News Release

Penn State Harrisburg says thanks at Grad School Family Day

September 23, 2008

Home to the largest graduate school in the entire University system, Penn State Harrisburg’s master’s and doctoral programs annually attract 1,400 students pursuing degrees in a comprehensive list of majors.

These students – the vast majority of them part-time – traditionally spend several years enrolled in evening courses while balancing work and families en route to their career-enhancing degree. Many times it’s the support and understanding of families and loved ones which enable those students to succeed.

On a recent sunny and warm Friday afternoon and evening, Penn State Harrisburg’s Graduate Student Family Day was designed to offer appreciation to everyone involved.

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Marian Walters says, “Our graduate student population is 85 percent part-time. These dedicated students leave their families many evenings and weekends across many years as they pursue their degree. We wanted to thank those understanding loved ones for all their support while helping them get to know our college in a more personal way.”

The event include information on the college, campus tours, a picnic lunch, games for children, Penn State Creamery ice cream, and even photos with the Nittany Lion mascot.

For many students, evening classes mean leaving children at home while they come to the college. For Applied Psychological Research major Alexia Hozella, who attended with husband Willow and young daughter Micayla, it was the first opportunity for her to show “where mommy goes to color,” she said with a smile.

Lorie Kramer from Carlisle, a student in the Adult Education doctoral program who is employed at Holy Spirit Hospital, brought her husband Tim and young son Zachary to campus “to show them the classrooms.”

And Master of Health Administration major Susan McQuade added, “This is a great event; the children had no idea where I go on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.” Susan attended with husband Bill, a 1998 Penn State Harrisburg MBA graduate who marveled at the changes on campus since he had last visited.

Dr. Walters adds, “The event also provides an opportunity for interaction across disciplines. With the wealth of programs here at Penn State Harrisburg, many of our graduate students never meet, yet they have so much in common. This relaxed setting is the perfect place for new friendships and academic alliances to be formed.”

Full-time master’s degree student in American Studies Brant Ellsworth agrees. Formerly from Utah, Ellsworth, his wife, and infant child now reside in Middletown. He points out that the Grad Student Family Day turned out to be a “nice way to meet a few families who live like us” – young children, no family in the area, studying full-time.

The afternoon and evening also included many faculty, again providing an opportunity for interaction with the students outside the formal academic setting. Chatting with Ellsworth, Associate Professor of American Studies and History Charles Kupfer complemented the new student by saying, “We are proud and lucky to have him as a student and as a grad assistant.”

The festivities also “showcased the broad range of undergraduate and graduate opportunities at Penn State Harrisburg for family members who may not realize how comprehensive the college really is – 25 percent of all Penn State graduate degrees are awarded here each year,” Dr. Walters adds.