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Ford's Focus
As we swiftly begin a new year I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks for all that you do here in OPP. You are integral to our work keeping the University running. Your work is greatly appreciated and immensely important regardless of what your day-to-day role may be.
With 2016 here, I hope we can continue moving forward in a positive direction. Please continue to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas on how we can improve as an organization. You are an important part of the conversation.
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Welcomes
 Brett Albert began working as a custodial worker on Dec. 6. He is in District 42 and transferred from Student Affairs. Hometown: Osceola Mills
Hobbies: Music
 Keith Brainard accepted a position as a facilities supervisor. His first day was Nov. 23.Hometown: Boalsburg
Hobbies: Carpentry, gardening
Karen Burke began working as an administrative support assistant on Dec. 14.
 Bryan Fetzer began a position as a custodial worker in District 43. His first day was Jan. 4. Hometown: Philipsburg
Hobbies: Hunting, fishing
Tyler Horner accepted a position as a utility maintenance worker. His first day was Dec. 14.
 John Kissell began working as an environmental systems technician. His first day was Dec. 7. Hometown: Altoona
Hobbies: Hiking
 Todd Love began working a facilities supervisor in District 53 on Dec. 7. Hometown: Altoona
Hobbies: Sports, outdoors
Earl McCaleb accepted a position as a maintenance worker in steam services. His first day was Dec. 14.
 Penny Myers accepted a position as a custodial worker. Her first day in District 53 was Dec. 7. Hometown: Huntingdon
Hobbies: Music
Walter Payne began a position as a custodial worker on Dec. 14.
 Carly Ray accepted a position as a custodial worker in District 43. Her first day was Jan. 6. Hometown: Tyrone
Hobbies: Outdoor activities
Jason Robertson accepted a position as a stockroom clerk. His first day was Dec. 14.
 Tina Witherite accepted a position as a custodial worker. Her first day was Jan. 4. Hometown: Unionville
Hobbies: Riding motorcycles, camping
 Jason Wood accepted a position as a custodial worker. His first day was Dec. 7. Hometown: Clearfield
Hobbies: Outdoors, hunting
 Robert Woodring began working as a groundskeeper. His first day was Nov. 23. Hometown: Port Matilda
Hobbies: Motorcycles
 Todd Zook began a position as a facilities supervisor. His first day was Jan. 4. Hometown: Bellefonte
Hobbies: Spending time with his kids
**If your picture was not included, we would be glad to include it in a future edition. Please contact Susan Bedsworth to set up a time to have your photo taken.
Farewells
Andy Bayer, area facilities maintenance worker, retired after 16 years. His last day was Jan. 8.
Bill Corrigan, preventive maintenance worker, left the University after 23 years. His last day was Dec. 31.
Mike Daniel, lead power plant operation and maintenance, transfered to the College of Engineering. His last day was Dec. 31.
Matt Jones, facilities designer, left the University. His last day was Dec. 31.
Phil Popowicz, facilities project manager, left the University. His last day was Dec. 1.
Rick Riccardo, architect, is transferring to the University Library. His last day is Jan. 25.
Bob Richers, electrician, has left the University. His last day was Jan. 8.
Malachi Scott, facilities supervisor, left the University. His last day was Nov. 30.
Keith Shaw, planner/estimator, retired after 29 years. His last day was Dec. 31.
Greg Wheeler, maintenance worker for plumbing and piping, retired after 21 years. His last day was Jan. 8.
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Penn State and the Office of Physical Plant are, and have always been, committed to helping employees, their families, friends, neighbors and loved ones address concerns about domestic violence. The recent and horrific loss of one of our own, Natalya Podnebennaya, to domestic violence has caused us to reflect on what we have done and what more we can do to address this disturbing social issue.
In Natalya's honor, we will be offering a new program to all OPP employees called "Recognizing Domestic Violence and How to Help a Co-Worker." As we have learned from Natalya's experience, sometimes the co-workers have no indication that anything is wrong at home. There are, however, circumstances when victims of domestic violence share information with the people around them, and this new program will help us all recognize the signs of domestic violence and understand what we can do to help those in harm's way.
As a follow-up to this program, we will offer to all female OPP employees a program called "SAFE." It provides women with risk awareness, risk reduction and personal safety information, as well as a few basic physical defense techniques. In addition to these programs, we will put a link on the OPP home page containing resources about domestic violence.
We hope you will attend the training, use the resources, and get involved.
Information and Other Resources
The term "domestic violence" refers to a range of abusive behaviors ranging from degrading remarks and cruel jokes, threatening looks, constant monitoring, economic exploitation, punches and kicks, sexual abuse and homicide. Unchecked, domestic violence almost always increases in frequency and severity.
Research shows that the overwhelming majority (about 95%) of adult victims of domestic violence are women. Although the "norm" of domestic violence relationships is male perpetrator and female victims, anyone can be a victim of abuse.
Statistics
- About 1 in 4 women in the U.S. report experiencing domestic violence in their life.
- On average, more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the U.S. every day.
- In Pennsylvania, in 2012, there were 105 separate domestic violence related incidents in which 110 victims and 31 perpetrators were killed.
- Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
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Whitmore Renovation
Larry Johns wrote in to Jim Brown to offer thanks for the help with the Whitmore Renovation. "I want to thank you and your crew for all the help in the past with the Whitmore reno project and in advance for all the future assistance. We need your crew! We could not do this renovation without all of you! We in Chemistry truly do appreciate all the hard work."
2015 Green Star Award
 The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) recognized Penn State with a Grand Award in the University and College Grounds category of the Society's 2015 Green Star Awards program. The Green Star Awards program brings national attention to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence, complementing other national landscape award programs that recognize outstanding landscape design and construction. Winners were honored during the Society's 2015 Awards Dinner in Louisville, Ky.
Leaf Removal at Ag Arena
Trish Shaw from Agricultural Sciences wrote in to OPP regarding leaf removal at the Ag Arena. "Thank you for the landscape work down at the Ag Arena to get it ready for the Dean's tailgate. I appreciated it very much!"
Judi Sittler wrote in regarding the plaque at the duck pond.
"I just want to let you know how pleased we are with the work done by all the men who helped get the plaque in place. It took many site visits, consultation, and final decisions on how to angle the rock, the width of the path leading to the rock, etc. Let me tell you, the men were more focused on those details than me!
"The Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited is proud to say they partnered with your team to get this plaque placed...38 years after the actual project was completed. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in getting the job done."
Appreciation from Shields
Brenda Nagle, administrative support coordinator, wrote in to thank OPP for their quick response. "I wanted to say thank you for coming over and meeting with me regarding the first floor restrooms in Shields Building. I truly appreciate such a quick response. Every time I've dealt with anyone from OPP it has always been a pleasure--such a nice group of folks always willing to go the extra mile for us. I really appreciate your hard work."
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WJAC Highlights the West Campus Steam Plant
News reporter Erin Calandra spent time touring the West Campus Steam Plant in mid-November to highlight the conversion of the facility from coal to natural gas. Paul Moser, superintendent of Steam Services was interviewed for the story.
For the complete story and video, visit WJAC.
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The item in the Nov. 19 issue of News & Views was a welding cap. They are used by the crew in the sheet metal shop .
The next "Tools of the Trade" item is below. What do you think this is and/or what is it used to do? Email your guess to newsviews@psu.edu.
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Did you have a hula hoop when you were growing up? Maybe your kids have their own now. Did you know there are tons of tricks you can do with a hula hoop besides spinning it around your waist?
Kristine Clouse, an administrative support assistant here in OPP, recently shared her hooping talent. Below is a Q&A with Kristine and a video of her unique and impressive hooping skills.
1. How long have you been hooping?
"I've been doing it for about two years. It's really fun."
2. How did you get into it?
"My sister-in-law mentioned she was hooping, and I decided to take some classes. I also watch videos on YouTube to learn new tricks."
3. Is it a hobby or do you participate in competitions?
"It's just a hobby of mine, but it might provide me a chance to go to India. A friend of mine rollerblades and performs over there. I might have a chance to go perform as well. I never would've thought this would provide an opportunity like that."
4. How hard is it to learn to do?
"It all depends on the trick. Once you get the motion of it, it gets easier and easier. Obviously some tricks are easier than others too."
5. What advice can you offer to people who want to try it?
"Weighted hoops make it a lot easier to learn. There are a lot of video tutorials online. A great website to visit is hoopnotica.com. Another thing people don't realize is that hooping can be a workout, too."
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 Buildings, Buildings, and More BuildingsThere are 954 buildings at University Park with more than 200 acres of roof area.
Those buildings house more than 81,000 unique spaces that are tracked and managed in some way by OPP.
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By: Kelsey Patterson, Marketing & Communications Intern
When a new construction project is started on campus, it's fun to watch the progress of walls being erected, paint being rolled on and a new landscape coming to life. Yet it's easy to miss one of the most important yet smallest additions to every new building: locks.
 "Ten years ago, there was a map of campus on the wall, and I just started counting how many buildings were new since I started here. I counted 43 buildings, I think," said Kevin Potter. There are far more today. Potter is the locksmith with some of the most experience, 27 years, sitting comfortably under his belt. The Penn State locksmith team consists of six employees, and each one is needed for the important task of installing locks in every new door on campus.
"We just did the Burrowes building. It was 1,500 keys," said Christie Kocher. Kocher is the newest locksmith to join the ranks, having just completed her three-year apprenticeship. Knowledge adds up between the six crew members, including Danny Owens. "We have a combined 122 years of experience in this shop!" said Owens.
The locksmiths have to deal with a variety of issues in every job. At times they may be called in at 4 a.m. or deal with the busy rush of hundreds of lock changes at the end of the spring semester. Most calls are normal for the crew, but at times the door in front of them can lead to a bit more than expected.
"At the dairy barn up here there's an apartment upstairs with both guys and girls, and according to the students the wind blew the girls door shut," explained Potter. "It didn't have anything to do with that big footprint or the way the door was all splintered," he added with a touch of humor in his voice.
The worst is dealing with unhappy customers.
 "You have the irate ones, where it's not their fault they lost the key or it's not their fault that they have the two-hour key and didn't return it, and then they get upset," said Kocher. "The majority of the time, probably 70 percent of the time, they're nice people," Owens said. Kocher quickly added, "It's more than that!" After dealing with an angry student, Owens filed a report and got something surprising in return. "Three weeks later I got a letter of apology from her," said Owens. "My name is Danny and she called me Donny. This happened two years ago, and the crew still calls me Donny." But, after all the work is done, locks changed, and doors closed, the most important thing for these workers to remember is to stay calm and keep their composure. Dealing with locks means dealing with closed doors. Owens explained, "When you open up a door and there's one person answering the door and another in bed, you have to keep a straight face."
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Please make an appointment to donate blood during the Jan. 21 blood drive here at OPP. The goal of this blood drive is to collect 24 units of blood. So far, there are 12 people signed up.
Where: 105 Conference Room, OPP Building
When: Jan. 21, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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 The holidays are swiftly approaching, and it can be a challenging time of year to stay healthy. Below you will find a variety of tips to stay healthy during the holidays and winter season, ranging from ways to stay active or avoid germs.
1. Protect your skin! Sunscreen is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer months. There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, UVA and UVB. UVB light penetrates the superficial layers of the skin and can cause it to redden, but these rays are blocked by window glass in your home and car and become less intense during winter months. UVA light, however, penetrates top and deeper layers of skin and can pass through window glass. It also stays the same strength year round. Look for a moisturizer with SPF protection of 15 or higher.
2. Get a flu shot. Each year about 36,000 people in the U.S. die from complications from the flu and 200,000 are hospitalized. Getting a flu shot not only helps protect you, but it also protects your family, friends, coworkers and random people you pass each day. Like other vaccinations, it promotes the concept of "herd immunity," which means by getting the flu shot you're helping protect all those mentioned above, but also those who cannot receive vaccines for various reasons.
3. Take a class! Winter can be a tough time of year, especially if you don't enjoy being outdoors in the cold or have a favorite winter activity you enjoy pursue. A great way to get out of the house and connect with friends is to sign up for a class like yoga or other fitness activity, a cooking class or something else entirely. Not only will these classes help improve your mental and physical fitness, they also give you a chance to connect with a friend and meet others in a happy and relaxed atmosphere.
4. Eat more plants, especially ones that are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. One of the primary omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenix acid (ALA), is found in many plants and plant-based cooking oils, as well as in flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts. ALA, along with other omega-3s have anti-inflammatory effects, offer skin protection, help with hydration and are part of a heart healthy diet.
5. Raise your vitamin D levels naturally (without pills or sunlight). Vitamin D is essential to heart, skin, immune and mental health. What a lot of people don't know is that you don't have to get a tan or take pills to raise your vitamin D levels. Lifestyle changes resulting in weight loss can send your vitamin D levels upward. Why? Because vitamin D likes to stay in fatty tissue. If you lose fat, that vitamin D heads back into your blood. Other great ways to increase your vitamin D during these gray winter months is to lower cholesterol, exercise and eat more fatty fish like salmon. Make sure to bake your salmon as it leaves almost all the Vitamin D content intact. Other good food sources include trout, ahi tuna, mushrooms, egg yolks and plain Greek yogurt.
More tips will follow as we head deeper into the winter months. Stay tuned! |
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Participants are sought for a diet study looking at the health benefits of dietary oils as part of a heart healthy diet.
Penny Kris-Etherton and her research team are conducting a study that examines the effects of dietary oils on the levels of fat in your blood, your body composition, vascular health and other markers of cardiovascular disease. They are looking for nonsmoking adults aged 20-65 years of age with an increased waist circumference. Subjects will be provided with all food and drinks for a total of 18 weeks with two compliance breaks in between. At the completion of the study, participants will receive lab results and compensation of $450-$500.
If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call 1-888-PSU-DIET (1-866-778-3438) or email psudiet@gmail.com, mention the Canola Study and leave your name and contact number. |
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As of Dec. 1, two of our own began supporting the University's WorkLion Project. WorkLion is the name of the project responsible for implementing the new Penn State enterprise-wide human resource information system called Workday.
Huoy-Jii Khoo, senior manager of Information Technology Services, has moved 100 percent to the project and will serve as a Senior Business Analyst leading the data security effort. Lora Lee Brinton, supervisor of payroll and telecommunications, has moved 50 percent to the project and will serve as a business analyst on the Time Tracking team. Joe Laskowski has been appointed the interim manager of ITS, while the gap created by Lora Lee's partial commitment will be filled by members of the Payroll and Telecommunication team.
Congratulations to Jii, Joe and Lora Lee!
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 In each edition, we are including information and links to retirement information found both on the web and from Penn State's Office of Human Resources. Remember, regardless of your age, it's always important to plan ahead for retirement.
Forbes recently published an article detailing the many traps created by the complicated rules surrounding IRAs, 401 (k)s and other retirement accounts. These are traps that can snare not only smart investors, but financial advisors, lawyers, accountants and even the IRS itself. We'll be sharing some of these traps in the next few editions of News & Views. The first 5 are below. 1. Relying on your stockbroker for IRA Rules advice
Often, your stockbroker, someone answering the 800-line at a mutual fund company and your HR professionals don't know all the rules affecting retirement accounts. Consider asking to speak with a retirement account specialist at your financial services company; double check advice in IRS Publication 590b; and when dealing with the trickiest areas, pay an expert for advice. 2. Claiming a hardship exception to the 10% penalty
Withdrawals taken from a traditional IRA or 401(k) before age 59 1/2 are generally subject to not only ordinary income taxes, but also a 10% early withdrawal penalty on the taxable amount. Fortunately, there are 11 separate exceptions. However, "financial hardship" is not one of those 11. 3. Taking a 401(k) withdrawal to pay for higher ed You can take an early penalty free withdrawal from an IRA, but not from a 401(k), to pay for college or graduate school bills. If you're leaving work to go to school, roll your 401(k) into an IRA first. If you're staying on the job, but are paying for your children to go to school, take a 401(k) loan, not a withdrawal. 4. Missing the 60 day IRA rollover deadline All IRA rollovers should be done in a trustee-to-trustee transfer without the money ever touching your hands. However, if you're issued a personal check, you must deposit the money in another IRA within 60 days or it will be subject to taxes and a possible 10% early withdrawal penalty. 5. Missing a chance for 60-day rollover relief The IRS can waive the 60-day rule if the delay wasn't your fault. If it's your own fault, you'll get no relief. Applying for relief is expensive, ranging from $500 to $3,000, plus the cost of the professional to prepare your request.
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Philipsburg to University Park CATA Vanpool
The Philipsburg to University Park CATA Vanpool is currently looking for both full and part-time riders for its daily service. The vanpool travels to campus from Philipsburg making stops at Innovation Park, Centre Medical Science Building and two other on-campus locations. The schedule is Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, contact Sandy Simler by phone at 814-577-6289 or by email at sms55@psu.edu.
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Have something to sell? Let us know! E-mail Susan Bedsworth with your item(s), details, contact information
 and photos. We will include it in the next edition of News & Views. And don't forget about OPP's Yammer Group "Up for Grabs." Just sign in with your University ID and password to post your item. Lion Surplus
Lion Surplus handles the removal of University-owned equipment in environmentally responsible ways, such as sales, bids and auctions. Their store, located at the corner of Services Rd. and Big Hollow Rd., is open to students, faculty, staff and the public. The inventory changes daily, but the store routinely has gently used furniture, computers and other electronics, scientific equipment, and much more.
Follow Lion Surplus on Facebook to keep up to date on inventory and special events.
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The OPP ITS tree was outfitted with everything from circuit boards to cable to retired mice to cooling fans. Check out the tree inside the front doors of the annex.
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Colleagues in the Administrative & Financial Services division worked in teams of four to create the works of art seen below. "We were so amazed by what we were able to do together in one hour, something that none of us could have accomplished individually," said Terri Parker, director of A&FS.
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Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.
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You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the 
