News & Notes
Proud Awarded $888,044 NSF Grant
Daniel Proud, assistant professor of biological sciences, has been awarded an $888,044 CAREER grant by the National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology for a five-year project titled “CAREER: Investigating Biogeographic Hypotheses and Drivers of Diversification in Neotropical Harvestmen [daddy longlegs] (Opiliones: Laniatores) Using Ultraconserved Elements.” The aim of the research is to advance understanding of how species diversity has been shaped by evolutionary processes linked to geological and climatic histories.
Proud’s research will advance, globally, our understanding of the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity, but it will also have important impacts here at home. Undergraduate students will be trained to use powerful bioinformatic tools, cutting-edge molecular methods, and advanced microscopy techniques—skills that they
can take with them to graduate school.
Photo by John Kish IV
Photo by Matt Lester
Cheung Selected for Prestigious Program
Kin Cheung, associate professor of East and South Asian religions and chair of the Department of Global Religions and Philosophy, joins a select group of scholars and leaders from top institutions across the United States and China as a fellow in the National Committee on United States–China Relations Public Intellectuals Program (PIP). Launched in 2005, PIP identifies outstanding members of the next generation of American China specialists—in the academic, professional, or policymaking spheres—who have the interest and potential to venture outside of academia or their professions into areas relevant to foreign policy and engage with the public at a national, regional, and local level.
Students Learn about Public History and Gain Podcast Skills
This past semester, students in Richard Anderson’s “Oral History and Podcasting” course partnered with the National Museum of Industrial History at the Steelworkers’ Archives in South Bethlehem to create podcasts based on their interviews with former employees of Bethlehem Steel.
The assignment was an exercise in what’s known as public history, which is history for general, non-academic audiences and practiced by many museum professionals and historic site interpreters, explains Anderson, who is an assistant professor of history and public history at Moravian University.
“What’s exciting about this course is that the students are not simply analyzing primary sources; they are actually creating their own primary sources,” Anderson says. “And they’re doing it knowing that their podcast transcripts will be deposited in an archive where they’ll be available for future researchers.”
Rose Meixell-Neith, one of the few women to work in the Bethlehem Steel Foundry, was interviewed by Lauren Amori ’24 for a podcast. Photo by John Kish IV
Photo by Matt Lester
Millennium Fellowship Milestones
In the fall 2023 issue of Moravian University Magazine, we recognized the nine students selected to the Millenium Fellowship Class of 2023. The Millenium Fellowship is a UN-sponsored initiative aimed at advancing undergraduate leadership in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our fellows developed projects around three goals:
Zero hunger. A Strides Against Hunger 5K raised more than $2,000, which bought gift cards for the families of William Penn Elementary School, while an accompanying food drive collected nonperishable snacks for William Penn students.
Quality education. The Millenium Fellows have been working with Broughal Middle School and Moravian Academy on mindfulness strategies that would deepen student engagement in learning. Plans will be completed this semester and implemented in the fall.
Sustainable communities. The third initiative tackles the environmental impact of the demolition of the Haupert Union Building (HUB). Over the fall semester, students worked to repurpose pieces of the HUB. Habitat for Humanity identified furniture, doors, and wood that they can use, and theater equipment and curtains have been offered to the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. The pergola in the Pavilion courtyard will be moved outside the Afterwards Café on the ground floor of Reeves Library. Anything not claimed will be posted on the Bethlehem Freecycle website.
Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership Launches July 1, 2024
The 26-month program welcomes pre-K–12 teachers and administrators, higher education professionals, and leaders of learning from both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. It blends online and in-person learning experiences to suit students’ lifestyles and kicks off each year with a 10-day summer residency on the Moravian campus.
Moravian University and Penn State Abington Partner in New Program
Moravian University and Penn State Abington have created a 4 + 2 pathway program that allows undergraduate students from the Penn State Abington Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation and Human Services (RHS) program and/or the Bachelor of Science in Psychological and Social Sciences (PSS) program to obtain pre-admission to Moravian’s Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling or School Counseling program.
More Accolades for Nursing Program
Receiving four out of five stars, Moravian made Money magazine’s list “Best Nursing Master’s Programs for Your Money 2024.” The editors looked at the following factors: annual costs, average student debt, employment rate, and average early career salaries.
Seminaries to Launch Joint Curriculum in Fall 2024
This fall, the Lancaster Theological Seminary and Moravian Theological Seminary will launch a joint curriculum of three new graduate degree programs: a Master of Divinity degree (MDiv), a Master of Ministry degree (MMin), and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS). The faculty of the two seminaries worked together for two years to create the curricula that refresh and replace existing degree programs. The curriculum will be taught on both Bethlehem and Lancaster campuses and offers students flexible options for enrollment and attendance.
Moravian Takes the Stage at Climate Conference
On December 10, 2023, Diane Husic, Moravian’s dean of scholarship, research, and creative endeavors and director for environmental programs, moderated the panel “Empowering Youth Engagement in Climate Action, Solutions, and Policy Addressing Global Challenges”—a side event at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. FYI, only a very small percentage of proposals for side events are accepted.
Panelists discussed education’s crucial role in shaping future environmental leaders across the globe with sustainability mindsets. The panel included a recent MBA graduate of Monash University in Australia; graduate students from Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, and Boston University; and undergraduate students from Colorado College and Monash University. Allison Ludlow ’25 represented Moravian. “Collaborating on a global stage with other young climate leaders and professional educators on the importance of youth climate education was enriching and empowering,” says Ludlow. “This platform provided an opportunity to share my perspectives on the role of education in preparing the next generation of environmental stewards and leaders, amplifying my voice to a worldwide audience.”
You can view the event recording at mrvn.co/cop-panel.
What’s New at MU
Moravian has made a few changes and additions to enhance community life on campus:
Tap ID cards provide easy access to classrooms, residence halls, the fitness center, the dining hall, and Reeves Library.
Bernie-Willie gets air conditioning—much to the relief of incoming freshmen.
The Hungry Hound Express food truck cruises campus, offering a variety of fare from breakfast to late-night snacks depending on the hour.
A Yo-Kai Express noodle machine recently installed inside the Sally on the way to DeLight’s Café prepares ready-to-eat noodle bowls in 90 seconds.
The fitness center boosts cardio options with brand-new treadmills, ellipticals, StairMasters, stationary bikes, and Peloton bikes. And a space with platforms for powerlifting has been designated for those who want to practice Olympic-style lifts.
Charging stations in lot A, next to Benigna Hall, and commuter lot X are ready to replenish EV batteries.
—Allison Ludlow ’24
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