{"id":309110,"date":"2026-10-18T04:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T04:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/309110\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T04:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T04:52:08","slug":"people-on-the-move-october-18-2026-scranton-times-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/309110\/","title":{"rendered":"People on the Move, October 18, 2026 \u2013 Scranton Times-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

PennDOT<\/p>\n

At a recent ceremony, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll recognized 30 employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT\u2019s highest recognition. Two employees from PennDOT\u2019s District 4, which represents Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, were among the honorees.<\/p>\n

Local winners Mitch Simon and Steve Kofira were honored at an awards luncheon at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg.<\/p>\n

Simon, a county maintenance manager, exemplifies dedication, leadership and an unwavering commitment to operational excellence, according to PennDOT. As highway maintenance manager, he consistently exceeds expectations by advancing safety, fostering innovation, strengthening communication and developing the next generation of leaders. His efforts directly contribute to exceptional service for the traveling public and the continued success of Wayne County and District 4.<\/p>\n

Simon\u2019s leadership style is built on collaboration, trust and accountability. He actively involves his assistant maintenance managers in decision-making, encourages open communication and empowers his team to take ownership of their responsibilities<\/p>\n

Equally impressive is Simon\u2019s commitment to employee development. He intentionally creates opportunities for professional growth by assigning stretch projects, including staff in leadership meetings, mentoring future leaders and recognizing individual accomplishments, PennDOT said. The professional advancement of numerous employees within Wayne County is a direct reflection of his investment in their success and his ability to inspire excellence.<\/p>\n

Kofira, civil engineer manager, serves as the District 4 structure control engineer in the construction unit and is a highly respected, trusted and invaluable member of the District 4 team, PennDOT said. He consistently goes above and beyond in support of the department\u2019s mission by providing technical expertise and fostering collaboration across the construction, design and maintenance units.<\/p>\n

Kofira is known for his exceptional communication and responsiveness. He maintains a thorough understanding of project status and priorities, allowing him to quickly adjust his schedule and provide timely support wherever it is needed, often with little advance notice. His flexibility and commitment ensure projects continue to move forward efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of quality.<\/p>\n

One of Kofira\u2019s greatest strengths is his collaborative approach to problem-solving. Rather than allowing issues to become obstacles, he proactively brings together representatives from design, construction and contracting partners to discuss project challenges, identify practical solutions and improve project delivery, according to PennDOT.<\/p>\n

The Star of Excellence Awards are presented annually to employees who represent the department\u2019s values of service,\u00a0performance\u00a0and integrity. The recipients represent a variety of organizational positions, spanning\u00a0from highway maintenance and driver and vehicle services workers,\u00a0to traffic control specialists, engineers and more.<\/p>\n

University of Scranton
\n\"VanDyke,VanDyke, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
\n\"Davis,Davis, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)<\/p>\n

Gretchen J. Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, recently accepted an invitation to join the Bretton Woods Committee, an influential and international network that connects academia, government, finance and industry, think tanks, nonprofits and civil society organizations.<\/p>\n

Membership in the Bretton Woods Committee is extended by invitation only and reflects significant professional achievement and expertise in economic and policy matters.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1983, the Bretton Woods Committee is particularly committed to the continued stability of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as well as broad global economic cooperation, the key foundational elements of the post-World War II economic order conceived at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference in New Hampshire.<\/p>\n

Van Dyke, whose nomination was sponsored by an existing member, will have opportunities to interact with policymakers and global leaders at high-level events. She will also contribute to the organization\u2019s thought leadership through publications, working groups and its global network of forums and conferences.<\/p>\n

A graduate of Trinity College (B.A.) and the University of Virginia (M.A., Ph.D.), Van Dyke joined the university in 1994. She\u2019s been an associate professor of political science since 2000 and specializes in international relations, foreign and national security policy and decision-making, the European Union and U.S. governmental institutions, teaching a wide range of courses that reflect policy expertise and global perspective.<\/p>\n

University President the Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., announced an administrative reorganization on Sept. 2, designed to support the university\u2019s strategic priorities and position the institution for continued success.<\/p>\n

As part of the reorganization, Robert W. Davis Jr., Ed.D., \u201903 G\u201910 G\u201913, has been appointed executive vice president. In his new role, the following divisional leaders will report to him: Elizabeth M. Garcia, Esq., associate vice president for the office of institutional compliance and Title IX; Stephen Hietsch, senior vice president for finance and administration; and Patricia L. Tetreault \u201993 G\u201900, vice president for human resources. They will remain members of the President\u2019s Cabinet, and the remaining members of the Cabinet will continue to report directly to Marina. Davis, who has served since 2022 as vice president for advancement, will continue to lead advancement and serve as the athletics direct report.<\/p>\n

Having earned bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s and MBA degrees from the University of Scranton, Davis brings more than 20 years of experience in student life, athletics, advancement and executive administration, along with a deep commitment to the university\u2019s Catholic and Jesuit mission. As vice president for advancement, he provided overall leadership for \u201cA Fire That Kindles Other Fires Campaign to Advance Mission, Access and Excellence,\u201d the largest capital campaign in university history, which exceeded its goal by a wide margin and raised $155.7 million.<\/p>\n

The new structure reflects the university\u2019s commitment to advancing the goals of Strategic Plan 2030, announced earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Twenty-two faculty members at the university received promotions heading into the start of the 2026-27 academic year. Promotions are effective as of Aug. 31.<\/p>\n

Four faculty members were elevated to professor: Jinghan Cai, Ph.D., economics and finance; Howard Fisher, Ph.D., communications; Cyrus P. Olsen III, Ph.D., theology; and Michelle Pratt-McHugh, library.<\/p>\n

Four faculty members were advanced to associate professor: Deborah Budash, Ph.D., occupational therapy; Laura Chapman, Ph.D., health and human performance; Ashley Driver, Ph.D., biology; and Amanda Marcy, Ph.D., accounting.<\/p>\n

Six faculty members were named associate professor and granted tenure: Christopher Fremaux, Ph.D., philosophy; Bibi Khan, Ph.D., biology; Julie Murphy, Ph.D., nursing; Joshua Reynolds, Ph.D., psychology; Laura Skoronski Chavez, Ph.D.,\u201910, nursing; and Cristen Walker, Ph.D., nursing.<\/p>\n

Eight professors were granted tenure: Mehmet Bastug, Ph.D., cybercrime and homeland security; Vincent Farallo, Ph.D., biology; Spencer Galen, Ph.D., biology; Emily Gerstle, Ph.D., health and human performance; Christopher Hauser, Ph.D., philosophy; Joseph Klobusicky, Ph.D., math; Geng Liu, Ph.D., physics and engineering; and Sylvia Orner G\u201922, library.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PennDOT At a recent ceremony, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll recognized 30 employees for their outstanding…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309111,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[60,182,178,180,179],"class_list":["post-309110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-business","tag-local-news","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}