Slippery Rock University

With flying insect populations rapidly declining around the world in the last decade, researchers at Slippery Rock University are taking the lead to identify the causes in western Pennsylvania. Cory Shoemaker, SRU associate professor of biology, and Christian Mitchell, a senior biology major from Brownfield (Laurel Highlands HS), are at the forefront. After Shoemaker and Mitchell started collecting and assessing insects using traps last summer, they've been preserving and examining their samples in a lab at SRU during the school year.

Creativity and talent of Slippery Rock University students were on display as the Martha Gault Art Gallery presented its annual Juried Student Art Exhibit with a reception, March 11, concluding the three-week installation featuring mixed medium art submitted by SRU art students. Out of 90 submitted works, 49 pieces were accepted for display. The exhibit was juried by Clayton Merrell, professor of art at Carnegie Mellon University. Merrell selected five awarded artworks: First place: Kayla Stallings, a senior art major from Sag Harbor, New York (Pierson HS) presenting "Fur," a sculpture submission. Second place: Alexa Rivero, a senior art major from Uniontown (Laurel Highlands HS) presenting "Under Occupation," a painting submission. Third place: Nora Weitzel, a junior art major from Oakmont (Riverview HS) presenting "Together" and "Delicate," an intaglio printmaking submission. Honorable mention: Emily Fuller, a junior art major from Irwin (Boone Grove HS) presenting "Freaky Cheese," a fiber art submission. Honorable mention: Veronica Yeschke, a senior art major from West View (North Hills HS) presenting "The Big Picture," a ceramics submission.

United as a community in celebration and collaboration, Slippery Rock University students, faculty and staff will find themselves dancing the night away as "Dancing with the SRU Stars" returns at 7 p.m., March 12, in the Stoner West Dance Studio Theater. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at sru.edu/tickets. The event is SRU's version of the hit television series "Dancing with the Stars," in which professional dancers pair with celebrities to train and compete in ballroom dancing. At the University, "Dancing with the SRU Stars" will feature student dance majors as the "dancers," partnered with professors and staff members as the "stars."

Affirmed by an international peer panel for excellence, a Slippery Rock University student achieved one of the highest honors for her creative work in student media as an on-air radio personality. Chloe Kemp, a senior strategic communication and media major from Crescent (Moon HS), won a Broadcast Education Association Best of Festival Award in the Student Audio Competition. Kemp earned an Award of Excellence in the Air Personality Category for submission of work that she did with WSRU-FM, the student-run radio station at SRU. More than 400 students and 48 faculty members were recognized by the BEA from over 2,350 entries and a 20% acceptance rate for student competitions.

Two Slippery Rock University students are recognized as prominent leaders in their field after earning fully funded internships to attend the 2026 Stadium Managers Association Seminar in New Orleans, Feb. 7-12. Senior sport management majors Aaron Chaplin, from Altoona (Altoona HS), and Joseph Young, from Winchester, Virginia (Millbrook HS), were chosen for the networking-focused internship with the Stadium Managers Association. The SMA is a professional organization that works to foster and strengthen networking connections among venue managers, league officials, leading industry suppliers, and other key resources across the sport management field. As interns, Chaplin and Young assisted with the coordination and operations of the seminar, which welcomed more than 400 attendees.

Audiences will have five chances to experience the students' artistry and talents as the Slippery Rock University Theatre Department's presents "Ride the Cyclone," March 6-11. A popular musical from 2009, featuring music and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, "Ride the Cyclone" follows the story of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir whose lives are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they wake up, each is given the chance to tell a story, with the prize being an opportunity to come to life. Showtimes and dates are 7:30 p.m. on March 6-7 and March 10-11, and 2 p.m. on March 8 in the Stoner Black Box Theater. Tickets can be purchased at sru.edu/tickets.

Slippery Rock University is seeking a student trustee after Charli Severo has spent the last two years advocating for and speaking on behalf of students as a member of the University's council of trustees. Severo, a senior political science major from Albion (Northwestern HS), will conclude her appointment upon graduating in May and the deadline for students to apply to replace her is Feb. 27.

Serenity Williams embodies the importance of affordable higher education, not just as a scholarship recipient at Slippery Rock University but in her work supporting her fellow students on their financial path to pay for college and achieve success. "I'm a first-generation college student, so without the financial aid and scholarships that I've received, I definitely wouldn't be here today," said Williams, a sophomore psychology major from Johnstown (Ferndale HS). Wiliams can identify with many of the students she assistants through her on-campus job working in SRU's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Quinn Parson can empathize with students and families who rely on financial aid. Not only does he depend on it, but he's also often on the other end of the "Did I miss the FAFSA deadline?" phone calls. Parson, a senior strategic communication and media major from Slippery Rock (Slippery Rock HS), is a student worker in SRU's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

A Slippery Rock University student achieved a unique display placement for her artwork-front and center in SRU President Karen Riley's on-campus residence. Samantha Toki, a senior dual art and strategic communication and media major from Windber (Windber HS), is the winner of the Spring 2026 SRU President's Student Art in Residence Award. Since Fall 2023, SRU art faculty select student art for display in the foyer of the president's home where guests attended special events can enjoy the work.

Eight Slippery Rock University students earned a coveted opportunity at one of the largest spectacles in sport by joining the staff that brought Super Bowl LX to life in Santa Clara, California, for more the than 90,000 fans attending the NFL's marquee event.

For a second straight year, students from Slippery Rock University who are preparing for careers in public relations were recognized by a Pittsburgh area professional association as the highest achieving students in the region. The Public Relations Student Society of America's SRU chapter, known as Rock PRSSA, was named the Public Relations Society of America Pittsburgh's 2026 PRSSA Chapter of the Year at the PRSA Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards on Jan. 29 in Pittsburgh. The rare back-to-back distinction for the chapter reflects its consistent performance and the applied, professional focus of SRU strategic communication and media program.

A Slippery Rock University student has eagerly seized opportunities to make her mark in SRU's proud and vibrant community. Jayden Williams, a senior strategic communication and media major with from Turtle Creek (Taylor Alderdice HS), went from describing herself as a very introverted upon arriving at SRU four years ago to now being an active leader involved in organizations like Queens, Black Action Society, the Frederick Douglass Institute, and as an employee of the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership."

A Slippery Rock University student is exploring new ground and empowering those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through a faculty-led research project. Natalie Krulac, a senior recreational therapy major from McKees Rocks (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart HS), is studying the effects that students' preferred music has on their focus and attention, examining potential coping strategies for those with ADHD and potentially decreasing excessive use of prescription drugs. Krulac's interest in research took root during a research-based course that she took with Betsy Kemeny, professor of recreational therapy. Krulac credits Kemeny as an important mentor in her time at SRU, supporting and encouraging her through her research.

The Slippery Rock University Dance Department presents its boundary pushing, cutting edge Emerging Artists Dance Concert with two shows, 7 p.m., Jan. 30, and 2 p.m., Jan. 31, at the Performing Arts Center's Miller Theater. Tickets are available for purchase for $15 at www.sru.edu/tickets. This unique concert is an important tradition in the SRU Dance Department, highlighting the choreography of SRU students and lifting up the creative voices of the next generation of dance artists. This year's concert offerings are the creations of junior and senior dance majors:

Dakharee Mann gained a behind the scenes look into one of golf's biggest tournaments at Oakmont Country Club. Mann, a Slippery Rock University sophomore sport management major from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township HS), experienced first-hand the inner workings of the U.S. Open tournament through an internship with USGA Pathways. The 10-day internship, on location in Oakmont during the U.S. Open earlier this month, gave college students the opportunity to learn to every facet of the $84 billion golf industry. Mann was one of 24 interns selected from a pool of more than 750 applicants.