Penn State Worthington Scranton celebrated the decades-long careers of Verna Saleski, senior instructor in nursing and nursing program coordinator, and Mark Banaszek, instructor in computer science, bidding them a fond farewell at a retirement celebration held in their honor.
Mrs. Saleski, MS, CRNP, has been at the campus for more than 20 years, and watched as the nursing program grew both in terms of degrees and services being offered, as well as in enrollment and facilities, with the creation of the campus' Nursing Suite and the addition of several computerized Sim Man patient simulators. She also guided nursing students not only through classroom and lab work, but also through hospital clinicals and health-related community service projects.
Mr. Banaszek has been with Worthington Scranton for almost 30 years. He began teaching computer science at a time when the campus had one mainframe computer room and used 'punch cards' to input computer controls and data. Since then, he has guided hundreds of students through, and kept abreast of, the ever-changing world of technology, preparing them for careers in the information sciences and technology field which now includes wireless internet, laptop computers, mobile devices and 'cloud' storage services.
Both faculty members were presented with commemorative Nittany Lion statues by Dr. Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, chancellor, as a token of appreciation for their service and commitment to Worthington Scranton over the years.
We wish them a very long, happy and productive retirement!
