on this page:

• White Chapel Bees Find New Home with Local Beekeeper
• Tree Dedicated in Memory of DCP Faculty Member Melinda Riccio ’94
• President McMillan Appointed to AICUP Board
• Campus Center Renovation a Hit with Students

White Chapel Bees Find New Home with Local Beekeeper

Douglasville beekeeper, Robin Kugler, relocates bees from the roof of White Chapel.
photo: Dave Markowski

In May, some 60,000 bees that had taken up residence in the roof of White Chapel found a new home with Robin Kugler (pictured here), a beekeeper from Douglasville, Pa. After removing an eight-foot section of the roof to uncover the hives and honey, Kugler vacuumed up the bees, which he planned to add to his 45 hives at home.

The bees are believed to have been living in the chapel for at least five years, said Charles Schwartz, service response coordinator for Facilities. Schwartz said he suggested finding a beekeeper rather then an exterminator because he knew that bees are disappearing from some areas. “With a beekeeper, the bees are preserved and put to use doing what they do best—pollinating and collecting honey.”

Tree Dedicated in Memory of DCP Faculty Member Melinda Riccio ’94

photo: Ryan McFadden

Students, faculty and administration gathered to dedicate a dogwood tree in memory of Melinda (Fels) Riccio ’94 during the Accelerated Degree Program’s May honors ceremony. Riccio, an accounting instructor for Albright’s Accelerated Degree Completion Program, was highly regarded by students and co-workers alike.

Mickey Baines, director of Accelerated Degree Programs; Sally Farley, program coordinator for the Organizational/Applied Psychology Program; and Chaplain Paul Clark ’73 spoke at the ceremony.

Riccio’s students took the lead and raised the funds to purchase the tree. Students, DCP faculty and members of the class of 1994 also raised funds to endow the Melinda Riccio ’94 Memorial Faculty Award. The award, created to honor the life and memory of Riccio, will be given annually with preference to an Albright College DCP faculty member who best exemplifies Riccio’s enthusiasm, character and classroom impact.

For more information about the award or to make a gift, please contact Karen Fitzgerald, associate vice president of alumni relations and development, at 610-921-7500.

President McMillan Appointed to AICUP Board

Albright President Lex McMillan has been elected to the board of directors of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP). AICUP serves the interests of private higher education in the commonwealth by complementing and supporting the work of campus leaders.

Campus Center Renovation a Hit with Students

The Campus Center Main Lounge got a complete facelift last spring. With new architectural elements, warm colors, cherry woodwork and new lighting, along with lots of comfy couches and armchairs and coordinating carpeting, the space has been transformed into the students’“living room.” A raised seating area is also a stage for performances. Jake’s Java and the Campus Center Desk also received total makeovers, creating a welcoming face for visitors and a chic bistro to sip coffee and smoothies, use a laptop or just hang out and relax. Students call the renovation a big success—as shown by the number of students using the space at all hours of the day and evening.