Penn State Worthington Scranton alumni and students are spearheading a new event to raise funds to aid the fight against pediatric cancer. The campus' first Zumba-THON will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, in the campus' Multipurpose Building. For a suggested minimum donation of $5 per person, individuals of all ages may participate in or stop by the event, which is being co-sponsored by the Penn State Worthington Scranton Alumni Society and the student Blue & White Society.

The renowned Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa, recently hosted Philip Mosley, professor of English and comparative literature at Penn State Worthington Scranton, who read from his 2011 Griffin Poetry Prize, short-listed translation of Francois Jacqmin's "The Book of the Snow."

Jack Lengyel, head coach of Marshal University's football team from 1971 to 1974 following a tragic plane crash that killed 75 people, including the university's entire football team, staff, administrators, and boosters will speak at Penn State Worthington Scranton. Lengyel's efforts and successes at Marshal University following the tragic 1971 plane crash provided the inspiration for the 2006 movie, "We Are Marshal," which starred Matthew McConaughey.

His presentation will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, in The View Cafe, in the Study Learning Center on the Penn State Worthington Scranton campus. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Student Activities office at 570-963-2700.

Sherry Roush, associate professor of Italian, specializing in Medieval and Renaissance Italian literature and culture, will present "Conversing with the Dead and the Unborn in the Italian Renaissance" at noon on Nov. 7, in the K. Bruce Sherbine Lounge in the Study Learning Center at the Penn State Worthington Scranton campus.This event is free and open to the public.

Roush will talk about ghosts, with an added twist from one Italian author who tries to talk to generations not yet born in his day. Her talk will be complemented with slides that will add significantly to the visual interest and accessibility of her presentation.

Patricia Hinchey, professor of education at Penn State Worthington Scranton, recently presented at two national events for educators.

At the annual Teachership Academy, which was held this year at El Paso Community College in El Paso, Texas, Hinchey conducted an interactive informational session on her area of expertise, action research, which was titled, "Action Research: What is it? Where do you start?"

Hinchey also attended the annual Fellows Meeting of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she is a research fellow.

After his oldest son, Joshua, committed suicide at 17, Ron Pappalardo set out on a mission to help others avoid having his experience. According to Pappalardo, students need to know that suicide is preventable and they also need to know how to identify the warning signs and what to do about it. They need to know that there are things they can do today to decrease the likelihood of suicide happening in the future.

Pappalardo will speak at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the Study Learning Center's Sherbine Lounge at Penn State Worthington Scranton. His presentation is free and open to both the campus community and the public.

Timothy Arcaro, a campus alumnus and professor of law at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, recently established a fund to support Human Development and Family Studies program initiatives at Penn State Worthington Scranton.