News & Notes
Moravian Announces Aviation Management Program
Taking off in fall 2026, this new program will offer aviation education in the Lehigh Valley region. It combines rigorous instruction with practical flight training, industry partnerships, and a commitment to safety, innovation, and student success. Initial offerings will include aviation management and a professional pilot program, with plans to add an air traffic controller program. Moravian will launch the new program in partnership with flyGATEWAY in Allentown, and it will be led by Mark S. Cronin, a retired American Airlines captain and founder of the Velocity R Aviation Foundation. For more information, visit moravian.edu/aviation-management.
Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
$1.9 Million NHS Award to Help Low-Income Science and Tech Students
Several Moravian professors received a $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant program to support the retention of low-income science and technology students through community-focused research.
The professors who were awarded the grant are Shari Dunham, associate professor of chemistry; Sarah Johnson, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience; and Kelly Krieble, associate professor of physics. Their program is called “Celebrating Heritage: A Campuswide Approach to Supporting Retention of Low-Income Science and Technology Students Through Community-Focused Research.”
It will help support eight undergraduate students per year for four years. The first cohort of students is expected in fall 2026. The grant will cover a portion of the students’ tuition.
“Certain students are likely to start out hoping to go into the sciences, and then they divert to other majors because of difficulties they encounter, such as struggling with an early course,” Johnson says. “We were looking for ways to support them to continue to pursue their STEM goals, to better use Moravian’s resources to help them through the difficult courses, and to understand that their personal background can be a part of their journey and career trajectory in becoming a scientist.”
Students will take several courses to develop skills that will allow them to succeed in their chosen STEM field. They will also have the opportunity to engage in research on a topic connected to their hometown community, and to present their research at student conferences.
Moravian Student Recognized in National Student Design Competition
Graphic design and communications major Olivia Heath ’26 received Noteworthy Recognition in the Society of Publication Designers (SPD) National Student Design Competition this past fall. Heath’s project stood out among hundreds of entries nationwide, says Angela Kilburg, an adjunct professor of design at Moravian who teaches the publication design course in which Heath designed her brochure.
“As her professor—and a former SPD student winner myself—this recognition is extra meaningful,” Kilburg says. “This contest changed my life, and it’s been a personal goal to have one of my students honored in the same competition.”
Heath designed a “Paris Rules” brochure reminiscent of a menu one might find in a Parisian café. It outlines what to eat, where to go, and how to make it happen.
Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
Moravian Launches Leadership Excellence Program
In 2025, Moravian hosted the first cohorts as part of the new Leadership Excellence Program (LXP). Tailored for professionals seeking to elevate organizational leadership, this immersive program blends evidence-based theory with applied practice to prepare leaders who drive change, build resilient teams, and embody inclusive, values-based leadership. Companies can partner with Moravian to design a curriculum specifically for their organization. The program has already engaged leaders from HNL Lab Medicine, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, and National Kitchen and Bath Association, whose global president and CEO, Bill Darcy ’93, is an alum.
The program is divided into three-hour seminars that provide next-level leadership development in topics such as how to clarify your leadership philosophy, communicate with greater authenticity, and learn to inspire alignment while empowering autonomy. For more information, contact Katie P. Desiderio, desideriok@moravian.edu.
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Moravian in Several Categories for 2026
Now in their 41st year, U.S. News & World Report’s Best College rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality and place an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students. Moravian appeared in the following categories this past fall: Regional Universities (North), #38 (tie); Best Value—Regional Universities (North), #28; and Undergraduate Teaching—Regional Universities (North), #20 (tie).
The magazine publishes its Best College rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities.
The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition
The Princeton Review
#19 in 2026 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
Niche
#10 in 2026 Best Colleges for Nursing in Pennsylvania
Niche
Best Nursing Master’s Programs for Your Money 2025
Money magazine
#151 (tie) in Occupational Therapy
U.S. News & World Report
#120 (tie) in Speech-Language Pathology
U.S. News & World Report
Best Colleges in America 2025
Money magazine
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