President's Message
Dear Friends,
As some of you may have heard, I agreed to extend my time at Juniata for another two years until May 2013. The Board of Trustees asked me to lengthen my stay because Juniata (and higher education in general) is navigating economic uncertainty and they felt the College's current momentum, built over the long term, might be slowed by a drawn-out transition. In turn, I asked my senior management team-Provost Jim Lakso and John Hille, executive vice president for enrollment and retention-to extend their time here and they've agreed.
The momentum the Trustees spoke of is the legacy of every employee and every student at Juniata. We refuse to accept the status quo. If a program is working, we persistently strive to improve it. If students or faculty find a course or a topic lacking, the College works hard to update it or, at the very least, give it a decent burial.
In learning, in teaching, in research and in all things Juniata, our need to push forward, to strive for more, has made the College a model for higher education. That success is not the result of a sudden flurry of achievement. Our results are wrought from steady innovation. No Juniatian rises to the top without standing on the shoulders of previous generations.
Certainly critical ingredients in our most recent success are those previous generations. Whether through gifts, inspiration or even a conversational suggestion at a campus event, our students, alumni, faculty and staff are relentlessly in search of improvement. More importantly, we go out of our way to work as a community to make these aspirations real.
I think our penchant for building on our achievements is perfectly reflected in this issue as we read of Bob Smith '50, who found himself "writing the first rough draft" of Alaska's history as a state and 50 years later accepting accolades for his work covering the event. Theatre professor Andy Belser's story about how an innovative summer study abroad program reveals how experiencing a different culture can help students push beyond classroom lessons to a deeper well of learning. Senior Sarah Ruggiero's story on how we revamped our College Writing Seminar is the embodiment of Juniata's mission to, if I can paraphrase Satchel Paige, keep improving, because somebody is always gaining on us.
A commitment to long-term excellence is revealed by the story of chemist Paul Schettler's work in the 1970s and '80s on natural gas deposits in shale, research that could affect national energy policy. It's an example of how insight, collaboration, good timing and flashes of inspiration can help change the world (or at least our gas bills). Paul's work with energy is an apt metaphor for Juniata's willingness to reach ever higher because flames always burn brighter by drawing energy from their immediate surroundings. Juniata, as you know, is a very special place.
Warm Regards,
Thomas R. Kepple Jr.
President
The president's office is located on the 3rd floor of Founders Hall.
Home Address
2201 Washington Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
Phone: 814-643-6922
Juniata College
1700 Moore Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652-2119
Phone: 814-641-3101
Fax: 814-641-3355
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