The Magazine of
Elizabethtown College
Spring/Summer 2024

It has been an honor to serve in the role of Director of the Teaching & Learning Design Studio at Elizabethtown College during this past year. I am humbled to work with a great Studio team and am grateful for the opportunity to share Studio highlights and my vision.

Building on the Studio’s past success, we have implemented new initiatives. In August 2023, faculty participated in our inaugural unconference, an opportunity in which participants offered discussion topics. Our professional development this past January centered on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to manage expectations. As part of the Studio’s desire to partner with campus stakeholders, the day was also filled with presentations by colleagues across campus. We have started JayBites, a lunch-and-learn series that will bring faculty and instructional staff together for informal discussions with campus experts. We also continue supporting faculty from both the traditional six Schools and our School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS).

Etown has a wonderfully amazing group of new faculty from a variety of disciplines. They have great ideas and are making meaningful connections with our students. The Studio team met them in early August and provided a whirlwind of an introduction to our campus community - with much support from campus partners. A yearlong orientation program allows us to provide learning opportunities at multiple points across the academic year - and sets Etown apart from other institutions.

I’m excited to continue to plan meaningful professional development on campus that is responsive to our faculty’s needs and the context of higher education.

– Katie Caprino, Director of the Teaching & Learning Design Studio

One of our latest projects is working with our new Physician Assistant (PA) faculty, who are often coming from a medical setting rather than a teaching background. Assistant Director and Educational Technologist Sharon Birch has been instrumental in supporting this initiative.

Looking ahead, we’re hoping to work with more classes - to offer coaching to faculty and to gather more student focus groups. Our Program Coordinator Jill Kleis took the lead on hosting a student focus group for a Physics faculty member to learn more about face-to-face versus online modalities.

I want to continue to coach faculty members using a design thinking process. Part of this will be done through our Learning Design Fellows program, which recently named two new fellows: Biology Lab Coordinator and Lecturer Sarah Noveral and SGPS Assessment and Curriculum Coordinator Matt Bergman.

We look forward to continuing to showcase our many exciting initiatives on social media and invite you to follow the Etown Teaching and Learning Design Studio on LinkedIn.

When Director of the Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) Nate Hammon and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeff Moore arrived on Elizabethtown College’s campus in the fall of 2022, they immediately recognized the potential of the College’s dynamic HPL in the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being. Since then, the pair have overseen more than 15,000 performance tests on campus and tested more than 460 student-athletes in the fall of 2023 alone.

“We both have strong passions in the field of performance and athletics,” Moore said. “We’re able to create a cohesive and competitive environment through the way we talk about our sports and how we train our student-athletes.”

Nearly overnight, that environment has revolutionized the way Blue Jay student-athletes approach the weight room.

Moore and Hammon joined the Etown community in the same week but exchanged emails before even setting foot on campus to find a shared vision. Within the first week, they tested the Women’s Soccer team on their jump strength and continued to find ways to structure tests for each of the College’s 24 NCAA Division III varsity teams. In the spring, they began to have conversations about using performance testing as an element in Moore’s strength programs.

“By seamlessly integrating the HPL within Jeff’s sessions, it doesn’t feel out of order,” Hammon said. “We’ve found great success with that.”

During team sessions in the newly renovated weight room in Thompson Gym, student-athletes move through a lift incorporating performance testing that typically includes jumping on force plates to measure jump height. Teams also utilize the NordBord, a system that uses advanced sensors and analytics to test hamstring strength. Hammon and Moore can also test a student-athlete’s speed and agility in shuttle sprints and use the force plates to test squat strength.

Quinten Perilli ’26, a utility player and pitcher on the baseball team, said the integration has pushed his team to the next level.

“The testing brings out a competitive nature in our team, which helps us work harder to have a higher jump, stronger squat, or higher top speed than our teammates,” Perilli said. “All of this correlates to the baseball field and gives our team a better chance to succeed.”

Collecting data through the HPL for student-athletes benefits nearly everyone involved in performance. For Moore, the data collected lets him know what aspects of his program are working and where student-athletes need a boost. He balances strength, speed, and explosion in his fitness programs, and the HPL helps him find that balance with each team.

“Our mission is to help our student-athletes improve their versatility and durability so that they can better handle stress,” Moore said. “We can monitor, assess, and evaluate that through performance testing.”

Moore creates unique programs for each team. By viewing individualized data, he can pivot to increased plyometric activity or supplemental work on a specific muscle group if a team needs it.

For coaches, the jump test lets them know how fatigued their student-athletes are. After a student-athlete jumps on the force plate, Hammon can see a fatigue index that tells him what their average jump height is and if they’ve matched it. After sessions, he sends coaches a report that lists which student-athletes are showing signs of fatigue, along with possible causes, so that coaches can adjust their practice schedule.

“The data collected during tests lets us analyze and make well-informed decisions on items such as the number of rest days needed and injury prevention,” Elizabethtown College Head Softball Coach, Bekah Slattery said. “I have seen a direct impact of strength and conditioning sessions with my team, and we’ve made great strides toward getting stronger.”

Moore and Hammon also assist the athletic training staff. Student-athletes coming back from a hamstring injury can test their strength using the NordBord to gauge progress through tangible milestones during rehab, which is traditionally a long and grueling process with few noticeable steps forward.

They are also helping train future generations of performance experts. Students enrolled in Etown’s Exercise Science program are afforded opportunities to intern with Moore and Hammon. These students get hands-on experience with performance testing, which is unique at the Division III level.

“We can provide students with a high-level education in a practical setting,” Hammon said. “You can have knowledge and ability, but you’re going to learn so much more from directly interacting with student-athletes.”

Moore and Hammon have proven to be a dynamic duo, each playing well off the other’s strengths to find the right balance for each student-athlete. Hammon excels in analytical and methodical thinking, while Moore is the facilitator, writing programs, and organizing strength and conditioning sessions.

It’s an approach that pays off for everyone.

The Human Performance Lab (HPL) at Elizabethtown College, in partnership with Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster (OAL), LTD, offers personalized attention and comprehensive analysis to community members and sports teams seeking to enhance their performance. Unlock your full potential by scheduling an appointment: etown.edu/hpl.

Teaching was always part of the original plan for Nick Iacono ’11. He began his Elizabethtown College journey as a student-athlete on the Blue Jay Men’s Golf team with aspirations of becoming a math teacher. However, even before graduation, Nick discovered a different path that allowed him to combine his two passions, teaching and golf.

Fast forward to 2023, it’s safe to say that Nick made the right decision as he has quickly risen to become one of the world’s most accomplished golf instructors. In December 2023, he was named the 2023 Philadelphia PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) of America Teacher & Coach of the Year for his “outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator, and coach.”

“It means the world to be recognized by my peers with this award,” Iacono, who serves as the lead golf instructor at the nationally-ranked Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., said. “It shows that I am doing something that is strongly influencing others to be a better version of themselves. Most importantly, an experience like this allows me to reflect on what I am doing and who has influenced me along the way.”

It’s the latest prestigious recognition for Nick, who was twice named to the Golf Digest Best Young Teacher (2021-22, 2023-24) and Golf Digest Best in State Teacher (2022-23, 2023-24) lists. A PGA of America member since 2014, Nick’s successful instructional career has seen him work at top-tier facilities across the country to assist golfers who range from amateurs to professionals, including 2023 PGA Professional Champion Braden Shattuck.

Nick also uses his teaching expertise in golf to benefit others as a certified PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) National Trainer, working with Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.

“My favorite part of my job is helping others, no matter the student,” Iacono explained. “I love seeing the excitement on my students’ faces when they learn a new shot, understand a new concept or idea, or see their scores improve. It gives me a great sense of pride when I am able to help someone.”

Other hobbies initially took priority for Nick when he was introduced to the game at a young age by his father. However, he quickly traded in his skateboard for golf clubs after his dad set him up for lessons with his eventual longtime golf mentor and four-time Philadelphia PGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year winner John Dunigan. Nick soon discovered the joy of perfecting his swing brought to him.

“I’m a firm believer of ‘everything happens for a reason’ and golf was one of those things I was meant to find,” Iacono said. “I am so thankful for the mentorship provided to me over the last 15 years from everyone who’s been a heavy influence in my professional career.”

My experience at Etown helped me in my ability to build relationships with others.

– Nick Iacono '11

While his curiosity for coaching accelerated and led him to an accomplished career, Nick also went on to enjoy success as a golfer, competing in regional and national professional tournaments and earning a Philadelphia PGA major victory at the Hyndman III Memorial Classic in 2013. He ranks second all-time in Etown Men’s Golf career scoring average, was a two-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth First Team member and MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year winner, and was a member of the 2008, 2009, and 2011 MAC Conference Championship teams.

He credits his formative years at Etown with providing him with intangibles that have helped guide him throughout his career.

“Being that Etown is a tightknit school, you learn how to carry relationships well after college,” Iacono said. “The camaraderie with the members and staff is very important when it comes to being at a green grass facility, so it has been an easy transition when I continued to be hired at different jobs.”

Social media has played an integral role in Bari (Rosenstein) Tippett’s ’14 life since her Elizabethtown College days as a Business/Corporate Communications major and student-athlete on the Women’s Lacrosse team. While her experience in social media started as a student, Bari has quickly become an expert and a leading voice in the rapidly developing field of social media management.

“I would upload to a Facebook album after every social event and every one of my lacrosse games,” Tippett said. “I literally uploaded pictures every single day, and that’s when I knew I was going to make social media my job.”

Ten years after graduating, Bari has grown multiple social media accounts from the ground up and recently became the Head of Social at Sweetgreen, a fast-casual restaurant chain based out of Los Angeles with a plant-forward menu. Prior to her current role, Bari was a Senior Social Media Manager at Focus Brands LLC, elevating Auntie Anne’s and Jamba.

Bari is most proud of the work she’s done on Auntie Anne’s TikTok, an account she created and grew to 255,000 followers and nearly six million likes. The hashtag #auntieannes on TikTok reached nearly 302 million views, and she has had her thumbprint on each of the countless viral posts throughout the account’s short but meteoric three-year history.

“Working in social media isn’t just posting,” Tippett said. “It’s way more than that. It’s being creative all the time, understanding platforms, interpreting analytics, and applying strategic thinking.”

When Bari started Auntie Anne’s TikTok, her goal was to go viral, but the account’s immediate success was a surprise even to her. On a random weekday, she posted a video of crew members rolling dough and making pretzels and thought nothing of it. The post even had the word “pretzel” spelled wrong. Little did she know that it would become her first viral video.

“We went from 100 followers to around 30,000 followers overnight - it was crazy,” Tippett said. “That’s when I learned what content resonated with our audiences and I just did that over and over again.”

The diligence and focus she brings to her profession can be attributed to learning to juggle a full schedule as a Blue Jay student-athlete, says Bari. Those traits are just a few of the many she picked up from an impactful four years at Etown.

In Memoriam

The Elizabethtown College campus community gathered together for a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of Joseph "Jo" Russo, a first-year student who tragically passed away on Feb. 19, 2024. In their short time at Etown, Jo created many strong bonds and friendships with students, faculty, and staff through courses, jobs, and activities, especially theatre. Jo made positive impacts on so many members of the campus community and will be deeply missed.