Threshold Series
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In This Section
A platform for intellectual and cultural engagement, the Saint Vincent College Threshold Series has brought a diverse array of distinguished speakers—scholars, experts, authors, artists and public figures—to the Latrobe campus.
Community & Events
Established in 1981 through a generous grant from the Kennametal Foundation, Threshold aims to inspire intellectual curiosity, foster meaningful dialogue and enrich the region’s cultural landscape. By deepening their understanding of the subject matter, attendees can connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications and seek additional knowledge beyond the lecture.
Threshold has become an important institution at Saint Vincent for students, faculty and members of the local community.
“I'm here to follow the first word of the Rule of Benedict that goes back almost 1,500 years, which is: listen.”
– Cornel West, October 2019 Threshold Series speaker
Threshold Lecture: Mr. Gene Steratore
The Final Call: Leadership, Integrity, and the View from the Field
August 6, 2025 | 6 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center
Admission is free of charge.
August 2025 Speaker
The Saint Vincent College Threshold Series will return August 6 with a lecture by Former National Football League and NCAA basketball referee Gene Steratore. Mr. Steratore serves as the NFL and NCAA rules analyst for the CBS Television Network’s coverage of the NFL and NCAA basketball seasons. He has served as CBS rules analyst for Super Bowl LIII and LV, as well as multiple NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship and Final Four broadcasts.
Mr. Gene Steratore
Steratore spent 15 years on the field as an NFL game official, including 13 as a referee. In total, he was a football official for 33 years officiating high school, college and NFL, as well as a basketball official for 35 years officiating high school and college basketball. His extensive experience includes officiating a Saint Vincent College men’s basketball game when he was just 26 years old.
Steratore entered the NFL as a field judge in 2003, was promoted to referee in 2006 and worked 14 playoff games. He finished his career as the referee in Super Bowl LII. Steratore also worked two conference championships, as well as serving as the alternate referee for Super Bowl XLIV.
Steratore officiated NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball in 1997. He has officiated 12 NCAA Tournament games, including two Sweet 16 games. He is a member of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame and the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Steratore is the co-owner of Steratore Supply, Inc., a full line paper/janitorial supply business, with his brother, Tony, who also officiated in the NFL. His father, Gene Steratore Sr., was a college official and basketball referee.
Threshold Lecture: Mr. Gene Steratore
The Final Call: Leadership, Integrity, and the View from the Field
August 6, 2025 | 6 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center
Admission is free of charge.
Past Speakers
Pictured: (header) April 2025 speaker Dr. Kevin M. Guskiewicz, (from top left) Stanley Jaki, Robert Jarvik, John Stacks, Joyce Carol Oates, John Noble Wilford, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Alex Haley, Michael Medved, (second row) Strobe Talbot, Isaac Asimov, Harold S. Kushner, Jane Bryant Quinn, Roger Malina, Carl Sagan, Robert Claiborne, Martin E. Marty, Lt. General James A. Abrahamson. Not Pictured: Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., Claire Bloom, Stephen F. Cohen, Ralph Nader, Archduke Rudolph of Austria, Roger Cossack, Heinz-Joachim Fischer, Jerome Oetgen, Benjamin Zander, Colleen Carroll Campbell, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steven Johnson, David Shedloski.