Profiles

The times have changed a lot since Fay (Binkley) Strickler ’62 began her work as a Penn State Extension educator at the Berks County Agricultural Center.

“I remember in the 1970s, teaching women how to make polyester men’s suits,” she says with a smile.

Cooperative Extension is the outreach arm of Penn State University. Every land grant university provides services to citizens of their state through Cooperative Extension, funded by federal, state and local government.

For almost 35 years, Strickler provided educational programs on everything from nutrition, food safety and sanitation for restaurant workers to weight management and diabetes awareness for health care providers. She coordinated programs for childcare providers and parents.

She answered consumer questions in newspaper columns and on local radio and TV shows. She served as a judge of baked goods at cooking contests and fairs. She designed and delivered“Cooking for a Crowd,” a program for non-profits, such as fire companies, who raise money by serving dinners to the public.

Her husband, Robert, a retired real estate insurance salesman, enjoys the fruits of Strickler’s culinary skills – apple dumplings, banana bread, hot pepper jelly and canned fruit.

“I like to make pies,” says Strickler, a native of Lancaster. “Cherry pie, peach pie, pumpkin pie… we go through each season. The crust is crucial. I also make my own mince meat for pies.”

When asked to name his favorite delicacy created by his wife, Robert shows his wisdom by replying,“I like them all!”

The couple married in Memorial Chapel on Albright’s campus in 1973.

As an Albright student, Strickler majored in home economics. She lived with other home economics majors for a month at a time in Sherman Cottage (now called Pushman Cottage), cooking meals and taking care of the house. While they practiced the domestic arts, they also tackled some of the toughest science courses on campus.

“Home economics majors were required to take many of the same science courses as pre-med majors,” she recalls. “The toughest courses were chemistry and biology. I worked my tail off! But when I started my master’s I was really prepared. My preparation was far superior to some graduates from other schools.”

Strickler not only educates people on nutrition and food safety, she also is a culinary whiz.

photo courtesy of the Reading Eagle

While at Albright she served as president of her social sorority, Pi Alpha Tau, and played the flute and the piccolo in the band.

“The summer before my senior year, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe for three weeks and visit top fashion houses through a cooperative program between Albright and Drexel University,” she recalls. “The experience was fabulous. I bought this incredible silk. When I came back, I made a blouse for myself. I remember that blouse. It was multiple fall colors.”

During her career, she saw her discipline change so radically that now it has a new name– family and consumer sciences. Changes in the field reflect the huge societal changes that have taken place during the past several decades, including the evolving roles of women and men, as women entered the workplace in droves.

Strickler earned a master’s degree in agricultural and Extension education at Penn State in 1980. She served as the national president and a board member of Epsilon Sigma Phi, Cooperative Extension’s professional organization, which led to extensive travels.

“I have traveled to 49 states,” says Strickler.“It was wonderful to network with people all over the United States. I only have one state left, North Dakota, and I am planning to visit there. I have a lot of travel plans. I hope to go to New Zealand and Australia in 2007.”

Throughout her career, Strickler never stopped seeking new audiences to serve. She worked on an international exchange program in Poland a few years after the fall of the communist government there. She helped design an educational outreach program to Puerto Rico that also included service to Latino families in Reading.

In 2005, she was named national Extension Educator of the Year by her peers, a prestigious honor that followed a lengthy list of local, regional and state awards.

Strickler credits her success to her parents, who taught her the importance of hard work and encouraged her to graduate from Albright. She also thanks her husband for supporting her career.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my years at Albright,” says Strickler. “And I loved my job because every day was different.”

– Francine M. Scoboria