Hello, SRU!

Katie Leckenby, SRU assistant professor of special education, and William Davies, founder and director of the Allegheny Health Network’s Chill Project, stop by to talk about how their partnership in which pre-service teachers in SRU’s education program are acquiring skills to implement mindfulness-based exercises for students in their schools.

Teresa Glasgow, ’10, assistant director of annual giving and donor communication, talks about SRU’s annual Giving Day fundraising event, which is March 26, and how donations support student success. You can give online during Giving Day at givingday.sru.edu or anytime at srufoundation.org/give. 

Cameron Constantine, an SRU senior mechanical engineering major, discusses “living” in the Vincent Science Center, building a racecar with a new racing club at SRU, and helping manage SRU’s 3-D Printing Lab.

Alexes Gomez, an SRU senior social work major, talks about the importance of recognizing indigenous peoples, the University’s land acknowledgment statement and the First Nations Club.

The first episode of a new season of the “Hello, SRU” podcast is with the University’s new president, Karen Riley. President Riley talks about her first impressions of SRU, her goals for the University and what it’s like being at the top of The Rock.

Cierra Mitchell, an SRU senior political science major, talks about being the newest member of the University’s council of trustees. The 12-member governing body of the institution has a seat designated for a student that Mitchell now occupies.

Austin Schoppe, ’23, who, for most of his time as an SRU student, lived a secret life as Rocky, the University’s mascot. Now, he’s able to talk about what it was it like to wear the suit, develop the personality of a cartoonish lion, and follow the mascot code.

Jenny Senko, ’12, an SRU alumna and the University’s new coordinator of blind services, talks about how SRU assists its students who have visual impairments. 

David Skeele, SRU professor of theatre, reflects on his 30-year career at The Rock on the occasion of his upcoming retirement. He’s directed more than 50 SRU productions, and as a playwright his work has been performed on stages from Scotland to Nigeria.

HELICOPTER PARENTS

John Rindy, SRU assistant vice president for career and academic progress, discusses the article he wrote for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about “helicopter parents,” and how they can influence the success (or failure) of college students.