. Because it was a rare sunny day in March in Erie, Lisa Hetrick shared views of her yard, including a creek, ducks, and chickens, giving many of us nostalgia for Pennsylvania. Barry Luokkala shared with us that questions from our PGSS class inspired him to return to graduate school to earn his PhD in physics. David Reiley, a scientist for SiriusXM Pandora, closed the meeting by singing a rendition of Cole Porter's 1933 song "Experiment." --David Reiley

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