Alumni Association Gala
The Pitt-Johnstown Alumni Association hosted its annual Alumni Gala on Saturday, April 7, 2018, 5 p.m., in Heritage Hall at the Living Learning Center, Pitt-Johnstown campus.

THANK YOU to all alumni and friends who attended or supported our recent Alumni Gala, which honored five of our most distinguished alumni.

The 2018 gala was one of our most well-attended galas to date and honored more alumni than ever.
A special thanks to our two Gold Sponsors, Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity and UPMC, and to our Patron Sponsors, Conemaugh Health System, Excelsior Wines, and Seton Hill University.

The Pitt-Johnstown Alumni Association, comprised of an all-volunteer board of alumni, serves the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and its alumni network of more than 22,000 graduates through alumni membership programs, fundraising and networking events, and student scholarships.

Distinguished Alumni Award
Honors alumni with significant accomplishment in their careers and a commitment to Pitt-Johnstown

Rob DeMichiei ’87, Business Economics 

Robert A. DeMichiei is a certified public accountant and serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of UPMC.  Before joining UPMC, a $17 billion health care provider and finance system with more than 30 academic, community and specialty hospitals, international and commercial operations, and an insurance division with over 3.2 million members,  Mr. DeMichiei held various executive and management roles with the General Electric Company (GE) and Price Waterhouse in Pittsburgh. 

Rob currently serves as the Finance Committee Chairman of the United Way of Allegheny County.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of UPMC Hamot, UPMC Passavant and UPMC Susquehanna Hospitals, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Board of Directors and the Seton Hill University Board of Trustees. Rob, a Kappa Delta Rho, and his wife, Amy (a Pitt-Johnstown graduate and Alpha Sigma Alpha), have four children and reside in Hampton Township, PA.

Alumni Memorial Award
Remembers alumni who are no longer with us but demonstrated the qualities of Pitt-Johnstown through their life

Samuel Hicks ’99, Biology

Special Agent Samuel S. Hicks grew up in Scottdale, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. While a student at Pitt-Johnstown, Samuel was an active participant in the campus community as president of the Acacia Fraternity, women’s soccer coach, and ice hockey player. After graduating in 1999, Samuel pursued a career in law enforcement, first as a police officer in Maryland.

Samuel joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2007. In August 2008, he was one of 11 agents chosen from across the country to attend a special training in Amman, Jordan. Tragically, on November 19, 2008, Special Agent Samuel S. Hicks was shot and killed in the line of duty while executing a federal search warrant at a home in Indiana Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was only 33 years old and left behind family, friends and colleagues. To honor Samuel, the FBI named their Baltimore field office “The Sam Hicks Building.”

In 2009, the Samuel S. Hicks Memorial Fund was established to support youth programs such as scouts and local soccer clinics, as well as families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty. The Fund also supports outstanding Pitt-Johnstown students majoring in the Justice Administration and Criminology program.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The newly forming UPJ Greek Alumni Council, the GAC, is excited to announce some special events for Fraternity and Sorority Alumni during Pitt-Johnstown's Homecoming celebration on Saturday, September 26, 2015.  In addition to  Alumni events hosted by the University there will be several "Greek Only" festivities where Greek Alumni can renew old friendships and make new memories.  

There are THREE EVENTS scheduled for SATURDAY HOMECOMING 2015!

As a final note...
In celebration with the creation of the GAC it is only fitting that we pay tribute to those Greek Organizations who spearheaded the entire Greek movement at UPJ. Without them, no other organization would exist.

Celebrating Reunions in 2015 are:

• Lambda Sigma Rho 55th Reunion (April 1961)
• Chi Epsilon Nu 50th Reunion (November 1965)

The apartments’ renovation plan is not finalized, but, as of now, renovations include new heating and air-conditioning units, balconies removal and new living room windows. Roof replacement, new carpet and kitchens also are part of the plan, according to Buxbaum.

Safety updates also are to be included in the renovations such as improving electrical issues, fire alarms and adding sprinklers, Buxbaum said.

Hawthorn Lodge is to have updated bathrooms this summer along with finishing up the renovation at Highland Townhouses, Buxbaum said.

“The townhouses’ renovations include new windows, drywall, carpet, paint, built in closets, ceiling tile, kitchen cabinets, counters, appliances and new bathrooms,” Buxbaum said.

Buckhorn and Sunset Lodges are in future renovation plans, according to Buxbaum.

Junior Joseph Walker said even if he had the option to live in the apartments, he wouldn’t because he likes living in the townhouses and not having to drive to campus for class.

Walker said he doesn’t live in a renovated townhouse, but would like to in the future.

“I would like a dishwasher and maybe a full bathroom downstairs,” Walker said.

A sophomore, Hawthorne Lodge resident, Kyla Colcombe said she would like to see showers and the buildings’ foundations renovated.

Due to the snow melting, Colcombe’s lodge flooded because of cracks in the foundation.

“I would like it to be done faster, but I think three to four years is a realistic goal, when I heard it was to take up to seven years in the past,” Colcombe said.

READ MORE: "Housing renovations to be finished sooner"

January 20 2015: NEWS: Fair has few attendees but many tables  Tags: Acacia, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Chi, Kappa Delta Rho, Kappa Zeta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Tau Gamma

Despite the high turnout of club representatives, students interested in joining them seemed few and far between.

Thomas Plutt, Role-Playing Games Club president, said that last semester at the activities fair, club members had approximately 30 students sign up with new interest.

“We had only one or two names on our list from this semester’s activities fair,” said Plutt.

Plutt said he felt the Role-Playing Games Club did not have enough time to fully prepare for the fair.

Among the students who attended the fair to learn about different organizations was Pitt-Johnstown junior Joseph Walker.

“I didn’t even know about the fair until I was walking past it in the Student Union,” said Walker.

October 28 2014: NEWS: Pitt Johnstown Homecoming 2014 [video] Tags: Acacia, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Chi, Kappa Delta Rho, Kapp Zeta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Tau Gamma

Emily Colella, Contributing Writer
October 1, 2014
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Pitt-Johnstown is the largest of the five Pitt campuses with 655 acres. Only a fraction of that is developed, and the Pitt-Johnstown campus has many acres of wooded land.

Trails wind through the woods on campus for students to enjoy, but it is unclear who is responsible for the trails upkeep.

Student Government Association  members are making an effort to take care of campus trails. With participation from outdoor club members, fraternity and sorority members, and residence assistants, associaton members are planning a Greek Life Trail Clean-up Day.

Aside from keeping the trails clean, the event’s purpose is to help freshmen get to know the greeks and get started gaining community-service experience, according to association member Nick Digorgio.

All students are being encouraged to participate.

“ I believe Greek life has a tendency to retain a poor image on this campus,” sophomore Digiorgio said

“In hopes of shining light on the important things they contribute, I hope incoming freshman will observe and appreciate their positive attitudes and hard work towards improving their home, Pitt-Johnstown,” he said.

Digorgio is association parlimentarian and Campus Development Comittee chairman. Committee members are in charge of the cleanup day organization.

The day is to take place at 1:00 p.m. on Oct 19. The cleaning should be finished at 5 p.m., when a dinner for participants is to take place at the gazebo near the Student Union.

While student government members have been taking an active role in trail maintenance, other organizations members have been planning to take action.

Also, the Environmental Sustainability Club keeps UPJ green in a variety of ways.

“We are a club that focuses on bringing better recycling and greener initiatives to campus,” said Emma Gyurisin, club president.

She confirmed that her club’s members are in the planning stages of a similar trail cleanup.

READ MORE: Trail cleanups are getting organized

Overall Well-Being 

Graduates who participated in fraternities or sororities are slightly more likely to be thriving in all five critical elements of well-being – purpose, social, financial, physical and community – than are graduates who did not participate in fraternities or sororities.

Workplace Engagement

National results show that 43% of college graduates who were members of a fraternity or sorority are engaged in the workplace, compared to 38% of college graduates were not members of a fraternity or sorority.

Support

The support that graduates recall receiving from their institution as students is also important well into their post-graduate careers. 16% of graduates who participated in fraternities or sororities and who say they had a professor who cared about them as a person, one who made them excited about learning, and had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their dreams are emotionally attached, compared with 13% of graduates who did not participate in fraternities or sororities.

Experiential Learning

Similarly, graduates with fraternity or sorority affiliation and membership in college were more likely to have taken advantage of experiential learning opportunities while in college (11%) than graduates who were not members of fraternities or sororities (5%).

Alumni Attachment

Alumni who participated in fraternities or sororities exhibit higher emotional attachment to their school. 22% of those who were in sororities or fraternities are attached, compared with 17% who were not members of sororities or fraternities.

RED MORE: Gallup Research

October 8 2013: NEWS: Pitt-Johnstown Homecoming 2013[video] Tags: Acacia, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Chi, Kappa Delta Rho, Kapp Zeta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Tau Gamma

“There are hardly any washers ever open and the fact that there are only two washers and two dryers at the bottom of (Acacia Lodge) and Heather Lodge definitely makes it a war trying to get it done,” Campbell said.


Junior Lindsey Matson, who lives in Timberline Townhouse, said timing plays a role in getting her laundry done.

“Since finding an empty machine is always an issue, I get up at 6 a.m. to do my laundry, which is never fun,” Matson said.

Dealing with people who fail to promptly move their laundry from a washer into a dryer is also something Matson said she encounters.

“I hate when other people touch my stuff, so I always try to make sure I am there on time, and I expect the same of others,” Matson said.

“Sadly, this is rarely the case. I typically will wait 10 minutes just because I don’t want to touch other people’s stuff, but, if they don’t show up after that, I will move it.”

Campbell said fights can break out due to unavailable machines.

“There should be just as many washers and dryers available like in the freshmen dorms,” said Campbell. “People end up getting very edgy and upset with other people touching their things to use a machine.”

One way to help make the process easier is to be conscious of the time on the machines you’re using, Campbell said.

“I always make a timer on my phone for when my laundry will be done because I don’t want other people touching my stuff, but I don’t have a problem taking other people’s stuff out if it has been sitting there for a while.”

Matson said the process is frustrating for all the students.

“There just aren’t enough washers and dryers available, and I’m not sure if this matters, but it gets really hot in all the laundry rooms too and that makes me grouchy so it might to others, too,” said Matson.

Conference and auxiliary services director Joyce Radovanic said Friday she did not have all the information available yet to comment on the determining factor in the washer and dryer ratio for students on campus.

- See more at: http://www.upj-advocate.com/features/2012/11/07/laundry-wars-tumbling-out-of-control/#sthash.XVlx5QMw.dpuf

Ed Sheets, Tom Park, Contributing Writers
October 17, 2012 
Filed under Features

Walking through a pitch-black building with only friends and hands for guidance, one can smell the products of the fog machines. Adrenaline pumps with rising anxiety from the suspense of something or someone popping out.

A haunted house can be nerve-wracking.

Pitt-Johnstown sorority Phi Sigma Sigma members are holding a haunted house at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at their house in front of the Student Union.

“We hope that more people come this year than last year. We are trying to raise money for our cause,” said Phi Sigma Sigma sister and junior Shelbi Cervenec,

Last year, their haunted house theme was the movie “Amityville Horror.” They decorated the inside of the house, providing a specific pathway for visitors.

Phi Sigma sister Caitlin McCarthy described this year’s haunted house.

“We plan to have the entrance at the front door, and then the people will go upstairs, through the lobby, then down the stairs toward the back of the house, then through the lobby on the bottom floor.”

The haunted house is to cost $2 for students and $5 for nonstudents.

Greek organization members from Alpha Phi Omega and Acacia are to help with the Phi Sigma Sigma haunted house. This year’s theme will be “The Exorcism.”

The help is to include assistance to set up the haunted house and playing the character theme.

“We always want people to help us with a big project like this,” said McCarthy.

“We want to get one of the fraternities to help us so that it will go faster, and we wanted Alpha Phi Omega to help us because we like to get other organizations involved.”

Alpha Phi Omega President Stephen Torquato said he wanted the fraternity to be more involved with campus life.

“I want the new pledges of Alpha Phi Omega to get an understanding of what it is to help other organizations.”

Cervenec and McCarthy said they would like for the haunted house to be scarier this year.

Phi Sigma Sigma is not alone in Greek Halloween plans.

Sigma Tau Gamma Programs Vice President Bill Rush said members will hold a Halloween party.

“We will be doing a costume party where everyone is encouraged to dress up,” Rush said.

The Spirit Halloween store at the Galleria mall has costumes, accessories and decorations for the holiday.

“Our most popular costumes this year include Monster High and The Avengers for kids,” Spencer’s Gifts Communication Coordinator Kevin Mahoney said. “And Kim Kardashian and Barack Obama for adults.”

Johnstown resident Megan Urban said she shops at these kinds of stores because of their convenience.

“I usually buy my Halloween costume because it comes with everything you need, whether it be makeup or accessories, which saves time,” Urban said.

With the price of costumes rising, the Goodwill store along Eisenhower Boulevard. offers shoppers lower-priced alternatives.

“We sell costumes at low prices that other people paid full price for to wear only once,” said Goodwill employee Renee Bailey.

Bailey said costumes sold at her store cost less than $20.

She also said some people use items in the store to make their own costumes.

“People make mobster and zombie costumes using clothing and accessories from the store,” said Bailey.

Windber resident Sarah Pellio said she saves money by making costumes for her family.

“Each of us decides what we want to dress up as, then we visit stores like Goodwill and Michaels to get materials for the costumes,” said Pellio.

Pellio said the average amount she spends on each costume is about $10.

- See more at: http://www.upj-advocate.com/features/2012/10/17/greek-organizations-prepare-scare-tactics/#sthash.zyccgdrl.dpuf

NOTE: Alpha Phi Omega is a national, co-ed service fraternity that has set the standard for college campus-based volunteerism since 1925. There are active chapters on more than 350 campuses, and we strive to help each individual member develop leadership skills, experience friendship on many levels and provide service to others.