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College appoints two VPs to serve Student Services & External Affairs

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has made appointments at the level of vice president to better serve and advance our region.

Trish Corle was recently appointed the Vice President of Student Services, and continues to serve as the Title IX Coordinator and Right to Know Officer. In her new role, she will oversee and manage all Enrollment Management services, including recruitment, admissions, and retention. In addition, Ms. Corle will administer the Student Judicial Process, serve as the Chief Student Affairs Administrator, and direct the development and direction of the College’s brand through marketing campaigns and strategies. Her leadership in these areas will cover all five regional locations that encompass Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.

Ms. Corle has been with Penn Highlands since 2010, most recently serving as the Associate Vice President for External Relations. Trish currently serves as a Ferndale Borough Councilwoman, and is a member of the Cambria County Transit Authority and Incline Plane Board of Directors. She holds a master’s degree in Health and Human Service Administration and is the President and CEO of Corle Consulting, a company dedicated to providing low to no cost consulting services to nonprofit and human service organizations.

Dr. Melissa Murray was recently appointed the Associate Vice President of External Affairs. She will manage various aspects of External Affairs, including, but not limited, the following: overseeing the College’s Foundation; supporting and nurturing the College’s relationships with local, county, state, and federally elected officials; serving as grant administrator; providing leadership to the School Partnership Programs (such as the nationally accredited Accelerated College Education Program); building educational partnerships with external organizations; and advising the College President with the creation and implementation of institutional development policies.

Dr. Murray has been with the College since 2010, most recently serving as Dean of School Partnerships Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Service Administration and Leadership Studies from IUP, a M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Penn State, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to Penn Highlands, Melissa was the Director of Institutional Development/Director of Marketing at the Hiram G. Andrews Center, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor 2 at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. She currently serves on the Greater Johnstown Chamber of Commerce Women’s Information Network Committee, Greater Johnstown School District’s Occupational Advisory Committee, and has served as Lead Team Peer Reviewer and Coach for the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships accreditation application.

Trish Corle, VP of Student Services

Dr. Melissa Murray, VP of External Affairs

Local, State, and College Officials hold Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at new Somerset facility

With the fall semester underway and the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Somerset Center thriving in its new home at the recently renamed Somerset County Education Center, local and state officials joined with College officials to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the morning of Wednesday, September 7th. These officials took a moment to honor this new chapter in the story of Penn Highlands Community College and Somerset County.

Those in attendance include: Brenda Thomas, representative for Senator Pat Stefano; Somerset County Commissioners John Vatavuk, James Yoder and Gerald Walker; Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands Community College; Adam Bowser, Director of the Somerset Center; Ron Aldom, Executive Director of the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce; and Jose Otero, representative for Congressman Keith Rothfus.

The Penn Highlands Somerset facility, at 6024 Glades Pike in Somerset, houses two classrooms, a computer lab, a science lab, a testing room, a faculty work room, and a staff suite. This will allow Penn Highlands Somerset to offer degrees in Accounting, Business Management, Criminal Justice, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Psychology, and Technology Management.

Photo of Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Pictured (from left to right): Brenda Thomas, representative for Senator Pat Stefano; Somerset County Commissioners John Vatavuk, James Yoder and Gerald Walker; Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands Community College; Adam Bowser, Director of the Somerset Center; Ron Aldom, Executive Director of the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce; and Jose Otero, representative for Congressman Keith Rothfus.

Penn Highlands to assist Students affected by Closing of DuBois Business College & ITT Technical Institute

As ITT Technical Institute and DuBois Business College have announced they will close their doors this month, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will utilize the experience it gained from a similar situation to help these students complete their education.

Penn Highlands, a local community college, worked closely with staff and students from Cambria-Rowe Business College over the summer to create transition plans for students looking to complete their education and find success. Currently, 40 former Cambria-Rowe students are enrolled in various programs at Penn Highlands Community College.

“First and foremost we want to say that we sympathize with these students from ITT Technical Institute and Dubois Business College,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “A college education is a very personal experience and this is not the experience they had anticipated. The good news is that we have been through this with students from Cambria-Rowe, so we understand how the teach-out plans and transfer of credits will work.”

Representatives from the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College are available to assist and to advise these students affected by the closing of DuBois Business College and ITT Tech. Our goal is to ensure that each of these students has a plan in place to complete his or her education.

Penn Highlands has served more than 52,000 community members with quality and affordable academic options for over 20 years. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recognizes its role and responsibility to these students and to the entire community during this difficult time. Penn Highlands is here to help.

Somerset Center moves to new Facility based on Growth

The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Somerset Center has called the Georgian Place home since January of 2012. In recent years, the College has seen significant growth and, as a result, was in need of a new facility with additional space to expand its course offerings to those in Somerset and the surrounding communities.

This fall, Penn Highlands Somerset will be holding its classes in the newly renamed Somerset County Education Center at 6024 Glades Pike in Somerset. This facility was formerly known as the Allegany College of Maryland Somerset County Campus before it became open to any institution of higher learning.

Penn Highlands Somerset will house two classrooms (with one designed for distance instruction and learning), a computer lab, a science lab, a testing room, a faculty work room, and a staff suite. This will allow the College to offer degrees in Accounting, Business Management, Criminal Justice, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Psychology, and Technology Management. With the College’s move into this location, the community will begin to see program expansion and more academic paths to choose from in the coming months.

“The importance of providing additional opportunities to the Somerset area has been an ongoing discussion within Penn Highlands. This move was only natural and serves to provide extensive educational options to local residents,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.

The College’s new Somerset facility located at 6024 Glades Pike in Somerset.

Partnership with local Vet Practice yields Positive Results

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently partnered with Johnstown Veterinary Associates to offer local students the ability to train and become veterinary assistants.

Penn Highlands’ Veterinary Assistant program began this past February with over ten students enrolled in the program. These students got the experience they needed through both 50 hours of intensive, classroom training and four-week clinical rotations at Johnstown Veterinary Associates.

Under the supervision of Dr. Fayez Assad and other veterinary technicians, students were evaluated based on competencies in surgery, lab, kennel, and client service. “These clinical rotations offered students the opportunity to apply what they studied in the classroom and provided them with the first steps in becoming veterinary assistants. Last year, we were able to provide a job opportunity to one of the students. This job doesn’t only depend on ability, but the desire to learn and absorb all of the skills needed to be successful,” stated Dr. Assad of Johnstown Veterinary Associates.

For information on this partnership and the Veterinary Assistant program, please contact Penn Highlands Community College Continuing Education at 814.262.3815 or continuinged@pennhighlands.edu.

Photo includes Dr. Assad (right) working with a veterinary assistant student (left) during a clinical session. Photo taken by Sean McCool, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.