What's News

Red road
New red street signs, adorned with the block “Y,” have been installed on streets on campus. The university paid about $9,000 for 60 signs, and the city installed them. The signs are part of a larger signage project underway across campus.

Name change
Human Performance and Exercise Science is now the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Science. Jennifer Pintar, chair, said that, after researching 120 schools with similar programs, it was determined that the word “kinesiology” better captures the scholarly activities in the department.

New degrees
The Board of Trustees has approved a new Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option in the master’s in Nursing program. Nancy Wagner, chair of Nursing, said Mercy Health has been requesting the program. “There is a definite need,” she said.

Trustees also OK’d a bachelor’s degree for Early Childhood Intervention Specialist. Marcia Matanin, chair of Teacher Education, said, “We talked with many schools about starting this program, and their response was – ‘How fast can you graduate these students.’”

Searches
Mike Crist is back. The retired interim dean of the College of Creative Arts and Communication and long-time director of the Dana School of Music is interim associate vice president for Student Success, replacing Mike Reagle, who left the university in March.

Meanwhile, the university is conducting searches for associate vice president for Technology and Chief Information Officer. Jim Yukech is serving as interim in the position. A search is also underway for police chief. Shawn Varso is serving as interim chief.

First pitch
You know it's springtime when the ballfield on the west side of campus heats up with action from the Penguins softball team. This photo of the first pitch of the home season was taken Tuesday afternoon as the Penguins took on Akron. YSU lost the first game but came out on top in the second game of the doubleheader. It was the first of 18 home games for the Penguins this season.