Tom Crombie, the new head coach for Penn State New Kensington’s men's and women’s golf program, is eager to get out the alignment sticks, plug-in the analyzer, and offer improvement tips. As a Class A PGA professional instructor, Crombie wants his New Kensington Lions to take advantage of the opportunities available to them to tweak their swings and enhance their games. “My goal is to improve the players’ golf techniques and strategies while helping to build confident mental attitudes while having fun,” said Crombie, who earned his “A” license in 2000.

Penn State New Kensington will host two free information sessions in July to introduce its first off-campus bachelor’s degree that can be earned at the Regional Learning Alliance (RLA) in Cranberry Township, Pa. Geared to prospective students in the northern Pittsburgh suburbs, the same four-year information science and technology (IST) degree offered at the New Kensington campus is now available in a blended-delivery format at RLA. Students will meet once per month in the classroom with the remainder of the course online. The hybrid courses are ideal for working adults and high school, dual-enrollment students.

Penn State New Kensington’s Kids in College summer program kicks into high gear after the Fourth of July weekend. Learning camps in music and arts, STEM and culture, and sports and health highlight the 25th year of the program. For a quarter of a century, the Office of Continuing Education has offered a variety of academic and sports activities for more than 10,000 students in grades 1 through 12. For the past 10 years, the program blended its traditional learning camps with Pennsylvania's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives.

New Student Orientation is a three-day program designed to help Penn State New Kensington students successfully transition from high school to college. The program is a concerted effort by faculty and staff to ensure that incoming students feel comfortable and welcome in their new surroundings. The program gives first-year students the opportunity to examine their academic abilities, interests, and educational plans before their first semester of classes. The program provides students with a basic understanding of what will be expected of them at Penn State and how their particular abilities and interests may fit with one or more of the University's majors.

Penn State New Kensington alumnus Kristen Guy was named to the list of the 2013 Fab 40. Guy was honored at a reception in the spring. Sponsored by the New Pittsburgh Courier, one of the oldest black newspapers in the United States, the Fab 40 honors 40 of Pittsburgh’s young African-American professionals under the age of 40. Guy was nominated for the award by the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Pittsburgh where she is co-chair of the community service committee. She was selected for making a positive impact on the community.

Penn State New Kensington alumnus Ron Baxter has taken higher education to the third degree. Baxter, who earned an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology in 1991, keeps up with the latest industry trends by mastering new skills that help his employer remain competitive in the precision components field. The J.V. Manufacturing Co. designs and develops stamping dies for worldwide customers.

Shawn Annarelli, of Allison Park, Pa., was the 2013 recipient of the Penn State New Kensington Literary Award. Annarelli, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications in May, was honored for his work as a contributing writer for the Nittany Pride, the student newspaper at the campus. Prior to enrolling at the New Kensington campus, Annarelli was on the staff of the Behrend Beacon at Penn State Erie, first as a reporter, and then as sports editor and managing editor.

A collection of Bud Gibbons paintings, on loan from the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, is on display during June and July in the Art Gallery at Penn State New Kensington. Four 8-feet by 10-feet acrylic on canvas pieces constitute the exhibit, “Four Seasons,” which are landscapes of the annual weather patterns of Westmoreland County in Western Pennsylvania. The New Kensington show features all four seasons together, which is a break from the museum’s traditional showing of each painting during its corresponding season.

More than 50 alumni, friends and students attended "Penn State A.M.," the free breakfast social held May 15, at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Pa.
Co-hosted by Ned Laubacher, the hospital’s chief executive officer, and the Alle-Kiski Alumni Society, the breakfast offered Penn Staters a chance to get together and hear about issues in healthcare and higher education. The guest speakers were Dr. Thomas McClure, chief medical officer for the hospital, and Alan Janesch, director of the Grassroots Network of the Penn State Alumni Association.
McClure’s talk, “Health Care in Transformation,” focused on the changes needed in the health care model in the United States. Janesch, a Penn State alumnus, spoke about “Politics Is Everything: And What That Might Mean to You.” He urged students and alumni to get involved in advocacy and fight for issues that concern them.

Young students' imaginations will soar to great heights this summer as Penn State New Kensington celebrates 25 years of its Kids in College program.

For a quarter of a century, the Office of Continuing Education has offered a variety of academic and sports activities for students in grades one through 12. Each year, more than 400 youths participate in the hands-on camps. For the past 10 years, the program blended its traditional camps with the Pennsylvania STEM.

Registration and sponsorship forms for the 14th annual Alumni Golf Scramble are available on the Penn State New Kensington website. Sponsored by the Alle-Kiski Society, the tournament tees it up at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo, Pa.