LYCOMING COLLEGE 2024 FALL MAGAZINE

PIANO AND BENCH GIFTED TO LYCOMING COLLEGE IN MEMORY OF RUSSELL

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE COLLEGE CAMPUS

Recently, the bench was replaced with a new, custom made Steinway artist’s bench, provided by Sides, and placed with the piano in The Dr. Fred M. & Patricia Thayer Atrium on campus in March 2024. The piano, manufactured in New York in 1929, bears the autograph of Charles F. Steinway, great-grandson of Henry Steinway, founder of Steinway & Sons Piano Company. A plaque to recognize this gift was placed says, “The Williamsport Music Club is quite pleased to have our treasured Steinway grand piano and artist’s bench in this appropriate setting to be really used by Lycoming piano students and to remember one very special piano teacher, dear Mary Landon Russell.” The WMC was organized and federated in 1937 and is a member of the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs. inside the piano by Kinley Jewelers of Williamsport. Kay (Stenger) Huffman ’60, a 62-year member of WMC,

A.I. is different, however, from other technological thinking that has come and gone relatively quickly. Lycoming College is working to position itself to better understand how A.I. fits into our educational mission and strategic direction. The Technology and Systems Committee of Lycoming’s board of trustees has already begun discussions and has tasked the College with developing an “A.I. Action Plan.” In response, the A.I. Working Group was established, and areas of focus include student skill development with the use of A.I.; academic integration of A.I. into teaching and learning; operational efficiencies for administrative work; and public website impacts, such as sharing of information to prospective students, alumni, and other entities.

The Williamsport Music Club’s (WMC) Steinway & Sons grand piano, bought used in 1941 from G.E. Otto Flock, was given to Lycoming College’s Trachte Music Center on Dec. 18, 2023, in memory of Mary Landon Russell ’33. Russell was a beloved charter member of WMC for 71 years until her death in 2008. Russell’s remarkable 61-year teaching and performing career began at Lycoming College in 1936. Upon her retirement as associate professor of music in 1978, she was named associate professor of music emeritus but continued at the College as a part-time piano teacher until 1998. She also taught piano privately in her home until 2005. In 1974, Russell received the College’s Outstanding Alumnus Award, and in 1999, the Alumni Association Executive Board presented to her the Dale V. Bower Service Award for her devoted service to Lycoming. The WMC’s beautiful piano was first housed and used at The Woman’s Club, followed by numerous years at the Y.W.C.A. The piano, along with its bench, then went to storage at Robert M. Sides Family Music Center.

This spring, Lycoming College formed a working group on campus to explore, discuss, play with, and evaluate College strategies for our use and integration of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). “You have likely heard the buzz over the past year on Generative Artificial Intelligence and more common references to Artificial Intelligence,” says Rob Dunkleberger, associate vice president for library and information technology services. “Some news reflects the positive potentials of this more widely available A.I. Other news reflects concerns about what A.I. means for the future and the future of human society. The historical hype cycle for technology should provide some comfort to all of us that the end of the world does not draw nigh due to A.I.”

CALLING ALL ALUMNI! Lycoming College will be exploring more about A.I. in an upcoming issue of the Lycoming College Magazine. If you work in the development of A.I. or regularly use A.I. in your place of employment, we want to hear from you. Please contact marketing@lycoming.edu and share how you use A.I.

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