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Connecticut Valley
Chapter Newsletter
psuctvalley.org
March 2015
Spring Dinner on Thursday, April 23 — Kay Salvino, PSAA President
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Date
Our annual spring dinner will take place on Thursday, April 23 at 6:30 pm at the
Wethersfield Country Club in Wethersfield, CT. The keynote speaker will be Kay Salvino, PSU class of 1969 and current president of the Penn State Alumni Association.
Kay has served on Alumni Council since 2002, first as president of the College of
Health and Human Development (HHD) Alumni Society and then as an alumni elected
member. She has served on the Association’s Executive Board since 2008 and has been active
in student mentoring programs, the Association’s committee on excessive drinking, and is a past
chair of HHD’s communications committee. Professionally, Kay is the former practice administrator for Heimer Eye Care Associates in State College and previously held various positions in
Philadelphia-area healthcare facilities. Kay and her husband, Ernie, also PSU class of 1969, have
two children.
The cost of the event is $35 per person, discounted to $25 for those who graduated from PSU
since 2010. The event will include a silent auction for the benefit of our freshman scholarship fund.
Please register on the enclosed membership form and e-mail Greg Malone (gmalonepsu@yahoo.
com) if you have any auction items you would like to donate. We hope you will be able to join us.
Young alum view: “Toto, I don’t think
we’re in Happy Valley anymore”
Pratt & Whitney named
PSU corporate partner of the year
So you did it. You finally graduated, left State College, and said
goodbye to an amazing 4 (or 5) years of your life. And then you
moved to Connecticut. A state where blue and white are the
colors of the UCONN Huskies and yelling “We Are” as you walk
around will only get you blank stares.
In 2011, after working for over 30 years at UTC division Pratt &
Whitney, I was offered an opportunity to lead the engineering
department’s recruiting and branding team as a ‘fun’ part of my
structural engineering job. I never dreamed that four years later
I would be shaking hands with PSU President Eric Barron and
his wife Molly as part of the team being celebrated for contributions to the university.
by Jessica Tucker (PSU ’13)
When I moved to Connecticut I only knew a handful of people.
I was starting a new job, working and living in a new state,
and trying to figure out how to get my new Connecticut drivers
license (the DMV and I did not get along).
Then one sunny August morning I ended up at Damon’s in
Hartford along with 60 other Penn State fans watching a game
that was taking place in Ireland of all places. There were breakfast sandwiches, nachos, Penn State Diner grilled sticky buns,
plenty of “We Are” chants and even some free t-shirts. I finally
felt at home.
Meeting and getting involved with the Penn State Alumni
chapter gave me something outside of work to look forward to
and allowed me to stay involved with my alma mater. The great
thing is that your involvement can truly be what you want it to
be. Whether you want to watch games at Damon’s or participate in recruiting a new group of Nittany Lions, or even meet
new people during periodic community service events that the
chapter organizes, there really is something for everyone.
WE ARE….and always will be. No matter where we reside.
by Tom Cap
UTC was honored at a luncheon as Corporate Partner of
the Year for our role in three areas: research, outreach, and
education. Over ten years ago, the PW turbine design group
established a research relationship which has grown from a few
research projects to a partnership in a one-of-a-kind facility for
the study of complex heat transfer challenges. Dr. Karen Thole,
head of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, highlighted
UTC‘s support of the Engineering Ambassador initiative that
brings PSU engineering students to PA secondary schools to
introduce students to engineering and recognized the heightened focus the recruiting team has brought to educating and
inspiring engineers through on-campus projects and events
focused around jet engine technology.
The weekend’s festivities ended with great food and entertainment at the President’s tailgate followed by an invitation to
watch the Temple game from the president’s box. Nice digs, a
front row seat, warmth!, different food each quarter, and very interesting people with whom to talk and cheer home the victory!
It is all of those interesting people – the students, the administrators, the alumni – at Penn State that make my recruiting
role the most fun part of my job…and to then be recognized for
doing what I enjoy so much was a blessing beyond words!
Executive Board Members
2014–2015
www.psuctvalley.org
President
Greg Malone (’95)
South Windsor
[email protected]
Vice President
Kathryn Williams (’06)
Glastonbury
[email protected]
Treasurer
Nina Webb (’77)
Rocky Hill
[email protected]
Alumni Admissions Lisa Sands (’83)
West Hartford
[email protected]
Board Members Gwen Ashbaugh (’88)
New Hartford
[email protected]
Harry Best (‘71)
Middletown
[email protected]
Dean Delach (’76)
Farmington
[email protected]
Jeff Gartman (’08)
South Windsor
[email protected]
Deb Morck (‘74)
Cheshire
[email protected]
Tom Morck (‘75)
Cheshire
[email protected]
Steve Putterman (‘78)
West Hartford
[email protected]
Terry Schnure (’63)
Windsor
[email protected]
Penny Trick (’74)
Newington
[email protected]
Jessica Tucker (‘13)
Manchester
[email protected]
Craig Zinn (‘77)
South Windsor
[email protected]
Stay Informed
Website:
www.psuctvalley.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.
php?gid=180306560343, group page name is PSU
CT Valley alumni chapter
Linked In:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4146008&gob
ack=%2Egmp_4146008
This is our annual newsletter mailing to PSU alumni in
the CT Valley chapter area. Part of the mailing is paid
for by the Penn State Alumni Association. We keep
members informed about our activities by e-mail the
rest of the year, so please send your e-mail address to
Greg Malone ([email protected]) if you’d like to
be on the distribution and are not already. Our website
and/or Facebook pages contain a chapter membership
form, officer contact information, news about upcoming
events and the student bus service, and more. Costs for
many of our events such as the football TV parties and
freshmen sendoff are supported by annual dues from
members, so please continue to support the chapter!
Many thanks to Angelina Kendra, a Penn State alum
who has donated her time to serve as our newsletter
layout editor. We very much appreciate your help and
expertise!
Year in Review: Letter from the President
by Greg Malone
This year, the Penn State Alumni Association established new criteria to identify chapters of distinction and I was pleased to report that the CT Valley chapter partook in
activities in 13 of the 15 categories as we received a notice of distinction for the 10th
consecutive year.
Do we support PSU students? Yes – the bus service we coordinate continues to be
one of the best programs any chapter is involved with and profits we make from it are
rolled right back into our scholarship endowment. Last year, we committed to funding
a new endowment with the university that will have its interest matched two-to-one by
PSU and allow us to support even more students from our region. In 2014, six students
from the Connecticut Valley received scholarships adding up to almost $13,000 and our
combined endowments rank at the top among all PSU chapters, which is quite remarkable considering we are nowhere near the largest chapter in terms of membership. In
addition to these areas of support, we also hold an annual freshman sendoff and represent PSU at various high school fairs.
Do we support our alumni? Yes – from the spring dinner to football TV viewing parties,
apple picking to Tanglewood concerts, Homecoming at PSU to hiking Heublein Tower,
we strive to schedule a variety of group events that will spark interest across a spectrum of tastes and generations. This year we had outstanding attendance at our football
TV parties, from the season opener (which started at 8:30 am local time with PSU
playing in Ireland!) to the bowl game in New York City, both of which ended with giant
cheers as Sam Ficken split the uprights to win the games…has anyone better epitomized the resiliency of the PSU community since 2012 than Sam Ficken? What a great
way for him and the team to finish the year.
Do we support the community? Yes – we spent a morning weeding at Elizabeth Park
in Hartford and support the PSU Dance Marathon, which continues to be a shining
example of generosity and outreach among Penn Staters everywhere. We will be gathering at Elizabeth Park again this year again this year on May 16 so please mark the
membership form if you are interested in attending.
And do we have fun? Yes – we have a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who
serve on our board and plan the many activities we have each year. Any PSU alum is
welcome to attend our board meetings, so consider this an open invitation to join us;
we would love to hear your ideas and hope you will participate in our events.
2015 PSU Football
Sept 5
Sept 12
Sept 19
Sept 26
Oct 3
Oct 10
Oct 17 Oct 24 Oct 31 Nov 7
Nov 21
Nov 28
at Temple
BUFFALO
RUTGERS
SAN DIEGO STATE
ARMY
INDIANA (Homecoming)
at Ohio State
at Maryland
ILLINOIS
at Nothwestern
MICHIGAN
at Michigan State
Tailgate / Tickets
The chapter will again be applying for
tickets to a 2015 PSU football game.
Our top choice is nearly always the
Homecoming game, which we’ve received for the past 10+ years. Chapter
members will receive first priority to
purchase tickets, so please be sure
to send in your membership form to
become (or remain) a chapter member
and remember to check the box on the
membership form indicating your interest in the Homecoming events.
Football TV parties
During the football season, our chapter gathers at Damon’s Tavern on the Hartford /
West Hartford town line to watch the Penn State games. We had outstanding attendance this past season starting with the UCF game in Dublin and ending with the bowl
game in New York City. With numerous big screen TVs, interaction with fellow alumni,
and 10% discounts on all of our food and drink purchases during the games, it’s a great
time to mingle with fellow Penn Staters. Please join us during the 2015 season!
Connecticut Valley Chapter
Penn State Alumni Association
2015–2016 Membership Dues
Name:
Class Year:
Spouse/Guest:
Class Year:
Street Address:
City:
Home Phone: ( ) –
State:
ZIP:
Are you a member of the PSAA?  yes  no
E-mail:
Occupation (optional):
2015–16 Membership Year Dues (July 2015–June 2016) @ $15 per household $_______________
Spring Dinner (April 23, 2015): ___ attendees @ $35 per person
+ PSU grads since 2010: ___ attendees @ $25 per person
$_______________
Contribution to the Penn State, Connecticut Valley Chapter Scholarship Fund
$_______________
Total Remittance:
$_________________
I’m/We’re interested in the following:
‰‰ Board of Directors (planning and organizing Chapter events and activities)
‰‰ Alumni Admissions (providing Penn State information and recruiting high school students for PSU)
‰‰ Homecoming parade / Football tickets (circle the ones in which you have interest)
‰‰ Community service events (Elizabeth Park, May 16)
‰‰ “People’s Joe” group event with Southern CT chapter in or near New Haven / Waterbury / Hartford
(circle the ones in which you have interest)
‰‰ Red Sox game group event with Boston chapter
‰‰ Other suggestions for events, activities, etc. — including donation of auction items:
Make checks payable to “Penn State Chapter of CT Valley”
Mail this form with check to Nina Webb, 98 Rosewood Drive, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-1071
Chapter Scholarship Recipients: Where Are They Now?
Six Penn Staters from the CT Valley region received chapter based scholarships in 2014. Three -- Leslie Rowland (Ledyard), Ben Galinas (Guilford) and Steven Gaspar (Meriden) – were recipients of the chapter endowment for freshmen
while three – Noah Bergren (Berlin), Jasmine Hall (West Hartford) and Tyler
Lange (Canton) – were selected by the University from our soon to be endowed Trustee Scholarship. Since 2004, we have awarded 27 regional students
over $50,000 in scholarships and wanted to see how this year’s students were
doing:
Q: What are some of the main differences between your college experience so far
and high school?
TL: The freedom is the biggest difference between college and high school. I am pretty much
entirely independent here and I am responsible for myself. It is a big difference at first, but
learning how to manage time and be successful in and out of the classroom is a rewarding
experience to have.
Q: How is your first year going at PSU? Dorm life? Food? New friends?
NB: From the very first day on campus, I was astonished with how welcoming everyone was, from the RA’s, professors, and faculty. I would tell
an incoming freshman these three things: Pack half as many clothes as you think you’ll need, it will just be that much more laundry you have to
do. Don’t be shy, make plenty of friends during your first week on campus. Lastly, use your college experience to the fullest. Go to class every
single day and keep up with your homework
Q: Has anything surprised you about college life overall? What advice would you give to an incoming freshman?
JH: Penn State continues to surprise me. There are so many fun things to do here that I didn’t expect to be at college. Usually when you think of
college, you think of adults and boring work. PSU has plenty to do in the commons or at the HUB. It is great to see that everyone has found their
niche, whether it be in Greek life or sports or some other type of club.
Q: What classes have you taken? Which are the most interesting? What is your planned major?
NB: Being a meteorology major, I’m taking plenty of Calculus and Physics. While I am by no means a mathematician, it can be enjoyable at
times understanding the real bond between math and science. However, my meteorology classes by far will be my most enjoyable. I can’t wait to
really get into learning about the weather at the nations’ top meteorology institution.
Q: How do you spend your time when you are not attending classes/studying? Activities? Sports? Clubs? Which one(s) is/are your
favorites and why?
JH: When I am not studying or going to class I am spending my time with DCF, which is DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship. I am on the Care
Team and we help people within the community with Toys For Tots or cleaning people’s snow or raking leaves. This is by far my favorite club because the people are really nice and I have made so many friends from this group. There are also a good amount of people from different years
there, so I know some more freshmen and also upperclassmen.
Q: Do you have any outside jobs at school?
JH: I do not have any jobs outside of school because I feel that it is really important for me to get
a good GPA for freshman year. With whatever free
time I have, I can experience what fun things Penn
State has to offer. Many seniors have told me that
freshman year is the easiest year to get involved
with things like THON and different clubs.
Q: How have you made use of the CT Valley
chapter scholarship?
TL: I have used it to help pay for my out-of-state
tuition (which is not cheap) and it has been a great
boost in paying for my education.
Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor at
the Creamery?
NB: Hands down it’s Peachy Paterno. While not
overly strong of a flavor, small chunks of peaches
in the ice-cream certainly give the sweet treat an
enjoyable tangy flavor.
annual freshman sendoff was held at Northwest Park in
The
Windsor a week before school started.
Board Bios: Tom & Deb Morck – Penn State Forever & Penn State Together!
Tom and Deb Morck are active members of our chapter often seen at Damon’s football
viewing parties, the student send-off, our annual spring dinner, Tanglewood outings and
other seasonal events in addition to being regulars at monthly board meetings.
Tom has a long history with Penn State and it is truly a family affair. His mother’s father
was the head of the Mechanical Engineering department, and his mother grew up in State
College before earning a Masters degree in 1937. Although Tom grew up in NJ, he visited
State College for winter school breaks. His older brother also graduated from PSU and his
niece is currently a professor. Tom earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1975 from
the University Park campus and an MBA in 1988 from Capitol Campus.
While at Penn State, Tom was a member of the Acacia fraternity and has fond memories
that include participating in Spring Week activities and, most especially, meeting Deb who
was a Little Sister at the fraternity.
Tom & Deb Morck
For her part, Deb is a true ‘townie’ having grown up in State College. Penn State is ‘all in the family’ for her clan as well with all of
her siblings attending Penn State and her father earning his PhD from PSU. Being from State College, her parents would always
take the family to campus events. They would visit the cow barns on Sunday when company was in town, frequent the ice rink on
high school weekends and were regulars at the pool during the summer.
After graduation, Tom worked at Three Mile Island where his team wrote the start-up and operating procedures for all the equipment. He next went to work for Hershey Foods as a Project Engineer in both PA and Oakdale, CA. Tom then came back east as
the Engineering Manager at the Peter Paul plant in Naugatuck which made Almond Joy and Mounds bars. When that plant closed,
he worked for several years as a Facility Manager for Philips and then Jones Lang LaSalle before retiring in 2013.
Deb earned a BS in Elementary Education in 1974 along with a Reading Specialist Certification. After graduation she taught in
Steelton, PA and in 1981, took a break from teaching to raise their family. Once the children started school, Deb was active in the
Cheshire (CT) PTA. In 1991, Deb began substitute teaching before going back to full time teaching in 1999 and retiring in 2013.
As active alumni, Deb and Tom attend games in State College, travel back for the Arts Festival, attended the 2009 Rose Bowl, and
this past year traveled across the pond to Ireland for the Croke Park Classic! Both Deb and Tom are proud of Penn State’s academic reputation and excellence in sports along with the many contributions made by our impressive alumni from all walks of life.
‘WE ARE’ means much to this Happy (Valley) couple! It reminds them of their family ties, lasting friendships, life achievements and
fond memories. ‘Penn State Forever’ means a life filled with future adventures and a continued commitment to helping Penn State
and Penn Staters – past, present and future – swell thy fame.
John Dufford
1921-2015
CT Valley chapter attended a Boston Pops concert
 The
at Tanglewood in early August.
The chapter lost a dear member and
friend on January 29 when John
Dufford of South Glastonbury passed
away at the age of 93. John was
born in Pennsylvania but he and his
family moved to Connecticut in 1923.
An engineering major at Penn State,
John served in World War II and
in Korea and later worked at Pratt
and Whitney before founding Dufford Drilling Company. He was best
known among our chapter members
for having been captain of the PSU
men’s varsity hockey team in the
early 1940s and for being a staunch
supporter of the program that regained varsity status just a couple
years ago – and he was on hand at
PSU for the opening game at the
Pegula arena. John attended several chapter events in recent years,
including our annual spring banquet
and the PSU-UConn hockey game in
Storrs in 2013, and we will miss him.
Paterno Movie Event
The CT Valley and Southern CT chapters are considering
holding a joint event that would be a theatrical showing of “The
People’s Joe”, a documentary about the life of Joe Paterno.
Please indicate on the membership form whether you would be
interested in attending this event if it were to be held in / near
New Haven, Waterbury, or Hartford.
Homecoming parade
About a dozen CT Valley members and friends marched in the
2014 PSU Homecoming parade. This year’s theme was “Honor
the Purpose, Carry the Pride”. To celebrate the chapter’s longrunning bus service and many years of “carrying the pride
home for the holidays”, we marched along with a bus donated
by Fullington Trailways. The following day, despite a loss to
Northwestern, about 60 alumni and friends had a great time at
our annual New England chapters tailgate.
Our alumni admissions team continues to support high school
career fairs, offer receptions, a freshman sendoff in August for
PSU students from our area, and LionsROAR, a program that
has alumni contact local students who have offers from PSU to
answer questions or just say hello. It is a nice, easy, and flexible way to get involved in the recruiting process. Please visit
the Alumni Admissions website (https://www.admissions.psu.
edu/Recruitment/Volunteers/index.cfm) for more information. If
you would like to become a part of our chapter’s Alumni Admissions team, please check the box on the membership form or
contact Lisa Sands ([email protected]).
Community Service
This year we are planning again to participate in a community
service event at Elizabeth Park on May 16. We hope you will
come out and join us; please check the box on the enclosed
membership form if you would like to be contacted about this
opportunity.

Stephanie
Ashbaugh and
Bob Ball carried
the chapter
banner at the
2014 Homecoming
parade.
Connecticut Valley Chapter
Penn State Alumni Association
Terry Schnure
34 Broadleaf Circle
Windsor, CT 06095
Bringing a bit of Happy Valley
If you would like to join the over 300 alumni and friends with
official Connecticut Penn State license plates, please contact
Steve Putterman ([email protected], 860.231.7710)
to receive an application. The vanity
plates feature a PSU shield and “WE
ARE PENN STATE” slogan; a portion
of the proceeds generated go towards
our freshman scholarship fund.
Alumni Admissions
to the Connecticut Valley
Penn State CT License Plates