What a Difference a Day Makes

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Manor College Raises Historical Amount During #GivingTuesdayNow Fundraiser  How can one day and one person make a difference? This is what Manor College asked in advance of the recent #GivingTuesdayNow campaign that took place earlier this month. An unbelievably supportive couple made a wonderful challenge grant to the institution, which hosts mostly first-generation college students at its campus right outside Philadelphia.  “Of all the colleges, in all the states, in all of our nation, what’s the likelihood that a board leader is working on a treatment for COVID-19?” asks Manor College President, Dr. Jonathan Peri. “Well…it’s happening here at Manor College.” Leonard Mazur, who is currently Manor College’s Chairman of its Board of Trustees’ Ukrainian Community Committee, and Chairman of the Board’s Nominating Committee, is working on a treatment with his company Citius Pharmaceuticals, and a collaborating organization, Novellus. Their work is in cell-reprogramming technology that will treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with Covid-19. “We believe we have the key elements in place from a clinical design and manufacturing point of view to evaluate this novel cell therapy approach to deal with the current pandemic,” said Myron Holubiak, Chief Executive Officer of Citius. “ARDS is a very serious complication for many patients suffering from COVID-19, and is believed to account for about 80% of the deaths in ventilated patients. There is no proven or FDA-approved treatment for it, other than oxygen therapy, including use of mechanical ventilation, and fluid management. We look forward to our FDA discussions and are excited to be at the cusp of what could be a novel and effective therapy for ARDS.” Dr. Peri and Leonard speak often about the leadership of Manor College. Recently, Leonard shared how a huge bald eagle landed in a tree right outside of his window.  It had been the first time Mazur had ever seen one so close up and so near his home.  What are the chances, that when our nation needs it most, that the most majestic national symbol of leadership would perch just outside his door? “Leonard and his wife Helena both know how important finding a cure to COVID-19 is to our families and to the world,” says Dr. Peri. “They also know Manor College needs to keep educating the leaders of tomorrow to soar into their communities and handle crises like these in the future.” Together, the Mazurs encouraged gifts to Manor College. And their hope was their gift of $10,000 would be matched by the community.  The institution gave themselves one month to match that generosity.  However, it only took one day! Kelly Peiffer, VP of Marketing Communications and Advancement for Manor College, said, “We could not believe how the donations came in! In just a day, we raised nearly $11,000. That funding will help support our students who are struggling during this health crisis. One day, and one especially generous couple, made an incredible difference.” The good news continues. This year Manor College honored more than 100 students as degrees were conferred online. A graduation ceremony was postponed until October 22. “We couldn’t have asked for better supporters,” says Dr. Peri, “and we know the students felt their encouragement as they worked diligently to end this semester strong. We call it #ManorStrong.”

Manor College Honors Dr. Robert J. Orsher with the Community Leadership Award.

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Manor College Honors Dr. Robert J. Orsher with the Community Leadership Award. Evening with Manor was held on Thursday, April 19th at the Abington Arts Center. Evening with Manor honored Dr. Robert J. Orsher with the Community Leadership Award. Dr. Robert J. Orsher, founder, co-hospital director, and chief of surgery at the Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center – BluePearl Veterinary Partners (VSEC), has been a long-time friend and gracious supporter of the Manor College Veterinary Technology Program. Dr. Orsher has guest lectured, established VSEC/ BluePearl as a preferred externship site for Manor’s veterinary technology students, and helped bring digital radiology technology onto campus through his philanthropy. With the evening benefiting Manor College Veterinary Technology, the event served as the kickoff for the campaign to support laboratory renovations the department will soon undergo. Current laboratories will be redesigned to expand and enrich the veterinary programs and their impact on the community. These renovations will accommodate the expansion of the department to include a Bachelor’s Degree of Veterinary Practice Management. Representatives from local veterinary practices and the Manor College community enjoyed an evening of music, good food, laughter, and community support. The program consisted of speeches from Chairman Elect Dennis McGrath and President Peri, discussing the transformations the college has made and the growth that Manor will continue to foster. Honoree Dr. Orsher spoke about the growing profession of veterinary technology, “Educated and credentialed veterinary technologists are vital to the success of veterinary practices and are in high demand. With the growth of the veterinary technology facilities and program at Manor, we can have a larger impact on the animal community that we serve.” In addition to the warm speeches, beautiful venue, and friendly atmosphere, the evening was a success, raising more than $65,000 for the much-needed veterinary technology renovations. Be part of the transformation, you can help us continue to make a difference! Your contribution will go towards improvements and renovations for the Veterinary Technology Program. Click here to view photos from the Evening with Manor

Manor College Alumni Association Elects 2018 Executive Board Members

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On Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 the Manor College Alumni Association elected a new executive board at its regular business meeting. Those in attendance also officially adopted Alumni Association bylaws, effective immediately, formalizing the organization which began less than two years ago as a conversation between a Manor alumnus and the newly-arrived Manor College president, Jonathan Peri.   Alumni Association president, Brendan Gillespie (BSL ’11), started that conversation with President Peri following graduation in May 2016 and began the work to recruit other alumni to join the alumni association effort. “The purpose of the Manor College Alumni Association is to connect alumni back to Manor College so we can support fellow alumni, faculty, and students as we all pursue professional success and community service. It’s great to see that more alumni are giving back by attending our meetings and events, donating to fundraising initiatives, and stepping up to leadership positions within our ranks.  We’re all looking forward to seeing Manor alumni at our upcoming activities.”  Gillespie graduated from Manor College with an associate’s degree in accounting before continuing on to Saint Joseph’s University. He now works as a Pre-sales Solution Engineer at SAP. His term runs through June 2020. Vice President, Beverly Bisaccia (AH ’03) and Secretary, Mary Jo Bell (BSL ’15), have also been active participants since the start of the Alumni Association. Bisaccia is an Instructor and Education Coordinator at Manor College for the Veterinary Nursing programs, having returned to teach at Manor 10 years ago after starting her career in veterinary technology. Bisaccia is currently working towards a master’s degree at Villanova University. Her term will end June 2019.  Bell, received her Paralegal Certificate from Manor College before continuing her studies at Temple University and works in the legal field. Bell’s term will end in June 2020. Treasurer, Trevor O’Neill (BSL ’13) graduated from Manor College with a degree in accounting. O’Neill spent time working in the accounting field before returning to school at La Salle University, where he is currently studying. According to O’Neill, it took him returning to school to really appreciate where he came from. Now he is looking to contribute and better serve the Alumni community at Manor College. O’Neill’s term will end in June 2019. Manor College president, Jonathan Peri, is elated to see the progress the alumni association has made.  “We are thrilled to see our Manor alumni making positive connections and contributions on our campus and in our community. We can’t wait to see what’s next as they step into a new year with a new executive board.” The newly appointed executive board positions are effective immediately. Looking to get involved with the Manor College Alumni Association? Visit our website for more information on events, volunteer opportunities and more!

Alumni Profile: Selicia Tucker, ’10

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“I was in community college and it wasn’t working.” Selicia Tucker, a first-generation college student, graduated from Manor College in 2010 with an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and acquired a Master’s in Organizational Leadership Management from Peirce College in 2017. When she first enrolled in college, she attended a community college and soon realized, “it wasn’t the fit that I needed”. When she transferred to Manor College, Manor offered smaller class sizes and more professor interaction than community college. She described Manor’s professors as, “really encouraging and really supportive”.  Manor gave her hope, strength, and tenacity which prepared her for success at Peirce and in life.  As a first-generation college student, not only did Selicia overcome the odds by enrolling and graduating with an undergraduate degree, but she also earned a master’s degree. Her advice to current students is, “don’t give up!”In her free time, she likes to read, exercise, and volunteer at soup kitchens.

Manor College hires Kimberly R. Hamm as its next Director of Development and Alumni Relations

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A development leader with experience fundraising for Temple’s Fox School of Business, Kim Hamm is poised and ready to blaze a trail at Manor College. Manor College announced today that after a yearlong national search, its next Director of Development is Kimberly Hamm. Hamm is currently the Associate Director of Development & Alumni Relations for Temple University’s Fox School of Business overseeing select advancement staff, activities and initiatives for more than 65,000 members of Fox’s alumni and benefactor community. In her first two years at Fox, she increased alumni engagement by more than 100%. She was also leading a $2M annual fund effort on behalf of the Fox School of Business. The move is a keen one for Hamm, who lands herself in a world of opportunity at Manor College. Manor’s new president, Jonathan Peri, has been in office for just 18 months, and in that time the college has been keeping up a break-back pace – renovating old facilities into new, rebranding its logos, launching a new website, improving the organization of its structure and operations, and creating new opportunities and innovative programs for students such as fully online courses in healthcare administration, liberal arts, and business administration. Indeed, Manor College is making such incredible progress that it recently announced its vision of academic offerings beyond its current two year associate’s degrees, to also offer bachelor’s degrees. It expects to more formally announce specific bachelor’s programs once all approvals are in place; a project President Peri and the college community have been working on ambitiously. For Hamm, moving to Manor College means moving to a smaller institution; an institution that has quickly become mighty. Because Manor is smaller, it is able to offer its students a 10:1 student teacher ratio, which allows its faculty to serve as mentors to students which enhances the student experience and positions them for great opportunities in life. This is confirmed when looking at Manor’s numbers. In comparison to their peers, Manor’s graduation rate and average salary after graduation are both higher than national average. Manor also attracts top talent like Hamm because it recently was named the Top Five Best Two Year Colleges in Pennsylvania by LearnHowToBecome.org, a leading resource provider for higher education and career information. Manor is the best priced-private Catholic college in Pennsylvania and has been recognized as the safest college in Pennsylvania. Manor’s President, Jonathan Peri said, “Kim was worth the wait. We may be seen as moving at lightning speed, and in more than a few cases we are, but we’re also being very strategic. We really wanted someone with the right skills, ability to create, and the right ‘can-do’ attitude. Development leaders need to approach their position with a strong vision for the office’s direction, poise, and the eye of the tiger. Kim has that.” Before working at Temple’s Fox School of Business, Hamm served in development roles at the National Kidney Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy, and started her career in sales at Elsevier. Hamm earned a B.A. from Drexel University and is currently pursuing an M.B.A. from Temple. She is also conversational in five languages.

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