Irene Fiala, M.B.A., Ph.D., Full Professor PennWest University Edinboro
September 2025
We continue to meet at the Erie Yacht Club. We are back upstairs! Meetings begin at 6:00 pm with a social hour and dinner, followed by our program/speaker.Our Dinner Menu:
TBDOur Guest Speaker:
Irene Fiala, M.B.A., Ph.D., Full Professor PennWest University Edinboro
Irene forged a dynamic career encompassing academia, research, and dedicated community service. Holding a Ph.D. in Sociology from Kent State University (2003), where her dissertation explored the social construction of public health statistics within the medicolegal system, she also earned an M.B.A. in Management (1990) and a B.B.A. in Marketing (1987), both from Kent State. Retiring from PennWest University at Edinboro this August 2025 as a Full Professor (Sociology), a position she held since 2023, Dr. Fiala served the university since 2002, achieving tenure in 2008 and the rank of Associate Professor in 2012. Her teaching experience spans various institutions, including Kent State University (Ashtabula Campus), John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, Baldwin-Wallace University, and Lakeland Community College. Beyond academia, Dr. Fiala’s leadership and impact have been recognized in "Women of PennWest," the BORO Magazine, as well as through her selection as a Fall 2022 Convocation Speaker. An "Inspirational Leader" in Kent State's Flash Tales oral history project, she was the Founder and First Board President of the Community Cats Coalition of Ashtabula County and currently serves on the Ashtabula Metropolitan Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and the Ashtabula County Planning Commission as an Alternate Commissioner. A passionate advocate, Dr. Fiala has testified before the Ohio legislature on numerous animal welfare legislation. She has presented her research at numerous international conferences, including the World Congress of Sociology and the World Congress of Criminology, and has presented in Australia, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, and Canada.Topic:
For reservations; please E-Mail the Torch Club Secretary at secretary.erietorch@gmail.com.
Sea Shanties
"Sea Shanties"
Irene will speak on Sea Shanties, a traditional genre of folk music, specifically work songs sung by sailors aboard ships. These songs were used to synchronize labor, keep time, and coordinate movements during tasks like hauling ropes or raising sails. They also provided a sense of community and could relieve the monotony of long, repetitive work.
Please join us on September 3rd, 2025 at 6:00 pm, for our pre-dinner cocktail and chat time and remember to bring your friends and acquaintances. Reservations are required.
Please remember to make your reservation at secretary.erietorch@gmail.com.