The Schumo Center for Fitness and Well-Being, a facility that brings together the best aspects of a fitness center and a spa, made possible with a gift of $4.75 million from Margaret K. Schumo of Wyomissing, Pa., will soon be a reality at Albright.

The center will house many choices for healthy recreation such as weight lifting, dance classes, yoga, stress management, self defense, massage and meditation, and classes on nutrition and meal planning.

Two committees of faculty, staff, students, donors Schumo and daughter Cynthia S. Lynn, and architects and designers, have been meeting weekly to plan what programs will be offered in the new center, and how the facility will be designed to support the programs.

Construction on the two-story, 22,000-square-foot addition to the Bollman Center will begin in late spring, said Steve George ’68, athletic director. “The building is going to benefit the entire student body,” George said.

Andrea Chapdelaine, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and co-chair of the committee, said, “Unlike most college fitness centers, the Schumo Center will encourage physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Our vision is to create a holistic wellness program for our students that will incorporate all aspects of their lives.”

“I think this will make a dramatic statement about the vitality of the College,” added Michelle Daniels, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and co-chair of the committee.

The center will include: a cardiovascular fitness room; weight room; aerobic room; nutrition classroom with kitchenette; conference space; offices; locker rooms; an atrium; and a café featuring healthy snacks. It will also be open to the public.

Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D., has been appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs. Chapdelaine has served as acting vice president for academic affairs since 2004.

The position of provost, the chief academic officer and dean of the College, oversees 104 full-time faculty and 46 adjunct faculty, and all academic programs including those of Albright’s Graduate Division and Accelerated Degree Programs.

Chapdelaine joined the Albright faculty as assistant professor of psychology in 1998 and was promoted to associate professor in 2001. In 2003 she became dean of undergraduate studies. Prior to joining Albright she taught at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., and at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in social psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Chapdelaine’s research interests include service-learning pedagogy, interpersonal perception, close relationships and procedural fairness. In 2004, she was awarded the United Methodist Award for Distinguished Teaching.

At Albright, Chapdelaine has served on the Strategic Planning Committee, the Fine Arts Commission, Assessment Committee, Educational Technology Task Force, Committee on Faculty Evaluation and Performance Compensation System and various searches for both faculty and administrative positions. She was director of new faculty orientation and chair of the Institutional Review Board.

President Lex McMillan said, “I am confident that Andrea will provide the leadership and direction that we need in this position and will continue to be a tireless advocate for the faculty and for our
academic programs, as well as a respected colleague.”

Chapdelaine said, “As a member of Albright for the past eight years, I have the deepest regard for and devotion to Albright. This is a time of great promise. I look forward to working with the entire community to help the College realize its great potential.”

Stanley T. Wells ’63 of Noank, Conn., has been appointed to the Albright Board of Trustees and will serve a three-year term.

Wells was vice chairman of the board of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. in Hartford and New York until his retirement in 2000. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. is a NYSE member firm specializing in banks and financial services. He was employed with the company since 1970.

He is past president of Security Traders Association of Connecticut, former director of Bank Analysts’ Association of Boston, former treasurer/director of Connecticut Investment Bankers Association, former member of Hartford Society of Financial Analysts and a former instructor at The New England School of Banking.

Wells currently serves on the board of trustees of Mystic Seaport Museum where he is also a member of the investment, development and audit committees. He is also on the board of governors of Stonington Country Club.

From 1966 to 1967 he served in active duty as a member of the United States Naval Reserves on board the USS WASP (CVS-18).

He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Albright in 1963.