Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Claire Semerjian

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Claire Semerjian
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Internship at Neurobehavioral Associates

Upon receiving an e-mail from the College of the Liberal Arts detailing an internship with Neurobehavioral Associates, a company dedicated to serving children, adolescents and adults with neurobehavioral disorders, Claire Semerjian (psychology) was immediately interested. When Penn State Liberal Arts alum and renowned psychologist Dr. Vincent Culotta offered her the position, she eagerly accepted and began commuting two days a week from Washington, D.C. to Columbia, Maryland.

Working as the only undergraduate intern in the office, Claire played was able to observe many patient services. Her various responsibilities included watching Dr. Culotta or his colleagues administer psychiatric tests, interacting with young children while they participated in testing, and accompanying Dr. Culotta on his visits to school board hearings. Additionally, Claire conducted research for Dr. Culotta’s future book. Claire’s day would begin with a meeting with Dr. Culotta in which he would walk her through the disorders they would be addressing that day with a power point presentation, followed by a full day of patient appointments. One aspect of the internship Claire found particularly interesting was the school IEP hearings she attended, where she observed Dr. Culotta asking the school board to allocate funding so his patients could have access to special education.

The internship at Neurobehavioral Associates helped Claire understand how important people skills are to the psychology field. It was important not only to understand the problems the patients were having in school and at home, but also to accurately communicate with the parents and the children. Claire’s experience as a Lion Ambassador at Penn State helped her maintain poise when interacting with patients and their families. Ranging in ages from five to seventeen, the patients were Claire’s favorite part of the internship. She had direct hands-on experience with patients diagnosed with various neurobehavioral disorders, from Asperger’s syndrome to various levels of ADHD.

This internship was Claire’s first experience in the neurobehavioral field. In addition to learning an incredible amount about neurobehavioral disorders and how certain tests are administered, Claire also received advice concerning graduate schools and pursuing a career in psychology. Claire’s Penn State coursework helped prepare her to be a successful intern. She entered the internship with a strong background in certain disorders and disciplined study habits, which helped her when conducting research for Dr. Culotta.

Claire is currently applying to graduate schools, although she may take a year or so off to gain additional research experience before starting a program. She recommends this internship as a rewarding opportunity for students interested in neurobehavioral psychology. To learn more about her experience at Neurobehavioral Associates, please contact Claire at chs5013@psu.edu.

Profile written by Julia Smith, College of the Liberal Arts Communications Intern

Vincent Culotta, Ph.D.

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Vince Culotta, Ph.D.
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Vincent Culotta, Ph.D., ’81 Psych, strongly believes that in order to be most prepared for their future, students should experience an internship, in addition to excelling in their classes. For this reason, Vincent hosted a Penn State intern at his company, NeuroBehavioral Associates, in Columbia, MD.

Vince is a licensed psychologist with subspecialty training in clinical neuropsychology. He earned his ‘Ph.D. from the University of Memphis and is the president and owner of NeuroBehavioral Associates, a specialty practice serving children, adolescents and adults with known or suspected attention, learning, or neurodevelopmental disorders. NeuroBehavioral Associates provides a broad range of clinical and forensic consultation and assessment services as well a training site for masters and doctoral level graduate students in psychology.

Prior to founding NeuroBehavioral Associates, Vince held clinical and administrative positions in medical, rehabilitation, and private facilities treating children, adolescents, and adults with neurobehavioral disorders. He has authored several publications concerning neurodevelopmental disorders in children and has previously served as director of Neuropsychology in the Neurosurgery Division at the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center.

Vince knew the value of a Penn State education, as a psychology graduate of the college himself, and was aware that a Penn State psychology student could handle his organization’s work environment and focus in neuropsychology. He enthusiastically accepted Claire Semerjian, a rising senior, for a summer internship with NeuroBehavioral Associates in 2009.

Claire was quickly put to work in NeuroBehavioral Associates and was given many relevant tasks including direct observation and participation in neuropsychological assessment, treatment planning and family meetings. Claire also accompanied staff on visits to school IEP meetings, organized data collection, and assisted in research for an upcoming book. Vince found Claire particularly useful when he was interviewing families of younger clients. These clients, ranging from ages five to seventeen, found comfort in talking to Claire because of their closeness in age; she was a student like them as well.

One of the most beneficial lessons of Claire’s internship was the real-life learning and connecting a person to the issues she studied in the classroom. It was one thing to read about autism in a textbook, but completely another to hear first-hand from parents about their difficult journey of finding the right treatment for their child for their autistic child.

In the future, Vince and his staff would like to expand undergraduate internships and engage interns in more research activities so that they may be able publish a research paper in an academic journal, which is a mark of high distinction for a student and their scholarly abilities. Overall, he found that hosting a Penn State student intern was a win-win situation for both parties involved. NeuroBehavioral Associates became more productive during the summer with another helping hand, and Claire gained valuable professional skills and insight for her future career and education.

To learn more about sponsoring a student intern in your company, contact the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network at (814) 865-1070 or lanetwork@la.psu.edu.

All Employer Profiles written by Tara Enzmann, Liberal Arts Alumni and Development Intern

Yvette Lerma

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Yvette Lerma 
Photo taken by Cody Goddard
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Internship at Penn State LGBTA Center

The Penn State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Ally (LGBTA) Student Resource Center focuses on educating students on sexual orientation issues in order to encourage acceptance and awareness.  The LGBTA offers numerous internships for students in areas such as writing, programming and events, straight talks, office resources, Greek outreach, and racial and ethnic outreach.
 
Yvette Lerma (senior, sociology major) receives Penn State credit through LA 495 (Liberal Arts Internship) as a Straight Talks Pro and Assessment Intern at the center.  Yvette was first introduced to this internship when she enrolled in BBH 251, a course taught by the LGBTA office directors.  The course trains students to conduct straight talks, in which a student panelist runs an open dialogue forum on sexuality in Penn State classes.

Yvette typically works twelve hours a week, and deals specifically with the Straight Talks programming.  Depending on what part of the semester it is, Yvette’s duties vary.  She schedules Straight Talks dates and speakers, and trains students to become panelists so they can run the program on their own.  In the beginning of the semester, Yvette runs the majority of the straight talks due to the fact that she is still training most of panelists.  When Yvette trains panelists, she focuses on introducing them to the idea of public speaking and sharing their personal story in front of large audiences.  The curriculum involves discussing social justice, practicing delivery of their personal statement, and going through an FAQ session with the trainees.  Twice a semester, Yvette also  speaks in BBH 251 about peer education.  In addition to teaching, Yvette has been in the process of creating a Straight Talks Pro Guide Book.  Yvette received the manual as a ten page guide when she first began her internship and transformed it into a forty-five page comprehensive guide to answering difficult questions for panelists.    

One of Yvette’s memorable tasks over her two years as a Straight Talks intern was running a lecture for student affairs professionals about how to deal with transgender students and address gender questions.  This experience helped her realize this internship could lead her to a career in college student affairs and that she wanted her future to involve educating.  Through her internship, Yvette came to realize she greatly enjoys working with and educating college students, and hopes to attend graduate school and get a masters in College Student Affairs.  She aspires to one day be the director of an LGBTA center while simultaneously teaching LGBTA focused college courses.

Yvette recommends LGBTA internships to students who are patient and who are willing to develop strong public speaking skills through experience.  Additionally, Yvette mentions that it is important for all interns to be passionate about LGBTA issues.  Students interested in hearing more about Yvette’s internship experience can contact her at yil5036@psu.edu. 

If you are interested in an internship with LGBTA for the 2010-11 academic year, see the recent LAUS Announcement post for details.  Please note that the application deadline is Friday, March 5, 2010.

Tim Reside

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Tim Reside, ECLBA and SOCBA
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Internship at Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. is a pharmaceutical research company that creates and markets vaccines and medication for populations in need. According to Vault, they also host one of the top ten internship programs in the US. After reading about their program on the College of the Liberal Arts internship website, Tim Reside (senior, economics and sociology major) applied and was offered an internship, which he immediately accepted.

At Merck, Tim interned in the business management branch of the Global Human Health Information Technology department. Not only was his internship a great opportunity for Tim to develop his interest in economics, but it was also convenient, because he could live at home and commute to work daily. Tim worked mainly at corporate headquarters in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, although he occasionally commuted to Merck’s other location in Landsdale, Pennsylvania.

Working as a business management intern for eleven weeks, Tim focused mainly on one long-term project: an economic model that would forecast Merck’s spending for the next year. Tim received previous spending statistics from 2008 to June 2009, and worked to predict future spending for the remainder of 2009 and 2010. Upon completion of the forecast model, Tim was asked to document the model, which entailed writing how-to-use instructions so the model could be used after Tim completed his internship. The model was such a success that the company is still using and refining it today.

Tim’s day usually began with updates from his supervisor’s receptionist, and then transitioned into various meetings regarding the model. He constantly communicated with colleagues from Landsdale by phone, e-mail, and video conference. During Tim’s last week, he and his partner had to present their model to clients world-wide, using the video conference technology. While such a big presentation was a challenge for Tim, he says it was all worth it when his supervisor later commended him and his partner. Tim’s experience giving an important presentation in front of management made him realize the value of his Penn State coursework. He credits CAS 100 with helping him with his public speaking skills, and his economics classes with giving him valuable information he used while creating his model.

One highlight from Tim’s internship was attending a Phillies game, one of the many “intern outings” created by Merck. This game allowed Tim to interact with other interns that he wouldn’t necessarily have met while working in the office. Another intern outing included a day off of work and a cruise with DJ, full buffet, and prizes awarded to the interns. Merck also hosted many recruiting activities, such as a lunch meeting at corporate headquarters in which its employees discussed the future of the interns at the company.

Reflecting back upon his internship, Tim notes the importance of excellent communication skills and the ability to work both in teams and alone efficiently. For more information regarding Tim’s experience at Merck, please e-mail him at tcr5007@gmail.com. See Merck’s website for additional details of their internship program.

David Morgan: Alumni Internship Host

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David Morgan
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David Morgan, ’85 PL SC, JD ’88, has proven that small companies can offer big benefits to Penn State students. David is the creator of Simulmedia, a media marketing company, and gladly hosted two Penn State Liberal Arts student interns last summer to give them knowledge and skills useful for the business world.

David is best described as a serial entrepreneur. Before founding Simulmedia he was the founder, CEO and Chairman of TACODA, Inc., an online advertising company that pioneered behavioral online marketing in 2001 and was acquired by AOL in 2007, as well as Real Media, Inc., one of the world’s first ad serving and online ad network companies and a predecessor to 24/7 Real Media (TFSM), which was later sold to WPP. Most recently, David served as Executive Vice President, Global Advertising Strategy, at AOL, formerly a Time Warner Company.

Today, David is the CEO for Simulmedia, a New York City-based media marketing company dedicated to improving the effectiveness of program promotion on television. This fast-paced startup is pioneering the development of predictive technology using a variety of data sources to help television companies deliver the right on-air promotions to the right viewers at the right time.

When David learned about the opportunity to sponsor Liberal Arts interns, he immediately saw the possibilities for Simulmedia. He believes a liberal arts education helps students to develop key writing, communication and critical thinking skills, which are just as necessary backgrounds in technology companies as engineering and technical backgrounds. Therefore, Liberal Arts students, Lindsay Keane, a senior in psychology, and Austen Talbot, a senior in economics, joined his company for the summer.

Working full-time, Lindsay and Austen were immediately embraced as part of the staff at Simulmedia and given various tasks reflecting the variety of work done at the company. A major ongoing project involved classifying 5,000 shows broadcasted during April and May into subcategories according to their audience statistics. By the end of the internship, both students created and delivered presentations to the staff, analyzing different communications companies and their relations to Simulmedia. Their positive energy and relentless work ethic allowed Lindsay and Austen to accomplish David’s objective, as well as demonstrated to the Simulmedia staff how they can utilize future employees with backgrounds similar to those of Lindsay and Austen.

The Penn State interns had the unique experience of working in an emerging technology company in the media marketing industry. Rarely do people have a chance of working in a start-up company, a growing trend in the current economy. Also, the students were able to work in Manhattan, the corporate heart of the nation. David understands how different working in this environment can be, having grown up in Western Pennsylvania and coming to Manhattan only 15 years ago.

David plans on hosting more Liberal Arts interns in the future and is currently working on creating positions for this summer. He highly recommends that other Penn State alumni consider sponsoring interns as well. To learn more about making internship positions available to Liberal Arts students, see the Employer page of our internship website, or contact Ashley Tarbet at aet143@psu.edu.

Staff Profile: Nonie Ebeling

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Nonie Ebeling
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

There’s No Place Like State College

Nonie Ebeling, the director of major gifts for the College of the Liberal Arts, would be a perfect overseas tour guide. She has traveled extensively throughout India and Central America, visiting sites like the Taj Mahal, the beaches of Goa, Mayan ruins in Honduras, and volcanoes and coffee plantations in El Salvador, to name a few.

But the globe-trotting Nonie feels right at home in Happy Valley and jumped at the chance to work for her alma mater. She started with the College of the Liberal Arts on November 30, 2009. “I was attracted to the idea of coming back to Penn State because of the opportunity to work with a great team of high-achieving professionals,” Nonie says. “I’m also eager to tell everyone about the great work happening at this top-notch institution.”

Nonie graduated from Penn State in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and went on to earn a master’s degree in public health and education studies from the University of Alabama. While living in Atlanta, she was a public health fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nonie also previously worked in nonprofit development for organizations like the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Most recently, she served as the senior development officer for the Southern Environmental Law Center in Atlanta.

“I hope to use my twelve years of fundraising experience to connect with Liberal Arts alumni in meaningful ways,” Nonie says. “I’d like to engage them in ways that not only support the financial goals of the college, but also add value to their personal lives.”

In addition to development, Nonie’s other professional interest is environmental health. She has published several academic articles in the field and co-wrote a textbook chapter titled “Environmental Justice” for the book Teaching Strategies for Environmental Health. Nonie loves sports, especially Penn State and Georgia Tech football, and is also excited to experience State College’s performing arts scene. She lives with her husband and fellow alum, Don Wilson, her 12-year-old daughter, and two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs.

Please welcome this world traveler back to Penn State!

-Written by Virginia Harrison, Administrative Support Assistant, Development and Alumni Relations 

Staff Profile: Nicki Hendrix

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Nicki Hendrix
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Georgia Native Races North

Nicki Hendrix, the new major gifts officer in the College of the Liberal Arts, is used to finishing ahead of the competition. The Georgia native holds the 2006 Athens (Georgia) Area Humane Society Soapbox Derby title, which she won while riding a converted kayak. Now, she’s applying those same winning ways to her job in development at Penn State. “I’m thrilled to be here,” Nicki says. “In my new position, I hope to increase the engagement of Liberal Arts alumni and expand giving to the college.”

Nicki started on October 19, 2009, having brought a wealth of diverse talents and experiences with her to Penn State. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in history and has worked in the advertising, marketing, public relations, and sales fields. Most recently, she held the title of assistant director for corporate and foundation relations at her alma mater, where she also previously served as the director of development for the College of Environment and Design and as an external affairs officer. “I look forward to being part of a top land-grant institution,” Nicki says. “I’m ready to apply my skills to the advancement of Penn State.”

When Nicki, who is working on a master’s in historic preservation from the University of Georgia, relocated north, she found the perfect place to live — Victorian Bellefonte. She and her husband, Christian Olmsted, a State College native, are restoring their Victorian-era home and enjoying the local restaurants. They are kept company by their three dogs, Judah, Nibbler, and Edgar; a cat, Honks; and a horse, A Boy Named Sioux.

In addition to history, Nicki is interested in environmental conservation. She watches hundreds of hours of film per year as a member of the Athens, Georgia Eco-Film Festival governing board. “I’m very environmentally aware and creative, and I like to apply those interests to everything I do,” she says. She also volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate for children in foster care.

Please welcome this versatile woman to Penn State!

-Written by Virginia Harrison, Administrative Support Assistant, Development and Alumni Relations

Danielle Pavlansky

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Danielle Pavlansky
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Internship at Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is a non-profit organization based in Harrisburg that works to prevent sexual and domestic violence. The organization works with rape crisis centers throughout the state to educate communities about sexual violence. Danielle Pavlansky (senior, crime law and justice major, women’s studies minor) found a summer internship with PCAR through the Harrisburg Semester Program, which works to match students with internships in government, political advocacy, and community development.

Danielle worked three days a week as a Technical Assistant, logging 150 hours at the Harrisburg PCAR center. Her main duties revolved around creating curriculums for programs called Campus Initiative and the Men Against Sexual Violence Initiative. After conducting extensive research, Danielle created lesson plans for college classrooms and other public forums to teach volunteers and employees about sexual and domestic violence education. Danielle played an important role in the PCAR curriculum development. One of her favorite parts about her internship at PCAR was her involvement with Campus Initiative, because it was directly related to her and her peers. As she was conducting research for her own demographic, Danielle was able to ask her friends for opinions and then incorporate their thoughts into her research.

In addition to her work with curriculum development, Danielle would attend staff meetings and offer her input on ways to effectively educate college students. She even had the opportunity to attend a task force meeting in downtown Harrisburg with the lead DA, lead detective, PCAR and other advocacy groups, who congregated to discuss their recent field experiences. Additionally, Danielle played an important part in the re-design of the PCAR website due to her background in web design.

Danielle’s Penn State classes provided her with a strong background for her internship. Her class discussions in her women’s studies courses that concentrated on sexual and domestic violence allowed her to create effective curriculums that incorporated various perspectives. Although this was Danielle’s first internship devoted to public advocacy, her prior internship experience at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office and a private law firm helped her develop research skills, which frequently came in handy at PCAR. Danielle also notes the importance of strong communication skills to this internship, as she was responsible for keeping her supervisor and colleagues up-to-date on her findings.

After graduation, Danielle hopes to attend graduate school and then pursue a future in public advocacy. Her summer spent at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape was an extremely influential experience in helping her settle on her future career path. Danielle recommends this internship for students who are interested in public advocacy and in creating awareness about domestic and sexual violence. Students interested in learning more about Danielle’s experience can contact her at Danielle.pavlansky@gmail.com. Students who are interested in pursuing this internship, or other advocacy internships in Harrisburg, should contact Harrisburg Semester Director Dr. Carol Nechemias at c4n@psu.edu.

Kate Burlingame

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Kate Burlingame, Paterno Fellow, Class of 2012
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

Growing up watching the Nittany Lions, Liberal Arts sophomore Kate Burlingame often dreamed of one day becoming a Penn State alumna. Penn State’s location – Kate grew up in central Pennsylvania – and its strength in the humanities, her main area of interest, made the university a perfect fit for her. It was the Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows program, however, that Kate credits with inspiring her to reach her full potential.

The Fellows Program challenges interested Liberal Arts students to maintain a high grade point average, take numerous honors courses and ethics coursework, participate in relevant extracurricular activities, and develop their leadership and communication skills. Kate liked how the program was focused specifically on the liberal arts; she also liked knowing that meeting the goals of the program would be a challenge–but one fully within her grasp. “During my freshman year,” Kate says, “the program pushed me to take more honors classes and made me really focus on the quality of my work.” Her hard work paid off: at the end of her freshman year, Kate officially became a Paterno Fellow, concurrently gaining entrance to the Schreyer Honors College.

Kate chose one of her two majors, history, based on her positive experience in her high school history classes. “I’ve always loved ancient warfare and reading about the formation of powerful empires,” Kate explains. She added Classics and Mediterranean Studies as her second major after taking a few CAMS classes, including an inspirational honors course called Lands of the Bible. With only fifteen students in this course, Kate found it easy to participate and to get the most out of the questions posed by her professor. “I’m so glad I took the honors classes that the [PFP] program requires,” Kate said. “I’ve never felt so enlightened in my life.”

Arriving at Penn State with the notion that the size of the university might keep her from finding a niche socially, Kate happily discovered that she was mistaken. She joined an intramural soccer team and auditioned for the university’s jazz band, earning a spot as the piano player. Her recent volunteer experience, which she will likely continue next year, includes playing music for senior citizens at a local nursing home. “It’s a great experience because the senior citizens really get into the music,” Kate notes. “They are very appreciative of our taking the time to visit and share our music with them.”

Funding provided by the Paterno Fellows Program will help Kate fulfill her dream of studying abroad in Greece, an ideal location for someone with her academic interests. This experience will dovetail well with Kate’s long-term goals, which include graduate study in history or a related field. “I would love to oversee archeological digs, work in a prominent museum, and eventually teach at a major university like Penn State,” she says. In the interim, she hopes to focus on her coursework, start thinking about her thesis and other Fellows program requirements, and of course, simply enjoy being a student. “I’m not planning my life out just yet,” Kate says. “For now, I’m going to soak up as much knowledge as I can and enjoy the rest of my time at Penn State!”

-Written by Ashley Tarbet

August Dombrow

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August Dombrow, Paterno Fellows Aspirant, Class of 2012
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

At 25, August Dombrow is a bit older than the average Penn State freshman. He does not see his age as prohibitive, however: “The diversity of backgrounds here, including my own, represents a great opportunity for the students to learn – not only from professors, but from each other as well,” August notes. An aspirant in the Paterno Fellows Program, August has chosen to focus his own learning in the College of the Liberal Arts.

August chose Penn State for its many opportunities, knowing that a large school would provide him with access to prospects and resources not available at smaller schools. Entering the university with philosophy as his declared major interest, August added political science as a second major after taking a seminar in politics and film. “I’m interested in what motivates people and how that translates into real world consequences,” August explained. “The Politics in Film class was an excellent example of how social and political ideas can manifest themselves in the most subtle (and in some cases, not-so-subtle) ways.”

Initially hesitant about taking the Paterno Fellows Challenge, August only registered for one honors course his first semester. However, after having a rewarding experience in this course–Honors Rhetoric and Composition–the prospect of the program became more attractive to him. If he continues to meet the program’s requirements, he will receive funding that will allow him to participate in an unpaid internship or study abroad in Cairo, Egypt. As August is supporting himself through college, funding provided by the Fellows Program will go a long way in helping him afford these meaningful co-curricular experiences.

One of August’s impressive first-year accomplishments was becoming a member of the inaugural class of the Presidential Leadership Academy, a selective program led by Penn State President Graham Spanier and aimed at developing students’ leadership skills. The program involves taking a seminar taught by President Spanier and participating in various field experiences planned by the Academy. August sees the program as “a great compromise between academia and application,” and appreciates its emphasis on critical thinking. In addition to participating in the Academy, next year August will also serve on the executive board of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council and work as a peer tutor at the Center for Writing Excellence.

August hopes to incorporate his academic interests in government and international affairs, and his undergraduate experiences more broadly, into his future career. Law school is a possibility, as is working for the government. “I think work with the State Department or something similar might prove both personally and professionally satisfying,” he notes. Whatever path August chooses, the skills he develops and the knowledge he gains through the Paterno Fellows Program are bound to help him reach his goals.

-Written by Ashley Tarbet
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