{"id":16541,"date":"2026-03-20T20:37:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T20:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/?p=16541"},"modified":"2026-03-23T17:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T17:32:16","slug":"professor-retiring-after-32-years-at-lvc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2026\/03\/20\/professor-retiring-after-32-years-at-lvc\/","title":{"rendered":"Professor\u00a0retiring after\u00a032\u00a0years at LVC\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Rachel Hartman ’27, staff writer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Design, Media, & Technology department at LVC continues to evolve with the growing demands of the digital world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The department contains two majors: Interaction Design (IXD) and Digital Media, formerly known as Digital Communications. With seven concentration areas, hands-on learning, artificial intelligence integration, business, design and computer science elements, the program allows students to personalize their education.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most influential voices helping shape the program has been Dr. Mary Pettice, who will retire at the end of the semester after more than three decades at LVC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pettice earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in English literature from Illinois Wesleyan University before continuing her education at the University of Illinois, where she completed a master\u2019s in journalism and a master\u2019s in literature. She later earned her doctorate in literature and creative writing at the University of Houston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI loved watching students learn about the power and art of language,\u201d Pettice said, describing the early experiences that led her to teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pettice began teaching at LVC in August of 1994 as an assistant professor of English, teaching a variety of literature, journalism, creative writing and communications-related courses. She also served as faculty advisor to \u201cLa Vie Collegienne\u201d during her early years at the college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an interest in journalism and the rise of digital media, Pettice served on the committee that developed the college\u2019s new Digital Media program in the mid-2000s. She later joined the department in 2013, where she offered students instruction in digital media and current trends in communications.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her career, Pettice developed a strong interest in media law, teaching courses such as Politics and the Mass Media and Information Law and Ethics.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe main topics, the First Amendment, privacy law, copyright and the history of our country\u2019s legal framework as it wrestles with new digital environments have never seemed so important as they are today,\u201d Pettice said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasized the importance of legal literacy, especially with the rise of AI and its effect on digital policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one will be unchanged by this technology, and our job as lifelong learners, students and faculty, is to prepare ourselves to excel and thrive in new ways, material and philosophical, as we enter the extremely uncertain future,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pettice has also been passionate about getting students involved in projects within our community. In her course, Storytelling for Digital Media, students have collaborated with organizations such as the Annville Cleona Fire Department, the Lebanon Veterans Administration Hospital, the Quittapahilla Watershed Association and WITF on a suicide prevention series. These projects allow students to create real-world storytelling-driven content through photography, videography and podcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pettice said one of the most rewarding parts of her time at LVC has been the college\u2019s dedication to student success.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am struck by how the faculty members who were here when I arrived established a culture of deliberation that considered the impact of every decision primarily on student learning and well-being,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LVC also holds personal significance for Pettice.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI met my husband at LVC, math and computer science professor Ken Yarnall,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were married on the lawn at Kreiderheim, and our children always treated the campus as an extension of our backyard in Annville. I am grateful that I ended up being part of a community that allowed me to learn among and from insightful, intelligent and kind people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She encourages students to strive to be curious about everything, especially new ideas that seem challenging. As she transitions into her retirement, she is most looking forward to writing, reading, doing genealogical research, traveling and volunteering at organizations that support the well-being of the local community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Pettice\u2019s departure, LVC will welcome Robert Benica in the fall of 2026. Benica will teach courses in visual communications and contribute to the continued growth of the program. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rachel Hartman ’27, staff writer  The Design, Media, & Technology department at LVC continues to evolve with the growing demands of the digital world.\u00a0 The department contains two majors: Interaction Design (IXD) and Digital Media, formerly known as […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16541","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-campus-news","8":"category-features","9":"category-front-page","10":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16541"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16559,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16541\/revisions\/16559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}