ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The article Unlocking Potential: Embracing NeuroDiversity in the Print Industry By Dwayne Magee, director of Messiah Press, was recently published for IPMA blog.

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Dr. H. Scott Kieffer accompanied seven undergraduate students: Liliana Greer, Owen Walker, Chase Wilson, Ben Van Deusen, Grace Sagna, Sophia Gray-Baublitz and Bella Tozeau to the American Physiological Society conference on April 25 and 26. The students presented their ongoing research among hundreds of posters from other universities and were able to engage in productive professional development. This research was overseen by Scott Kieffer, Jennifer Thomson and Michael Shin.

Another thank you to Dr. Angela Hare for supporting these students by attending the conference.

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To help address the global water crisis, Professor of Engineering Dr. Thomas Soerens recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent the Accord Network at the National Cathedral where he participated in a workshop entitled TAKING THE LONG VIEW: Sustainable WASH in Faith-Based Healthcare Facilities.

The Accord Network is a community of 150 Christian relief and development organizations – Dr. Soerens currently serves as the chair for the network’s WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) division. While in DC, Dr. Soerens also met with members of congress to advocate for the work of WASH issues and offer Accord as a resource in hopes of creating awareness and help for those in need around the world.

Dr. Soerens is seeking to connect with others on campus who may be interested in learning more about WASH. Please reach out to him at tsoerens@messiah.edu if you would like to know more about how you and/or your students can get involved.

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I am pleased to share that Melinda Barnes is now the project coordinator for Alumni/Parent Relations and Affinity Programs. She had been serving as coordinator for Giving Programs as part of our Annual Giving team. Melinda is an exceptional colleague who has worked within the Advancement Division for the past 8 years. Melinda is kind, competent and an ideal representative of Messiah to welcome alumni and parents to campus, particularly during Homecoming (a significant aspect of her new duties). Her new office is in the Alumni/Parent Relations suite on the second floor of the Phipps Admissions and Welcome Center. We are currently working to hire her replacement in Annual Giving.

I am also pleased to share that Emily Lint is now the executive assistant to the vice president for advancement. Emily has been a valued team member within the Advancement Division for the past 13 years, most recently as the project coordinator for Alumni/Parent Relations and Affinity Programs. We welcomed her back to Old Main in Room 221. In her role in support of the vice president for advancement, Emily will also provide administrative support to the Messiah Business Institute. Emily’s organizational skills, kind heart and humor will serve her well in this new role.

Finally, I am sad to announce that Day Fogarty, senior regional advancement representative, is leaving Messiah as of next week. For the past two years, Day has helped to forge donor relationships both locally and in the greater Philadelphia region. She has been a wonderful asset to our frontline fundraising team, and we wish her all the best in her new ventures. We are grateful that part of her vocational journey included time at Messiah. We will be working to hire her replacement in the coming weeks as well.

Jon C. Stuckey
Vice President for Advancement

AROUND CAMPUS

School of Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement

Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.
Brubaker Auditorium, Eisenhower Campus Center

Schedule and details

The full schedule for the 2025 Commencement Ceremony for the School of Graduate & Professional Studies is posted online at messiah.edu/gradcommencement. This website will also provide a live video stream of the Commencement ceremony.

Members of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies faculty should have already received information from the Office of the Provost regarding their participation in Commencement. Faculty, staff and administrators who are participating in the Commencement ceremony should also have received a memo regarding their role in the ceremony from the Commencement Committee.

Parking

Parking lots YY (beside the Welcome Center) VV (the visitor’s lot) and TT (along the railroad tracks) and Sollenberger Sports Center will be the primary guest parking lot for this event.

COE and employees may park in the ZZ lot (between the High Center and Old Main and surrounding Old Main). There will be no reserved parking passes issued for this event.

If you have any questions regarding the School of Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement, please contact Jody Brandt, co-chair of the Commencement Committee, at ext. 6890 or jbrandt@messiah.edu.

Cybersecurity student presents at Cybersecurity Conference

Messiah senior cybersecurity student Carolina Hatch presented her honors research project at the recent Harrisburg BSides conference, held on April 25 at the PA Farm Show Complex. Her session was titled “Synthetic vs. Real-World Data: A Study in Data Poisoning and its Effects,” and focused on how the AI models can be susceptible to false information. Dr. Bibighaus (her research advisor) and a group of Messiah students attended the event to support Carolina and experience the regional conference for cybersecurity professionals, hackers and enthusiasts.

Congratulations to Carolina on an outstanding presentation!

Fiscal year end information

Messiah University’s fiscal year ends on Monday, June 30.  Transactions made in the final months of the fiscal year typically require extra attention to ensure that expenses are recorded in the appropriate fiscal year.  Please review the timeline for purchasing, purchasing cards (P-card and DB-card), and accounts payable below and call 717-691-6010 with questions or concerns.  We sincerely thank you for your cooperation.

PURCHASING
Now through June 13

Orders:

Purchase as needed. Stockpiling supplies (including office supplies, T-shirts, chairs, standing desks, etc.) to spend your entire budget is prohibited.

 

Deliveries:

Communicate definitive delivery dates with suppliers. Purchases must be received on campus by Monday, June 30 to be expensed in the FY25 budget.  Please complete the receiving process in One$ource as soon as items arrive on campus. Be sure to update the receiving note stating the date you received the item. Purchases received on campus July 1 or later will be expensed in the FY26 budget. This is required by accounting principles, and we cannot make exceptions to this policy.

Open purchase orders:

Budget managers should check the status of open purchase orders. Select the “encumbrance” column on the Self-Service Budget Query.

Contact Purchasing to close any open POs that should not be rolled to FY26.

Examples of POs that should be closed:

• Blanket PO where the final delivery for the year has been made
• PO where goods have not and will never be delivered
• PO where the invoice price was lower than the amount entered on the PO

Thursday, June 12

Last day that requisitions for items to be expensed to the FY25 budget are entered – see delivery information above.

Friday, June 13

Budget managers should approve or deny all requisitions in their queue by 5 p.m.

Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20

Please contact Purchasing for assistance with urgent requisitions for items that will positively be received by Monday, June 30, and are to be expensed to the FY25 budget.

Requisitions for items to be expensed to the FY26 budget and FY26 blanket orders can be entered at this time, however, items must not be delivered to campus prior to July 1. This must be communicated to suppliers in the delivery notes section of the requisition. Also, please note in the justification section that the requisition is for FY26. The effective date for FY26 blanket orders must be 7/1/25 or later.

Tuesday, July 1

Requisitions for FY25 goods and services cannot be entered during FY26.  Please contact Purchasing for assistance.

Continue to enter FY26 requisitions and blanket orders.

PURCHASING CARD (P-CARD AND DB-CARD)

Cardholders

Allocate all June purchasing card transactions by end-of-day Thursday, July 3. Please allocate posted July transactions at this time as well.

• If June purchases are for FY26 (example: conference registration for a conference that takes place between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026), please begin the description with “FY26” and email accounting@messiah.edu with the date, amount, and coding for the transaction. Accounting will make an entry so FY26 funds are used.
• If July purchases are for items received before Monday, June 30, please begin the description with “FY25.”

Approvers

Approve all purchasing card transactions by end-of-day Wednesday, July 9. Please approve allocated July transactions at this time as well.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

Now through Friday, July 13

Invoice Processing

If you receive an invoice, please email it to accountspayable@messiah.edu.

Submit all employee and student reimbursements, and expense reimbursements for speakers or contracted services from FY25.

Accounting principles require that all goods and services must be expensed in the year that they are delivered or performed, NOT when the invoice is received. If you have purchased goods or services that were delivered or performed by Monday, June 30, but do not have an invoice, please contact Accounts Payable for guidance. 

Friday, July 11

Final day to submit FY25 invoices to Accounts Payable for processing and payment.

Final day to submit employee and student reimbursements, and expense reimbursements for speakers or contracted services from FY25.

If you receive an invoice for FY25 goods or services after this date, please email it to accountspayable@messiah.edu immediately, noting that it is for FY25.

Healthy Rewards program – Highmark plan participants

Get rewarded for completing healthy activities!

Take steps towards better health and earn incentives along the way! As a Highmark plan participant, you can earn a $200 digital Amazon gift card by completing 4 healthy activities now through Oct. 31.

To get started, log in to the Highmark member portal either through the app or at MyHighmark.com. Please be advised that in order to gain access to the wellness reward program, you must acknowledge the annual authorization agreement at the bottom of the home screen on your member portal.

Click here to view a flyer on the Be Well $200 rewards program.

Exciting news from the Cyber Center!

We are pleased to announce that three of our talented students have been awarded the prestigious DoD CSA Scholarship for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year! Our students’ dedication to cybersecurity and commitment to excellence have truly set them apart.

The scholarship award includes a full scholarship, stipend for living expenses, summer internships and employment after graduation.

Join us in celebrating this significant achievement for our students. Their hard work and passion for advancing cybersecurity are inspiring to all of us. Here’s to the bright futures awaiting them in the field of cybersecurity! Congratulations!

Fiscal year end deadlines

CLASSIFIEDS

Job opportunities

Campus and Building Services has an opening for a full-time 3rd shift worker. Job related questions may be directed to Laura Price at lprice@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29531.

Department of Nursing has an opening for a part-time patient simulation laboratory (PSL) coordinator. Job related questions may be directed to Laura Lebo at llebo@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29564.

Facility Maintenance has an opening for a full-time general maintenance HVAC technician. Job related questions may be directed to Amy Stephan at astephan@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29554.

The department of General Education is now hiring a full-time administrative assistant to the dean of general education, Common Learning and Academic Support and director of assessment. Job related questions may be directed to Kate Oswald Wilkins at koswaldwilkins@messiah.edu.

Development – Annual Giving has an opening for a full-time administrative assistant for Giving Programs. Job related questions may be directed to Tovah Wilson at twilson@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29311.

Office of the Provost has an opening for a full-time executive assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Christine Gardner at cgardner@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29315.

The Financial Aid Office has an opening for a part-time financial aid office assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Mike Strite at mstrite@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29291.

Admissions has an opening for a part-time admissions hospitality assistant. Job related questions may be directed to Kristin Thomas at kthomas@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29297.

Admissions has an opening for a temporary admissions traveling recruiter. Job related questions may be directed to Shayna Mark at smark@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29304.

The Department of Intellectual Disabilities Certificate has an opening for a full-time NEXT Steps resident life educator. Job related questions may be directed to Amber Brisbane at abrisbane@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29081.

Residence Life has an opening for a full-time residence life educator. Job related questions may be directed to Annastasia Bonczyk at abonczyk@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/28943.

The Office of Development has an opening for a full-time regional advancement representative. Job related questions may be directed to John Zeigler at jzeigler@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/28806.

Dining Services has an opening for a full-time cook II PM. Job related questions may be related to Mark Wirtz at mwirtz@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit:https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/28988.

Dining Services has an opening for a full-time culinary assistant. Job related questions may be related to Mark Wirtz at mwirtz@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29548.

Grounds Services has an opening for a part-time groundskeeper. Job related questions may be directed to Mark Graybill at mgraybill@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit :https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29118

Grounds Services has an opening for a part-time seasonal groundskeeper. Job related questions may be directed to Mark Graybill at mgraybill@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29281.

Grounds Services has an opening for a full-time athletic field spray applicator/aeration coordinator. Job related questions may be directed to Mark Graybill at mgraybill@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/29463.

The Department of Safety has an opening for a 1st shift safety officer. Job related questions may be directed to Daniel (Brad) Neuenschwander at dneuenschwander@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/28975.

The Department of Safety has an opening for 2nd shift safety officer/dispatcher. Job related questions may be directed to Daniel (Brad) Neuenschwander at dneuenschwander@messiah.edu. For more information and to apply, visit: https://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/28594.

For rent

Oakwood Hills apartments. Oakwood Hills wants to help you enjoy your summer in style. Dive into our saltwater pool, perfect for hot summer days. Relax on the covered porch off the clubhouse, a great spot to unwind and watch your favorite team on the TV. Savor delicious meals from frequent food trucks and mingle with friendly neighbors.
Sound appealing? Call our office at 717-590-8883 or email oakwoodhills@rentpmi.com to schedule a tour for your next home. You’re also welcome to stop by our May 31 Open House between 10 a.m. and noon.

Wanted

Air-conditioner units needed. My church is assisting a refugee family that could use some window air-conditioner units for various-sized rooms. If you have one, you’d like to give away or donate, let me know at dzercher@messiah.edu. I’d be glad to pick it up. -David Weaver-Zercher