PennWest University gathered faculty, students, families and local officials on Friday for a solemn dedication at its California campus. The event, titled “Service and Legacy: A Ceremony of Remembrance and Dedication,” honored four fallen police officers and formally named the university’s investigative and forensic sciences center for Dr. John R. Cencich.
Memorial bench and posthumous degree
A new memorial bench was installed at Azorsky Field, and a posthumous degree was presented to the family of Officer Sean Sluganski, whose mother, Terri Sluganski, accepted the diploma on his behalf.
Center named for Dr. John R. Cencich
The John R. Cencich Center for Investigative and Forensic Sciences, founded by Dr. Cencich in 2008, is housed in Eberly Hall. The center provides research support and investigative expertise to law‑enforcement agencies, prosecutors and defense attorneys, including cold‑case homicide research, 911‑call analysis and assistance with racketeering and gambling investigations.
Graduate assistants work on developing leads in unsolved cases, and the center offers recorded training sessions featuring experienced investigators and former FBI criminal profilers.
University leadership remarks
“Students need the opportunity to apply what they are learning, to investigate, to collaborate, to ask difficult questions, and to develop the skills they will ultimately take into their professions and their communities,” said Dr. James Fisher, PennWest’s interim president. “That is what makes this center so important.”
Director Julie Warnick noted that the center is supported by an endowment established by Dr. Cencich, which also funds scholarships and resources for students.
Honoring the fallen officers
The memorial bench honors four members of the university community who died while serving as police officers:
- Officer Ryan Cappelletty, Class of 2002, Chesterfield County Police Department, Virginia
- Officer Dale Provins, Class of 2003, Jefferson Hills Borough Police Department, Pennsylvania
- Officer Sean Sluganski, Class of 2022, McKeesport Police Department, Pennsylvania
- Officer Andrew Duarte, Class of 2016, West York Borough Police Department, Pennsylvania
State Sen. Camera Bartolotta presented proclamations recognizing both the bench dedication and the naming of the center. Tony Mauro, associate vice president for University Development and California campus administrator, said the bench provides a permanent place for the community to remember the officers’ sacrifice.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
