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 (READING) – Twenty-seven students seeking Ph.D.’s stepped on the main campus of Alvernia for the first time August 28, joining 2,634 day and evening students at the College’s three Pennsylvania campuses.
“This founding class of 27 is an exceptional group of individuals selected from a highly competitive pool. They sailed through a rigorous evaluation and interview process in which we examined their graduate records, professional experience, honors earned in the community, writing ability, and performance on graduate exams,” said Joan Lewis, Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies.
Alvernia’s first doctoral students include leaders from area corporations and non-profit organizations as well as education professionals from Greater Reading, Allentown, and one from the College itself.
“The interest in this program far exceeded our expectations, “ Dean Lewis added. “The initial pool of applicants also yielded 22 candidates who have qualified for next year’s class.”
Provost Shirley Williams welcomed the group and spoke to some of challenges of embarking on a five-year doctoral program. The program’s instructional team, Dr. Anne Skleder, Dr. John Rochowicz, and Dr. Spence Stober, then introduced the first class in the curriculum, the Advanced Research Colloquium, which will give them the tools and methods of scientific research to assess topics for their doctoral dissertation.
 Theresa Adams, a member of the Nursing faculty at Alvernia, considers it an honor to have been selected for the founding Ph.D. class. “I’ve seen the need for a program like this in Greater Reading. I’m thrilled to be exploring new avenues of leadership through this class in a broad context,” Professor Adams explained. “It’s exciting to think that my Alvernia colleagues will also be my mentors in this program.”
Alvernia’s Ph.D. in leadership is the first post-master’s degree program offered in Pennsylvania’s mid-state region and is the result of five years of preparation and planning.
For more information contact the Graduate and Continuing Studies Office at 610-796-8228.
Updated:
September 19, 2006
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