Communications

News & feature stories from the Saint Francis University Communications Department 

Compassion and Computers

12/17/2020
The fullest and most far-reaching expression of the mission of Saint Francis University are the Franciscan values which were lived by its founding brothers. Humbleness, respect, and service are just a few of the G oals of Franciscan Higher Education . These goals reach well beyond the comfy confines of Loretto and extend to the surrounding community. Recently, Saint Francis University donated over a dozen laptop computers to the Flood City Youth Fitness Academy’s virtual learning center, a charitable organization serving the needs of children and their families living in the Johnstown area. We

SFU Students Win State Marketing Competition

12/04/2020
Congratulations to Shields School of Business students, Hunter Longenecker, Urska Medvesek and Yanessa Shabbick, on winning the 2020 America250 PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge in the final state round. Under the direction of Dr. Tricia McFadden, the students competed against ten universities and colleges across the Commonwealth of PA and presented a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign, "Small Businesses Build Big Dreams" #BuyPA. The students were each awarded a stipend and internships with the American250PA Commission. About America250PA The Pennsylvania Commission for the United

SFU connection to NASA Space Launch

05/28/2020
Morhard Interview on CBS3 Ahead of Historic SpaceX Launch On Saturday, May 30, NASA astronauts are scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:22 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. According to NASA, the Commercial Crew SpaceX Demo-2 Flight Test (Crewed) mission, will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. SFU Connection NASA's Launch America program and Saint Francis University share a vital link: NASA Deputy Administrator James Morhard . Morhard, a

Saint Francis University community launches production of 3-D printed face shields

05/05/2020
SFU Academic Departments Pull Together to Help Medical Staffs Stay Safe with 3d Printed Face Shields We have all seen the constant news reports about the shortages of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staffs and first responders. A team from the Saint Francis University School of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and the Shields School of Business (SSOB) has swung into action to help mass produce medical face shields. Since April 28, this volunteer team of faculty, administrators, and students has assembled and distributed nearly

SFU Receives $1 million to Help Veterans Earn Degrees

08/02/2019
Veterans and military personnel will now have an easier way to finish their degree and obtain occupational licensing. The U.S. Department of Labor announced that Saint Francis University has been awarded a 3-year, $1 million dollar grant under the Veterans Accelerated Learning for Licensed Occupations (VALLO) project. Acquired through the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation (CSOR) which is housed at the Shields School of Business , the grant allows Saint Francis University to launch the Veterans Accelerated Learning Program (VALP) . Studies have found that many veterans have a

2018 Community Engagement Awards

04/11/2018
Saint Francis University’s first “Become that Someone” Community Engagement Awards & Community Partner Appreciation Breakfast was held on Monday, April 9, 2018, at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Loretto. Lisa Georgiana, Director of the Center for Service and Learning organized the first of what she hopes to be an annual event. “The purpose of the event is to celebrate our community partners, faculty, staff and students who are participating in and initiating community engagement activities and embracing the mission of the University with their hearts for service.” The mission at the

7th Annual Student Research Day

11/16/2017
Saint Francis University hosted the 7th Annual Student Research Day on November 16th in the John F. Kennedy Student Center. Fifty-four posters and four talks were presented by students from all majors. The event gave students an opportunity to showcase and discuss their research with the university community .

SFU Traditions: The Maurice Stokes Story

10/20/2017
No story embodies this lesson of servant leadership quite like that of the friendship between Saint Francis grad Maurice Stokes '55 and his Cincinnati Royals teammate Jack Twyman. The Meaning Behind Become That Someone Our university motto “become that someone” speaks to our Catholic-Franciscan mission to help students become compassionate, caring, successful professionals. The values of faith, generosity , respect, discovery, and joy run deep in our culture and attract students with a desire to become that someone who makes a difference in the lives of others. An Unbreakable Bond The idea of

Incoming freshman only student in Western Pa. to win Gates Millennium Scholarship

05/27/2016
“Appreciative, humble, intelligent, and persistent—that’s Desmend Phillips,” stated Kristin Weixel, assistant director of the Upward Bound Program at Saint Francis University. Desmend is an incoming freshman in the petroleum and natural gas engineering program, but he is no stranger to Saint Francis University. He participated in the University’s Upward Bound Program where he learned about himself and his dreams, and began making them come true. The Upward Bound Program, celebrating 50 years at Saint Francis University, is a program designed to motivate and prepare students for a four-year

SFU student selected for World Youth Day

05/24/2016
Saint Francis University student Matthew Fraley of Frederick, Md, will be traveling to Poland in July as part of the College Knights Pilgrimage to Krakow and World Youth Day. World Youth Day is an international event started by Saint John Paul II in 1985, celebrated annually at the diocesan level and every two to three years in a major city with millions of youth and young adults who come to be with the Holy Father and to celebrate the Catholic faith. World Youth Day 2016 will be held July 26-31 in Krakow, Poland. For its theme, Pope Francis has chosen a line from the Beatitudes, “Blessed are