January 2020

The University of Scranton’s Department of Communication and Media will host the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and Google News Initiative Training on free tools that can be used for data journalism. Searching for datasets, pivot tables, web scraping and other topics will be covered in this free, hands-on training session. Frank Bi, an editorial engineer for Vox Media’s SB Nation in New York City, will lead training, which will run on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kane Forum of Leahy Hall on the University’s campus.

The Google News Initiative aims to help journalists and news organizations use new technology to meet their needs in the digital age. SPJ and the Google News Initiative partnered in 2015 to provide training to journalists looking to apply Google’s tools in their reporting. Since then, more than 21,000 journalists have been trained at more than 550 locations across the United States and Canada. 

At Vox Media, Bi works on the storytelling team, designing and developing interactives and longform features. He also teaches data literacy and visualization at Fordham University and is a Google News Initiative trainer. He serves as the president of the Asian American Journalists Association’s New York chapter.

The Google News Lab training session is free and open to the public. Registration is required. University students, journalists and members of the public can register online. For additional information, call 570-941-6333 or by email communication@scranton.edu.

The third annual HamSCI Workshop 2020 for amateur radio operators and professional scientists will be held Friday and Saturday, March 20-21, at The University of Scranton. The theme of the workshop is “The Auroral Connection,” and will include addresses by guest speakers, poster presentations and demonstrations of relevant instrumentation and software.

The workshop will also serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project, which is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project awarded to University of Scranton physics and electrical engineering professor Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D. The project seeks to harness the power of a network of licensed amateur radio operators to better understand and measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere.

Through the grant, Dr. Frissell, a space physicist, will lead a collaborative team that will develop modular, multi-instrument, ground-based space science observation equipment and data collection and analysis software. He will also recruit multiple universities and ham radio users to operate the network of “Personal Space Weather Stations” developed. In addition to Scranton, the Personal Space Weather Station project includes participation from TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) amateur radio engineering organization, Case Western Reserve University amateur radio club W8EDU, the University of Alabama, the New Jersey Institute of Technology Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, MIT Haystack Observatory, Dartmouth College and the ham radio community at large.

The keynote address for the HamSCI Workshop 2020 will be given by Tim Duffy, K3LR, chief operating officer and general manager at DX Engineering, an active amateur radio operator and well-known contester. He serves as chairman of Contest University, the Dayton Contest Dinner and the Top Band Dinner, as well as coordinator of the Contest Super Suite. He is the founder and moderator of the popular RFI Reflector. Duffy serves on the board of directors of the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation and as chairman and president emeritus of the Radio Club of America. He was elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 2006 and was honored with the prestigious Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio service award by the Radio Club of America in 2010.

Speakers at the workshop include Elizabeth MacDonald, Ph.D., the NASA researcher that founded and leads the Aurorasaurus project. Dr. MacDonald will discuss fundamentals of auroral physics, its optical signatures, and the Aurorasaurus citizen science project. James LaBelle, Ph.D., professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth University and auroral radio physicist, will discuss radio signatures of the aurora, remote sensing using active and passive techniques, and ways the amateur radio/HamSCI community could contribute. Also, David Hallidy, amateur radio call sign K2DH, a retired microwave engineer who is also a well-known amateur radio operator for his work in auroral mode propagation, will discuss his practical experiences of using the aurora for radio communication purposes.

Additional information, attendance fees and registration can be found on the HamSCI Workshop 2020 website.

On Friday, Feb. 7, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and pianist Rossano Sportiello will be the featured artists at Performance Music at The University of Scranton’s first concert of the Spring 2020 season.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

A Detroit native, Kellso is the leader of New York City jazz ensemble the EarRegulars, a member of the renowned authentic traditional jazz band Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, and has performed with many of the greatest jazz musicians of the modern age.

Kellso’s recent engagements include a week in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola with Wynton Marsalis celebrating Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven, and leading the EarRegulars at the Detroit Jazz Fest and Moab Music Fest. He made various appearances on public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” among them a live cinecast to movie theaters everywhere with Elvis Costello. In addition, he has performed with John Lithgow at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, toured the U.S. and Japan with Ken Peplowski’s Kingdom of Swing big band, made annual appearances in jazz clubs and festivals in New Orleans, and played jazz parties, festivals and concerts all over the world.

Kellso can be heard on several TV and movie soundtracks, including “Ghost World,” “The Aviator,” “The Good Shepherd,” “Bessie,” “Mildred Pierce,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Boardwalk Empire,” for which the Nighthawks won a Grammy. In addition, he has appeared on over 100 CDs, including several with the EarRegulars and three with his mentor Ruby Braff.

Sportiello has been an in-demand musician since moving to the U.S. from Italy in 2007. He has recorded four award-winning solo piano CDs, as well as numerous jazz ensemble CDs. He has performed at iconic venues like Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Café Carlyle and Town Hall, as well as at the Chautauqua Jazz Festival, the Newport Beach Jazz Party and the Roswell Jazz Festival.

Sportiello has performed with a number of other jazz luminaries in addition to Kellso, including Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Barry Harris, Dan Barrett, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bob Wilber, Warren Vache, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Harry Allen, Howard Alden, Joe Wilder, Eddie Locke, Joe La Barbera, Scott Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Houston Person, Bill Charlap and Dick Hyman.

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more on Kellso, visit kellsojazz.com. For more on Sportiello, visit rossanosportiello.com.

During the spring semester, University of Scranton professors, and a University student, will teach courses in their areas of expertise that examine a national treasure, a national hero and lessons to be learned from national emergencies.

Schemel Forum evening courses will meet in six weekly sessions from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library on campus.

“Bob Dylan: From Rolling Stone to Nobel Laureate” will be taught by Stephen Whittaker, Ph.D., professor of English and theatre, and Catherine Johnson, a senior student in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program majoring in English and philosophy, and the editor-in-chief of Esprit: the University’s review of arts and letters. In celebration of our living Nobel Laureate in literature, the course will explore examples of Dylan’s work throughout his career, including his Nobel address. Via sound recordings, screen footage and participants’ live voices, the class will discuss musical traditions and influences on Dylan, his place among his contemporaries and meaning in the songs. “Participants will have some say in song selection and, if they like, can perform in what we hope will be a free-wheeling environment,” said Dr. Whittaker. The course will meet on the following Wednesdays: February 5, 12, 19 and 26; and March 4 and 11.

Aiala Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of Latin American history, will teach “States of Emergency: Lessons from Latin American History.” Dr. Levy said, “On February 15, 2019, President Trump declared a national emergency on the US-Mexican border. While national emergencies in the U.S. have generally been restricted to increasing the president’s financial flexibility, the expansion of executive power elsewhere has often had more dire results. Under what circumstances have national executives in Latin America issued similar declarations and what have been the consequences for democracy? We’ll explore this question through the histories of five different nations: Brazil and its 1937 “New State” coup under Getúlio Vargas; Columbia and its 1946-1964 civil war, commonly known as La Violencia; the so-called dirty wars of 1970s-1980s Chile and Argentina; and the event of a fifth country chosen by students. As we examine Latin American societies and political institutions, we’ll connect the past to present-day illiberal policies and protests.” The course will meet on the following Thursdays: February 6, 13, 20 and 27; and March 5 and 12.

“Frederick Douglass’s America” will be taught by Adam Pratt, Ph.D., associate professor of American history. The course will follow Frederick Douglass’s life from enslavement to political powerbroker in the middle of the 19th century. Each week participants will focus on an episode of Douglass’s life as a way to explore the larger cultural processes that fundamentally altered the United States. Topics include slavery, the Underground Railroad, the politics of emancipation during the Civil War, the reconstruction amendments and the coming of Jim Crow. At the heart of the course will be a focus on racism and its corruption of American ideals. The course will meet on the following Mondays: February 10, 17 and 24; and March 2, 19 and 23.

Local residents can attend any course for $75 per person or $125 per couple; Schemel Forum members may attend any or all courses free. Space is limited and registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register or for more information, contact Alicen Morrison, Schemel Forum assistant, at 570-941-6206 or alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.

Accounting students from The University of Scranton will assist local residents with filing their federal, state and local tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The students, joined by numerous professional volunteers organized by the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties with the support of several local organizations, will provide the free service to residents of Lackawanna and Wayne counties with household incomes of $56,000 or less for 2019.

Residents using the VITA service are asked to bring the following items: a valid photo ID; all W2 Forms; all 1099 forms (interest, dividends, pensions); unemployment paperwork; real estate tax receipts for rent/tax rebate; Form 8332 for non-custodial parents; Social Security cards for all taxpayers and dependents; W-7 forms if appropriate; information related to income and expenses (business, rental properties, sale of stocks); a personal banking account check if direct deposit is desired; and any documentation related to health insurance for themselves and anyone on the tax return, such as Form 1095-A, -B or -C. Last year’s tax returns are also requested.

Walk-in VITA service without an appointment is available in room 111 of Brennan Hall, Madison Avenue, on the University’s campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Monday, Feb. 10, to Wednesday, Mar. 11, and from Monday, Mar. 23, to Friday, Apr. 3. Hours of service will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays; from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays; and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. Service on campus will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis and advance appointments cannot be scheduled. The University reserves the right to cap the number of walk-in residents they can serve within a single day

University students have participated in the VITA program for more than 30 years.

In addition to the University’s campus the VITA service is available by appointment only at the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties office at 615 Jefferson Avenue. Service for senior citizens only is also available at several locations in the area in March. Limited appointments are available at this time. Appointments can be made online at uwic.net/taxes or by calling 211. Residents may also call the University’s VITA Program at 570-941-4045.

Appointments can be made for service at The University of Scranton only for Sunday, Feb. 9, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday, April 5, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

VITA program partners are The University of Scranton, The United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, Lackawanna College, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA, the Lackawanna County Library System, Penn State Scranton and the IRS.

“Your nervous system is filled with circuits made up of neurons that relay messages around your brain and body. They’re responsible for everything you think, do, say and feel. Sensory circuits carry signals from sense receptors to your brain. Motor circuits send commands to your muscles. Simple circuits carry out your automatic reflexes. Higher-level activities like memory, decision-making and perceiving the world around you require complex circuits.

All of these circuits arise before you’re born, when genes direct neurons to assemble simple circuits in your developing brain. As your neurons and their connections change from new experiences and environments, those simple circuits become much more complex. These changes happen mostly in childhood but continue over your whole life ­– all a part of building a better brain.” From the Introduction of “Brain Facts”

The University of Scranton will host the 20th annual Northeast PA Brain Bee for high school students in grades 9 through 12 on Saturday, Feb. 1. The competition begins at 1 p.m. in the Loyola Science Center on the University’s campus.

The competition encourages high school students to study the brain and how it relates to intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movements, stress, aging, sleep and brain disorders. All questions for the competition will be drawn from “Brain Facts,” a book about the brain and nervous system published by the Society for Neuroscience.

Sponsored by the Neuroscience Program at the University and the Scranton Neuroscience Society, the Brain Bee is offered free of charge, however, registration is required to participate. The registration deadline is Friday, January 31.

Snow date for the Brain Bee is Saturday, Feb. 8.

In previous years, students competing represented schools from throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, including: Abington Heights High School, Lackawanna Trail High School, MMI Preparatory School, Parkland High School, Pittston Area High School, Pocono Mountain East High School, Riverside Junior/Senior High School, Stroudsburg Area High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School, Western Wayne High School, Wyoming Area High School and Valley View High School, among others.

For more information or to register online, visit https://sites.google.com/site/nepabrainbee/ or contact Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., neuroscience program director and associate professor of biology at the University, at 570-941-4324 or robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.

PPL contributed $10,000 through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program to support The University of Scranton’s University of Success, a multi-year, pre-college program for high school students designed to develop the skills needed to successfully gain entrance to college.

Students enter the University of Success at the completion of the eighth grade and continue Students enter the University of Success at the completion of the eighth grade and continue through their high school years. The program offers enrichment courses in study skills, SAT prep, public speaking, math, science, art and cultural activities, as well as financial aid and wellness seminars. The ultimate goal is for University of Success students to be accepted into a four-year college or university.

The University of Success, offered free of charge to participants, is funded almost entirely by corporate and foundation grants.

For additional information, visit the University of Success web site.

The Greater Scranton Martin Luther King Commission (GSMLKC) will hold its annual celebration and community awards dinner at The University of Scranton, Sunday, Jan. 19, beginning at 2:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center.

Brandon Flood, secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, will be the keynote speaker. Scranton High School’s The Knight Rhythms will also perform at the event.

In his position for the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, Secretary Flood serves as the chief administrator for executive clemency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Prior to this appointment, he spent nearly a decade working for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served in several professional capacities, including as executive director of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He also served as legislative director for the Service Employees International Union State Council and as the policy and reporting specialist for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services’ Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities.

Secretary Flood is also a member of the Steelton Zoning Hearing Board.

Secretary Flood’s professional accomplishments include instituting a full-time Equal Opportunity Officer and Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and successfully advancing legislation urging the City of Harrisburg, the House Democratic Caucus and the Wolf administration to institute a “ban the box” policy, also called Fair-Chance hiring policy, that removes the criminal conviction question from non-civil service employment applications under their respective jurisdictions. He also helped to successfully lobby the City of Harrisburg and the Borough of Steelton to adopt “marijuana decriminalization” ordinances.

Tickets for this event are $25 and can be reserved at  www.safdn.org/mlk-event or by contacting Jennifer Pennington at The University of Scranton’s Office of Equity and Diversity by email at jennifer.pennington@scranton.edu or by phone at 570-903-9450.

The University of Scranton presented a $200,000 voluntary contribution to the city of Scranton. As it has done since 2017, the University will target its contribution to specific priorities within the City based on conversations with city officials and economic and community development partners.

The University’s $200,000 voluntary contribution for 2019 will support: economic development initiatives ($100,000) undertaken by Scranton Tomorrow on behalf of downtown Scranton; neighborhood improvement and affordable housing efforts through the Beautiful Blocks Program ($25,000) and the Scranton Homeownership Assistance Program ($25,000), both undertaken in collaboration with NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania; and quality of life initiatives, including support for a City walkability study ($25,000) and a master plan for Nay Aug Park ($25,000).

The University has provided a voluntary contribution to the City of Scranton since 1983. The University’s voluntary contributions to the City total more than $4 million.

Although the University meets or exceeds all of requirements for tax exemption in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the University pays property tax in cases where the property has not yet been converted to educational use. According to the 2018 Economic and Community Impact Report published by the University’s Office of Community and Government Relations, in the 2017-2018 academic year, the University paid property taxes totaling $300,396 to the City of Scranton, Scranton School District, Lackawanna County and other municipalities. In addition, the University’s business partners (e.g. ARAMARK and Follett) pay various taxes, including a $30,065.21 mercantile tax paid to the City and School District.

The report also highlights the numerous other ways the University contributes to the region, such as: offering more than 100 free events annually that are open to the public, including exhibits and artist lectures at the Hope Horn Gallery, Performance Music concerts and masterclasses featuring University students and renowned guest artists, as well as a variety of public lectures and athletic events; offering academic competitions and activities through which 403 high school students participated in 2017-2018 academic year, in addition to another 360 elementary, middle and high school students served through after-school and mentoring programs as well as a special Scranton School District Community Partnership program; and community-related service project components imbedded in academic courses that resulted in more than 2,400 students engaging in more than 33,000 hours of service in the 2017-2018 academic year, in addition to student volunteers who assisted community agencies and participated in special projects. Altogether, annually more than 3,500 students contributed a total of 170,000 hours of service, much of it in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The full 2018 Economic and Community Impact Report can be seen on the Community Relations webpage.

Elementary and middle school students from Northeast Intermediate School and The Lutheran Academy attended a presentation about Mexico at The University of Scranton as part of its International Education Week programming. Fulbright Spanish Language Teaching Assistant Vianey Florentino Perez of Mexico gave the presentation about her home country in November in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center on campus.

International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide,

The University’s International Education Week event was sponsored by its Office of Global Education. The University hosts international students and scholars from 22 different countries, including China, India, Ireland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, among others.