DEAR GOLDEN BEARS, I’m pleased to introduce this 2024 issue of the Tower, which features stories of alumni, students, faculty and friends of the university who are dedicated to supporting the KU community. Commencement ceremonies in December and May are always highlights of the year. It is wonderful to honor our graduates on one of the biggest days of their lives, and their hard work should be commended. We also awarded an honorary doctorate to alumnus Mark R. Weaver, Esq. ’83, M’85, who is a nationally respected attorney and communications expert. KU celebrated two historic athletic seasons last fall (Page 27). KU’s field hockey team won the program’s and the university’s first NCAA team championship in November, and the team finished with a 19-3 record. Just a few weeks later, our football team won its first-ever NCAA Super Region title and then traveled to Golden, Colo., to play in the national semifinals. While the team’s season ended in Colorado, it broke records with a 12-game winning streak in 2023. I also want to highlight the stories of three of our amazing alumni: Eva Wasko ’11, senior vice president of public relations at the Philadelphia firm Allen & Gerritsen; Emmanuel “Manny” Henson ’06, founder and president of Gamma Wealth Management; and Ben Hoffman ’15 M’20&23, an art teacher at Kutztown High School and finalist for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year (Pages 21-25). In February, KU had the honor of hosting state Rep. Mark Rozzi ’96, as he announced a $1.5 million grant to support KU’s Regenerative Organic Agriculture track in collaboration with the Rodale Institute. KU’s partnership with Rodale has enormous benefit to students, faculty and the community, as well as the future of organic farming (Page 14). None of these successes would be possible without the support of KU’s generous donors, including Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, who is featured in this issue’s cover story on the observatory that bears his name (Page 4). Dr. Chambliss’ contributions to the university cannot be overstated, and we are thankful to him and all KU supporters. Please enjoy this issue of Tower and I look forward to seeing you at one of our campus events in the coming months. I also hope you will take a few minutes to complete the survey on the back cover. Your feedback will help us develop future issues of Tower magazine. Sincerely, Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson President, Kutztown University
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzcxOTE=