Rock Quarry

Washington Monthly ranked SRU in the top 20% of institutions in its category, as well as one of the “Best Bang for the Buck” colleges for affordability. Money.com named SRU one of America’s Best Colleges for 2024, awarding SRU 3.5 out of 5 stars, which was more than several Pittsburgh area institutions, including Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris, Chatham and Carlow.

sru Success by the Numbers

Janey Parks, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from New Brighton, started working as a research assistant for Jheng-Wun Su in SRU’s Engineering Department in the summer after her first year through SRU’s Summer Collaborative Research Experience (SCoRE) grant program. Parks was paid to work four days a week on a project to find ways to improve upon the wearable sensors that respond to touch and capture motion. She learned concepts and used lab equipment, including 3-D printers and a laser engraver, even before they would normally be introduced in classes.

“Research opportunities like this are very beneficial for me because it has helped me become a well-rounded student and to think more critically about possible errors that could arise,” Parks said. “This will be a helpful strength as an engineer in the future.”

SRU has six engineering laboratories including three “flex” labs where students get hands-on experiences in the same spaces where class lectures and group discussions occur. This is part of a more cost-effective and innovative approach, where modular equipment is easily reconfigured to meet teaching needs for experiments, demonstrations, testing, analysis and many other opportunities for applied learning.

Parks performed summer research in SRU’s Advanced Manufacturing Lab in the Vincent Science Center in the same space where she started working in the fall semester on a separate project using several of the 20 3D printers in the lab.

She explored the potential of using of biodegradable materials, such as used coffee grounds, as filament for the 3D printers in what could be a sustainable technique used in the additive manufacturing industry. This included testing various parameters such as temperature, flow rate and nozzle diameter.

“Research activities like this, instead of relying only on classroom lectures, can make any student grow exponentially,” Parks said. “In my case, I am trying new things and growing my knowledge on a certain subject every single day. It gives students that extra push to grow their knowledge and understand something more deeply.”

And the application of the knowledge in the lab is easier to embrace than theories.

“Working so close to the department by conducting research makes me feel much less intimidated by the engineering field,” Parks added.

MSA is one of several companies that sees SRU as a first choice for partnering. They’ve donated equipment, offered training, funded professional development opportunities and provided other resources to SRU, along with having their name on the high bay construction lab in the Strain Safety Building.

When Wilkinson started her internship in the safety department at Vesuvius Penn, a local manufacturer for the steel industry, she was already trained on MSA products that her company uses.

“I’m a hands-on learner and using this equipment set me up to be successful in my internship,” Wilkinson said. “Everything that I used in the lab at SRU we use at Vesuvius Penn, from the cranes and the forklifts, to having the confined space training.”

In her classes at SRU, Wilkinson used the MSA XTIRPA confined space entry and rescue system which is used to lower workers vertically into tanks, manholes and other confined spaces. The system alone is worth $13,000 and is part of the more than $450,000 that MSA has donated in the last decade.

“For more than 100 years, MSA Safety has been a company dedicated to one mission, and that’s helping to keep people safe at work,” said Becky Trimpey, director of global training and Americas services and solutions at MSA Safety. “By providing the SRU safety management program with equipment that students can use for experiencing real-life safety situations, we’re able to extend our mission by helping to train the next generation of safety professionals.”

SRU’s commitment to collaboration has expanded educational, learning and growth opportunities that benefited other industry partners. They include 70E Solutions, Falcon Power, Fire Fighter Sales & Service, Holder Construction, Kokosing Construction, New Pig and Rockford Systems, all which have naming rights for spaces in the Strain Safety Building, as well as more than 20 other companies that have donated everything from safety harnesses and lifts to computer software. Representatives from these companies regularly speak to SRU classes and provide training.

“These partnerships bring a lot of notoriety to SRU and our program,” said Joe Cali, professor of safety management and department chair. “We are recognized as one of the best safety programs in the country because our students benefit from us having top-notch instructors, a network of alumni working in the field and access to equipment and training. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

SRU students like Wilkinson see the benefits and are getting involved. Wilkinson was president of the SRU student chapter of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, and she pursued several trainings and certification outside of her course requirements.

“We have a great program at SRU that goes beyond gaining knowledge,” said Wilkinson, a native of Washington who will graduate after her internship is completed this fall. “Without all the connections I’ve made and the experience with the equipment, I would be lost.”

Part of Slippery Rock University’s mission is to provide the highest quality education at the lowest possible price, but for fields like physical therapy that require intensive clinical work to meet the standards within an accredited program, weeks of unpaid internships present a challenge for students.

Jesse Phlegar, ’23, was fortunate. A native of nearby Beaver Falls, Phlegar earned his doctorate in physical therapy at SRU while completing his clinical education locally at AHN Grove City Medical Center and clinics near Slippery Rock.

“You have to be mindful of how much money you’re spending while you’re in school and go somewhere to be able to save money on living expenses,” said Phlegar, who is now a physical therapist at Wise Physical Therapy in Slippery Rock. “Sometimes having the highest quality clinical education and experience comes at an expense, because there are only so many clinics around Slippery Rock.”

A cohort of 50 students in SRU’s DPT program must complete 30 weeks of full-time clinical work in their third year. Some students are able to live at home, but others commute long distances to hospitals or clinics and some temporarily relocate out of state for clinical opportunities in a variety of areas of practice, including pediatrics, sports, concussion, pelvic health and geriatrics.

Recognizing the financial challenge for students, the SRU Foundation and the Physical Therapy Program are raising funds to support DPT students through a new scholarship established in memory of an alumnus, the Dr. Michael J. Sharr ’82 Clinical Education Support Fund. Sharr founded a physical therapy clinic in Mercer in 2004 and was also a temporary instructor at SRU. He served as a clinical instructor and mentored physical therapy students throughout his career. When he passed away in 2023, his family created a memory fund to support SRU students.

Thanks to an initial donation of $2,137, the annually supported scholarship will provide money for students on their clinical rotations. The first scholarship will be awarded in 2025 through a selection committee of physical therapy professors.

“Mike wanted to give back to his profession and support students entering the field,” said Meg Michaels, SRU associate professor of physical therapy. “This is an important fund to support because it provides a gateway into the profession for our students. It helps give students more opportunities to explore optimal clinical sites and focus on their internship without having the stresses of working part-time jobs or taking on more debt to enhance their career. It moves them onto a great path forward.”

To learn more about supporting the Sharr Fund or donating to the University, contact University Advancement at 724.738.2004, email advancement@sru.edu, or click here.

The Cycling CEO

McBride, a 1996 SRU graduate with a degree in public administration, is the CEO of Tenet Physician Resources, Eastern Region, in which he oversees the Fortune 200 company’s East Coast operations that includes more than 400 doctors and health care providers and 100 practice sites. His feats as a cyclist include a bronze medal at the world duathlon championship in 2000, and he continues to compete at a high level in multi-national races in his age group.

“My personality is that I want to be the best at what I do in aspects of life,” said McBride, 50, who lives in Wellington, Florida. “I take my job very seriously and I push the team hard to achieve best in class results, and with my cycling team, we do the same.”

McBride trains about eight hours a week for races, logging miles either in the mornings or late at night around his busy work schedule.

“It’s a struggle to balance the time with work and travel,” McBride said, “but you do it for fun and try to keep it all in perspective.”

McBride developed his work ethic and passion for cycling at SRU. A native of Hermitage, McBride attended SRU to run track and cross country and pursue a career in health administration. He took up cycling as a way to cross train for his meets and recover from a minor injury. He wound up sticking with the sport, joining the cycling club team at SRU.

John Papa, former SRU track and field and cross country coach, remembers McBride fondly.

“He really blossomed as a runner,” Papa said. “We’ve had some other athletes that do a lot of bike riding, but few have competed to the level or degree that he did when he was here.”

One moment that stands out to Papa was when the team was in Wilmington, North Carolina, for a meet during their spring break trip. Some of the team members brought their mountain bikes and decided to go for a ride on their off day, so they invited Papa, who is now a biker but at the time had never mountain biked before.

“I’m struggling to get up this hill, and Eric rides up behind me and puts his hand on my back as he was pedaling and starts pushing me,” Papa said. “He bailed me out. He pushed me up that hill and let me recover a little bit so I could finish the ride with the guys.”

McBride pushed himself on the weekends and during the week in the classroom as well, becoming an All-Academic honoree and all-region performer. He credits his time at SRU as formative years of his life.

After graduating, McBride earned a master’s in business administration and master’s in health services administration at Xavier University in Cincinnati and started competing professionally in international running and cycling events.

He competed three times at the International Triathlon Union’s Duathlon World Championships. The duathlon consists of 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer runs sandwiched around a 40-kilometer cycling course. McBride won the bronze as the top American finisher in the male ages 25-29 division at the 2000 ITU Duathlon Championships in Calais, France, with a time of 2:01:53. He raced professionally for two more years before pausing to focusing on his career and raising a family.

McBride worked in various administrative roles at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital within its outpatient centers. In 2007, he moved to Dearborn, Michigan, and worked as an administrator in Heart Vascular and Oncology Services for Oakwood Healthcare System, before becoming the chief operating officer for Oakwood Physicians in 2012 and vice president for specialty services for the Beaumont Medical Group in 2015.

In 2021, McBride moved to Florida to become the CEO of the Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group, which is part of Tenet Physician Resources. He oversaw operations in Florida and South Carolina before recently taking leadership of the entire region.

“I like the sense of accomplishment that I get from providing care for the patients in need,” McBride said. “There’s a lot of opportunities we’ve had for people that are doing good work and creating good outcomes. We are positioned for performance, and I’m excited to be part of it.”

After his two children, Andrew, now 24, and Kiersten, 21, got older and parenting started becoming less demanding, McBride resumed his recreational cycling in 2010, and that segued into a return to international competitions.

He also competed in the Master’s Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester, England.

Whether its success in his career as a health care administrator or on his bike, McBride credits his time at SRU for getting off to a great start.

“The coursework, training and overall education was extremely relevant to what that I’m doing today,” McBride said. “Plus, the relationships that you have with classmates and other professionals, that development starts at the college level.”