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'Gannon University' (Gannon) is a private, Roman Catholic university located in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Gannon University was established in 1933 as the two-year Cathedral College by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. In 1944, the school became the four-year men's school Gannon College of Arts and Sciences, named in honor of the then-Bishop of Erie, John Mark Gannon, the driving force behind its opening and development. The college became coeducational in 1964 and gained university status in 1979^{[1] [2]}
The all-girls school Villa Maria College, which was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1925^[3], merged with the university in 1989. ^[4]Its ''Villa Maria School of Nursing'' retains the name of the original institution.
Gannon University has an alumni base numbering around 27,000. Current enrollment is approximately 3,500.

Contents

Athletics

Fields of Study

Building Program

Notable alumni

External links

References

Athletics

Gannon is a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II. Gannon offers 18 NCAA Division II scholarship-granting varsity sports, that includes nine men's and women's teams. The men participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, water polo, and wrestling. The women participate in basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball and water polo.
In June 2007, Gannon University, along with cross-town rival Mercyhurst College, was accepted into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, where area schools Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania are members. Along with Gannon and Mercyhurst, C.W. Post also was accepted into the conference.^[5]

Fields of Study

Gannon University is primarily known for its large number of pre-professional health science, health science fields, and engineering program. Some of the pre-professional fields offered at Gannon are pre-chiropractic, pre-dental, pre-medical, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-podiatry, and pre-veterinary. Gannon offers a masters program in Occupational Therapy as well as one as a Physician Assistant. The graduate engineering school also offers master programs for a number of engineers. Gannon University offers doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy (DPT) and Counseling Psychology (PhD).

Building Program

Gannon University is launching $25 million in building projects in 2007. The Erie Technology Incubator on West Eighth Street, which is expected to encourage business development, will be completed by early 2008 at a cost of $5 million. The Zurn Science Center, which is 36 years old (circa 1971), will receive $18.5 million in renovations by 2010, including new classrooms and research facilities. $1.5 million will go for renovation of the facade of the Dahlkemper School of Business Administration. Funding for the projects includes grants, loans, and a fundraising campaign.^[6]

Notable alumni

★ Steve Grilli, former Major League Baseball player.

★ Edward M. Gabriel, United States Ambassador to Morocco 1998-2001

★ Thomas J. Gamble, President, Mercyhurst College, 2006-present

External links

★ Gannon University's official webpage

References

1. Gannon University website [1]
2. Erie Roman Catholic Diocese website [2]
3. Note that Gannon University has adopted as its own the Villa Maria College's 1925 founding date.
4. Peterson's Guide [3]
5. Mercyhurst, C. W. Post, Gannon to enter PSAC [4]
6. Miller, George, ''Gannon Builds For Future: Million Worth of Improvements to Get Under Way Soon'', Erie Times-News, 10 May 2007, 1B, 4B