Wilson College

Wilson College is an independent woman-centered college offering a rigorous program of study grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, and engaging students in a wide range of majors, including environmental science.

Part of Wilson’s mission is a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Through its Richard Alsina Fulton Center for Sustainable Living, students receive hands-on environmental education with opportunities to experience first-hand, solutions to today’s environmental issues. Those who wish to explore sustainability in food production, energy, transportation, land stewardship, and community awareness will find vast opportunities for practical learning. The college has its own biodiesel processor, where fuel is made from waste vegetable oil from the dining hall. Solar- and wind-generated electricity is demonstrated and put into practice. Wilson’s 50-acre farmstead
includes a seven-acre organic vegetable farm, passivesolar greenhouse and gardens, as well as its own composting facility.

Wilson is distinguished by a strong sense of community with a faculty-student ratio of 10:1 in a small, yet diverse community guided by the Honor Principle, its roots in the Presbyterian Church and a tradition of excellence.

Students have opportunities for academic recognition through programs such as Phi Beta Kappa; student laboratory and field research alongside highly qualified and dedicated faculty, internships and involvement in state, regional and national organizations. Seven varsity athletic teams – basketball, field hockey, gymnastics, soccer, softball, volleyball and tennis – allow students to compete in Division III of the
NCAA. Wilson equestrian clubs include Hunt Seat that competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), Dressage, Combined Training and the Musical Drill Team.

Wilson’s students, from 20 states and 10 countries, can participate in a variety of campus activities. From student newspaper and international club to modern dance ensemble, students can expand their education beyond the classroom by taking advantage of the many leadership and community service opportunities.

Wilson’s 300-acre campus in Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley features many impressive Victorian buildings recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the center for sustainable living, special on-campus facilities include the Penn Hall Equestrian Center and the Helen M. Beach ’24 Veterinary Medical Center. Students benefit from nearly $5 million in recent campus renovations, including the Lenfest Commons, a-state-of-the art student center that is the hub for community conversation, dining, recreation, fitness and campus activities. The Hankey Center houses the Wilson archives and a center for research on the education of women and girls.

Wilson College,1-800-421-8402; www.wilson.edu; admissions@wilson.edu.

Kean University Dedicates Harwood Arena

More than 200 Kean University administrators, faculty members and friends attended a ceremony on Feb. 7 to dedicate the new Harwood Arena. They came to see the expansive new building and honor Kean University’s first Trustee Emeritus, Lowell
Harwood, and his wife Toby, in recognition of their years of service to the university.

The arena that bears the name of these longtime benefactors is a masterpiece of architectural design, with the front wall made almost entirely of glass. Possessing as much substance as it does style, the state-of-the-art building is the gateway to the institution’s sports complex, and houses the administrative offices for the Department of Athletics, Recreation and Health, as well as all of the Cougar teams, and includes
computer labs for student-athletes. The highlights of the new structure are the three basketball courts with bleacher seating for 2,500 spectators, circled by a 750-foot-long raised track on the second story.

The Harwoods’ commitment to the University and its mission of academic excellence and affordability was evident from the moment Lowell Harwood took office as a Board of Trustee member in 1995. A product of New Jersey’s schools, he knows the benefit of
public education. “Public universities offer higher education to the children and grandchildren of immigrants, the sons and daughters of coal miners, truck drivers, steel, sanitation, restaurant and construction workers,” he said. “Just look around and see where some of us would be without public higher education. At the end of the day, we have to remember our goal is getting Kean students educated to help them in their efforts to go out and be employable, productive members of society.” His own success story is a testament to the value of education. From his modest beginnings in Jersey City, N.J. Harwood went on to graduate from college and serve in the Korean War. He
ultimately became chief executive officer and principal shareholder of Square Industries Inc., an $80-million public company located in Jersey City.

This success has enabled the Harwoods to become involved in many philanthropic endeavors. As the former chair of Kean’s Board of Trustees, Harwood established
Kean University’s annual scholarship fund-raising Gala and chaired the Building, Finance and Audit Committee. He helped implement many campus-improvement
projects, some of which, including the new arena, have benefited directly from the generosity of he and his wife. They donated the beautiful stained-glass window that is the centerpiece of the Kean Hall Conference Center, and Lowell Harwood’s name also adorns a lovely fountain in the park-like set-ting behind the University’s Nancy Thompson Library.

Kean University, 1000 Morris Ave., Union; 908-737-KEAN (5326); www.kean.edu

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