Adventure Rec Staff

2013-14 Trip Leaders

Regular staff

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  Jeff Chismar

  Adventure Recreation Program Coordinator

  Jeff is a Penn State graduate and PA native. He grew up an hour south of State College near Martinsburg, PA. He has always enjoyed anything outdoors, from camping and hunting, to canoeing and rock climbing. Jeff's newest pursuit is snowboarding. He hopes to finally quit adding more hobbies... Jeff began working at Penn State as a Strength & Conditioning coach in 2006 and has been the coordinator of Adventure Recreation for 4 years. He is a Wilderness First Aid Instructor, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Level I Challenge Course Facilitator, and SCUBA diver.

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  Jim Litrun

  Fly Fishing Supervisor

  Jim is a retired business executive who lives in Warriors Mark. After living around the country, he moved back to PA because he loves the change of seasons, the hills and mountains, and best of all, the great trout streams in the area. At age 62, Jim stays active exploring for new fly fishing spots, skiing, hunting and shooting. His most memorable fishing experience was catching a seven-foot, 400-lb. goliath grouper in the Florida Keys. Oh yeah, the 150-lb. swordfish (pictured) was fun, too!

• Kelly Chismar
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  Paul Rentschler

  SCUBA Diving Supervisor

  Paul has been an active member of the scuba diving community at Penn State since he came to University Park in 1996. Becoming a NAUI-certified instructor in 2002, he thoroughly enjoys teaching Penn State students to become well-trained, safe divers.

Student Staff

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  Ben Martin

  Ben has always had an affinity for the outdoors. He started skiing at a young age, and soon after discovered his love for bicycles. Although never a true mountaineer, Ben does enjoy hiking in the woods. One of his most memorable accounts was biking the West Rim Trail, in Moab Ut. Among many other hobbies Ben has recently picked up friendship bracelet making, and rock climbing. All of which he continues doing today.

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  Andy Muntean

  Senior

  Andy's love for the outdoors started at age 4 when he started alpine skiing and it only flourished over time. He has spent 15 summers in the Muskoka district of Northern Ontario engaging in various illicit activities such as canoeing, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Andy is also a dedicated distance runner and cyclist. In his spare time he enjoys engaging in conversations about politics, religion, fine art and classic literature, normally over a glass of scotch. After graduation, Andy plans to complete his commercial pilot license and begin a career as a bush pilot in Alaska, or attend Law school.

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  Drew Lehnerd

  Geography

  Drew has a passion for all things outdoors, from the mountains to the ocean. He is especially stoked on snowboarding, backpacking, paddling, and sailing. Other interests include campfires, crocheting, and cooking. Drew is always looking to share the outdoors with others, and hopes to continue his outdoor leadership pursuits far into the future.

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  Russell Voigt

  Russell has always loved skiing and mountain biking. He got hooked on backpacking after taking a backpacking class his freshman year, and then got into outdoor rock climbing through Adventure Rec. Russell hopes to combine these hobbies and take up alpine touring and mountaineering someday.

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  Melanie Battle

  Senior, Energy Engineering

  Melanie has loved the outdoors ever since she could walk. She loves hiking, backpacking, and everything nature has to offer. She dabbled with rock climbing since 7th grade, but didn't really get into it until a few years later when she ventured out to Seneca Rocks, WV. Ever since that first trip to WV, she's loved the state and everything it has to offer. Her first cave experience was in Trout Cavern in WV which sparked her ever growing passion for caving. She hopes to continue to learn and prosper throughout her time with Adventure Rec.

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  Steve Cline

  Junior, Wood Products

  Steve loves the outdoors because nothing man made can compare. he has been rock climbing since 2010 and has loved every minute of it. Pebble wrestling is his true passion when it comes to climbing, he loves the freedom of not having a rope attached to him. He has also been mountain biking since 2009 in addition to his other hobbies: woodworking, kayaking, hiking, camping, cycling and raquetball.

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  Emily Paskewicz

  Senior, Landscape Architecture and Geography

  Emilys love of the outdoors started with family canoe expeditions at age five and has only grown from there. She spends her summers as a camp counselor teaching kids to backpack, conserve, and love nature while running barefoot in the woods and napping in canoes as much as possible. Her favorite outdoor activities include backpacking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, trail running, and skiing, just to name a few!

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  Jared Yarnall-Schane

  Senior, Mechanical Engineering

  Jared grew up at a camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains where he fell in love with the outdoors. He loves adventure programming and watching groups work together to achieve a common goal. During his free time he likes to go hiking, camping, caving, and to hang out in his hammock. Jared is excited to continue sharing his passion for the outdoors by working with Adventure Rec, and expects to have ablast doing so.

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  Christina Spohn

  Junior, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management

  Christina loves pretty much everything about being outside. She was born and bred north of Pittsburgh, PA and has been camping since the ripe old age of 9 months old. She is a lifelong Girl Scout and enjoys teaching kids all about the outside world, especially spiders! She also spends her summers working on trails throughout the National Park system. Her favorite outdoor activities include backpacking, canoeing, hiking, swimming and just plain ol' campin' out!

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  Jessica Gambrill

  Senior, Biobehavioral Health

  Jessica loves being outside because it is a constant reminder of how the Earth's beauty is a romantic gesture to humankind. She's been hiking since she was a little girl in the mountains of the Philippines and continued to hike in the various places she lived in, such as Japan, Hawaii, Florida, and Maryland. She recently got into rock climbing last spring and hopes to contribute her passions and knowledge to others through Adventure Recreation. In addition, her other passions include dancing, traveling, and having spontaneous adventures.

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  Rachael Grasso

  Senior, Recreation, Park and Tourism Management - Outdoor Recreation

  Whether it's raining, sunny or snowing, Rachael loves to spend time outside. She enjoys backpacking, hiking, snowboarding and recently started mountain biking, caving and rock climbing. Rachael is a NOLS graduate, a Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace Master and a certified SCUBA diver. She loves sharing her experiences in the outdoors with others and is always up for a good adventure!

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  Donavin Stanley

  Sophomore, Chemical Engineering

  Donavin is a native Pennsylvanian who loves to spend his time outdoors. Hiking, camping, caving, and rock climbing are a few of his favorite outdoor activities and he hopes to expand this list as he gets more involved with Adventure Recreation. Donavin also enjoys long-distance running and is going to run a Spartan Sprint this summer (2013). Donavin is also a member of PSU Engineers Without Borders and works at the Rioux Lab at Penn State.

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  Andrew (Andy) Sarcinello

  Senior, Civil Engineering

  Andrew has always loved outdoor activities such as hiking, paddling, and especially fishing. In 2009 he began targeting trout with the fly rod and has been a fly fishing addict ever since. He mostly enjoys fishing small, remote trout streams but also has some experience fly fishing ponds for bass and even saltwater bays for red drum and bluefish. Andy loves showing friends around the local streams and helping them catch fish. Andy is also a member of the Penn State Fly Fishing Club, mentors for PSU Engineering Orientation Network, and runs on the PSU club track team.

• Jim Evans