* Sophomore Nicholas Masci of Wexford has been elected president of the Student Government Association at Penn State Beaver. She is an information sciences and technology major.
Also elected were sophomore Bryan Magee, a liberal arts major from Sewickley, as vice president; Amanda Polombo, a senior communications major from Aliquippa, as secretary; and Nooeree Samdani of Mars, a major in the division of undergraduate studies, as treasurer.
Freshman education major Nicole Nuske of Baden was elected chair of the Beaver campus THON Committee.
* Publications by two Penn State Beaver faculty members recently have been released.
JoAnn Chirico, senior instructor in sociology, is the author of "Globalization: Prospects and Problems," a book published by SAGE Publications Inc. Her text provides an overview of globalization. The book also reviews globalization topics, debates, theories and empirical data.
Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of information sciences and technology, is the primary author of an article published recently in the journal "Computers & Education." Her article, "High-Fidelity Implementation of Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System Improves Fourth and Fifth Graders' Content Area Reading Comprehension," was written with Penn State University Park's Bonnie Meyer, professor of educational psychology, and Pui-Wa Lei, associate professor of education.
* Ed Randza of Koppel, who is ground transportation coordinator for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, has been recognized as an Injury Prevention Champion for Kids by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
Mr. Randza has been recognized for efforts in partnering with the hospital's Child Passenger Safety program, which provides car seats to families taken by taxi to Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay.
Frequently, patients departing Children's Hospital for the airport do not have car seats, so the hospital provides one for them. Upon arrival at the airport, the individuals either would leave the car seats in a taxi or on the sidewalk at the airport.
Each seat costs approximately $65.
"Prior to Ed's assistance, the car seats were often left on the sidewalk by the cab drivers and our loss was at 100 percent," said Chris Vitale, manager, injury prevention, Children's Hospital. "Ed had already been collecting and storing some of the car seats. Shortly after, we picked up 65 seats Ed had rescued and since then we pick up an average of 20 car seats per month. Ed saved the program and is keeping children safe on a daily basis."
Children's Hospital recognized Mr. Randza, who has been with the airport authority since 2008.
* Jay Means, laboratory preparation technician at Penn State Beaver, has retired after 32 years of service to the campus. Mr. Means worked with the chemistry and biology faculty members on set-ups for classes and labs.
Mr. Means also was a member of the Beaver campus Office of Physical Plant Services. Prior to working at Penn State Beaver, Mr. Means taught biology, chemistry and earth sciences for the Moon Area and Big Beaver Falls Area school districts. He has a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Geneva College.
* West Allegheny High School seniors Eric Finkelstein, Ray Haim and Jodi Kutzner and junior Grace Rosus have been selected to perform Nov. 24 with composer and conductor Sam Hazo in a Pennsylvania Music Educators Association performance.
* Ashley Sitarik of Beaver, a junior at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School in Moon, recently was honored as the Ronald Wolf Seton Scholar at the 23rd annual Seton Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. She will receive a $2,000 Seton scholarship.
First Published: November 14, 2013, 10:26 a.m.