Academic Presentations: The Good of this Place
Join us for a series of thoughtful presentations that explore and celebrate the Inauguration theme, The Good of This Place. Faculty, students, and alumni will share insights that highlight the values, stories, and impact that make Lycoming College distinctive. All are welcome to attend the presentations listed below.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Academic Showcase: CEAE Research & Internship Expo
Pennington Lounge, Academic Center
Celebrate the research our students have completed during a variety of summer internship opportunities. The Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences (CEAE) is excited to showcase the students' good work in this poster presentation. Drop by the expo at your leisure to view the posters and interact with students about their research.
2 to 2:45 p.m.
Reflecting on the Good of Lycoming with Dr. John Piper
Trogner Presentation Room (3rd Floor), Krapf Gateway Center
Join us as John F. Piper Jr., Ph.D. ’07H, emeritus professor of history and dean of the College shares his knowledge about Lycoming and the historical good of this place.
3 to 3:45 p.m.
Lycoming Student TRENDS Showcase
Trogner Presentation Room (3rd Floor), Krapf Gateway Center
Communication and Media Studies students share their research analyzing current events and issues to predict the trends shaping the year ahead in business.
4 to 9 p.m.
Alumni Art Show: Donna (Ertel) Spitler ’54
Art Gallery in the Fine Arts Building
Donna (Ertel) Spitler ’54 (1932–2024) devoted her life to education, art, and family, weaving these threads into a legacy that continues to inspire. As a career teacher of over 30 years, it should be no surprise that Donna was also a lifelong learner. A student of landscapes, still life, highlights, and shadows, she pursued painting both as a discipline and as a form of escape from the daily demands of raising six children, teaching full-time, and fulfilling her many roles as mother, partner, and friend. In her work, one can see both the discipline of study and the joy of discovery—a reflection of a woman who never stopped observing, experimenting, and learning.
This small collection of works demonstrates the range of Donna’s artistic journey, showing a variety of styles, mediums, and scales she explored throughout her life. Mulberry Street and Fruit Still Life were created during her studies at Lycoming (Mr. Chandler, instructor), with Mulberry Street capturing in vivid colors the view from the art studio windows as she worked toward her degree in English with minors in history and art. After obtaining a master’s degree in guidance, she later returned to Lycoming to deepen her study of art and painting techniques, a commitment that speaks to her enduring curiosity and creative spirit.
The works on display carry the imprint of a teacher’s heart and an artist’s eye. Donna’s legacy lives not only in the brushstrokes of her paintings but in the countless lives she shaped — as an educator, mentor, mother, and member of her community. Just as she encouraged students to see the world with new perspectives, her artwork invites us to do the same, resonating as a lifelong testament to service, learning, and love.