MANSFIELD, Pa. – Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Mike
Turzai met with President Dr. Charles Patterson and toured Mansfield University
as part of his visit to Tioga County and the 68th District of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday, January 27.
Rep. Turzai is a 10-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving the 28th Legislative District, and was named Speaker of the House in 2015. Turzai visited Tioga County following an invitation from Rep. Clint Owlett, who serves the local 68th District.
“I love this area. These communities are beautiful regions
and towns,” said Turzai. “It was a great opportunity for me to come up and
learn from Rep. Owlett.”
Speaker Turzai and Representative Owlett met with President
Patterson to discuss the importance of rural-serving higher education
institutions and the expanding undergraduate enrollment Mansfield University. Acknowledging the tremendous challenges facing
public higher education, President Patterson described the efforts made at
Mansfield University to address affordability and accessibility issues,
including positive steps taken in the past year to realize enrollment growth
and lower student costs.
“Mansfield University is a major driver of economic impact
for the region. Sustaining rural communities requires a stable education
industry, which requires collaboration, innovation, and a strong understanding
of its fundamental mission,” said Patterson. “We are making tremendous progress
in these areas.”
The Speaker then viewed Mansfield University’s state-of-the-art
virtual reality center located at the Public Safety Training Institute with MU
Police Chief Scott Henry, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Josh
Battin, and Criminal Justice Instructor Mark Thompson. The VR system provides
students and law enforcement practitioners the ability to train in realistic,
yet safe conditions. Turzai put on the VR headset and experienced simulations
that demonstrated the capabilities of the system before watching how the
technology can be applied to law enforcement training.
Officer David Fizzano, a 2019 Mansfield University Act 120
Municipal Police Academy graduate, returned to campus to showcase simulated VR
trainings that included real-life scenarios faced by police officers and first
responders. The VR technology allows law enforcement to refine their
communication and decision-making skills in a variety of scenarios. Fizzano is
an officer with the Point Township Police Department in Northumberland County,
Pa.
“It was really quite eye-opening and I think it’s very
helpful in terms of pursuing a certification or degree” said Turzai about
Mansfield’s VR system.
“It’s so exciting to have the speaker join us in the 68th
district,” explained Owlett. “We were here at Mansfield University talking
about how bright the future is for the university.”
To learn more about the Mansfield University and the
Mansfield University Public Safety Training Institute, visit mansfield.edu.
