Jean Richardson, came to what was then Slippery Rock State College as a civil service employee in 1971. She worked in the Registrar’s Office, Academic Advisement, Admissions, and then in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

In 2005 Richardson was honored with the President’s Award for Outstanding Service. She was involved with homecoming and presidential inaugurations over the years and was the longstanding coordinator of the Academic Honors Convocation.

Dr. Joe Riggs (1928-2025), joined the Slippery Rock State College faculty in 1971 as a professor in the Speech Department. In 1989 he retired from Slippery Rock University’s Communication Department. Riggs helped to improve graduate school placement and graduate school assistantships for SRU communication majors.

Riggs has been very active as an oral historian. In the 1980s he and Leah Brown, Library Department, organized an oral history program on campus. Riggs has served on the board of directors for WQED, the Child Care Center, and the Sunflower Home School, among others.

Carolyn Rizza (1944 – 2022), professor emeritus, taught in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work from 1975 to 1999. She was instrumental in starting the university’s Gerontology program, later becoming the president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. As the only woman in her department when she was hired, and the first female chair of a department at one time, Rizza remarks on the changing roles of women on this campus.

A donation from Rizza’s family allowed the University to renovate West Hall, built in 1900 as the Model School. The building was renamed the Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall in their honor. Since retiring, Rizza enjoys riding horses and currently serves as chair of the advisory board for the Equestrian Center.

Dr. Paul Rizza (1938-2026), professor emeritus, was hired as chair of the Geography Department in 1972, where he taught until his retirement in 1997. He was awarded a Senior Fulbright Scholar lectureship in Finland, where he taught in the Spring semester of 1976. Rizza was also active in the local Slippery Rock Rotary Club and served as the District 7280 Governor from 1999-2000.

A donation from Rizza’s family allowed the University to renovate West Hall, built in 1900 as the Model School. The building was renamed the Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall in their honor. Since retiring, Rizza enjoyed riding horses and served as chair of the advisory board for the Equestrian Center.

Dr. Bruce Russell (born 1950), graduated from Slippery Rock State College in 1972 with a degree in education. The next year he was hired to work in the Media Services Center, continuing his education and rising to director of Media Services before accepting a teaching position in the Communication Department. Russell became the Dean of the College of Business, Information & Social Sciences.

Russell helped launch and manage the university radio station, WSRU. He also served as chair of the Communication Department and was instrumental in the development of the Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.