Welcome to the Central Pennsylvania Torch Club
November's speaker is Kim Steiner
Kim will present a paper 'Saving the American Chestnut'
Torch Club Program, 2026-2027
Sept. 09 Scott Kretchmar Paying NCAA Athletes: One Year Later
Oct. 14 Richard Novak Just Under the Surface: A Glimpse into Freshwater
Mussel Biology and Conservation
Nov. 11 Kim Steiner Saving the American Chestnut
Dec. 09 Roger Williams Update on the Historical Society
Jan. 13 Bill Blair Arlington: An African American History
Feb. 10 Gary Miller WPSU/Public Broadcasting Update
Mar 10 John Golbeck Who was Edmund Fitzgerald?
Apr. 14 Stephen Seidman Is Computing a Profession?
May 12 Paul Whitehead If the Shoe Fits: The Criminal Case Against
the Philadelphia Cordwainers (1806)
Jun. 09 Larry Ragan Invasive Species in America
Click on the name for more information about the speaker and topic.
Torch Club Officers
President Robert Igo rli2 @psu.edu
Vice President Scott Kretchmar rsk1 @psu.edu
Corresponding Secretary Jim Serene james.serene1 @gmail.com
Recording Secretary John Dillon jad53 @psu.edu
Treasurer Peter Jurs pcj @psu.edu
Past President Carolyn Wilhelm clwilhelm1 @me.com
Torch Club Meetings
Second Wednesday of every month (except July and August), social hour at 5:00 pm, dinner at 6 pm, Ramada Inn and Conference Center, 1450 South Atherton St. State College, PA. The program begins promptly at 6:45 pm.
Objectives
- To give members of different professions the opportunity to meet together in the spirit of fellowship.
- To prevent the narrowing tendencies of specialization by developing a breadth of thought and culture.
- To foster the highest standards of professional ethics and civic well-being, no club is permitted to sponsor any cause or partisan movement.
International Association of Torch Clubs Incorporated
International Association of Torch Clubs, Inc. was instituted on July 10, 1924. Its web page can be found at www.torch.org.
September's Program: Scott Kretchmar
Paying NCAA Athletes: One Year Late
Scott Kretchmar is Professor Emeritus from the Dept. of Kinesiology at Penn State. His research focus has been the philosophy and ethics of sport. He is author of over 10 books and 100 refereed articles. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology and has received the Hetherington Award, the top honor issued to kinesiology scholars. At Penn State he served as Dept. Head, Chair of the Faculty Senate, and Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA.
Abstract
In this talk, Kretchmar will review last year’s court decisions that created chaos in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sport. He will analyze pending federal legislation designed to create order and reduce the potential harms related to paying athletes, allowing unlimited transfers, and creating jeopardy for non-revenue sports as well as programs at smaller institutions. His talk will conclude with a look at Penn State football and the effect the new NCAA rules have had on this program.
October's Program: Richard Novak
Just Under the Surface: A Glimpse into Freshwater Mussel Biology and Conservation
Richard Novak is an endangered species biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Field Office. He conducts Endangered Species Act consultations with agency and non-government partners, has key roles in species status assessments, works to promote bird friendly communities, and shares conservation with the public through outreach. He holds a B.S. in wildlife and fisheries science and an M.S. in ecology from The Pennsylvania State University, where his studies focused on aquatic animals such as fish and freshwater turtles. Richard is a passionate outdoorsman and pursues hunting, trapping, fishing, and maintains a large vegetable garden.
Abstract
Freshwater mussels are a fascinating but lesser-known group of animals that are an important part of our natural heritage. Mussels are among the most represented group of animals on the federal endangered species list, with many species having suffered steep declines or extinctions. This talk will just scratch the surface of the interesting world of these aquatic mollusks! Richard will introduce what a freshwater mussel is, some unique aspects about their biology, and how they rely on other animals for reproduction. He will also discuss what ecological services these animals provide to us, the threats they are facing, and what the conservation community is doing to protect them. Listeners will leave with a new appreciation for the beauty and subtle charm about these uncharismatic creatures!
November's Program: Kim Steiner
Saving the American Chestnut
Kim Steiner is professor emeritus of forest biology at Penn State. He is a fellow of the Society of American Foresters and was a member of its board of directors and general chair of its 2006 national convention in Pittsburgh. At Penn State he served as director and associate director of the School of Forest Resources (now Ecosystem Science and Management), founding director of The Arboretum at Penn State, and chair of the Faculty Senate. He has been on the board of directors of The American Chestnut Foundation for 20 years, having served one term as board chair and many years as its senior science advisor.
Abstract
Chestnut blight, a fungal disease accidentally introduced from Asia, virtually eliminated American chestnut from its natural range during the first half of the last century, a loss of enormous ecological, economic, and even cultural significance. Early attempts by government to breed a blight-resistant replacement failed, and by the 1970s the species was regarded as functionally lost, abandoned by government, and ignored by private industry. In this talk, I will describe how hope for the chestnut has been resurrected by the work of a small non-profit organization, The American Chestnut Foundation, guided by the most advanced science, funded through philanthropy and small grants, and executed primarily by enthusiastic volunteers
December's Program: Roger Williams
Update on the Historical Society
Roger Williams is
Abstract
TBA
January's Program: Bill Blair
Arlington: An African American History
Bill Blair is
Abstract
TBA
February's Program: Gary Miller
WPSU/Public Broadcasting Update
Gary Miller is
Abstract
TBA
March's Program: John Golbeck
Who was Edmund Fitzgerald?
John Golbeck is
Abstract
TBA
April's Program: Steve Seidman
Is Computing a Profession?
Steve Seidman is
Abstract
TBA
May's Program: Paul Whitehead
If the Shot Fits: The Criminal Case Against the Philadelphia Cordwainers (1806)
Paul Whitehead is
Abstract
TBA
June's Program: Larry Ragan
Invasive Species in America
Larry Ragan is
Abstract
TBA