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Bucks County Community College Earns PA CARES Designation
Bucks County Community College is proud to announce that it has received the PA CARES designation for the 2026-27 academic year from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its efforts to implement plans to support students’ mental health and to prevent suicide.
PA CARES stands for Connect, Access, Respond, Encourage, Support. The designation recognizes Bucks as a leader in implementing the state’s Act 110 mental health and suicide prevention plan.
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are 1,100 suicide deaths annually among college students nationwide. Researchers at Prevent Suicide PA estimate that suicide is the second-leading cause of death on American college campuses.
“It is critical that institutions of higher learning proactively identify and implement policies, practices, and strategies for addressing mental health issues and preventing student suicide,” said Lynette Kuhn, Ed.D., deputy secretary and commissioner for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
"We recognize that student mental health plays a vital role in academic progress and personal wellbeing," said Samuel Coleman IV, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs. "Bucks County Community College provides resources to support our campus community through a variety of challenges."
The College’s Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan includes warning signs and risk factors of suicide, how to access counseling services at Bucks, local and national resources for suicide prevention, and much more. The plan can be accessed by visiting the colleges prevention plan web page.
Visitors Step Back in Time at ‘Seeing Stella’ Art Exhibition
Bucks County Community College celebrated the opening of “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” on September 9 on the Newtown Campus. The stunning solo exhibition features an immersive tableau of glass, bronze, and plaster sculptures by Philadelphia-based artist Jen Blazina. The works examine the life, taste, and legacy of Stella Elkins Tyler (1884 - 1963), on whose historic estate the Newtown Campus was built. Carol Tyler, widow of Stella Tyler’s grandson George F. Tyler III, and her daughter Amy Shea joined members of the College and the community for the event. The exhibition is on display through October 17 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery.
Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D. (left) welcomed (left-right) Carol Tyler, Jen Blazina, and Amy Shea to “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” to the Hicks Art Center Gallery Wednesday, September 9. The exhibition, which pays homage to the style and legacy of Stella Elkins Tyler, runs through October 17. Carol Tyler is the widow of Stella’s grandson George F. Tyler III; Shea is Carol’s daughter and Stella’s great-granddaughter.
“Poof,” a cast glass sculpture of two perfume bottles, is part of the immersive tableau of glass, bronze, and plaster sculptures on display in “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” that runs through October 17 at Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery.
Carol Tyler (second from right), the widow of Stella Elkins Tyler’s grandson George F. Tyler III, chats with Philadelphia-based sculptor Jen Blazina (right) at the September 9 opening reception for “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina.” Blazina was inspired by the décor and personal collections that are on display in the College’s historic Tyler Hall to create an immersive tableau that examines Stella Tyler’s life and legacy.
Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D., discusses the life, art, and legacy of Stella Elkins Tyler with Carol Tyler, widow of Tyler’s grandson George F. Tyler III in the College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery. Stella, a patron of the arts, became a prolific sculptor herself in her forties. The exhibition “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” runs through October 17 on the College’s Newtown Campus.
Photos by Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College
Learn About Compassion for Animals and the Environment
Bucks County Community College invites the public to the annual Compassion for Animals and Environment (CAE) conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 26, at the Newtown Campus.
Sponsored by the College’s School of Business and Legal Studies, the CAE is the only conference whose goals are to respect animals' emotions and intelligence; increase reliance on plant-based foods; be kind to Earth, its inhabitants, and ourselves; and strengthen the human-animal bond.
The conference features speakers who are prominent leaders in animal welfare, rescue, science, law, and social justice. In addition, workshops invite participants to examine their personal relationship with animals and encourage participants to be open to adopting plant-based eating in small ways.
The program includes:
Nadia Steinzor, Project Coyote – “Be Kind to Earth, Her Inhabitants, and Ourselves”
Carolyn Shultz and Tiana Thomas, Tabby’s Place – “Strengthening the Human-Animal Bond”
Delaware Riverkeeper Network – “Respect Animals’ Emotions and Intelligence”
Lisa Payne, The Humane League – “Increase Our Reliance on Plant-Based Food”
Cheryl Baldi, Former Bucks County Poet Laurate and member of the Volta Writing Center, presenting an original poem
Attendees can also learn from a myriad of exhibitors who share the conference goals, including:
American Anti-Vivisection Society
Bucks County Community College Vet Tech Program
Bucks County Community College School of Business & Legal Studies
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
The Humane League
Lancaster Farm Sanctuary
NJ Veg
Pennsylvania Voters for Animals
Revolution Philadelphia
Rowdy Girl Sanctuary
Tabby’s Place
Volta Center for Writing Arts
...and many more
The $30 registration fee includes all speakers, workshops and exhibitors and a donation to an animal rescue organization, as well as a vegan breakfast bar, a vegan boxed lunch by V-Spot Restaurant of New Hope, and cookies from Fat Badger Bakery. The student registration fee is $20 and there are scholarships available.
Register online by September 19.
The conference takes place in the Gallagher Room, located in the Rollins Center building on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. Parking is free. To learn more about the conference, and to inquire about student scholarships, contact Associate Professor Chris Little Simcox, Esq., at chris.simcox@bucks.edu.
Bucks County Community College Hosts Vaccine Clinics Sept. 15-17
Bucks County Community College (BCCC) has invited the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP) to each of its campuses to offer vaccine clinics over three days in September. The seasonal clinics are fully open to all members of the local community looking to secure protection for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.
Hosted in partnership with BCHIP and Giant Pharmacy, the clinics will offer shots to prevent the flu and Covid-19.
The clinics take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations.
Tuesday, September 15Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks, Room 1051304 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA 19007
Wednesday, September 16Upper Bucks Campus, Room 157One Hillendale Dr., Perkasie, PA 18944
Thursday, September 17Newtown Campus, Gateway Center275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA 18940
Residents should bring a valid ID and their insurance, Medicare and pharmacy cards to verify coverage. Most health insurance covers seasonal immunizations completely. In alignment with BCHIP's mission to eliminate healthcare barriers, support options are available to help protect those who may be underinsured or uninsured. For more information, email info@bchip.org.
Expand Your Horizons with Lifelong Learning at Bucks
Bucks County Community College invites adults of all ages to explore new interests, connect with neighbors, and expand their horizons through Lifelong Learning at Bucks. Membership in the program is free and provides participants with updates on a mix of free and low-cost community events, workshops, and social gatherings designed for learners of all backgrounds.
"Learning does not stop at any age, and our programs are designed to reflect just that," said Veronica Drumm, program director of Lifelong Learning at Bucks. "Whether you want to pick up a new skill like bird sketching, unpack the everyday realities of AI, or simply enjoy a game of Rummikub and meet new people, we provide a welcoming, accessible space for everyone in the community to connect and thrive."
The fall program schedule features diverse offerings hosted at the College’s Newtown Campus. Registration is now open for a variety of events, including:
Tiles, Tea & Talk: Rummikub Social: Meet on select Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 17 through December 10 in the Solarium in the Rollins Center. Cost is only $10 for the full five-meeting series, which includes light refreshments and game materials for all skill levels.
Illustrating Birds of Tyler State Park: Led by local ornithologist and illustrator Jack Hobe on select Fridays in the Orangery. Cost is $15 for each workshop, focusing on drawing warblers September 18, swallows October 23, and hawks November 20. No prior art experience is required.
The Spy Next Door: Historian Herb Kaufman, M.Ed., takes you through the world of espionage from the American Revolution through the Atomic Age on September 24 in the Gallagher Room in the Rollins Center. Cost is $10.
Living Wisely in a Digital World: Finding Balance in the Age of AI: An interactive session led by CJ Stasik on September 30 in the Solarium in the Rollins Center. Cost is $15, featuring practical AI demonstrations that can assist you with planning, organizing, and brainstorming. Light refreshments served.
More programs are being added this fall, including a free screening of the film “The Way” with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez on October 15, said Drumm. To view full program descriptions, join as a member, or register for a session, visit the Lifelong Learning at Bucks website.
All programs are structured to be welcoming and accessible, complementing the College's traditional noncredit personal enrichment offerings. Sessions take place at Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. To learn more, contact Veronica Drumm at 215-504-8596 or lifelonglearning@bucks.edu.
Seeing Stella Exhibit Opening Reception
Imagine a world before Pinterest and online sites influenced our design choices and tastes. That is the world you enter when you step inside the Hicks Art Center Gallery’s “Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” September 9 to October 17 at Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Campus.
The solo artist exhibition examines the life and impact of Stella Elkins Tyler (1884 - 1963), on whose estate the College was founded more than 60 years ago. Jen Blazina, a Philadelphia-based sculptor and printmaker, creates an immersive tableau of sculptures, reliefs and 2D works inspired by Tyler’s decoration of her Newtown mansion built in 1930, her personal objects on display there, and the flora and fauna that surround the estate.
“The exhibition continues the theme of cultural evolution in America’s history during this semiquincentennial year, following our highly successful ‘Visions of America’ show this summer,” said Clifford Eberly, the College’s senior manager of galleries and exhibitions.
The public is invited to an opening reception on Wednesday, September 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. with remarks at 6 p.m. Admission to the gallery and reception is free.
A visit to Tyler Hall sparks creativity
The seeds of the show were planted two years ago when Blazina visited the Newtown Campus and Tyler Hall to prepare for her contribution to the 2024 group exhibition “Skull Sessions” at the Hicks Art Center Gallery.
Blazina’s imagination was sparked by seeing some of Tyler’s personal items on display, such as a comb and brush vanity set, crystal eau de parfum bottles, and her suitcase imprinted with her initials “S.E.T.” and still emblazoned with stamps from traveling on trans-Atlantic steamships more than 100 years ago.
The artist recognized a kinship in Tyler’s fascinating belongings with her own curiosity in uniquely designed, highly decorative historical objects that function in utilitarian daily life and rituals.
Eberly says he worked closely with the artist to select pieces for the exhibition.
“Jen and I talked and texted for many months attempting to get inside Stella Tyler’s decorative consciousness for Indian Council Rock, her and George Tyler’s country manor estate,” Eberly recalled. “The French Norman architecture and formal gardens, the hand-painted wallpaper, the opulence of the tapestries Stella made, combined with the stories written and related to us, all contributed to Jen’s creative process of realizing this installation.”
The serene gallery exhibition subtlety alludes to the peace Tyler found in creating art and in being outdoors, noted Eberly.
“Jen’s sculptures, reliefs and patterns visually communicate how Stella took pleasure in nature and the arts to find mental peace and to ameliorate the effects of losing loved ones on the Titanic and living through two world wars,” said Eberly.
Stella Tyler’s uncle and cousin, members of the Widener family of Philadelphia, went down with the Titanic on April 15, 1912. George Tyler (1883 – 1947), a former state commander of the American Legion, was devoted to helping veterans of The Great War return to society and overcome “shell shock” – what we now know as PTSD. He also collected original WWI propaganda posters, many of which remain in Bucks County Community College’s permanent collection.
Questioning our collections
Through her installation, the artist invites us to question the purpose of our collected belongings and find the answers within our own minds.
For instance, what is the function of a cast glass, perfume bottle poof in this exhibition? The glass poof clearly no longer functions as its soft, spraying original. However, as art, it takes on new, cultural value as an object of potential collectible desirability; a symbol of this mutable, transformative process. Some viewers might remember using a poof to spray a beautiful scent on their skin. That memory now becomes a nostalgic transaction between artist, the sculpture, and the viewer.
While some may view conjuring nostalgia in art as a sentimental shortcut to comfort, Blazina digs deep, embracing it to signal personal and collective memories, and at the same time, celebrating both historic decorative design and critiquing consumer culture.
Underneath it all, the artist asks, “Can we find total happiness in the objects we make and collect?”
In a note found in her exhibition catalogue to her art instructor and mentor Boris Blai, Stella Tyler wrote: “To my Maestro and ‘Pupil’!! With all my thanks and deep appreciation for helping me to open the doors of Happiness.”
While we may not always be joyful, Tyler found her true happy place expanding her creative repertoire while courageously starting to make sculpture in her later years.
“Seeing Stella: An Installation by Jen Blazina” - funded by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee – is on view September 9 – October 17 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa. Admission and parking are free.
