Alumni and Friends Spotlight

Mountain Top Millers Sporting Some Very Cool UPJ Swag on Firebrand Pass in Montana

UPJ receives major gift from Alum, John R. Musulin to acquire the 200,000-square foot, former Met Life building and 74 additional acres of property.  

"To say that John's gift was transformational feels like an understatement. UPJ is profoundly grateful to our dear friend John R. Musulin, whose longstanding philanthropic engagement and passionate commitment to our community helped guide us through the first quarter of the 21st century. Our recent strategic plan called for programs in engineering and healthcare, including biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, exercise science, and wellness, to increase enrollment and strengthen workforce readiness. The building provides ample space to achieve these goals at a much lower cost than new construction. When our plans for this property are realized, the John R. Musulin University Center will enable us to achieve our critical strategic goals of developing and housing new academic programs to boost enrollment and upgrading our athletics facilities. In effect, on the eve of our 100th anniversary, John R. Musulin helped position Pitt-Johnstown to begin a new UPJ century with even greater momentum and impact as the regional leader educating for real-world readiness," stated UPJ President Jem Spectar

Rob loved seeing what was new on campus and enjoyed his visits with the Business Division, the Nursing Division, and the E-Sports team

The Police are Coming!

When Dr. Spectar met with Alumni Leslie (Obush) Martin ’79, David Gilliland ’80, Cynthia (Muchesko) Maruhnich ’79, and James Maruhnich ’80, he likely didn’t expect the conversation to be centered on the night the police came to campus, or The Police to be more accurate.

All four alumni laughed as they related their story to the President. Rumor on campus, they shared,  had it that “the police were coming next weekend,” and for some on campus, the thought of that brought them a little anxiety. Hawthorne Hall had been raided the weekend before because a student was growing marijuana, and this event had been “the  talk” all over campus the following week. Now, it seemed, that the police were coming back, and the campus was abuzz with speculation as to why.

But no one got arrested that weekend, as far as the alumni knew! Instead, relayed Maruhnich, “we got to see the band The Police perform!” Dr. Spectar’s conversation with the visiting alumni became even more surreal when they revealed that the concert tickets only cost one dollar!  

Not all of the alum were so lucky. Leslie Martin shared that she didn’t go to the concert that night; instead, she stayed in, mistaken in her belief that students somewhere were up to mischief and that the local police would arrive any minute. 

Mason Bussard
aka "Chunk"
Shares his UPJ Journey

My UPJ journey, that began in the Fall of 2019, was a truly remarkable period of growth and development that led me to be where I am now. As I look back at my time at Pitt-Johnstown, it is  just so amazing how profoundly UPJ has shaped my life. 

From my very first week on campus, I knew that UPJ was going to be something special for me. UPJ’s orientation week was unlike anything you would experience at a large university, because it was personal, engaging, and extremely fun. One of the last days of orientation week, we went volunteering in the city of Johnstown. That day, I met my friend Brita and had the chance to meet and talk with the President of UPJ, Dr. Spectar. From that moment on, Dr. Spectar never passed me on campus without stopping to say hello or to briefly chat with me. His involvement in student life is something truly rare and speaks volumes to how much he cares about the students and the culture of the campus.

By the end of my first semester, I knew I wasn’t going to transfer—I was staying all four years. One of the biggest advantages I found of attending a smaller college like UPJ is the meaningful relationships you build with your professors. They do not just care about your academic success; they care about you as a person. I will always be grateful to my professors Sean Beck and Travis Stouffer, who made a huge impact on my college career.

Through Brita, I was introduced to Kappa Delta Rho (KDR), the fraternity that became very impactful on my college life. The friendships I formed there are lifelong, and the alumni network opened doors I never expected. We have two alumni events every year where I have built great relationships / connections with those who also are a brother of KDR at UPJ. One of those connections, Rob DeMichiei, the former CFO of UPMC, helped me build and refine my resume and supported me through the interview process that led to my first job at UPMC.

Life after UPJ has been incredible. I am still with UPMC, currently wrapping up their IT Rotational Program (ITR) where I have had the opportunity to rotate through four different IT departments, each for six months. This program has been an incredibly rewarding experience, offering me a well-rounded understanding of how IT functions within a large healthcare organization. I have learned so much and am incredibly grateful for every opportunity that’s brought me to where I am today. I am and will forever be proud to be a UPJ Mountain Cat!