PARSIPPANY —  University of the Sciences inducted 36 new members into its Pennsylvania Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society. The annual ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 15. Among those inducted are Parsippany residents:

Jinal Patel, a 2014 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School, is a Physical Therapy student.

Raj Patel, a 2014 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School, is a Biomedical Sciences student.

Shivani Ramolia, a 2015 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School, is a Biomedical Sciences student.

“Through involvement in our local chapter and the regional and national levels, Alpha Chi members have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain experience in professional activities, such as making scholarly presentations,” said Stacey Gorski, PhD, Alpha Chi co-advisor and assistant professor of biology at USciences.

During the ceremony, inductees were introduced by their faculty advisers or department chairs who highlighted each student’s accomplishments. At USciences, Alpha Chi is open to the top 10 percent of juniors and seniors in all majors except pharmacy, who are eligible for Rho Chi; and psychology/health psychology, who are eligible for Psi Chi.

University of the Sciences has prepared students to be leaders and practitioners in the healthcare and science fields for nearly 200 years. Key to its distinctive education is a tradition of hands-on research and experiential learning that is evident in every graduate who has walked its campus. Since its founding in 1821 as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first college of pharmacy in North America, USciences has grown to more than 30 degree-granting programs from bachelor’s through doctoral degrees in the health sciences, bench sciences, and healthcare business and policy fields. Discover how USciences students are proven everywhere they go at usciences.edu.

PARSIPPANY — Noah Lane, from Mt. Tabor, is one of more than 6,300 newly enrolled students comprising the Kent State University Class of 2020. The University College is proud to welcome Noah to an exceptional collegiate class of the highest of achievers.

Noah is a 2013 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School.

Kent State University continues to set records and reach its enrollment goals. Total enrollment for the 2016 Fall Semester across the university’s eight campuses is 40,782 students. The unduplicated headcount for the Regional Campuses is 11,677 students, and 29,105 students at the Kent Campus. This marks the tenth consecutive year of strong enrollment on the Kent Campus.

With a current enrollment of more than 3,000 international students from over 103 countries, Kent State has one of the largest international student bodies in Ohio.

Retention of Kent Campus freshmen is also the highest in the university’s 106-year history at a record of more than 82 percent. This represents the percentage of freshmen that continue their studies at the university for their sophomore year.

“We are delighted that the remarkable class of 2020 is not only the largest and most academically talented in the history of the university, but is also more diverse,” said Kent State President Beverly Warren. “This class is a showcase for the heart of our distinction as a public research university, where priorities for access, excellence and affordability not only coexist but merge as critical elements of a high-quality, distinctive learning environment.”

Two of Kent State’s Regional Campuses also have seen enrollment growth: Kent State University at Stark and Kent State University at East Liverpool. Kent State Stark welcomes 5,015 students, which is the largest concurrent enrollment it has ever recorded since the campus was founded in 1946, shattering its previous high of 4,919 in 2011. Kent State East Liverpool’s concurrent enrollment increased by 4.6 percent compared to last year.

“These enrollment numbers confirm that Kent State is a highly sought-after institution of higher learning,” said T. David Garcia, Kent State’s senior associate vice president for strategic enrollment management. “Our dedicated faculty, wonderful staff and new campus buildings have created a great, new energy and atmosphere to attract and retain students. Our employees play an important role in the success of our students and of our university, and I thank them for all of their efforts.”

With eight campuses, seven additional domestic and foreign locations and over 60 study abroad and international opportunities and experiences, Kent State is one of the nation’s largest university systems and is proud to welcome its newest class of golden flashes!

For more information about Kent State click here.

Kent State University is Northeast Ohio’s leading public research university with more than 41,000 students. The university’s eight-campus system is among the largest regional systems in the country. Today, Kent State has become an engine for economic, cultural and workforce development – locally and internationally – as one of the premier Ohio universities. The university is ranked among the nation’s 74 public high-research universities and among the top 76 in community engagement by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information about Kent State click here.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany school teachers have once again united to lend a hand to local residents in need as we all prepare to enjoy the bounty of the Thanksgiving holiday.   Educators in all 14 Parsippany-Troy Hills public schools have been contributing to the annual food bank drive since early November, resulting in making this a plentiful holiday for more people.

Michelle Picone accepted the $2,010.50 donation on behalf of the Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry at the Parsippany Community Center.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the PTHEA has spearheaded the holiday drive.  Although the majority of the funds have come from the 750 members of the teachers’ association in all of the town’s elementary, middle and high schools, many secretaries, administrators, custodians and visitors to the school buildings joined the cause as well.

The Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry collects and distributes food items for residents in need on an ongoing basis. Donations may be made in person or by calling (973) 263-7163.

PARSIPPANY — We should value all ages in our communities, from the very young to the very old. Northvail’s third grade students did just that when they recently visited Troy-Hills Assisted Living/Nursing Center on Halloween bringing cheer to the senior residents.  The visit was such a success that third grade teacher, Mrs. Jenelle Garcia, decided to continue the tradition throughout the school year. Her class prepared Thanksgiving Day cards for their new friends at the center. 

Mrs. Garcia plans more activities throughout the winter through Valentine’s Day. Even more are planned for the spring and early summer.  The children designed a card and wrote a heartfelt message in each such as, “Thank you for letting us come and visit.  We want to come next year too,” and “Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you enjoy the holiday with yummy food!”

While a single visit to a nursing home is a valuable experience for children and will brighten the day for older adults, ongoing communication such as Caring Cards for the Community is also worthwhile. Mrs. Garcia’s goal is to teach her class lessons in empathy, charity, respect, and friendship while also having fun.  All of Northvail is very appreciative to have such a teacher.