Latest news with #DuquesneUniversity
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
California family with local ties shows Channel 11 devastating wildfire damage up close
A California family with close ties to Pittsburgh is waiting to get their property back as clean-up crews go house to house with heavy machinery, clearing fire-ravaged properties. The family invited Channel 11 Anchor Jennifer Tomazic to their neighborhood to give Pittsburghers a feel for what it's like out there right now and to deliver a message. 'That's where my kids grew up,' Sylvia Ramirez said while pointing to very few recognizable pieces of her family's home in Altadena. It was one of many in the neighborhood leveled by the wildfires earlier this year. 'I had a beautiful window, a huge window, that every morning I was able to see those mountains,' Sylvia said. The Ramirez family made so many fond memories in that home. The memories are forever in the hearts, which are slowly being repaired. a Sylvia said. Not only belonging to her, but also to her husband, Carlos Sr., and their three kids: Carlos Jr., Adrian and Ariana. Adrian plays football at Duquesne University (so did Carlos, Jr. before he graduated last December), and he spoke with Channel 11 Sports Anchor Shelby Cassesse in January, as he was finding out the reality of what was happening back home in Altadena. His dad sent him a terrifying video as he tried to save what he could as the fire quickly surrounded their home. >>> California wildfires destroy Duquesne football player's family home 'Still got time: 5 to 10 minutes. So I said, 'what do you need?' She said 'I don't need anything just get out of there.' And I'm like 'what do you need?'' Carlos Sr. recalled about the conversation he had with his wife as the fire started taking over more of their home. 'Everything is replaceable, but what hurts us, what hurts me the most, is my memories. My photo albums: those aren't replaceable,' Sylvia said. A couple things are still standing after the fire: part of the carport in front of the home and the outdoor kitchen. But almost their whole neighborhood is gone. Chimney after chimney is almost all that visibly remains. The heartbreak for the Ramirez family goes beyond just their front porch. Just steps away is the home where Carlos Sr. grew up, and where his parents lived. 'Try to get my mom and dad a house first. Start with them, maybe, then we'll do us,' said Carlos, Sr. Fortunately for them, Carlos Sr. is a contractor, and he's already working on plans to rebuild both homes. Right now, he and many families are waiting for the process to play out. Signs are up in front of many properties saying the hazardous materials removal is complete. Now, crews are working on clearing what were once family possessions, now rubble. They say they're going to be doing just the cleanup portion for at least the next nine months. 'Like I tell my husband, one day we'll have this again and it will be better,' said Sylvia. That hope is fueled partly by Pittsburghers. Since the Ramirez family only had the clothes they left in that fateful day in January, their Duquesne University family stepped up big. Sylvia says they sent boxes of clothes, shoes, and blankets. There were so many things they couldn't even fit all of it in a car at once. 'I want to thank Duquesne and [the] Pittsburgh area for all they've done for us,' Sylvia said. 'It's just amazing, I don't know what else to tell them but thank you so much.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Megan McConnell gets training camp invite from WNBA's Phoenix Mercury
Duquesne University's Megan McConnell has received a training camp invitation from the Phoenix Mercury and will now be looking to earn a roster spot in the WNBA. While McConell wasn't selected in Monday's WNBA Draft, her dreams of playing professional basketball are still alive and will report to training camp with the Mercury on Sunday, April 27. McConnell, who played at Duquesne University and Chartiers Valley, finished her college career with the Dukes in second place on the program's all-time scoring list. During her recently completed senior season at Duquesne, McConnell led the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring per game, total assists, and assists per game and was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. McConnell also led the entire nation in steals and was one of three players in all of Division I women's basketball to have multiple triple-doubles this past season. Success on the basketball court runs in the family for the McConnells. While Megan McConnell is hoping to earn a roster spot in the WNBA, her older brother T.J. played college basketball at Duquesne and Arizona and has carved out a successful career in the NBA, now in his 10th year playing professional basketball. Megan's other older brother Matty, played four years of college basketball at Robert Morris. Tim McConnell, the patriarch of the family, was one of the most successful basketball coaches in WPIAL history, winning 662 games in 29 seasons at Chartiers Valley with nine WPIAL titles. Six of those titles were coaching the boys team and three were with the girls team. He also won a state championship while coaching the girls team, which included daughter Megan on the roster.
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Ken Gormley stepping down next year as Duquesne University president
Ken Gormley, the president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, will be stepping down from his position next summer. Gormley has been president of the university for nearly a decade and began his career at Duquesne in 1994. After stepping down as president on July 1, 2026, Gormley plans to remain as chancellor of Duquesne. "President Gormley has amassed a remarkable record of accomplishments during his decade as President and his 30 years at the University," said Diane Hupp, Chair of the Board and an alumna. "Ken's leadership and vision have allowed Duquesne's reputation as a national Catholic university to soar during his time in office," she said. "We're grateful that he has agreed to serve in the role of Chancellor after he steps down as president next year, allowing a seamless transition while utilizing his abundant talents to continue the positive momentum of the University." In a release from the university, Gormley said he is a firm believer in "strategic, long-term planning." "I feel it's important to create a smooth transition plan for new leadership to blossom and excel, if we're going to make sure the successes of the past decade continue," Gormley said. "It's not enough to look one year ahead at a time—I believe in creating 10- and 30-year plans. My wife, Laura, and I felt this was perfect timing to begin a thoughtful transition." Among successes of Gormley's during his tenure as president at Duquesne include launching the university's College of Osteopathic Medicine, securing a $50 million gift commitment for the university, and helping oversee the renovation of the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, among others.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Duquesne University President Gormley stepping down
Duquesne University President Ken Gormley is stepping down. The university announced Saturday that Gormley will leave his role next year. By then, he will have served as president for 10 years. He began his career as a law professor at Duquesne University in 1994. In 2008, he became Interim Dean and Dean of the Law School, where he remained until 2015. The next year, he was named president. His colleagues consider him a top academic leader and said he brought innovation and strategic thinking to the school. University leaders applauded him for his ability to steer the campus through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also launched the College of Osteopathic Medicine among other achievements. Gormley is expected to continue to work the the university in a leadership role. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
A Muslim Athlete Needed Modest Sportswear. Now She Sells It to Others.
Kiandra Browne had little interest in religion growing up in multicultural Montreal. But she did have a curious mind. 'If you know Kiandra, you know she questions everything,' her mother, Sheryl White, said with a loving laugh. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Ms. Browne, then a high school senior with a lot of time to think, began to consider the question of faith. Soon, she was peppering a Muslim friend with questions about Islam. As Ms. Browne, who ultimately converted to Islam, peeled back pages of the Quran, she found that many of the messages resonated with her, particularly in relation to her basketball ambitions. The structure and discipline that are required — stopping for prayer five times each day, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan — echo the commitment demanded of an elite athlete. The concept of sisterhood and setting aside her ego mirrored the fabric of a team sport. 'As somebody that already had a very disciplined lifestyle, Islam just made sense,' she said. But as Ms. Browne dove deeper into the religion, she was presented with a conflict: Women's basketball uniforms, with their shorts and tank tops, did not conform with stricter Islamic standards of modesty. But revealing less of her body by wearing a hijab — a head scarf — along with baggy pants and loosefitting long-sleeve shirts presented its own conundrum on the basketball court. 'You kind of feel like you're wearing a garbage bag,' she said. Ms. Browne managed to make do, first at Indiana University, where she began her college career, and then at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she is a forward for a team that begins play in the Atlantic 10 tournament on Thursday. But she wondered why there were not more clothing options for Muslim women who had a passion for sports — something less cumbersome than XXL men's athletic wear and more affordable than $100 name-brand garments. Eventually, Ms. Browne arrived at a solution: starting a business that sells affordable modest athletic wear, which she obtains from a small family business in Pakistan. It is, at least for now, a very small business. There is no website. She takes orders through direct messages on Instagram. And she sells about a dozen outfits a month. The small scale is necessary for someone who is pursuing a master's degree in business administration, playing basketball and working as a personal trainer. 'It's hard to grow a business in college,' Ms. Browne said. 'It's not my 9 to 5.' What has been helpful, though, is that it has been made abundantly clear there is a worldwide market for women who prefer not to exercise in sports bras and skin-hugging leggings. Ms. Browne is scheduled to graduate in May and once she is finished with school, she plans to seek an investor to expand her business. Not so long ago, Ms. Browne would have been prohibited from such a venture, but the N.C.A.A., the governing body for college athletics, was forced in 2021 by the passage of state laws to allow athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness. And before last season, the N.C.A.A. followed other athletics governing bodies in easing restrictions that required athletes to file for a waiver to wear religious headwear provided it was safe for competition. Still, wearing a hijab is not permitted in some circles. France, which hosted the Paris Olympics last summer, prohibited its own athletes, which it considers civil servants, from wearing a hijab, saying it violated a secularism law that barred civil servants from wearing overtly religious symbols while performing their duties. Similar restrictions apply in Ms. Browne's home province of Quebec for teachers, police officers and other civil servants. Only a handful of college athletes play with a hijab. Ms. Browne is one of three Muslim players on the Duquesne team, but she is the only one who wears a hijab. Earlier this season, Ms. Browne and Yasmine Djibril, a freshman at Canisius University, were believed to be the first two college basketball players to compete against each other wearing hijabs. 'Honestly, it's not about how many sales I make, it's really about all the messages I get on social media and people thanking me,' Ms. Browne said. 'It's removing a barrier for women who want to work out but can't find what they need to wear because they overheat or feel uncomfortable or it's just too complicated.' Ms. Browne said she believed covering her body with loosefitting clothes was a form of female empowerment that pushed men to appreciate her intellect, talent and personality. 'Women are so incredibly objectified and sexualized,' she said. 'My hijab is not allowing anyone to do that to me.' Last month, a group of Muslim girls in Chicago, whom Ms. Browne had instructed at a clinic last summer, came to watch her team play. After a recent home game, Ebtehal Badawi, wearing a hijab, brought her 14-year-old daughter, Layal, to meet Ms. Browne, who was signing autographs with her teammates. Soon, Ms. Badawi said, her daughter will decide whether she wants to wear a hijab. 'Kiandra is a role model for little Muslim girls if they choose to cover up,' said Ms. Badawi, an avid distance runner who founded Pittsburgh Builds Bridges, a community organization that encourages connections through making art. 'Not everyone has the courage in them to do what they want. In the Oscars or a big event, you don't see a lot of women covering up. People don't want to stand out.' Ms. Browne understands that, too. Occasionally, an opponent has yanked on her head covering or a fan has taunted her for wearing it. She said she was warned by friends and family when she entered the transfer portal that some coaches might view her hijab as an unwanted distraction, but the Duquesne coach, Dan Burt, signaled his interest by asking her what color head coverings the equipment manager should stock. When Mr. Burt learned after a road game this season that a fan of the opposing team had taunted Ms. Browne, he implored her not to keep it to herself. 'If it happens again, I'll have the game stopped,' he recalled saying. The first time she was heckled was at Indiana by an opposing player. 'I was really, really shocked in the moment,' Ms. Browne said. 'Obviously, people aren't stupid. They're trying to get you to think of things other than the task at hand. Now it's your choice and you have the opportunity to choose whether to let them cause the hurt that they intended or go ahead and play your game.' Her parents have watched her from afar, with some trepidation but also with a good deal of pride as they have seen their eldest daughter grow. (Another daughter, Serena, is a water polo player at Stanford who represented Canada in the Paris Olympics.) Ms. White said her older daughter had always embraced being different. Her father, Ken Browne, appreciates her commitment. A former college football player, he recounted fasting during Ramadan in a show of solidarity with his teammate at the University of Colorado, the Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam. 'I lost 15 pounds, which is not great for an offensive lineman, but it strengthened me in ways I never imagined,' Mr. Browne said. 'What Kiandra is doing is not easy. She isn't looked at as a regular basketball player and oh, by the way, she's Muslim. Fortunately or unfortunately, men don't have that.'
