The Top Elizabethtown College News Stories of 2023

The year 2023 was full of memorable moments at Elizabethtown College! Enjoy a look back at some of our most notable Etown News stories from the last 12 months, in chronological order.

These stories highlight an extraordinary year that is reflective of the work the Etown campus community and alumni achieved, along with the milestones reached as a community toward the College’s five-year Strategic Plan. Woven through each highlight and accomplishment you’ll find College’s mission to Educate For Service.

Political Science Major Recognized with Beloved Community Youth Influencer Award

In January, Olivia Pituch ’26 received the 2023 Beloved Community Youth Influencer Award from The King Center at a ceremony in Atlanta, Ga., for her work in work advocating for anti-racist practices and education.

Make A Deposit, Make A Difference Campaign Exceeds Goal for Fourth Consecutive Year

The College exceeded its expanded campaign goal to raise $20,000 for Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services (KPETS), which aims to promote well-being by sharing the power of human-animal interactions in south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland.

Elizabethtown College Student Receives Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

Tristan Mabee ’24 earned one of the country’s preeminent undergraduate scholarship awards in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering by being named a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar, marking the third straight year an Etown student received the prestigious honor.

Elizabethtown College Designated as a Hunger-Free Campus by Pennsylvania Department of Education

The College was recognized for its efforts in going above and beyond to alleviate food insecurity among its students through on-campus initiatives such as the Blue Jay Pantry by receiving the Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus + designation from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Engineering Students Team up with Alumnus for Community-Based Project

A group of Engineering majors, along with the help of Ryan Kiscaden ’07, M’14, introduced local high school students to a career in the trades by designing and fabricating two plumbing trainers that were delivered to an Elizabethtown Area High School construction class this past spring.

Marketing and International Business Alumna is Living the Sweet Life

Denise Schreiber ’99 is carrying on her family’s legacy through her successful chocolate-making company, Chocolates Unlimited, which has tallied more than 20,000 individual sales from her Etsy storefront.

Elizabethtown College Welcomes Largest Incoming Class Since 2009

This fall, Elizabethtown College will welcome its largest incoming class since 2009 as student enrollment continues to rise for a fourth consecutive year. Enrollment is up more than 13% over the previous year with a total of 580 new students being welcomed to campus this semester. A total of 546 first-year students make up the Class of 2027 and will be joined by 34 new transfer students to make up the incoming class.

Occupational Therapy Student Pilots Service Dog Training Program on Campus

Samantha Machmer ’25 is piloting a puppy-raising program on campus this fall, volunteering to raise and train Susquehanna Service Dog (SSD) Farmer, or Farmer for short, to support individuals with disabilities.

Elizabethtown College Opens New Center for Multicultural Affairs

Serving as a campus hub for diversity, equity, and belonging, the new Center provides students with a safe space for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration along with support networks and mentorship initiatives for students who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, or as other historically marginalized identities.

Elizabethtown College Music Faculty Perform Abroad

Elizabethtown College Professor of Music Justin Badgerow and Adjunct Instructor of Violin and Viola Shawn Wang took their musical talents overseas during the summer, completing a mini-residency as the Atlas Duo in Chengdu, China.

Elizabethtown College Men’s Soccer Coach Skip Roderick Announces Retirement

Following 39 seasons and a remarkable 573-181-78 all-time record, legendary Elizabethtown College men’s soccer coach Arthur “Skip” Roderick ’74 announced his retirement in November. Roderick’s 573 victories are sixth-most across all NCAA divisions of men’s soccer and fourth in Division III. He led Etown to a NCAA Division III National Championship in 1989 and guided the Blue Jays to the NCAA’s Division III Tournament 19 times, including 14 straight trips from 1983-96.

Etown Introduces New AI-Driven Solution to Reduce Food Waste

The College is using KITRO, an innovative technology system in its primary residential dining location on campus, The Marketplace to enhance sustainability efforts. The new system identifies and measures discarded food items at the “all-you-care-to-eat” facility using a scale and camera while collecting real-time data insights that allow the College’s Dining Services team to make informed decisions about future menu choices and furthers Etown’s commitment to sustainability.