Newsroom

Crisis Intervention Training hosted at Richland Campus; Professor among Participants to earn Certificate

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently hosted the Laurel Highlands Region Crisis Intervention Team as they provided their annual Crisis Intervention Training during the final week of March to officers and others in the field.

This weeklong (40-hour) training program teaches individuals various techniques on how to engage with people in crises, including those who are mentally ill. Participants were able to hone their verbal de-escalation skills with the goal of creating nonviolent intervention through voluntary compliance.

Additional training topics dealt with handling the mentally ill, juveniles, and people with personality disorders, suicide prevention, and substance abuse. This program is currently in its 10^th year.

Twenty-one police and corrections officers from multiple counties attended the program, including the College’s own Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences, Dr. Robert Clark. After completion, all received a certificate during a graduation ceremony

Blair Students participated in Clean Up of Altoona

On Saturday, April 8th, students from the Pennsylvania Highlands Blair Center participated in a spring cleanup of a key thoroughfare in the City of Altoona. The intersections of 6th & 7th avenues with 7th & 8th streets are high traffic areas and are often the first to be seen by visitors and tourists.

Members of the Blair Center Student Activities Club swept remnants of this winter’s road treatments from the sidewalks in addition to gathering trash and debris in conjunction with the City of Altoona’s Public Works Department. Students arrived at these intersections around 8:00am, and continued to clear the area until noon.

Participants of Altoona Clean Up (L to R): Jen Daniels (Community Volunteer), Jenda Sible, Tracey McClellan and daughter, Rachel and Aaron Bakaysa, John Donnelly (AASD School Board President), Keith Bryant, Matthew Pacifico (Mayor of the City of Altoona), Joseph Eckels (Big A Booster Club President), Rebecca Rago, and Julie Patosky (Blair Center Director).

Somerset Center to host combined open house with Conemaugh Allied Health

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Somerset Center will be hosting a combined open house with Conemaugh Allied Health on Monday, March 20th, from 5:30pm to 7pm. This open house will be held at the College’s Somerset Center, located in the Somerset County Education Center at 6024 Glades Pike, Suite 210.

Individuals attending will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from both organizations. If you are interested in a Conemaugh Health program or simply wanting to learn more about earning your college degree, this event is the perfect place for you to begin and have any questions answered.

To learn more about this event or if you have any questions about Penn Highlands Somerset, please contact us at 814.443.2500, 1.888.385.PEAK, or somerset@pennhighlands.edu.

Three Professors certified as Cybercrime Investigators; look to advance Criminal Justice & Information Technology

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce that three full-time faculty members were recently certified as Cybercrime Investigators by the International Fraternity of Cybercrime Investigators (IFCI). Congratulations to:

• Dr. Robert Clark, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Social Sciences
• Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
• Mr. Dennis Miller, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

By completing the IFCI-CCI (Certified Cybercrime Investigator) Professional Certification exam, Dr. Slonka, Dr. Clark, and Mr. Miller received in-depth, hands-on technical training from some of the top experts in federal law enforcement, as well as first-class instruction from highly recognized university professors.

The certification process provides training in a myriad of cybercrime topics including – but not limited to – network intrusion, system forensic artifacts, deleted file recovery and file carving, forensic acquisition, memory and malware analysis, and more. Completing the certification program ensures that Dr. Clark, Dr. Slonka, and Mr. Miller have an expertise in all of the previous fields.

Penn Highlands is consistently looking for new and innovate ways to help our region and its population find success in today’s technologically advanced society. These three professors understand the College’s vision and have taken it upon themselves to advance the College’s Criminal Justice and Information Technology degree programs for the success of the students these programs serve.

“Penn Highlands is here to help our community thrive,” stated Trish Corle, Vice President of Student Services. “Our faculty members have a clear understanding of how changes within industry demand a response in the classroom. This represents a forward-thinking approach to higher education that speaks volumes about their commitment to students and their discipline.”

To help better serve our community and our students, Penn Highlands has expanded our Information Technology program into three separate tracks under the leadership of Dr. Slonka: Cyber Security, Network Administration, and Server Administration. All three tracks are designed to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately in any number of entry-level positions.

Our Criminal Justice degrees are built for students to either immediately enter the workforce or to easily transfer to a four-year institution with junior standing. Students have found success in many fields through our program – from the police force to crime statistics analysts and more.

About the International Fraternity of Cybercrime Investigators
The U.S. Department of Justice recognizes cybercrime as one of the biggest threats facing our nation’s security, prosperity and safety — and it’s not a threat that will simply go away. At IFCI, our mission is to equip highly skilled analysts and investigators to combat this threat both in the U.S. and abroad.

From Left to Right: Mr. Dennis Miller, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice; Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Dr. Robert Clark, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Social Sciences.

Men’s Basketball Player Tim Biakapia earns National Player of the Week Honor

The NJCAA national office has announced that Penn Highlands freshman forward Tim Biakapia (Northwest HS, Germantown, MD) has been named the Division III National Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of February 6^th – 12^th.

During the week, Biakapia averaged 25.5 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. In two games, Biakapia shot 79.2% from the field (19-24) and made every free throw taken (13-13). Penn Highlands went 2-0 over that span with both wins coming against conference opponents.

“Tim has made such a huge impact on our team this year as a freshman,” Black Bears Head Coach Landon Loya said. “He is extremely versatile, has a good attitude, and most importantly, is a great teammate. He has truly been a pleasure to coach this year.”

Currently, Biakapia is ranked 11th in the nation in rebounds (11.1 RPG), 17^th in the nation in FG% (59.5%), and 25th in the nation in points (21.6 PPG).

“With Tim stepping up and playing big minutes as a freshman, combined with a talented group of sophomores led by Tony [Acrie, Altoona HS] and Jake [Lushko, Richland HS], it has been a great year for our team,” Loya said.

Penn Highlands recently finished their regular season with a 12-10 record, including a 9-3 conference record. The Black Bears received a first round bye and will host a second round home conference playoff game on Saturday, February 18^th, at the East Hills Recreation gym at 2pm. They face the winner of the Western Pennsylvania Athletic Association first round matchup between Westmoreland County Community College and CCAC-Boyce.

For additional information, please contact Sue Brugh, Director of Athletics, at 814.262.6463 or sbrugh@pennhighlands.edu.