�鶹��ý

Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Dual Major

jonfassnacht — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 19:23:51 +0000

Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Dual Major jonfassnacht Fri, 07/24/2026 - 15:23

State awards Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (RACP) support for �鶹��ý’s American House

sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:26:55 +0000

State awards Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (RACP) support for �鶹��ý’s American House sarah.matarell… Thu, 07/16/2026 - 16:26

State awards Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (RACP) support for �鶹��ý’s American House

Funding strengthens community health partnership and expands experiential learning in downtown Reading

�鶹��ý receives $750,000 in Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding to support the renovation of the historic American House, marking Phase III of the Reading CollegeTowne initiative. The award was among four projects in the 11th Senatorial District totaling $4.75 million in funding announced today by Senator Judy Schwank’s Office.

“The American House project is a cornerstone of the CollegeTowne initiative, demonstrating what is possible when a community-engaged university and its partners come together with a shared commitment to strengthening the region,” said President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. “We are grateful to Governor Shapiro, Senator Schwank, and Representative Guzman, and countless others for their continued belief and support. This funding will help us bring vital services to downtown Reading while creating high-impact hands-on learning opportunities for �鶹��ý students.”

The American House at Reading CollegeTowne is a 45,000-square-foot property at 354 Penn St. that �鶹��ý purchased in June 2022 for to expand its downtown footprint. In 2023, �鶹��ý announced its partnership with Berks Community Health Center, kicking off Phase III of the Reading CollegeTowne initiative, geared toward expanding health care access and experiential learning opportunities for �鶹��ý students in downtown Reading.

“It’s my priority to see that the investments we make at the state level have an impact in Berks County,” Schwank said in a press release. “We have no shortage of projects in the pipeline, which speaks to the fact that our businesses, educational institutions and local governments are experiencing growth. That bodes well for the future of our community, and I’m sure there are many more exciting announcements to come.”

The renovated site is being outfitted to serve more than 2,000 individuals in its first year of operation. It will include a state-of-the-art community-based health center offering primary care along with wraparound services such as mental health support, nutrition and wellness education, financial literacy education, social services assistance and warm hand-off referrals. At least 50 annual clinical experiences will also be available, supporting student training across programs including nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician associate, social work, and addictions and mental health treatment.

Renovation of the American House at Reading CollegeTowne will also include space for John Paul II Center for Special Learning’s client-run retail operation "Special Blends Cafe" as part of an expanded partnership that supports job readiness and community engagement. additional business incubator space for the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

�鶹��ý’s CollegeTowne initiative is designed to drive economic growth and community revitalization through strategic downtown investment. �鶹��ý launched the CollegeTowne initiative in Reading in late 2019. Since its launch, �鶹��ý has completed two phases of Reading CollegeTowne, investing nearly $55 million into the City of Reading by purchasing and renovating the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, a 250,000-square-foot living and learning facility at 401 Penn Street and the American House at Reading CollegeTowne. Construction began in February on the American House, with the building anticipated to open in 2027.

To date, �鶹��ý has secured a total of $19,750,000 in redevelopment grant resources for the CollegeTowne initiatives in Reading and Pottsville, underscoring the collective impact of the initiative. The university last received a grant award of this kind in 2024. The CollegeTowne initiative has been one of several funding priorities in the Partners in Progress Campaign, the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in �鶹��ý’s history. Through the campaign, �鶹��ý has raised $82.2 million, surpassing the $70 million goal, providing funding to enhance the student experience.

RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. RACP projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act, have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity.

Central Penn Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business name �鶹��ý's Giannini to Most Influential Leaders List

sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:36:04 +0000

Central Penn Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business name �鶹��ý's Giannini to Most Influential Leaders List sarah.matarell… Wed, 07/15/2026 - 15:36

Central Penn. Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business name �鶹��ý's Giannini to Most Influential Leaders List

Organizations to honor the senior leader on Aug. 18 in Reading

Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business have named �鶹��ý Chief Enrollment and Strategic Communications Officer Gaetan T. Giannini, Ed.D., a recipient of Pennsylvania’s Most Influential Leaders Award.

“I’m honored to be recognized alongside so many accomplished leaders who are making a meaningful impact across our region," said Giannini, who has lived in the Lehigh Valley for 20 years. "At �鶹��ý, we believe the best way to serve our communities is by meeting learners where they are, building strong partnerships with employers, and creating pathways that strengthen the regional workforce. As we continue to deepen �鶹��ý's presence across eastern Pennsylvania, including our growing work in the Lehigh Valley, I’m excited about what lies ahead."

Pennsylvania’s Most Influential Leaders honors and celebrates talented business and nonprofit leaders who consistently demonstrate remarkable leadership skills, integrity, values, vision, commitment to excellence, company performance and community service. The honorees were selected by the leadership team of the Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business.

“The 2026 Most Influential Leaders are dynamic individuals who are at the pinnacle of their careers, making a difference for many in Pennsylvania and beyond. They are visionary, respected and actively engaged in the community. We congratulate this year’s honorees for their ongoing commitment to Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business.

The honorees will be celebrated Aug. 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading, 701 Penn Street in Reading. Registration and networking begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon and awards celebration at noon. The event hashtags are #CPBJevents and #LVBevents.

Attendance is limited, with sponsors receiving priority access. There are various sponsorship levels available, which include the right to use the event logo, multimedia marketing, a table to share with co-workers and guests at the event and much more. If seats are available after the sponsorship deadline, a limited number of individual tickets will go on sale. Tables are only available with sponsorship. To secure a sponsorship to ensure you and your guests can celebrate together, contact Suzanne Fischer-Huettner at shuettner@bridgetowermedia.com.

Honorees will be profiled in a special publication that will be inserted into the August 28 issue of Central Penn Business Journal and into the August 24 issue of Lehigh Valley Business and will be available online at CPBJ.com and LVB.com.

For more information and updated sponsorship information about Empowering Women and Pennsylvania’s Most Influential Leaders, visit CPBJ.com or LVB.com.

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 20

jonfassnacht — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:09:37 +0000

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 20 jonfassnacht Wed, 07/15/2026 - 13:09

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 19

jonfassnacht — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:07:46 +0000

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 19 jonfassnacht Wed, 07/15/2026 - 13:07

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 18

jonfassnacht — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:02:33 +0000

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 18 jonfassnacht Wed, 07/15/2026 - 13:02

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 17

jonfassnacht — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:52:41 +0000

�鶹��ý Information Session: August 17 jonfassnacht Wed, 07/15/2026 - 12:52

�鶹��ý students develop patent-pending nursing education technology, win regional business plan competition

sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:30:55 +0000

�鶹��ý students develop patent-pending nursing education technology, win regional business plan competition sarah.matarell… Tue, 07/14/2026 - 15:30

�鶹��ý students develop patent-pending nursing education technology, win regional business plan competition

From left: Philip Crock, Learn2Inject Engineering Lead; Jack Badalementi, Learn2Inject Founder & CEO; Rodney S. Ridley, Ph.D., RTTP, �鶹��ý Chief Economic, Community and Strategic Development Officer; and Colin McFayden ‘25, �鶹��ý MBA Candidate and O’Pake Institute Graduate Assistant

Learn2Inject transforms classroom innovation into award-winning healthcare startup with support from the O'Pake Institute

Three �鶹��ý mechanical engineering students turned an idea born in the classroom into an award-winning healthcare innovation, securing both a provisional patent and first place in the collegiate division of the 24th Annual tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition in northeastern Pennsylvania. The team members won $10,000 and $100,000 in in-kind services to continue growing their business, Learn2Inject.

Students Jack Badalamenti, Philip Crock, and Steve Tello Alegria launched Learn2Inject to develop the first reusable safety needle designed specifically for nursing education, called Smart Stick. Created in collaboration with �鶹��ý nursing faculty, engineering faculty, and the O'Pake Institute for Economic Development & Entrepreneurship, the patent-pending technology allows nursing students to repeatedly practice the complete injection process using the same training needle, reducing costs and plastic waste while improving clinical skill development.

"It’s rare for small, private universities to have in-house technology transfer offices. This student achievement demonstrates exactly what makes �鶹��ý's experiential learning opportunities unique," said �鶹��ý Chief Economic, Community and Strategic Development Officer Rodney S. Ridley Sr., Ph.D., RTTP. "Jack, Philip, and Steve identified a real problem, collaborated across disciplines to develop an innovative solution, and with the support of the O'Pake Institute, transformed that innovation into a viable business. Seeing our students create technology with the potential to improve healthcare education while earning regional recognition is incredibly rewarding."

The idea was presented to the Engineering Design course by Director of Learning and Simulation, Joy Flicker, MSN, RN, after she discussed the reusable safety needle as a viable project with her colleagues in the John and Karen Arnold School of Nursing. The students took the idea and developed it from the epiphany stage through business valuation and product development.

“The issue of teaching students the proper technique for injections has been a long-standing conversation in our department and other nursing programs as well,” said Flicker. “The needles come with safeties to prevent accidental sticks to the nurse. These safeties are locked in place after activating. In education, where we want students to practice proper techniques over and over again, we either risk improper use if they do not activate the safety to reuse supplies, or we waste a lot of supplies. Both options come with their own set of risks.”

Unlike traditional disposable safety needles that permanently lock after a single use, the Smart Stick features a resettable locking mechanism that enables students to safely practice the complete injection sequence more than 100 times using one device. The group identified this longstanding challenge in nursing education, and their innovation will not only address that but also reduce training costs by an estimated 96 percent and plastic waste by 99 percent. The team estimates the technology could serve more than 700,000 nursing students enrolled in approximately 3,500 nursing programs across the United States.

Smart Stick was not only designed to cutting costs and plastic waste, but also to promote the safety of handling needles and decrease medical waste due to the specific nature in which needles need to be disposed. Flicker shared that the product can also be used in training for any medical profession that uses needles for patient injection, including veterinary medicine.

Throughout the commercialization process, the O'Pake Institute's Technology Transfer Office helped the team secure a provisional patent while O'Pake staff guided business planning, financial modeling, market analysis and investor pitch preparation.

While �鶹��ý students have reached the finals of the tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition for three consecutive years, Learn2Inject is the university's first collegiate division champion. For Badalamenti, founder and CEO of Learn2Inject, the competition represented far more than a win.

"Competing in the tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition was such an eye-opening experience for me. As an engineering fellow who wasn't very familiar with running a business or being an entrepreneur, I gained valuable insights into what it takes to succeed in a startup venture,” said Badalamenti. “I learned a lot about myself and the potential of our invention. While helping me prepare for tecBRIDGE, the O'Pake Institute taught me valuable lessons in terms of networking, public speaking, and finance. Leading up to finals, the finance team helped me establish a strong financial model for my innovation, and the team helped me build my confidence."

To compete in the tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition, the students developed a comprehensive commercialization strategy that included an executive business plan, competitive market analysis, financial projections, and an investor pitch. Their presentation earned the top honor among collegiate teams from across northeastern Pennsylvania.

National rankings and local recognition highlight �鶹��ý's commitment to student success and values

sarah.matarella@alvernia.edu — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:39:26 +0000

National rankings and local recognition highlight �鶹��ý's commitment to student success and values sarah.matarell… Thu, 07/09/2026 - 15:39

National rankings and local recognition highlight �鶹��ý's commitment to student success and values

University recognized by Colleges of Distinction, Money magazine and Berks County Living's People's Choice Awards

National rankings and local recognition continue to affirm �鶹��ý's commitment to delivering an affordable, values-based education that prepares students for meaningful careers and lives of purpose. This summer, the university earned recognition from Colleges of Distinction and Money magazine. Earlier this year, �鶹��ý was once again named Berks County's top college or university in Berks County Living's 2026 People's Choice Awards.

“These recognitions affirm what our students, alumni and community experience firsthand: an �鶹��ý education transforms lives," said �鶹��ý President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. "Grounded in our Franciscan mission, we provide an education that is academically rigorous, deeply personal and connected to real-world opportunity. We are honored that these respected national organizations and our community continue to recognize our commitment to developing ethical, service-oriented leaders who make a meaningful difference.”

�鶹��ý was named a College of Distinction for the seventh consecutive year, recognizing the university's commitment to engaged learning, personalized student support and career-focused education. In addition to the overall designation, �鶹��ý earned recognition in several specialized categories, including Catholic, Pennsylvania and international institutions, as well as nursing, education, business, military support, equity and inclusion, and career development.

"Students and families today are looking for more than a degree that checks a box. They're looking for an institution that will prepare students for successful careers while providing the support they need to thrive," said �鶹��ý Chief Enrollment and Strategic Communications Officer Gaetan T. Giannini, Ed.D. "These recognitions reinforce that �鶹��ý delivers on that promise through personalized education, experiential learning and a culture of care centered on student success."

The university also earned a place on Money magazine's 2026 Best Colleges in America list for the fifth consecutive year. The publication evaluates colleges based on graduation rates, affordability, alumni earnings, financial aid and educational value to identify institutions that provide students with a strong return on their investment.

Closer to home, Berks County residents once again selected �鶹��ý as the region's top college or university in Berks County Living's 2026 People's Choice Awards. The recognition marks the seventh consecutive year local voters have honored �鶹��ý, reflecting the university's longstanding commitment to serving Berks County through academic excellence, workforce development and community partnership.

The latest honors build on a year of national momentum for �鶹��ý. Earlier this year, the university was ranked in the top echelon for Most Affordable and Popular Colleges in Pennsylvania by Research.com. In addition, Alveria was named to Carnegie's 2026 High Access, High Earnings Opportunity Colleges and Universities list, recognizing institutions that expand educational access while producing strong economic outcomes for graduates. �鶹��ý was also recognized as a national doctoral university by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the university's continued growth and impact.

Engineering Experience and Professional Skills minor

jonfassnacht — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:11:03 +0000

Engineering Experience and Professional Skills minor jonfassnacht Wed, 07/08/2026 - 09:11