BU Director of Athletics Michael McFarland has announced Gary Sohosky has been hired as the first head coach of the newly-formed women's golf program. Sohosky takes over the inaugural women's golf program after serving as the head golf professional at Frosty Valley Resort while also serving as the head instructor, club technician, and club-fitter at Tee to Green Golf Center.

"Gary's golf knowledge and understanding of the region, ensure we have the right coach in place to build the 22nd sport at BU," McFarland said. "We look forward to the fall of 2020 and to meeting the student-athletes he recruits to enhance our overall program and to launch the golf team."

Activist, lawyer, and political analyst, Bakari Sellers will be the guest speaker at BU’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. in Carver Hall’s Gross Auditorium. Sellers was the youngest African-American to be elected to the South Carolina State House in 2006, and at the time, the youngest African-American elected official in the nation.

Sellers has been featured on CNN and MSNBC, including multiple appearances on Hardball with Chris Matthews and Morning Joe. He's also spoke at the National Education Association, College Democrats of America National Convention, the 2008 Democratic National Convention and, in 2007, delivered the opening keynote to the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Bloomsburg University's baseball team, in conjunction with the office of Alumni and Professional Engagement, recently held the program's second annual Baseball Career Night in Jamison, allowing for current p[layers to network with Bloomsburg baseball alumni, as well as other mentors with ties to BU and the baseball program, as they prepare for post-grad life.

"Playing baseball at Bloomsburg is not just about a four-year experience — it's about preparing for the next forty years," said Huskies head coach, Mike Collins. "Real success requires that we provide our student-athletes the tools to win on the field and in life. Our alumni, friends, and campus resources are the most impactful tools we have. This night was evidence of that."

Director of Athletics Michael McFarland has announced the hiring of Frank Sheptock '86 as head football coach.

"The Bloomsburg University football program welcomes a true leader in Frank Sheptock, as the 28th head coach of the program," McFarland said. "With his appointment as head coach, we have secured a leader who believes in BU's athletic and institutional goals, while taking the football program to new heights."

Sheptock returns to Bloomsburg after a one-year stint at Misericordia University where he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Prior to that, Sheptock was the head coach, and athletic director, at Berwick High School from 2016-19 and went 27-11 overall after taking over for legendary head coach George Curry. Sheptock's Berwick teams reached the District 2 Class 4A title game in his first two seasons and a trip to the district semifinals in his final year.

Bloomsburg University’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Diana Rogers-Adkinson, has officially named Daryl Fridley as the university’s Dean of the College of Education. Fridley comes to BU with nearly 30 years of experience in public education, including the last 13 years at Southeast Missouri State University. He started at Southeast Missouri State as a faculty member in the Department of History and coordinator of the Social Studies Education program.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with the dedicated, creative, and passionate staff and faculty in the College of Education,” said Fridley. “It’s an honor to become a part of (BU's) long tradition of preparing excellent educators for the region.”

BU and the BU Foundation proudly announce a $10 million gift from Steph Pettit ’89, with $5 million supporting athletic priorities, specifically scholarships, and a $5 million trust to support future university needs. In recognition of the impact this donation will have, BU will rename and brand the upper campus athletic complex to Bloomsburg University Pettit Athletic Complex.

“My goal is to elevate the athletic program at BU by giving the coaches the resources needed to recruit student-athletes from PA, New Jersey, and beyond with stronger academic and athletic profiles,” said Pettit. “Competition is fierce in intercollegiate athletics, and our coaches need more scholarship money to compete at the highest levels. I'm honored to be able to make this gift and support their efforts to compete for championships at the conference level and be competitive on a national level.”

Michael ’85 and Beth Boguski have committed $500,000 to the Bloomsburg University Foundation to support experiential learning opportunities for students. In recognition of this gift, prior commitments, and continued support of the student experience, Bloomsburg University named the dean’s suite in the Zeigler College of Business in their honor.

“We believe it is important to help fund the education of Bloomsburg University students, especially experiential learning,” Michael Boguski said. “Providing our students with access to internships and professional experiences is a competitive advantage for them and is a mission we are pleased to support.”

The Allentown School District (ASD) is excited to announce an expanded partnership with Bloomsburg University (BU) that will guarantee admission to qualifying students of ASD’s Class of 2020 and beyond.

“We are thrilled to announce the expansion of the partnership that began last year at Dieruff High School known as the ‘Husky to Husky’ pipeline,” said Thomas Parker, Superintendent of the Allentown School District. “Bloomsburg University is now poised to give all ASD graduates, be they a husky, a phoenix or a canary, a chance to become a part of the BU family.”

Bloomsburg University students pursuing law school will soon have a place on campus to assist them with the process thanks to a $1,500,000 gift. The Diehl Center for Law School Preparation will be a resource for all students considering law school, as well as faculty advising interested students. In addition, BU is also collaborating to develop new 3+3 agreements with Penn State University and University of Pittsburgh law schools, as well as with Widener Commonwealth Law School and Widener Delaware Law School.

“This gift will benefit students across several colleges who are interested in pursuing a career in law and will give our students a distinct advantage as they navigate the law school preparation and application process," said BU President Bashar Hanna.

Four digital forensics majors now have their eyes set on working for the Department of Defense as a result of earning a DoD Cyber Scholarship for this school year. Each cyber scholar receives full tuition, fees, a book allowance, and a stipend for living expense in exchange for civilian service at a DoD Agency upon graduation.

“We’re very proud of our digital forensics curriculum and the students we educate,” said Curt Jones, chairman of the mathematical and digital sciences department. “These scholarships are the result of these students’ ability and education provided by our professors. They’re only possible because of our designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education that Dr. Barrett obtained for us.”

Bloomsburg University is again ranked among the nation’s best colleges and universities by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Colleges guide. Bloomsburg is ranked (tied) for 37th in Regional Public Universities in the North and is tied for 113th overall in Regional Universities in North (both public and private) which is up four places from last year. Additionally, BU’s business program in the Zeigler College of Business ranks among the top 500 programs in the country.

“This latest ranking by U.S. News & World Report is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff,” President Bashar Hanna said. “The credit goes to them, and most importantly to our high-achieving students who are determined to achieve even more.”

Bloomsburg University is ranked among the nation’s best colleges and universities by both Forbes’ Top Colleges in 2019, which features the top 15 percent of the more than 4,300 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the U.S, and Money Magazine’s Best Colleges for Your Money in 2019 BU has also been ranked among the Best Regional Universities in the North for 2019 by College Consensus.com.

In Forbes, Bloomsburg is ranked sixth among public institutions in the state of Pennsylvania. The rankings were based on alumni salary; student satisfaction; the percentage of student debt; American leaders; on-time graduation rates and academic success. The Money Magazine ranking was based on multiple criteria.