Fort Washington

Read to Me Early Literacy Day

DeVry University Fort Washington Campus President Dr. Darryl Field read to local students at a recent literacy campaign sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The event was organized in conjunction with the School District of Philadelphia’s city-wide Read To Me Early Literacy Day held at Kinsey Elementary School.

The Read To Me Early Literacy Day is a morning-long program that highlights a literacy initiative currently implemented within the School District of Philadelphia. The program brings together various regional senior-level executives to serve as storytellers in pre-school and Kindergarten public school classrooms.

DeVry University Fort Washington has developed several recent initiatives in support of Kinsey Elementary School, including a student-mentoring program that encourages university students to volunteer their time on a weekly basis. In addition, many of the students’ senior projects have been devoted to improving the elementary school’s communication and networking systems.

Professor Meets Speaker

Forough Ghahramani, Associate Professor of CIS at DeVry Pennsylvania, visited Archbishop Ryan High School, her Alma Mater, on November 29. One of the highlights of the visit was the opportunity to meet with the Pennsylvania Speaker of the House, Honorable Dennis O'Brien, also an Archbishop Ryan Alumni. This was also an opportunity to discuss and distribute information about DeVry programs to the Archbishop Ryan, guidance counselors as well as the student ambassadors. A follow-up opportunity is planned for DeVry University Pennsylvania CIS Linux Users Group students to present Linux and Open Source initiatives to the high school students. Forough is a member of the Alumni Board at Archbishop Ryan High School.

Alternative Energy Senior Project Featured

A Senior Project on an alternative energy source led the way at a display of Senior Projects at DeVry University's Fort Washington campus. Seniors Dominic Peraino and Lynne Gage in the Electronics & Computer Technology degree program produced a device that creates electricity using solar energy to produce steam that will generate power. According to Suga N. Suganthan, Dean of Academic Affairs Fort Washington campus, the Senior Project display is "not just a show and tell, but an invaluable opportunity for students to demonstrate the real world applications of what they have learned in school, and how they can apply those skills in their future careers."

DeVry Participates in Cancer Society Walk

A team of DeVry University Fort Washington students, staff, and faculty participated in the American Cancer Society "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" event at the Philadelphia Art Museum. Each participant worked to encourage sponsors to pledge their support to the cause. The team, which is the school's first group of walkers to enter the event, represented the university by wearing DeVry University tee shirts during the walk.

Schlumberger Recruiter On Campus

Mark Leegard, national recruiter for Schlumberger was recently on campus to conduct a presentation on the company, the world's leading supplier of technology, project management and information solutions to the oil and gas industry. The Fort Washington Career Services Department is scheduling employer presentations on campus to prepare and educate undergraduates regarding the varied employment opportunities that may be available to them before or after graduation from DeVry.

Passport2College Graduation

DeVry University Fort Washington recently honored 20 high school students who have participated in the school's sixth annual Passport2College summer program. The Passport2College program, which allows eligible students to gain free university credits, offers a wide selection of business, technology, and health-related courses taught by DeVry University professors. The ceremonies recognized students from the local Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey area representing various high schools such as North Penn High School, Souderton Area High School, Springfield High School, Radnor High School, Northeast High School, and Upper Darby High School.

DeVry After 5

DeVry University Fort Washington and it's Keller Graduate School of Management welcomed members of the local business community to a networking reception entitled, "DeVry After 5." The event allowed employers and business professionals to meet with various DeVry University faculty, and included presentations from Career Services representatives as well as campus tours.

Guest speaker Bill Bergey, four-time Pro-Bowler and three-time Philadelphia Eagle MVP, presented "Maintaining Motivation When Things Aren't Going Your Way". Drawing on his years of experience in the NFL, as well as his personal triumph in overcoming a knee injury to play a key role in the Eagles' 1980 season and their trip to Super Bowl XV, Bergey demonstrated the power that determination and hard work can have on the success of a business.

Guests included representatives from local companies including The Hartford, HR First Contact, Montgomery County Community College, The Preston Group, Fineo Printing , Unisys, Centecor, Almac, and J&B First Contact.

King of the Couch

DeVry University invited gamers eager to prove their skills to compete for cash prizes at the 2008 King of the Couch Tournament. The competition will feature tournaments played on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation2 gaming systems. Participants can compete in games such as Madden 2008, Halo2, Halo3, Super Smash Brothers Melee, and Guitar Hero. Teams comprised of two or four contestants are required for some game tournaments. Each game features grand cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1000.

American Idol Tryouts

Two would-be American Idols and DeVry University Fort Washington students took their shot at stardom on August 27, camping out at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center in hopes of getting an audition for American Idol. Although Students Loida Figueroa, 18, studying Business Administration, and Tyshaniek White, 19, majoring in Human Resource Management, didn't make the cut, they took a chance and are happy they did. "We'll always keep singing," say the girls.

Metro Speakers Series

"Why Don't Laughter and Daughter Rhyme? Or, a Mercifully Brief History of the English Language," a talk by Dr. Kathleen Sands, headlined Fort Washington's PA Metro Speakers Series. Dr. Sands delivered a humorous talk on what "mosquitoes, pajamas, human sacrifice, graffiti, Vikings, and sauerkraut have to do the history of the English language." Dr. Sands, an Associate Professor of General Education at DeVry University and author of An Elizabethan Lawyer's Possession by the Devil, Demon Possession in Elizabethan England, and the forthcoming Alchemy in America, compressed 1,500 years of linguistic history into 30 minutes, revealing the language secrets behind why horses "canter," why we earn "salaries," and why we wear "pants."

DeVry and Harcum Partner

DeVry University and Harcum College announced a new partnership that allows graduates of Harcum College's Associate's in Business program to seamlessly enter the bachelor's degree program in Business Administration at DeVry University. Through the articulation agreement, qualified business graduates from Harcum College, located in Bryn Mawr, PA, will be offered admission to all of DeVry University's Pennsylvania Metro locations, including Fort Washington, Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Pittsburgh. Harcum College graduates who elect to matriculate at DeVry University must meet grade point average and curriculum requirements. Qualified students can expect to enter DeVry with only four trimesters, or 16 months, to complete. Students who transfer under this agreement are eligible to apply for financial aid, and any scholarship opportunities that DeVry may have.

DeVry University Fort Washington Campus Hosts Academic Seminar with National Instruments

Casey Gavinski of National Instruments recently appeared as the featured speaker at an Academic Seminar at DeVry University's Fort Washington campus. Gavinski, a Sales Engineer for National Instruments, gave an overview of his company's academic initiatives to students and faculty.

According to Louis D'Agostino, Electronics and Computer Technology (ECT) Program Chair at the Fort Washington campus, "these Academic Seminars are a wonderful opportunity for our students to interact with a professional in a field many of them will enter upon graduation."

In addition to the Academic Seminar, National Instruments, maker of LabVIEW, a software used to develop and simulate strategies for controlling manufacturing, will hold its LabVIEW user group meetings at DeVry University's Fort Washington campus in September.

A Personal Graduation Ceremony

DeVry University Fort Washington recently presented 2007 graduate Tess Ellison with a personal graduation ceremony. Throughout her studies at DeVry, Tess traveled in excess of five hours each day in an effort to juggle both work and school. Because Tess began working in her field of study shortly before graduation, she was unable to attend DeVry's graduation ceremony. Upon hearing her story, campus president Dr. Darryl Field established an award to honor those students like Tess who have displayed determination and perseverance throughout their career at DeVry. Dr. Field and several other DeVry University representatives personally presented Tess with the first Graduate Perseverance Award in addition to her diploma during a lunch ceremony held at her place of employment.

New Keller Graduate School of Management Dean

DeVry University announced the appointment of Thomas Ahart, M.S.Ed., to Center Dean of DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management location in Fort Washington. In this role, Ahart will be responsible for overseeing all center operations, including admissions, academics, financial aid, and career services.

Ahart brings more than 10 years experience working in higher education to his new position. Prior to joining DeVry University, Ahart worked for several years at Temple University, where he served various roles within Student Affairs, Business Affairs, and the university's Graduate Business School. He also worked in Admissions at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Ahart began working with DeVry University in May of 2006, when he was assistant Center Dean at the Center City location. Ahart holds an M.S.Ed in Student Personnel from Alfred University and has also received an M.B.A. from Temple University.

Technology and Ethics

Bioethics, medical ethics and justice were recently up for discussion at DeVry University's Fort Washington campus senior presentations.

All DeVry seniors must demonstrate their ability to perform and present significant research on this topic as a condition of graduation. As graduates of one the nation's leading universities with degree programs in technology, students must demonstrate that they understand the ethical impacts of the technologies which they will be using in their professional lives.

Commencement Keynoter CBI Executive

DeVry University's Ft. Washington Campus recently held its Spring Commencement ceremony, featuring keynote speaker Christopher A. Burkhard, founder and president of CBI Group. Located in Newark, Delaware, CBI group provides solutions for human resources consulting and managed staffing. The campus graduated approximately 125 students from DeVry University, its Keller Graduate School of Management, as well as those attending online. This was the campus's largest graduating class to date.

Senior Projects Exhibit Demonstrate Ingenuity and Imagination

DeVry University's Fort Washington campus recently hosted a Senior Technology Projects exhibit. Graduating seniors from the Electronics Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering Technology, Network and Communications Management, and Electronics and Computer Technology programs, were given an opportunity to exhibit their projects, demonstrate their use, and discuss with fellow students, faculty, friends and family the process of developing, testing and producing their final design.

Some of the senior projects on display included a Guitar Analysis System which allows the user to make musical notations and tune the guitar using the same technology and Mobile Robot Eyes, a small maneuverable robot that can reach into small places where a human could not.

According to Professor Eric Alfonsi, a faculty advisor for many of the senior projects on display, the exhibit - held three times a year on the campus - is a chance for seniors to "show not only what they've learned, but how they took those tools and created something that is meaningful to them and useful to others."

A Student's Look at Technology from the Far East

For DeVry University sophomore Timothy "TJ" Nilon, a second year Network and Communications Management student, a trip to China was the farthest thing from his mind as he wrapped up studies at the Fort Washington campus.

But that all changed when the Wilkes-Barre, PA native received a call from the International Scholar Laureate Program to notify him that he had been invited to attend a month long tour of China, sponsored by the organization. Chosen for his outstanding academic achievements in both high school and college, as well as his involvement in campus life, Nilon will attend several seminars with companies from around the world to discuss current and growing trends in technology, a focus of his studies at DeVry.

The International Scholar Laureate Program in Technology offers students a behind-the-scenes look at global centers that are impacting the field of technology. Students in the program travel to Beijing, Qingdao, Suzhou and Shanghai, where they will get a close-up look at the technological, financial and competitive forces at play in field of technology.

While in China, TJ will be emailing a blog and photos to his academic mentor, Dana Cilberto, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Services at DeVry, to keep everyone stateside updated on his adventures. From his first missive, TJ reports that after a very long plane ride, he met up with his delegation, traveled to the Forbidden City, toured the Palace, and then enjoyed a meal of - what else? - Peking Duck.

After a day of sightseeing and hospitality, TJ wrote, "Tomorrow we get down to the nitty gritty; the real reason we're here. We're going to one of Beijing's top game-development firms to see what makes these games so addictive. Either the day after tomorrow or the next day, we're going to get hands on experience with nano-technology." For DeVry faculty and friends following his adventure, it's been rewarding and exciting to have TJ represent the school in China. "This type of experience is what DeVry students dream about. He is an excellent student, involved and energetic about academics and student life at DeVry. It's great to be able to share his story," said Cilberto.

Passport2College Gears Up at Fort Washington

High School students in the Philadelphia area interested in gaining a head start on their college education have the opportunity to enroll in DeVry University's Passport2College program. The program offers a wide selection of free business, technology, and health-related courses to eligible students entering their junior or senior year in 2006 or 2007. The courses are worth university credits and are taught by DeVry University professors. Students may participate in a maximum of three classes.

Courses being offered include: BUSN-115 Introduction to Business and Technology, COMP-129 PC Hardware and Software with Lab, MATH-114 College Algebra, SPCH-275 Public Speaking, ENGLISH-112, NETW 202 - Introduction to Networking with Lab and NETW 204 - Introduction to Routing with Lab.

Linux International Executive Director Speaks at DeVry

DeVry University hosted a Delaware Valley HP Users meeting featuring keynote speaker Jon Hall, Executive Director of Linux International. The lecture, entitled "Free and Open Source Software: Why it affects you," focused on the impact Free and Open Source Software, such as the Linux system, can give to the overall design process of a wide variety of projects. The event also illustrated various unique hardware components through which systems run.

Hall's work with Linux International has included supporting and promoting the Linux operating system. His work as a leader of the open source movement has had a major influence on the Information Technology and Programming community.

Seven Deadly Sins of Start-Ups

DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management welcomed Professor Andrew C. Hildebrand for his lecture "The Seven Deadly Sins of Start-Ups." Hildebrand, a professor at Keller Graduate School of Management, addressed the desire that many have to escape creative and professional constraints that may exist in the workplace in order to start a personal business. "The Seven Deadly Sins of Start-Ups," part of the DeVry University Metro Pennsylvania Speaker's Series," offered helpful tips on generating and sustaining a business by avoiding key "Deadly Sins," like gluttony, greed, envy, and pride, which may contribute to its demise.

DeVry University Sponsors Youth Competitive Swimming Program

DeVry University has partnered with a local competitive swimming program offered by the Lionville Community YMCA. The program, which runs four times each year, provides competitive swimming opportunities to all age groups and ability levels, and is supported by parent volunteers. The Fort Washington campus has become a club sponsor to the community team. DeVry University's financial support has enabled the team to purchase new training equipment. In addition, support from DeVry University has also contributed to alleviating the costs associated with sending a representing team to a national competition in Florida.

Future Students Build Night Lights at 'Destination DeVry'

Prospective students attending Destination DeVry had the chance to build a night light and learn about how ultrasound is used to detect blood flow during classroom demonstrations. The event featured a wide variety of activities designed to introduce both students and parents to the entire DeVry University experience.

Students with an interest in electronics had the chance to build a night light which consists of a photo sensor that turns on light emitting diodes (LED's) when the room is dark. A member of the technology faculty presented an overview of how the circuit operates and explained the function of each component. Participants were guided through the assembly and testing of the night light and each student took home their project to light up their own rooms.

Among the other hands-on workshops was a demonstration of a heart rate monitor/ultrasonic heartbeats. Using a blood pressure cuff, circulation in a patient's arm is stopped by increasing pressure. Once this occurs, the pressure in the cuff is reduced until blood begins to flow again in the arm. ultrasound travels into the arm and is reflected by the moving blood. Detection of the returning ultrasound is converted to sound and students can actually "hear" the blood flow. Other hands-on activities included Business Applications, Computer Information Systems, Fun with Algebra and Power Reading.

Speakers' Series Features Exorcism Expert

DeVry University Associate Professor Kathleen Sands, an author and nationally known expert spoke on "Exorcism 101," as part of the DeVry University Metro Pennsylvania Speaker's Series in Fort Washington, Penn. Dr. Sands is the author of An Elizabethan Lawyer's Possession by the Devil, Demon Possession in Elizabethan England, and the forthcoming Alchemy in America. She is a nationally recognized expert on exorcism. Her illustrated presentation looked at the evolution of the practice of this mysterious ritual from a simple rite, to a political tool, to a form of modern-day therapy.

DeVry Supports Women in Technology with Girl Scouts' World Thinking Day Event

DeVry University, in its continuing effort to support women and girls in technology, hosted more than 50 Girl Scouts and leaders from the Girl Scouts of Freedom Valley Council for technology workshops as part of World Thinking Day. The workshops, designed to interest girls in the study of technology and encourage them to consider technology careers, featured hands-on opportunities to conduct web-based research, communication and participate in a special game about self-esteem and friendship along with campus tours.

Dr. Darryl W. Field, PhD Named President of DeVry Fort Washington Campus

DeVry University announced the appointment of Darryl W. Field, PhD as president of its Fort Washington campus. Field brings to his new position a distinguished background in education, business management and technology, and proven growth at DeVry locations. Most recently, Field was the Senior Center Dean for both the Austin and San Antonio DeVry University Centers. Under his leadership, both grew substantially.

Before joining DeVry in 2004, Field successfully transformed the start-up branch campus of LeTourneau University (Austin, TX) into a thriving operation during a three-year period. He also served as Academic Dean/Vice President of Rio Grande Bible Institute (Edinburg, TX), an international college with a vibrant housing program and language institute. Finally, Field has taught college-level coursework for the past 12 years.

Field earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, Canada), an M.A. in religion from Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX), and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership in business management from Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA).

DeVry Hosts Wissahickon, Singaporean High School Robotics Teams

DeVry University Ft. Washington hosted a visit from the Wissahickon High School FIRST Robotic team and the school's sister robotics team visiting from Singapore. WHS has partnered with three schools in Singapore and the visiting students were from the following schools: Millennia Institute, Temasek Secondary and Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary.

Students toured the campus and participated in hands-on electronics demonstrations hosted by DeVry students and faculty. President Dr. Darryl Field, PhD presented a $1,000 sponsorship check for the Wissahickon team.

For the past three years, DeVry has sponsored the WHS FIRST Robotics team and this year's support will help the team compete in the upcoming regional FIRST Robotics. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international robotics competition designed to get more high school students involved in science and technology.

The Wissahickon team was invited to present a robot demonstration and sharing session at the Singapore Science Center this summer. Members of the team will speak to an international audience of students, teachers, community members, government officials, and business leaders about the FIRST Robotics Program, the growing relationship between their team and the schools of Singapore. While in Singapore, the students on the team will also attend classes, visit homes and sample life in Singapore.