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Rosemary OmniewskiPosition: Professor in the Department of Elementary Education
School District / Other Affiliation: Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Area of Specialty: The Arts and Interdisciplinary Education
Bio:
Rosemary A. Omniewski received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Temple University, her M.Ed. from Edinboro University, and a Ph.D. in music education from Kent State University. Dr. Omniewski has been employed as a professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Edinboro University of PA since 1993. The focus of her work at Edinboro has been teacher preparation, especially in the field of arts integration. For the past six years, Dr. Omniewski has been serving as educational consultant for three federal arts-in-education grants, serving Warren County and Appalachia County schools. She has been the evaluator for the Governor Institute for Arts Educators since 1999, and she is currently under contract with the PA Council on the Arts to evaluate the Arts Council of Erie’s Artist-in-Residence program. In addition to her professional work, Rosemary enjoys horseback riding, traveling and serving as choir director at her church.
Judith Witmer, EdD
Position: Building Bridges Manager
School District / Other Affiliation: EduCon
Area of Specialty: Educational Administration, Arts Integration, Professional Development, Research and Evaluation
Bio:
A former high school English teacher, principal, central office administrator, assistant professor at Penn State University, and adjunct professor for Temple University’s Graduate School of Educational Leadership, Judith T. Witmer has managed various projects for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including the Keystone Integrated Framework, a three-year, statewide, federally funded grant project focused on developing strategies for arts integrated curriculum and professional development Service Learning and the Coalition of Essential Schools. She also has been a program evaluator, grant writer, and researcher for the Penn State College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Milton Hershey School, and PDE. Dr. Witmer has served two terms as President for the Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence and was a long-standing member of the Ethics Committee for the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She currently co-chairs the local committee for building a new town library.
A prolific writer, her guidebook for women in educational administration (Moving Up) is enjoying a second edition (2006) her biography (I Am from Haiti) of Rodrigue Mortel, MD, former Director of the Cancer Center at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, was published in two languages she has authored chapters on outcome-based education co-authored a book on service learning and one (with Steven A. Melnick, Bridges’ Evaluator) on team-based professional development (Team-Based Professional Development: A Process for School Reform (2007). In addition, she has had numerous articles published in professional journals (including MENC's and the "Arts in Education" newletter of ASCD), as well as a cover feature in Penn State Medicine. She also is the co-author of articles on using pictographs to enhance recall of spoken medical instructions published in Patient Education and Counseling is readying for publication Even in the Best of Families (a story of a family member’s betrayal) planning Growing Up Silent (a book on the pre-boomers) Watch Out! (a guidebook for boomers on avoiding being taken advantage of as they age) and is currently conducting research and seeking funding for a book on the history of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence. As a change of pace, Dr. Witmer also is a musician, featuring piano and vocals in her program “Recapture the Romance, Music of the 20s-80s.”
Click here to see Judith's vita.
Position: Building Bridges Manager
School District / Other Affiliation: EduCon
Area of Specialty: Educational Administration, Arts Integration, Professional Development, Research and Evaluation
Bio:
A former high school English teacher, principal, central office administrator, assistant professor at Penn State University, and adjunct professor for Temple University’s Graduate School of Educational Leadership, Judith T. Witmer has managed various projects for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including the Keystone Integrated Framework, a three-year, statewide, federally funded grant project focused on developing strategies for arts integrated curriculum and professional development Service Learning and the Coalition of Essential Schools. She also has been a program evaluator, grant writer, and researcher for the Penn State College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Milton Hershey School, and PDE. Dr. Witmer has served two terms as President for the Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence and was a long-standing member of the Ethics Committee for the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She currently co-chairs the local committee for building a new town library.
A prolific writer, her guidebook for women in educational administration (Moving Up) is enjoying a second edition (2006) her biography (I Am from Haiti) of Rodrigue Mortel, MD, former Director of the Cancer Center at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, was published in two languages she has authored chapters on outcome-based education co-authored a book on service learning and one (with Steven A. Melnick, Bridges’ Evaluator) on team-based professional development (Team-Based Professional Development: A Process for School Reform (2007). In addition, she has had numerous articles published in professional journals (including MENC's and the "Arts in Education" newletter of ASCD), as well as a cover feature in Penn State Medicine. She also is the co-author of articles on using pictographs to enhance recall of spoken medical instructions published in Patient Education and Counseling is readying for publication Even in the Best of Families (a story of a family member’s betrayal) planning Growing Up Silent (a book on the pre-boomers) Watch Out! (a guidebook for boomers on avoiding being taken advantage of as they age) and is currently conducting research and seeking funding for a book on the history of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence. As a change of pace, Dr. Witmer also is a musician, featuring piano and vocals in her program “Recapture the Romance, Music of the 20s-80s.”
Click here to see Judith's vita.
Karen Makin
Position: Program Coordinator
School District / Other Affiliation: Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8
Area of Specialty: Program Coordination
Bio:
Karen Makin received a bachelor’s degree in office administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Karen has been employed by IU 8 as a Program Coordinator and has been with the IU in various positions since 1995. As a Program Coordinator, Karen works to coordinate programs and services for the IU 8 member districts including Teacher Induction, Summer Trainings, Act 48 Reporting and an Emergency Sub Teacher Program. Karen also works with various State and Federal projects including the Title II B TEAMS grant and the Building Bridges Project. She also works with the Pennsylvania Department of Education assisting with coordination of State-wide initatives.
Position: Program Coordinator
School District / Other Affiliation: Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8
Area of Specialty: Program Coordination
Bio:
Karen Makin received a bachelor’s degree in office administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Karen has been employed by IU 8 as a Program Coordinator and has been with the IU in various positions since 1995. As a Program Coordinator, Karen works to coordinate programs and services for the IU 8 member districts including Teacher Induction, Summer Trainings, Act 48 Reporting and an Emergency Sub Teacher Program. Karen also works with various State and Federal projects including the Title II B TEAMS grant and the Building Bridges Project. She also works with the Pennsylvania Department of Education assisting with coordination of State-wide initatives.