Penn State New Kensington has first-rate faculty, many of whom are recognized nationally and internationally in their disciplines.
New Kensington faculty bring exciting new developments from their fields into the classroom and are at the forefront of a national trend to bring hands-on, student-centered, active-learning techniques into the classroom. They are committed to collaborative work, including challenging discussions in class, team projects, multi-media presentations, and interactive Web use.
Our faculty welcomes opportunities to incorporate internships, service-learning projects, and community involvement into their courses and programs as employers continue to look very closely for these experiences in applicants' resumes.
Jyotsna (Josi) Kalavar, Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies at Penn State New Kensington has received the Multicultural Resources Center's John Romano Faculty/Staff Diversity Recognition Award at the 21st Annual MRC Senior and Faculty/Staff Diversity Recognition Awards Reception on April 3, 2012. Her efforts were noticed, and the award is only a small token of her high quality work. Dr. Kalavar completed her doctoral degree at the University of Maryland College Park, and then spent two years as a National Institute on Aging (NIA) postdoc at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Dr. Kalavar’s primary research interest is in the area of diverse experiences of aging. To this effect, she has had the opportunity to study homebound seniors, immigrant seniors, and seniors residing in long-term care institutions. To address some of the above topics, she received external funding over $100, 000, including support from NIA. As a Fulbright Research Scholar, Dr. Kalavar spent her sabbatical year (2004-2005) in the urban locales of south India examining the experiences of seniors living in pay and stay homes. At Penn State, she has collaborated on research projects with colleagues in New Zealand, United Kingdom, and India. Currently, she is engaged in a project studying various issues pertaining to the Maasai people of Tanzania. Dr. Kalavar has presented her work at several international locations including China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, England, New Zealand, India, and Finland. In 2011, Dr. Kalavar was named Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. In 2012, she received the John Romano Faculty Diversity Recognition Award from Penn State University.
Biomedical Engineering Technology Program Director and Instructor, Myron Hartman has received the "Penn State Engineering Alumni Society Outstanding Teaching Award". This University-wide award is presented annually to an engineering faculty member by the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society for excellence in teaching and for contributions to the art of teaching. PSEAS is an alumni advisory body in the College of Engineering.
Myron is the Program Coordinator of the Biomedical Engineering Technology (BET) program for Penn State University. Prior to working at Penn State, Myron was the Director of Technology for the South Hills Health System in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Myron earned a Masters of Science Degree in Health Services Administration at the University of St. Francis, and three undergraduate degrees: B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology, A.S. degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and A.S. degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology. Myron is active in the biomedical profession by serving on local, state and national committees.
In the past 10 years, Myron has presented and/or published over 200 technical papers in the field of clinical engineering, facilities management, environment of care, leadership, health care reform and other related healthcare topics.