Frostburg State University

The first exposure Jeff Hallo ’98 had to the great outdoors was a small ditch along the highway in his hometown outside of Pittsburgh.

Young Hallo loved flipping over rocks and discovering crayfish, salamanders and other creek critters. Exploring state or national parks was not an option for the son of a single mom who held down several jobs to support her three children. The small stream had to satisfy his curiosity.

“So, I explored the green space in a ditch along the highway,” Hallo recalled.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/feature-jeff-hallo.php

FSU's Chief of Police, Cynthia R. Smith, celebrated over 42 years of dedicated law enforcement service at her recent retirement party.

Throughout her career, Chief Smith served in various positions including Chief of Police at FSUPD, Captain at Garrett County Sheriff's Office and Lt. Colonel with Maryland State Police.

Chief Smith came to FSU 15 years ago and was instrumental in transforming the campus police department into one that is not only more effective but also highly respected in the community and across the University System of Maryland.

In addition to overseeing the construction of a new building, she equipped her officers with body worn cameras well before the mandate was required by the State of Maryland. She maintained a high level of trust between the FSU Police Department and the community. She leaves the department in a great place with high morale ready to carry on her legacy.

According to the Chief, "My time at FSU has without a doubt been the highlight of my career."

FSU Theatre graduate Shazeb Zahid Hussain ‘17 was a cast member of the North American tour of “The Kite Runner,” a play based on Khaled Hosseini’s New York Times best-selling novel. “The Kite Runner” tells the “haunting tale” of childhood friendship and beyond backdropped against a kite flying tournament in a war-torn and divided Afghanistan. Hussain played the roles of Hassan/Sohrab in the production. Hussain grew up in England and moved to the U.S. at 12 years old. A refugee himself, he was happy to be part of this powerful show which concluded its run at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in June.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/alumni-spotlight-dibartolo.php

“Sweet Appalachia: The Story of DelFest” made its Western Maryland premiere in April and an encore screening at the DelFest Bluegrass Music Festival in May.

The documentary, also known as “DelDoc”, began filming in 2018 and was produced and directed by FSU Department of Communication Associate Professor Annie Danzi. The film chronicles the story of how DelFest, a festival named after bluegrass legend Del McCoury, came to have its home in Cumberland, Maryland. Featured interviews include festival organizers, community leaders, festival participants and Del McCoury and the McCoury family. Over the years, Danzi offered real-life documentary experience for her FSU Mass Comm students who assisted in the filming, interviewing and editing of the footage.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/may/delfest-documentary-sweet-appalachia.php

Name a state park in Maryland, any park, and Daryl Athony ’86 has visited and probably served as its director.

Anthony recently concluded a long and decorated career in the Maryland State Parks system, fulfilling his lifelong love and dream of working in and serving nature.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/feature-daryl-anthony.php

Forging Futures: The Campaign for Frostburg State University Continues to Break Records

For the third year in a row, FSU has set a new annual total fundraising record, raising over $5.3 million during FY24, which ended on June 30, exceeding last year's record of just over $4.6 million. The campaign has now reached nearly $28.5 million. Money raised in the campaign is used to support a number of campus priorities, including scholarships for deserving students.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/forging-futures.php

The Sloop Institute for Excellence in Leadership was held on March 8-10, 2024, at Turf Valley Resort in Baltimore, MD. This weekend retreat is designed and executed to provide an advanced experience that complements the training and development of student leaders.

The Institute provides students and alumni with opportunities to connect and develop meaningful relationships. FSU alumni serve as presenters, while students share their personal leadership experiences through participation in a wide variety of individual and small group activities. The Institute is funded by the Dr. Richard C. Sloop Student Leadership Fund and the Dr. Alice R. Manicur Endowment for Sloop Leadership Initiative.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/alumni-sloop-institute-recap.php

James McCrobie '10 was selected by the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. (MAEF) as the recipient of the 2024 Velma Clark Excellence in Teaching About Ag Award. The award honors one Maryland teacher who exemplifies excellence in using agriculture as a context to engage students in learning core subjects. McCrobie, who earned a B.S. degree from Frostburg in social science, is a teacher at Salisbury Middle School.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/alumni-spotlight-debone.php

Justin van Fleet '02, Ph.D., president of Theirworld, an international children's charity dedicated to ending the global education crisis, was highlighted on the Worthy's Top 100 list for the impact he is making on the world.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/interview-justin-vanfleet.php

Bianca Klein ’01 works daily at Grand Canyon National Park from her home office in Gardiner, Mont., a small community at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. As an environmental protection specialist, she facilitates the environmental compliance process to ensure that government, park concessioner and park partner projects don’t negatively impact park natural or cultural resources or the visitor experience.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/feature-bianca-mcintyre-klein.php

Nashville recording artist Warren Zeiders, a former Frostburg State University student and lacrosse player, has made a name for himself in the world of country music with hits like "Pretty Little Poison," "Ride the Lightening" and "Sin So Sweet."

Zeiders gained popularity singing covers on TikTok where he has over 2.5 million follwers, before creating his own original music. This past February, "Pretty Little Poison," his first entry on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, advanced by 15% to 33.1 million audience impressions. He recently won Breakthrough Male Video of the Year at the 2024 CMT Music Awards.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/frostburg-ties-warren-zeiders.php

Dr. Katie (Dignan) Weir ’14/D ’23, FSU’s associate director of Residence Life for Residential Education, admitted that the role of R.A. has even changed dramatically from her days at FSU when she was an RA in Frost Hall. Back then, focus was more on hall programs (or “links” as they are now called) to engage, entertain and educate students. Who doesn’t remember movie nights, pizza nights and the occasional campus guest speaker with info on study habits, the dangers of binge drinking and safer s*x practices? But, as Weir noted, as students changed, so did their programming needs.

“More effort is now placed on building relationships and support,” she said. “The trend is focusing on the mental health needs of students.”

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/feature-resident-assistants-then-now.php

Rubin Stevenson, senior associate athletics director at Frostburg State University, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Staff Award, the highest honor bestowed on staff members by USM. Stevenson received accolades in the Category of Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/august/rubin-stevenson-bor-staff-award.php

According to Abigail Rossman ’19, state park rangers truly are jacks of all trades. “There are days where you can be an educator, a plumber and a first responder all within an eight-hour period of time.”

A graduate of FSU majoring in wildlife and fisheries, Rossman has settled in northeastern Idaho in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and makes her living as a Parks and Recreation ranger for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation in the Harriman State Park of Idaho complex, which consists of Harriman State Park, Ashton-Tetonia Rail Trail, Mesa Falls and Henry’s Lake State Park.

Click the link to read more: https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/feature-abigail-rossman.php

The following budget message was sent to students and parents on Aug. 1:

https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/august/budget-plan-message-to-students.php

Like many other higher education institutions, FSU is facing budget challenges while keeping students top of mind.

Frostburg State University is facing major challenges to its budget this fiscal year and over the next several years, mostly because of decreased enrollment, state funding cuts and unfunded mandates. FSU’s structural budget deficit for the current and future fiscal years stands at $7.7 million. As a result, senior administration at the University has had the unpleasant task of making some very difficult and complex decisions to resolve this deficit to ensure Frostburg’s financial stability and viability.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/august/budget-plan-decisions.php

Frostburg State University's Foundation was one of the recipients of awards granted by the Community Trust Foundation. The Children's Literature Centre at Frostburg State University received $2,500 for the annual Pirates Ahoy event; FSU's Cultural Events Series (CES) received $3,000 for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra; and the Backbone Mountain Review received $1,500 for the publication.

We’re honored to announce that Frostburg State University has been awarded the 2024 Highly Established Action Plan Seal by IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Our campus action plan has been recognized among the best in the country for building and fostering nonpartisan civic engagement! This is a BIG year in democracy, we’re proud to be !

Donnell VanSkiver, CAP, MEP, OM, executive administrative assistant to the president at Frostburg State University, continues to bring home accolades. She was most recently the recipient of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) 2024 Achievement Award, which applauds and acknowledges excellence in the profession. Last year, VanSkiver received the Leadership Award at the 2023 Washington, D.C., Admin Awards.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/july/vanskiver-admin-award.php

Frostburg State University graduate Madison Davis was recently awarded an $8,500 fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – the nation’s oldest and most selected collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/july/fsu-grad-receives-fellowship.php

We are excited to share that the Fall 2024 edition of Profile is online and ready for YOU to read! We hope you love it as much as we do. Use the link below to access it online.

https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f24/home.php

Hold up ✋Stop the scroll for a second. 5 minutes could earn you a scholarship 💸. If you’re looking for last minute scholarships to get into college this fall, we have some opportunities for you. Head to the link to get more information and apply for scholarships that we still have available. 🔗APPLY BEFORE AUGUST 1🔗The brain rot memes will be there when you’re done. Take a break, make some money. We’ll see you here in August.

Relate with any of these? Then we have a place for you at Frostburg. Extending financial aid and scholarship until August 1. If you haven’t enrolled yet, what are you waiting for? Your new lifestyle starts here.

Twenty high school students from counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania had the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Frostburg State University STEM Summit on FSU’s main campus June 18-21.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/june/fus-stem-summit-2024.php

Frostburg State University’s associate professor and chair of the Nursing Department, Dr. Kara Platt, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, was recently announced as one of the 2024 Leading Women Under 40 by The Daily Record. Those on this year’s list were chosen by previous winners and the publication for the notable achievements they have made thus far in their respective careers.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/june/kara-platt-leading-women-under-40.php

On June 15, 2024, 79 graduates of the FSU-Hunan University of Technology and Business (HUTB) received Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics with a minor in Finance becoming the 5th cohort to graduate.

Dr. Alan Walker, Assistant to the President at FSU, and Dr. Ling Zhang, Vice President of HUTB, welcomed the graduates and their families. Leyi Yao served as the keynote commencement speaker. Dr. Sudhir Singh, Dean of FSU's College of Business, Engineering, and Computational & Mathematical Sciences, presented candidates for degrees, and Dr. Michael Mathias, Dean of FSU's College of Arts, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences, delivered closing remarks.

FSU student, Hailie Toro, was recently appointed to the Western Maryland Advisory Committee (WMAC) for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) after being approved by the MCCR Board of Commissioners.

Toro has been heavily involved in social justice during her time at FSU. She was the recipient of the Civil Communicator Award this year at the Student Engagement Awards Program, and she is also the incoming President of W.O.M.E.N.

"I am extremely grateful to accept an appointment on the Western Maryland Advisory Council of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Being appointed as a student representative, I am excited to promote social justice, civil rights and liberties, and serve the Western Maryland community," said Toro.

Toro is majoring in Social Work with minors in Women's Studies and Sociology.

In celebration of Juneteenth, tune into CNN tonight with Abby Phillip. FSU Theatre and Dance alum Keenan Scott II will be on to discuss his recent documentary and powerful work with incarcerated men at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York, who performed his play THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN. Scott's segment will air around 11:30 pm. Let's be there!

As part of an ongoing effort to create a sustainable, decarbonized campus, Frostburg State University recently applied for and received $300,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wood Innovations Grant program. This grant, awarded to fund an existing project, will allow FSU to create an implementation-ready design for woody biomass heating on campus, replacing an aging set of oil-fired boilers.

Read more here: https://www.frostburg.edu/news/2024/june/fsu-wood-biomass-grant.php