Slippery Rock University

Preparing students to become leaders in their fields is a core component of many programs at Slippery Rock University. Among the students who have experienced that development is Payton Sciere. Sciere, a senior early childhood education and special education major from Pittsburgh (Avonworth HS), credits the University for giving her the experiences necessary to become an effective and impactful teacher after spending time with leadership training organizations at SRU and student teaching programs through her major.

Two Slippery Rock University music education majors earned national recognition this summer, representing the University at the 2026 Modern Band Summit, a highly selective gathering of music educators and student leaders from across the country. Keira Mayhue, a senior from Altoona (Altoona HS), and Ethan Aeschbacher, a senior from Midland (Western Beaver HS), were invited to serve as collegiate ambassadors for SRU at the event, July 22-24, in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they gained hands-on industry experience and networked with professionals.

Owen Durka embodies what it means to support students through community and connection at Slippery Rock University. Durka, a junior industrial and systems engineering major from Charleroi (Charleroi HS), is a community assistant in Rhoads Hall, one of SRU's traditional-style residence halls. He values the campus community that led him to enroll and thrive at SRU.

Slippery Rock University students like Birtukan Hartman are learning what it means to be leaders with confidence and character. Hartman, a junior marketing major from Jersey Shore, is being shaped by her involvement on campus as a group leader for the Audience of One faith-based student organization, secretary of the American Marketing Association chapter at SRU, and as a member of women's track and field and cross country teams. "SRU has positioned me for success and given me the confidence to become a leader," Hartman said. "One of our sayings on the cross country team is that anybody can be a leader. It's about stepping up, and it doesn't have to be a big deal-it can just be that you're nice, or you have a light about you. Being on a team helps me put others before myself and encourage them."

At Slippery Rock University, undergraduate students gain valuable research experiences and drive innovation working alongside faculty. Cooper Alleman, a junior chemistry major from Slippery Rock (Slippery Rock HS), is benefiting from this first-hand through an in-depth research project into alpha-synuclein, a protein found in the human body primarily within brain neurons. Alleman's project, titled "Probing Binding Dynamics of Alpha-Synuclein by a Novel Histidine Label and Electron Spin Resonance," is under the direction of Jessica Sarver, an SRU assistant professor of chemistry. The pair's study focuses on probing the membrane binding dynamics of alpha-synuclein, which are proteins that help facilitate the chemical transmission of signals in the brain. The misfolding and clustering of these proteins are also linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.

A Slippery Rock University faculty-student research team made waves in the field of esports research. Emma Pruett '26, who graduated in May with a degree in English writing, worked throughout her college career with Seth Jenny, an associate professor of exercise science and a leading expert in esports, before recently publishing research as co-authors.

The safety management student organization at Slippery Rock University was chosen as the best in the nation. SRU was recognized by the American Society of Safety Professionals with the Outstanding Student Section of the Year award, June 15-17, at the ASSP's conference in Anaheim, California. With more than 6,500 safety professionals attending the conference, this recognition marks a momentous occasion for SRU's safety management program, reflecting the constant effort from students, faculty, alumni and industry partners involved. Representing the ASSP student section at SRU was Jillian Stahl, a junior safety management major from Pittsburgh (Fox Chapel HS), who attended the conference.

Slippery Rock University alumna Lydia Seaton, '26, recently achieved national recognition through the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) for her creative work. Nominated by Patrick McGinty, associate professor of languages, literatures, cultures, and writing, Seaton's psychological fiction piece "Kintsugi" was named a finalist and earned an honorable mention in the AWP Intro Journals Project.

By participating in specialized study abroad programs, education majors at Slippery Rock University are doing far more than just touring, they are discovering firsthand what it means to be an educator before they graduate. Olivia Platt, a senior mid-level mathematics education major from Coraopolis (Moon HS), had the opportunity to study board in Scotland, May 11-19, as part of a faculty-led program that provided her a new outlook on teaching. "I think that studying abroad, for any amount of time, is life changing," Platt said.

Some lessons can only be learned by stepping beyond the classroom and into the world. For Slippery Rock University student Shaina Overcash, a sophomore biology major from Greencastle (Greencastle-Antrim HS), as well as 18 other SRU students, were able to experience this firsthand as they embarked on a faculty-led study abroad program to Ireland, discovering new cultures, lifelong friendships and a global perspective.

What began as a difficult transition to college became a story of resilience, collaboration and community for Slippery Rock University graduate Angelina Guerrera, '26. Through her leadership in Alpha Kappa Psi, Guerrera found a place to belong at SRU while also helping cultivate a supportive environment where fellow students could grow and connect.

A Slippery Rock University student is conducting forward-thinking research that offers new solutions for bioremediation at acid mine drainage sites in western Pennsylvania. Gianna Kraus, a senior biology from Murrysville (Kiski HS), completed genetic analysis research at SRU in their project titled "Investigation of Metal-Resistant Bacteria from Acid Mine Drainage Environments."

Slippery Rock University has announced its dean's list for the Spring 2026 semester. The dean's list consists of SRU undergraduate students who earned an adjusted semester grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, based on a schedule of at least 12 newly attempted and earned credits.

By preserving important community stories and bringing local voices to a wider audience, Slippery Rock University student Josie Hart is demonstrating how student research projects can create a lasting impact beyond the classroom. Hart, a senior strategic communications and media major from Greenville (Greenville HS) recently completed a project that emphasized the importance of localized journalism in media writing.

Ignited by his passion for building and science, Jacob Cerra is launching water rocket research to new heights at Slippery Rock University. Cerra, a junior mechanical engineering major from North Huntingdon (Norwin HS), is constructing better water rockets using principles of physics that can be applied anywhere from middle school classrooms to the NASA space program.

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.