2021

More than 200 students, in addition to faculty and staff, participated in The University of Scranton’s annual Christmas gift-giving programs. In addition, Scranton’s Kania School of Management raised funds for this year’s program and Performance Music provided gifts donated by area residents from its Empty Stocking Fund Concert. The gifts were given to Friends of the Poor/Catholic Social Services who will distribute the donated items to families in need.

In addition, the Center for Service and Social Justice organized the Adopt a Family program with the Catherine McAuley Center, which helped 40 family members through generous donations made by members of the University community.

The 15^th annual Panuska College of Professional Studies Blessing of the Books project collected more than 6,000 children’s books this year. The books were blessed at a ceremony in the lobby of The Kane Forum in the Edward Leahy, Jr. Hall on Dec. 2.

Two of the largest book donors this year offered the blessing at the ceremony: University students Melissa Menagh, a senior kinesiology major from Long Valley, New Jersey, and Victoria Mauri, a first-year kinesiology major from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Both students held book drives in their respective home towns and each collected well over 1,000 books. Both students were active in community service throughout their high school years and are continuing to be “women for and with others,” living and growing in the Ignatian mission here at The University of Scranton said Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS), who began the Blessing of the Books project when she arrived on campus 15 years ago.

“St. Ignatius of Loyola believed that love ought to show itself in deeds more than in words.  Our first-year students in PCPS have met this challenge and this fall have really been creative and determined to collect children’s books to help others with the gift of literacy,” said Dean Pellegrino, who is retiring as dean this year.

This year the Blessing of the Books project also benefited from donations of books from organizations outside of the University community.  The Keystone State Literacy Association Northeast Pennsylvania donated more than 500 books. The MMI Preparatory School Interact Club also held a book collection and donated well over 900 books.  These donations are so vital to the program and helping increase the literacy of children here in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Dean Pellegrino believes that now more than ever we need to focus on literacy as a gift and a blessing to help an adult and a child utilize the gift of reading for meaningful engagement in today’s world.

The PCPS Blessing of the Books program allows first-year students to collect and donate new or gently used books for children who might not otherwise have access to books. The first-year students as part of the T.A.P.E.S.T.R.Y. program also register to come to the Dean’s office to write inspirational quotes inside the books. This gives the students a chance to pass along their life-long love of learning and reading to the children who receive these books noted Dean Pellegrino.

After the blessing ceremony, the donated books are donated to area non-profits who get the books into the hands of needy children. The Blessing of the Books is just an extension of Dean Pellegrino’s lifetime commitment to education and community service.

The Blessing of the Books is a tradition in PCPS and the students, faculty, and staff always enjoy the ceremony and the cookies and milk after the ceremony. Not to mention the endless hours of joy and inspiration their donated books will bring to children in NEPA and beyond.

Participants in the 23^rd Annual 2022 Ann Moskovitz Leaves of Class Raffle, offered by The Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library at The University of Scranton, have a chance to win more than $7,000 in prizes.

Raffle tickets are $25 and earn each participant four chances to win quarterly prize drawings, which begin on Jan. 3 and continue through Sept. 1. The raffle helps support the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund.

This year’s prizes include: an iPad; gift certificates to numerous area restaurants; cash prizes up to $250; tickets to local theater performances and concerts; fitness club memberships; resort gift certificates; jewelry and clothing boutique gift certificates; gift baskets; and numerous other prizes.

To be eligible for the drawings, a completed entry form, along with $25, must be returned to the Dean’s Office of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Checks should be made payable to “Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library.”

Tickets may also be purchased online at www.scranton.edu/leaves.

For more information on the Leaves of Class drawing, contact the Weinberg Memorial Library at 570-941-7816.

The University of Scranton’s ongoing efforts to support and welcome refugee communities in Scranton continued this fall semester, including providing and partnering on informational programming in relation to housing and health topics and in ways that offer connections to the refugee communities that now call Scranton home. 

Professor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Lori Walton, Ph.D., DPT, MScPT, MPH(s), and her students in PT743 Psychosocial Aspects of Disability in Physical Therapy undertook a semester-long Community-Based Learning (CBL) project to provide health workshops to the Bhutanese refugee community in Scranton. Before engaging in this project, Dr. Walton first provided several training sessions for the students on how to improve access to care and health equity; appropriate, effective, and equitable work with culturally diverse populations and language translators; and working with newly resettled Americans with hearing and visual impairment. 

Dr. Walton’s students also learned more about local resources and vulnerable populations, as well as the historical background of the Bhutanese refugee community, with class visits from Julie Schumacher Cohen, AVP for Community Engagement and Government Affairs and CBL Board Chair and Mr. Chandra Sitaula, from the Bhutanese Cultural Foundation of Scranton Association. Mr. Sitaula spoke with students in preparation for their presentations at the Bhutanese Cultural Community Center in South Scranton, particularly focusing on culturally appropriate communication. Mr. Sitaula and the Bhutanese community collaborated with Dr. Walton and her students to identify mutually agreed upon topics that aligned with the course information and student expertise and that would also be valuable to the Bhutanese community members in Scranton.

"We are so honored to have the opportunity to work with Mr. Chandra Sitaula at the Bhutanese Community Center to develop a partnership for promoting health and wellness in the community.   Working together to help one another, embracing diverse human interaction and dialogue, and getting to know our neighbors in the Scranton Community was an honor that we continue to cherish with deep gratitude.  This community-based experience with the Bhutanese Community was truly transformational for both faculty and students!" said Dr. Lori Walton, Ph.D., DPT, MScPT, MPH(s), Professor of Physical Therapy.

Dr. Walton’s 3^rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, along with the support of second-year Graduate Assistants, completed two different two-hour sessions to the Bhutanese Community Center on Oct. 27 and Nov. 8 with the assistance of Mr. Sitaula's translation of presentations into Nepali. Presentations included: “Nutrition and Physical Activity for People with Diagnosis Diabetes Mellitus II”; "Preventing High Blood Pressure"; and "Reducing Stress and Increasing Resiliency through Physical Activity.”

Reflecting on their experiences Nicholas Capobianco, SPT, Graduate Teaching Assistant; James Curley, SPT; Bryan Gorczyca; and Dan Passafiume shared the deep impact and inspiration that this experience provided them as they prepare for their profession:

“To be welcomed into the Bhutanese Community Center (BCC) as a guest presenter this semester reminded me and my peers how important it is to connect with our diverse local population. As third-year physical therapy students, we understand that it is our social and professional responsibility to use our health literacy to teach and advocate for people who may not have the same background. Yet, our experience at the BCC gave us a glimpse of what this actually looks like in practice. All of the benefits — cultural immersion, education, healthy changes — occur with persistence, patience, an honest narrative, and commitment to understanding rather than just periodic visits, posters, and statistics. While it was rewarding to share information with new friends and be thanked on our way out, the real value of our visit was humbly realizing that it was just a start. In our future as healthcare professionals, it’s the relationships we will develop that will forge a lasting, positive impact.” 

Dr. Walton’s students also provided hands-on assistance to members of the Bhutanese community during the events by providing blood pressure screenings and demonstrations on how to use at-home blood pressure cuffs. Additionally, the students submitted 40 original health education handouts on various public health physical therapy-related topics, to be translated into Nepali, for the community.

In addition to the CBL project, the University is also partnering with NeighborWorks NEPA and Congolese refugee community leader and University student, Ushu Mukelo, to offer a series of workshops to the Congolese community focused on different issues in relation to housing, especially relevant as this community looks to purchase homes or find stable and affordable rental properties. The three-part series that is taking place in December 2021 and January 2022 will offer informational presentations on topics related to: mortgage loans and public assistance, housing quality, and understanding housing rights with Neighborworks and other community partners providing up to date and relevant information that will be translated by Mr. Mukelo into Swahili.  

“As we see with this fall’s projects, health and wellbeing, language access, and affordable housing are salient issues for both the Bhutanese and Congolese refugee communities in Scranton. We are proud of our students and honored to partner with refugee community leaders and community partners to help provide relevant resources. To work with and accompany these communities – individuals and families who have had to flee situations of violence, extreme poverty and other traumas – is a source of mutual learning and directly ties to our mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen.    

As we all work together to form a more equitable and inclusive community in Scranton, the University is deeply appreciative for all that our refugee communities bring to this city and plans to continue its engagement and efforts in alignment with the University’s mission and strategic plan’s focus on partnerships for the common good. 

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will be encouraging folks to join them in the holiday spirit of giving at its annual Empty Stocking Fund Benefit Concert. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, in the Houlihan-McLean Center (Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue) the concert will feature student musicians from Performance Music at The University of Scranton.

The concert is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Attendees are asked to bring either a new and unwrapped child’s toy or book, new article of child’s clothing, new toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, comb/brush, etc.), or a cash donation to gain admission. The donated items will benefit local children and families in need this holiday season.

All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

As always, this informal concert will include a variety of Christmas carols, performed by soloists and small ensembles including the University’s Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Band, String Ensemble, Holiday Choir, Trumpet Sextet, Clarinet Quintet, Flute Quartet and Saxophone Trio.

There will be no audience sing-along portion of the program this year due to the pandemic.

The origins of the Empty Stocking Fund Concert date back to 1999, when Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga’s friend, Alan Drake, the former band director at Georgia’s Augusta College (now Augusta University), told her about a benefit Christmas concert held there. When Boga asked Drake if he would mind if she brought the idea back to Scranton, he responded, “Absolutely not.”

For that inaugural year, she and Drake decided to wage a friendly competition to see which concert could raise the most money, and a new tradition was born.

No doubt, the concert’s charitable mission lends it a special resonance, and Boga noted it’s always moving to see the donated items put on display the night of the concert.

And then there’s the warm yuletide vibes produced at the concert. By the time it ends, Boga said, “You can really see people starting to feel the Christmas spirit.”

For more information on the Empty Stocking Fund Benefit Concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.

The University of Scranton along with community partners recently was awarded a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund a 2-year project “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” to explore Scranton’s history, culture, and role in the nation at large. The “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project dedicated website detailing the project’s eight themes, oral histories “Scranton Stories” project and humanities resources launched this week at scranton.edu/scrantonstory.  

This project began this past October with an inaugural event, “Scranton at the Popular Imagination,” at the Scranton Culture Center on Oct. 19 featuring a keynote lecture by prolific author and Scranton-native Jay Parini with a respondent panel and audience Q&A. Scranton’s role in the nation’s popular imagination was considered in light of the lived reality of Scrantonians, especially lesser told Scranton stories. The recording of this event is now available on the University’s YouTube channel.

This event was a part of the project’s first theme, “Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation,” which continues this fall semester with a special roundtable discussion, “Scranton & the Nation: Who Are We and Who Do We Aspire to Be?,” taking place on Monday, Dec. 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the PNC Board Room, Brennan Hall at The University of Scranton. As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, this event will consider the role of our city in the nation’s progress, or as urbanist Jane Jacobs wrote: “what Scranton is, has been, and can be.”   

This event will feature resource speakers Alejandra Marroquin, co-chair, Immigrant Inclusion Committee; Maureen McGuigan, Deputy Director of Arts & Culture, Lackawanna County; and Larry West, Business Administrator, City of Scranton, co-moderated by Julie Schumacher Cohen and Sondra Myers, both from The University of Scranton. Participants will reflect on excerpts from Glenna Lang’s book Jane Jacobs’ First City and Our America: Who are We? edited by Sondra Myers. Space for this special event is limited. Registration is required at:  surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonWhoAreWe  

Project events will continue through the fall of 2023, with the next theme, “U.S. Citizen and the American Founding” starting after the new year and the third theme, “Indigenous History in NEPA” continuing in spring 2022. For more information about “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” please visit scranton.edu/scrantonstory or email community@scranton.edu with questions.  

Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated playwright, novelist and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar was the recipient of the 2022 Royden B. Davis, S.J., Distinguished Author Award from The University of Scranton’s Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library. The reception and dinner took place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center in November.  Prior to the reception, a book signing took place. Proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund, which supports special gifts for the Weinberg Library collections and services.

Continuing a time-honored holiday tradition, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present its 54^th annual Noel Night concert on Saturday, Dec. 4. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. in the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center (Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue). Doors will open at 7:20 p.m., and there will be an organ prelude beginning at 7:25 p.m.

The concert will feature The University of Scranton Singers with pianist Ron Stabinsky, organist Christopher Johnson, trumpeter Mark Gould, a quartet from The Scranton Brass Orchestra and members of the University’s String Orchestra. The performance is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Admission is free, and all audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

Noel Night is now more than a half-century into its existence as the University’s Christmas gift to the community. “It’s always a deeply meaningful musical evening,” said Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga. The student mixed choir is comprised of members of the University community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum (the vast majority of them undergraduate students, none of whom are music majors) joined by a few alumni, all brought together by their mutual love of music-making. They will be joined by leaders of the University community offering greetings and readings of the Nativity Martyrology, Prologue to The Gospel of St. John and St. Luke Nativity Narrative. The program will include works by Bach, Handel, Holst, Leontovich, Nelhybel, Saint-Saens and more.

Pianist Ron Stabinsky is among the most sought-after freelance pianists in the Northeast. He performs as a solo, ensemble and collaborative pianist throughout the world in concerts and events spanning a stunningly wide variety of genres. His debut album, “Free for One,” received four stars in DownBeat magazine and tied for the No. 1 debut of the year in the 2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. His recent festival appearances include Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Moers Festival (Germany), Jazzfestival Saalfelden (Austria), Outreach Festival (Austria) and Jazz and More Festival Sibiu (Romania).

Organist Christopher Johnson, a graduate of The Cleveland Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Yale University is the newly-appointed organist and director of music at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton. He previously served as director of music and organist at The Riverside Church and artist-in-residence at Union Theological Seminary - both on Manhattan’s Upper West Side - for a number of years, and is the long-time director of Chapel music at The Interchurch Center in New York City. He also performs regularly as flautist with The Knights, an exceptional New York City-based orchestra that tours and records extensively.

Mark Gould served as principal trumpet with The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for more than 30 years. Either he or his students have performed with virtually every major orchestra, chamber group or brass ensemble throughout the world, and he has guest conducted and rehearsed ensembles all over the globe. His professional contributions as performer, teacher and conductor have influenced or impacted – directly or indirectly – virtually every accomplished trumpeter in the world today, and have positively transformed the world of brass playing and brass pedagogy. He is sought after throughout the world as a performer, conductor, teacher and clinician.

For further information on the Noel Night concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.

The University of Scranton held the Inaugural Sondra and Morey Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Lecture, presented by The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities on Nov. 18. Lonnie Bunch III, the 14^th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, presented “The Humanities, Democracy and Race” at lecture in a virtual format. A reception immediately followed the talk at the Slattery Center on campus.

Lecture namesakes, Sondra and Morey Myers, J.D., are esteemed community leaders whose work has encouraged and enriched the practice of community engagement here in Scranton and nationally. Sondra Myers serves as senior fellow for international, civic and cultural projects and director of the Schemel Forum at The University of Scranton. The Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in Humanities and Civic Engagement serves to commemorate their commitment to the humanities.

Secretary Bunch is an American educator, curator and historian whose scholarly works cover a wide range of topics from diversity in museum management to the impact of politics on museum funding. He is the Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Students and members of The University of Scranton community gathered to pack food baskets for area families in need as part of its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive organized by the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice. The food baskets included turkeys as well as other food items needed to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

More than 80 students and staff members volunteered at the Friends of the Poor warehouse in South Scranton on Nov. 21 to prepare and distribute the food baskets to local families.

Monetary contributions for the food items were made possible by employees of The University of Scranton.

WNEP TV covered this year’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive in a news story.

On Thursday, Nov. 18 The University of Scranton's Commuter Student Association (CSA) in partnership with the Office of Community and Government Relations hosted the first-ever “Java Journey” event offering 60 University students the opportunity to explore six of the many enjoyable cafes in Scranton. 

Inspired by the success of their first “Scranton Restaurant Fest” held last spring, the CSA wanted to offer a new event to provide University students with a chance to visit some of the great cafes in Scranton.  

“The Commuter Student Association wanted to continue the success they had with Restaurant Fest in the spring but do something a little different. The CSA board enjoys connecting both residents and commuters with the Scranton community and local partners, so this was a perfect event to reach that goal,” said Kayla Betacchini, assistant director, Center for Student Engagement. 

CSA members realize that local cafes are an ideal spot for college students, offering specialty coffee and tea drinks, snacks, free Wi-Fi, and, for some, even free parking. With so many great spots in Scranton, this event was a natural fit for the CSA to host.  

"This event was a great opportunity to get students acquainted with the local coffee shops. I've heard nothing but great things from everyone who participated, and I think that there are many people who've found their new favorite place. I'm so glad that I got to organize such a fun event for students and to cooperate with the community that I live in," said Jimmy Greenfield '22, CSA president and Scranton native.  

Exposing all University students to the many great local businesses and places to enjoy in and around the city of Scranton is at the core of the CSA’s mission. Many members love our city and hope to share this love with students that are new to Scranton who call our city home during their time at the University.  

The participating cafes were equally excited to welcome Scranton students, especially University students that have never found their businesses before. Cheerful balloons, University of Scranton-themed cookies, signs, and welcoming staff are just some of the ways that the local cafes let University students know that Scranton is ready to welcome them in and to inspire the students to come back again.  

“This was such a fun event to run! I hope it becomes a new CSA tradition!” said Chloe Calabro ‘22, CSA vice president.

Participating cafes included: Adezzo, the Blackwatch Café, Commonwealth Coffeehouse, Heaven and Earth Gift Shop and Café, Northern Light Espresso Bar and Café, and Zummo's Café. 

With the cool winter weather and finals approaching, University students can find great places to study, relax, and meet with friends in Scranton’s cafes. Additionally, many cafes offer college student discounts. For a listing of Royal ID discounts, University of Scranton students can visit the Office of Community and Government Relations Royal Card Downtown website.

The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities will present the Inaugural Sondra and Morey Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Lecture Thursday, Nov. 18 at 11:30 a.m.  A viewing will be held in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. Keynote lecturer, Lonnie Bunch III, the 14^th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, will present “The Humanities, Democracy and Race.”

The lecture can also be watched via a zoom live steam.

Secretary Bunch is an American educator, curator and historian whose scholarly works cover a wide range of topics from diversity in museum management to the impact of politics on museum funding. He is the Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Additionally, Bunch was elected to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House by President George W. Bush in 2002 and reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2010. Bunch has spent nearly 30 years in the museum field and is regarded as one of the nation’s leading figures in the historical and museum community.

The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities opened in the fall of 2019 with the intention of enhancing the Universities liberal arts tradition. With the support of benefactor and University Trustee James M. Slattery ’86 and his wife Betsy, the center serves to create programs of scholarship, sponsor insightful lectures from prominent speakers and encourages community members to think about careers in non-corporate settings.

Lecture namesakes, Sondra and Morey Myers, J.D., are esteemed community leaders whose work has encouraged and enriched the practice of community engagement here in Scranton and nationally. Sondra Myers serves as senior fellow for international, civic and cultural projects and director of the Schemel Forum at The University of Scranton. The Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in Humanities and Civic Engagement serves to commemorate their commitment to the humanities.

University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage.

The University of Scranton will host a special roundtable event “Scranton & the Nation: Who Are We and who Do We Aspire to Be?” on Monday, Dec. 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the PNC Board Room, Brennan Hall. This event will feature an opening discussion with resource speakers followed by a moderated roundtable discussion.

Scranton has been called “the best-known small city in America.” We have many of the key elements of the American experience: including the ongoing impacts of industrial-era growth and decline and ethnically and religiously diverse immigration past and present, as well as recognition of the diverse history of African-Americans and Native American peoples. As we look ahead to the 250^th anniversary of the United States, we will consider the role of our city in the nation’s progress, or as urbanist Jane Jacobs wrote: “what Scranton is, has been, and can be.”  

During the roundtable event, participants will have an opportunity to reflect on this role and on excerpts from Glenna Lang’s book Jane Jacobs’ First City and Our America: Who are We? edited by Sondra Myers.

This event is a part “Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation,” the first theme in the 2-year “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” National Endowment for the Humanities grant funded project led by The University of Scranton with the collaboration of community partner organizations.

Resource Speakers include Alejandra Marroquin, Immigrant Inclusion Committee co-chair, Maureen McGuigan, Deputy Director of Arts & Culture for Lackawanna County, and Larry West, City of Scranton Business Administrator with co-moderators Julie Schumacher Cohen, Asst Vice President of Community Relations and Govt. Affairs and Sondra Myers, Senior Fellow for International, Civic and Cultural Projects and Director of the Schemel Forum both of The University of Scranton.

Space for this special event is limited to 30 participants. Registration is required at:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonWhoAreWe

Masks are required indoors at this event regardless of vaccination status.

For more information on this program or for registration assistance, please email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. For more information on all "Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story programs, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.

Follow “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” on Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter @scrantonstory.

This roundtable discussion has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.  Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this walk do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This event is a collaboration of The University of Scranton's Schemel Forum and Office of Community and Government Relations with the support of the Scranton Immigrant Inclusion Committee, Lackawanna County Department of Arts & Culture, the City of Scranton and additional project partner organizations including WVIA.

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s Symphonic Band on Saturday, Nov. 20. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Admission is free. Audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check the Performance Music website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

The program will include works by James Barnes, Luigi Denza, Eric Ewazen, Julie Giroux, H. Owen Reed, Ottorini Respighi and Frank Ticheli.

The University of Scranton Symphonic Band is a 60-plus member ensemble comprised of members of the University community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum. The vast majority of members are undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students and members of the faculty and staff, none of whom are music majors, who are all brought together by their mutual love of music-making.

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu. For more information on Performance Music at The University of Scranton, please visit scranton.edu/music.

The University of Scranton’s President and ROTC students participated in a Veterans Day service at the Lackawanna County Courthouse and University students, faculty and staff gathered for an All Faiths Prayer Service on-campus to honor and remember veterans on Nov. 11.

University President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., was the principal speaker at a Veterans Day event held at the Lackawanna County Court House Square. University ROTC cadets served as the Color Guard at the ceremony.

Father Marina began his remarks by playing his cell phone’s ring tone – The United States Coast Guard song “Semper Paratus,” which is the branch the military where his father served. He spoke of the songs for each branch of the military intended to “spark the bravery in the women and men who will risk everything to protect others … And with God’s Grace and purpose, high has been the call for those who have served so bravely in all the branches of the U.S. military and those who continue to serve today.”

Father Marina also spoke of the University’s long history educating men and women in the military through the ROTC program, as well as through programs at Scranton that support student veterans and their families.

On campus, current student veterans Benjamin DeTrempe of Scranton, Shannon Stoddard of Scranton and Kyle Twitchell of Barnesville, Maryland, led an All Faiths Prayer Service hosted by the University’s Student Veterans Organization, Veterans Advocacy Committee, Student Life, Financial Aid and Campus Ministries. University student Selene Lopez, New Rochelle, New York, sang the National Anthem at the service.

At the ceremony, a plaque was unveiled and blessed honoring Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joseph K. Wetherell, who served at Scranton for 25 years in the Military Science Department and University’s Office of Admissions. He passed away in 2020.

The University’s observance of Veterans Day also included a “Field of Flags” on Founders Green and a tribute on its Class of 2020 Gateway sign.

The University of Scranton is proud to report that student voting on its campus increased significantly in last year’s presidential election, rising to 73.1% in 2020 from a rate of 50.6% in 2016 and 7 points above the 66% 2020 student national average. The University also increased voter registration rates, with 86.7% of eligible voters registering compared to the 83% national average. The full campus report can be viewed here. 

In addition to the national context of increased voter turnout amid high polarization, The University of Scranton implemented new non-partisan civic engagement initiatives aimed at spurring student voting. In 2020, the University launched a new “Royals Vote” initiative to help increase student voter turnout through voter engagement and education. This effort was a partnership between Student Government and the Office of Community and Government Relations and included programs such as in-class presentations by student government senators, voting office hours and a call-in line, an extensive social media campaign and the creation of a website to share the most up-to-date voting information as the election drew near. This information was especially important due to the increase of mail-in voting options during the COVID-19 pandemic and on election day 2020, student government organized outdoor campus tabling to provide information on polling locations. 

“This [initiative] was a way for us to foster civic engagement among our student body and learn more about our democracy. We found that Scranton students were engaged and excited about the election and appreciated the Royals Vote initiative for giving them direction on voter registration and education. Many students wanted to participate in the election but needed guidance on how, where and when to get involved. Royals Vote was able to answer these questions and more,” said Julia Hack ’21 who served as the chief of staff of Student Government for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

In addition to launching the “Royals Vote” initiative, this year the University joined The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. During the 2020 election cycle, The University of Scranton participated in the ALL IN Challenge 2020 by creating a civic action plan to further involve the campus community in the effort to increase voting rates and engagement. The Royals delivered this election cycle with 73.1% voting rate, earning the University a Gold Seal from the ALL IN Challenge. You can view the 2020 Action Plan and learn more about the ALL IN Challenge here. 

“It’s incredibly important that we engage with our peers and the campus community about the importance of voting in every election. Positioned in a swing region of the most important swing state in the country, our votes have the power to sway the outcomes of critical elections for Governor, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and others in next year’s midterm elections” said Conor Nelon ’22 Political Science & Strategic Communication Major and Student Government Chief of Staff.

Additionally, the University’s Political Dialogues Working Group, begun in 2017, held a series of topical dialogues that connected voting, values and civic identity in the runup to the 2020 election. 

“The most powerful tool we have as citizens is our ability to vote. When we work together as a community to increase the number of people that vote in each election it means our community receives better representation, more funding and a better quality of life. As we make progress together it is imperative that we understand the history of voting and the availability of neutral informational resources in order to increase voter turnout,” said Sultana Rahman ’22, political science, criminal justice & Arabic minor and community and civic engagement intern with the Office of Community and Government Relations.

This report detailing University of Scranton voting data in the context of comes from the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE), creators of the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, or NSLVE. IDHE is located at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life.

Nationwide, the study’s authors report a record-breaking set of findings. On campuses across the country, students built on the momentum swing of 2018 and voted at high rates in the 2020 election, with voter turnout jumping to 66% in last year’s presidential election. The 14 percentage point increase, from 52% turnout in the 2016 election, outpaces that of all Americans, which jumped 6 percentage points from 61% to 67%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“That students, often younger and first-time voters, turned out at rates commensurate with the general public is nothing short of stunning,” said IDHE director Nancy Thomas. “We attribute this high level of participation to many factors, including student activism on issues such as racial injustice, global climate change and voter suppression, as well as increased efforts by educators to reach students and connect them to the issues and to voting resources.”

The 2020 election cycle is one that will be long-remembered for the many political factors surrounding the election and with the unique challenges posed by the onset of the pandemic.

“Despite the many personal challenges that University of Scranton students faced during the 2020 election, I am highly impressed with the level of engagement and civic concern expressed by our students as they participated in the civic process, many for the first time. I am hopeful that this experience will translate into our Royals becoming life-long voters,” said Carolyn M. Bonacci, community and civic engagement coordinator at the University.

One big step to continuing this momentum forward is for everyone to ensure that their voter registration is accurate and up-to-date. This can easily be done at vote.gov. 

IDHE’s National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE, pronounced n-solve) is the nation’s largest study of college and university student voting. Institutions must opt-in to the study, and at this time, nearly 1,200 campuses of all types—community colleges, research universities, minority-serving and women’s colleges, state universities, and private institutions—participate. The dataset reflects all 50 states and the District of Columbia and includes 49 of the nation’s 50 flagship schools. IDHE uses de-identified student records to ensure student privacy. The 2020 dataset is robust with 8,880,700 voting-eligible students representing 1,051 colleges and universities. 

For more information or questions about Royals Vote, please contact community@scranton.edu.

On Friday, Nov. 12, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s Jazz Ensemble with acclaimed trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III as their guest soloist. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Admission is free, all audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

The program will feature Benack soloing with the band on both voice and trumpet, and will include a variety of songs such as Bye Bye Blackbird, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, Operator, Sway, St. Louis Blues and more.

Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga is excited for Benack’s first visit to Scranton. “I have known Benny since fall of 2009 and have truly enjoyed watching and listening to him develop into such a mature, versatile and exciting musician and entertainer,” said Boga. “I am really looking forward to having him work with our students.”

A 2014 finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and winner of the 2011 Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Competition, Benack has already proven himself to be a rare talent as both a jazz trumpeter and vocalist. A frontman for Postmodern Jukebox, the vintage music collective famed for its old-school covers of modern pop songs, Benack in 2020 released “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut album, “One of a Kind.” 

The third in the generational line of a legendary family of Pittsburgh jazzmen, Benack has been showcased in international headliner tours at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, JALC’s “NY Jazz All-Stars” (Mexico), throughout Asia and Europe, and has headlined his own group’s tours throughout the U.S. He has performed at New York City’s leading jazz venues, as well as played in the house band for NBC’s “Maya & Marty” and performed as a trumpet soloist with the Christian McBride Big Band, Ann Hampton Callaway, Josh Groban and Ben Folds.

The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 22-member ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the curriculum. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Other programs within the department, including both large ensemble and chamber ensemble music-making opportunities, guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, the Nelhybel Collection and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers.

High school juniors and seniors who are considering applying to Scranton are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert, or tour the building.   

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Benack, visit bennybenackjazz.com.

The fall 2021 State of Scranton Seminar Series will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. in The Kane Forum in Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Hall at The University of Scranton, and focus on the State of Housing in Scranton. In this seminar, panelists will discuss the current challenges and opportunities surrounding housing in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The pandemic has put renewed focus on housing, with small to mid-sized cities across the nation facing an array of challenges and opportunities. Individuals and families seeking to live in smaller cities like Scranton have spurred new investment and restoration of historically blighted properties while low-and moderate-income residents have faced rising housing costs amidst increased economic distress. This seminar will seek to address the important questions surrounding the current state of housing in Scranton today, including: What is the status of affordable housing units in Scranton? What is the current and future outlook for market-rate housing? What kinds of best practices in economic and community development can Scranton utilize to ensure that all residents are able to access a safe, welcoming and dignified place to live? How can cities innovate at this critical time? 

This event will begin with an opening presentation with panelists: Eileen Cipriani, Director, Office of Community Development, City of Scranton; Marty Fotta, Vice President of Community Development, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA; Dana Hanchin, President and CEO, HDC MidAtlantic; and Sara Levy, Associate Broker and Regional Sales Manager, Classic Properties. A Q&A session with follow along with table-discussions around related themes, including: housing challenges and opportunities, equity and access issues and economic and community development best practices.

Registration is required for this event at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonHousing For questions, please email community@scranton.edu and for more information please visit here.

This presentation and discussion are a part of the State of Scranton seminar series. Through campus and guest speakers, this series serves to engage the varied opportunities and challenges facing the Greater Scranton area. Q&A and table discussions will provide an opportunity for engagement

This event is cosponsored by The University of Scranton, NeighborWorks NEPA, and the Scranton Area Community Foundation with special thanks to the following University offices for their support: the Office of Community and Government Relations, Center for Service and Social Justice, the Jesuit Center, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, the Ellacuría Initiative and the Political Science Department.

This fall’s Schemel Forum at The University of Scranton will include two thought-provoking Collaborative Programs slated for November.

On Thursday, Nov. 4, Steven Scheinman, M.D., president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and executive vice president and chief academic officer at Geisinger, will present “This Community’s Medical College: How Advances in Pedagogy and Technology, and the Pandemic, Have Shaped Medical Education in the 21st century.” The program will take place in a virtual format. Admission is $10. A link will be emailed to those who would like to attend remotely.

During the talk, Scheinman will explore the evolution of medical education, which for much of the past century has conformed to a template laid out in 1910 by Abraham Flexner and was heavily reliant on lectures, laboratory exercises and clinical experiences in urban hospitals. However, in recent decades, some innovative medical schools, including The Commonwealth Medical College (now Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine), have moved past this model through embracing active learning, new educational technologies and community-based clinical experiences. The lecture will also examine how, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have pivoted to embrace online learning, telemedicine and other technologies in ways that are likely to inform medical education well into the future.

Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 9, Richard Kogan, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program, will present the concert/lecture, “Beethoven’s Deafness: Psychological Crises and Artistic Triumph.” The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, 420 N. Washington Ave., with a reception following. Admission is $30.

In observance of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Kogan, a psychiatrist and concert pianist, will explore the composer’s extraordinary resilience in response to medical and mental illness and illustrate his artistic transformation through performing some of his most awe-inspiring music.

The Schemel Forum was founded at the University in July 2006 through generous gifts to the Rev. George Schemel, S.J., Fund, created by friends of the beloved campus Jesuit. The program aims to provide people of all ages with the opportunity to explore the intellectual and cultural wonders of the world via a range of lectures and courses.

To register for the Collaborative Programs, contact Alicen Morrison, Schemel Forum assistant, at 570-941-6206 or alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. To pay by credit card over the phone, contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816, or to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.

Father Columba Stewart, O.S.B., executive director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at St. John’s University, received an honorary degree from The University of Scranton at its Fall Lecture in the Humanities held on campus on Oct. 21.

“A Benedictine monk like no other, Father Columba Stewart has traveled to some of the world’s most dangerous places and used state-of-the-art digital technology to preserve early Christian and Islamic manuscripts threatened by destruction from weather, theft, unrest and wars,” read the honorary degree citation presented to Father Stewart. “Through efforts led by Father Stewart, the precious lessons contained in early religious texts are now preserved and can be widely shared for generations to come.”

Father Stewart served as the principal speaker at the lecture at which he presented “Recovering the voices of our ancestors: preserving the world’s endangered manuscript heritage.”

Father Stewart was named HMML’s sixth executive director in 2003. In that role, he travels extensively throughout the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and South Asia cultivating relationships with communities possessing manuscript collections from the early medieval to early modern periods. HMML has photographed tens of thousands of manuscripts in many of the world’s most dangerous and difficult-to-reach places and given priority to preserving the manuscript collections of persecuted or endangered minorities.

Under his leadership, HMML was awarded the 2011 National Medal of Honor from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the highest award a library can receive in the United States. Father Stewart was named by the NEH as the 2019 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities, the highest honor the federal government confers for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.

Participating in the Oct. 21 event were Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton; Christian Krokus, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies; Gretchen J. Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science; Rev. Patrick Rogers, S.J., executive director of the University’s Jesuit Center; and Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Scranton.

“The Value of Money: Currencies, Bonds, Bitcoin” will be discussed at The University of Scranton’s 35th Henry George Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The lecture, presented by Yuliy Sannikov, Ph.D., the Jack Steele Parker Professor of Economics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center.

The lecture is free of charge and open to members of the University community and invited guests.

Dr. Sannikov is an economic theorist whose work has not only broken new ground in methodology, but has had a substantial influence on applied theory. He has made significant contributions to the study of dynamic games, which have applications for the design of securities, contract theory, macroeconomics with financial frictions, market microstructure and collusion.

Dr. Sannikov’s work highlights how even simple and well-studied models can yield new insights. His most recent work tackled complex models in finance and macroeconomics. His methods allow models to include the most important forces and deliver results that are much more relevant. He is one of the few theorists in many years to have introduced a truly novel tool that changed the way theory is done.

Dr. Sannikov was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal in 2016. The Clark Medal is awarded annually to the American economist under the age of forty who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. He received the Fischer Black Prize in 2015 and the Kiel Excellence Award in Global Economic Affairs in 2014.

Dr. Sannikov’s numerous scholarly articles have appeared in Econometrica, The American Economic Review: Macroeconomics, The Journal of Finance, The Review of Economic Studies and several other journals. 

Dr. Sannikov received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Princeton University in 2000 and a Ph.D. in business administration from the Stanford School of Business in 2004. He was a professor in economics at Princeton University from 2008 to 2016.   

Considered the preeminent public lecture series on economics in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Henry George Lecture Series is presented by the University’s Economics and Finance Department and the campus chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international honor society for economics. Among the distinguished list of speakers who have spoken at previous lectures are 11 winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics: David Card (2021), Paul Romer (2018), Robert Shiller (2013), Tom Sargent (2011), Peter Diamond (2010), Paul Krugman (2008), Joseph Stiglitz (2001), George Akerlof (2001), Amartya Sen (1998), Robert Lucas (1995) and Robert Solow (1987). The lecture series is named in honor of the 19th century American economist and social reformer and is supported financially by a grant from the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.

For more information about the Henry George Lecture, call 570-941-4048 or email janice.mecadon@scranton.edu. For information regarding campus access and other health and safety information, visit the Royals Back Together webpage.

On Saturday, Oct. 30, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s String Orchestra and guest artist John-Morgan Bush. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Admission is free, and seating arrangements will include provisions for socially distancing between groups attending together. All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

At the concert, Bush will perform as soloist on works by composers Astor Piazzola, Ennio Morricone and Alan Hovhaness, according to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga.

Bush has visited Scranton on many occasions, both as an artist/teacher with The Scranton Brass Orchestra, and as a performer in joint concerts here by the University Singers and the Manhattan School of Music Brass Orchestra.

An award-winning horn player, Bush is the director of lifelong learning at The Juilliard School, where he leads the Evening Division, the school’s continuing education wing. Prior to that, he served as director of learning and leadership programs at the League of American Orchestras, where he worked to provide innovative programming and resources for the orchestral field at the national level. There, he coordinated initiatives including the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, the Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service, the Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar and the National Conference, the largest annual convening of orchestra professionals in the world.

As a concert artist, Bush has maintained a vigorous schedule since winning second prize at the 2008 International Horn Society Solo Competition in Denver. The recipient of the John Clarke Award for Excellence in Brass Performance, he regularly performs with orchestras in the greater New York area and presents innovative solo and chamber music recitals across the region. He has two bachelor's degrees in music performance and music education from the University of Kentucky and a master's degree in classical horn performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

Currently, Bush serves as an adjunct faculty member at the New School University, Mannes School of Music. He was formerly on the music faculty at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he taught courses in applied horn, music education and arts administration, conducted the school’s string ensemble, and was selected as a Difference Maker faculty entrepreneurship fellow.

The University of Scranton String Orchestra is a 25-member string ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the curriculum. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Other programs within the department, including small ensemble and chamber ensemble music-making opportunities, guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, the Nelhybel Collection and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers.

High school juniors and seniors who are considering applying to Scranton are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert, or tour the building.

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Bush, visit https://www.johnmorganbush.com.

The University of Scranton will host two in-person Open House events for prospective students and their families on Sunday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 7., allowing prospective students and their families to see first-hand the Jesuit school’s state-of-the-art labs in the sciences, physical and occupation therapy, nursing, engineering, kinesiology and other programs. Participants can also see the University’s cyber forensics and cyber security labs and its Alperin Financial Center.

At the Open House, participants can learn about Scranton’s 69 undergraduate majors, meet with faculty, students, admissions counselors and financial aid representatives. Student-led campus tours will be conducted throughout the day and will include residence halls, dining halls, computer labs, science labs and academic facilities.

In addition, representatives of student organizations, athletic teams and Scranton’s programs of excellence, such as the undergraduate Honors Program, Faculty-Student Research Program, Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, Magis Honors Program in STEM, Business Honors Program and Business Leadership Honors Program, will also be available. The full schedule for Open House can be seen here.

The University of Scranton has been consistently recognized among America’s best colleges in numerous college guidebooks and national rankings. For 27 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Scranton among the 10 top Master’s Universities in the North. The Princeton Review included Scranton in its list “Best Colleges” for 19 consecutive years and in its ranking of the nation’s “Best Science Labs” (No. 8) and “Best Campus Food” (No. 7) for six consecutive years, among other rankings.

For additional information, contact Scranton’s Admissions Office at 1-888-SCRANTON or visit Scranton’s Open House webpage.

“All public service is a trust given in faith and accepted in honor,” words inscribed over the front door of the Finance Building in Harrisburg, remind U.S. Senator Bob Casey of the promise and expectation of public servants, and, now, can be words to inspire and guide the work of the new Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service at The University of Scranton.

Senator Casey was among the speakers at the opening of the Center that will serve 13 counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. In his remarks, he quoted from the mission of the Center “to advocate for and promote the common good of all through programs that support the development of ethical and competent public officials and of civically knowledgeable, responsible and engaged community members,” noting that the region– and the nation – need both competent and ethical leaders now more than ever.

JoyAnna Hopper, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and co-director of the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service, said in her remarks that “according to Pew Research Center, public trust in government has been near to historic lows for more than a decade.” She said the work of the Center “will reach out to local community members, providing them with the tools and resources they need to hold their elected officials accountable. We plan to engage with public officials or those who hope to run for office to help educate and provide support, through workshops, certificate programs and opportunities for networking.”

Dr. Hopper, who will co-direct the Center with University Political Science Professor Jean Harris, Ph.D., also said the Center will provide internships, research opportunities, mentorships and training that will allow University students to “become competent and ethical leaders in our local communities.”

Clara Downey, a junior political science major at the University who is serving as an intern for The Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service, said in her remarks that she has seen “first-hand what Dr. Hopper and Dr. Harris are working to offer students, and similarly how important it is for students, most especially Jesuit educated students, to be active and knowledgeable voters. The work we are starting here in the Center will enable my peers and I to not only be better people, but to enact real change in our world, because locality is where that has to start.”

Downey, Easthampton, Massachusetts, is also a Student Government Senator at Scranton.

Also speaking at the opening were Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service will be housed in the University’s Political Science Department of the College of Arts and Sciences. The 13 counties served by the Center are Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Montour, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming.

Members of the Center’s Steering Committee are Michael Allison, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Political Science; Julie Schumacher-Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs; Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology and executive director of the University’s Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime; Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and faculty director of the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities; and Donna Witek, professor, Weinberg Memorial Library.

The University offers a new major in public policy and service.

Additional information about the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service can be seen on its website (www.scranton.edu/ceeps), or by contacting Dr. Harris or Dr. Hopper at the Political Science Department at CEEPS@scranton.edu or 570-941-6326.

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will welcome back acclaimed cellist Mark Kosower, principal cellist of The Cleveland Orchestra, for a solo performance as part of his unique recital series “Bach for Humanity,” on Sunday, Oct. 24. The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to all members of the University community and invited guests. Admission is free. Seating arrangements will include provisions for socially distancing between groups attending together and masks must be worn by audience members at the recital.

Kosower has performed at the University several times in recent years. In 2018, he launched “Bach for Humanity,” a three-year commitment to bringing the composer’s cello suites and arrangements of his violin sonatas and partitas to both conventional and nonconventional venues, including concert halls, educational institutions, community centers and senior residences, through Ohio, the region and the nation.

Kosower will also offer a masterclass for members of the University’s string orchestra during his visit.

Currently the principal cello for the Cleveland Orchestra, Kosower has been called “a virtuoso of staggering prowess” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the solo cellist of the Bamberg Symphony in Germany.

Kosower has performed as soloist with symphony orchestras throughout the world, including Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, China National Symphony in Beijing, National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, and is a frequent guest at international chamber music festivals, including Santa Fe, Eastern Music, North Shore Chamber Music, Japan’s Pacific Music Festival and Colorado’s Strings Music Festival.

He has recorded for the Ambitus, Delos, Naxos International and VAI labels, and was the first cellist to record the complete music for solo cello of Alberto Ginastera, which he completed for Naxos. From those recordings, he was described as a “powerful advocate of Ginastera’s art” by Music-Web International, and Strings Magazine noted of his Hungarian music album (also with Naxos) that “the music allows Kosower to showcase his stunning virtuosity, passionate intensity and elegant phrasing.”

A member of the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Kent Blossom Music Festival, Kosower also teaches a week of classes at California:s Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley each summer, and has served as a visiting distinguished professor at the University of Oregon. He has given masterclasses around the world, and served as professor of cello and chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2005-2007.

Kosower’s June 2020 appearance on Performance Music’s “Scranton Isolation Informances” series can be viewed at: https://fb.watch/8CQacWoKHI/.

All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

For more information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more on Kosower, visit clevelandorchestra.com/discover/meet-the-musicians/cellos/kosower-mark.

Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation: Scranton in the Popular Imagination Keynote Lecture with author Jay Parini & Panel and Audience Discussion will be held Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Scranton Cultural Center.

The event will open with a keynote lecture from Jay Parini, Scranton-born prolific author, followed by a panel discussion with humanities faculty and community leaders from Northeastern Pennsylvania. They will explore the forces that contributed to the celebrity of Scranton as "The All American City," and consider how and if Scranton in the popular and national imagination, reflects the Scranton of today.

Registration is required here.

Featured panelists are Jay Parini, D.E. Axinn, professor of English and creative writing, Middlebury College; Glynis Johns, founder & CEO, Black Scranton Project; Joseph Kraus, Ph.D., professor & department chair English and theatre, The University of Scranton; and Maria MacDonald, executive director, Center for the Living City.

For more information on all programs, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.

COVID-19 Protocols: Masks are required indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story, has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This event is a collaboration of The University of Scranton, along with the Black Scranton Project, Center for the Living City, Lackawanna County Department of Arts &. Culture, Lackawanna Historical Society, and WVIA, with the support of additional project partner organizations.

Father Columba Stewart, O.S.B., executive director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at St. John’s University, will deliver The University of Scranton’s Fall Lecture in the Humanities on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. He will present “Recovering the voices of our ancestors: preserving the world’s endangered manuscript heritage.”

The University will bestow an honorary degree upon Father Stewart at the lecture, which is open to members of the University community and invited guests.

“Through his drive and initiative, Father Columba has rescued, saved, digitally archived and shared with the world ancient religious texts that were in jeopardy of being lost forever,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “We are delighted to recognize his lifelong commitment both to the Church and to the preservation of the world’s religious history by bestowing upon him an honorary degree.”

Father Stewart was named HMML’s sixth executive director in 2003. In that role, he travels extensively throughout the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and South Asia cultivating relationships with communities possessing manuscript collections from the early medieval to early modern periods. Although HMML’s original efforts targeted primarily Christian collections in various European locations, under Father Stewart’s leadership, HMML’s non-European manuscript preservation projects have increased from one project in Lebanon to projects located in more than a dozen countries. During this time, HMML has photographed tens of thousands of manuscripts in many of the world’s most dangerous and difficult-to-reach places and given priority to preserving the manuscript collections of persecuted or endangered minorities.

“Father Columba believes it is important to preserve these early Christian and interreligious and intercultural documents, manuscript and artifacts from our past because they help us understand not only those specific societies and cultures, but also because they help us understand more fully our connectedness as human beings,” said Gretchen J. Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at The University of Scranton, who first met Father Stewart when she was a Resident Scholar at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research in Collegeville, Minnesota, during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Since 2003, Father Stewart has secured more than $11 million in funding from leading private foundations and government agencies, including the Arcadia Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. These funders have fueled HMML’s increased field operations and supported the creation and expansion of HMML’s online platform, the largest and most comprehensive digital collection of manuscripts ever created. The online collections are available to registered users to browse through tens of thousands of manuscripts at no cost. Under his leadership HMML also completed a record-setting capital campaign in 2017 that raised more than $20 million to support HMML’s digital manuscript preservation goals and renovate HMML’s facilities in Collegeville.

Under his leadership, HMML was awarded the 2011 National Medal of Honor from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the highest award a library can receive in the United States. Father Stewart was named by the NEH as the 2019 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities, the highest honor the federal government confers for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.

Fr. Columba has been featured on many national and international media outlets, including the CBS News program 60 Minutes, BBC World News, PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly as well as in The Economist, Harvard Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, NEH’s Humanities Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In December 2019, he wrote a cover story for America specifically highlighting the long Benedictine determination to preserve ancient texts around the world.

Father Stewart has published extensively in his research field of early Christian monasticism and is much in demand as a presenter and lecturer. He has received numerous grants and fellowships for his own scholarship, including being named a Guggenheim Fellow and a resident member of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, among others.

Father Stewart earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and his master’s degree from Yale University. After further studies at Saint John’s University School of Theology, he earned his D.Phil. from the University of Oxford, England. He professed vows as a Benedictine monk of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, in 1982 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1990. In 1989, he joined the faculty of the graduate School of Theology and undergraduate Department of Theology at Saint John’s University. He also currently serves as the Benedictine in residence at the Collegeville Institute.

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will welcome back acclaimed N.Y.C. organist and composer Alexander Pattavina for a recital on Friday, Oct. 15. The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to invited guests of Performance Music and all members of the University community. Admission is free and seating arrangements will include provisions for socially distancing between groups attending together.

At the recital, Pattavina will perform works by Bach, Dupre, Ireland, Swinnen and Widor on the Houlihan-McLean Center’s completely restored Austin Opus 301 symphonic organ. Since restoring the organ, Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga has made it a point to bring world-class organists to the University.

“We’re delighted to have Alex back. He’s not only an amazing organist, he’s also a truly nice guy, and the kids enjoy having him around,” Boga said. “What’s especially interesting is that he’s not only an organist, but also a composer and advocate for the organ and organ music – he’s so passionate and so articulate.”

“There’s just something about Paul Jacobs’ students; I want to know what his “magic pill” is. They’re like preachers for the organ,” Boga continued. “There’s something about how they craft these really interesting programs that have this way of all hanging together. They really explain to the audience in very interesting ways about how and why they crafted the program without being condescending.”

A native of Stoughton, Massachusetts, Pattavina is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School, having earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ performance under the tutelage of Paul Jacobs. He is the director of music at the Church of Saint Agnes in New York City. Pattavina is the first-place winner of the 2019 Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival. He also received first place in the 2014 L. Cameron Johnson Competition in Storrs, Connecticut, among other awards. Formerly, he worked as organ scholar of Christ Church in Bronxville, New York, under conductor Philip Stopford. An avid composer, his choral work, All in a Stable Cold and Bare (2016), is published by Hal Leonard.

The Houlihan-McLean Center’s Austin Opus 301 symphonic organ was built in 1910 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut, for Scranton’s Immanuel Baptist Church. Restored and re-dedicated by the University in 2006, the organ is one of the few rare surviving original examples of early 20th-century organ building, possessing a total of 3,178 pipes, 45 ranks and four manuals. The instrument is maintained by artist/technicians from Emery Brothers/Dieffenbach organs.

All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.).

For more information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m., The University of Scranton and the Center for the Living City with community partners will host a special “Jane Jacobs Walk Downtown Scranton – a Living City” event. This Jane Jacobs Walk will encompass different parts of downtown Scranton, offering participants an opportunity to observe architecture, streetscape and city life with a focus on Lackawanna Avenue. This Jane Jacobs Walk will draw on themes in the recently published Jane Jacobs’s First City by Glenna Lang to consider questions around Scranton’s history, development, place, and identity.

The walk will begin at AFA Gallery located at 101 Penn Ave, Scranton, is free and open to the public. This walk will be led by guide/host Wayne Evans, broker and owner Wayne Evans Realty. Evans is an active Scranton community member and former Mayor of Scranton (2019). He currently serves on several Boards of Directors, including the Architectural Heritage Association, Scranton Tomorrow and Neighborworks.

Space is limited. Registration is required at: surveymonkey.com/r/JaneJacobsWalk. The event will utilize wireless headsets, in collaboration with the Scranton Fringe Festival, to ensure that participants can hear the guide’s comments and maintain comfortable distancing. COVID 19 Protocols: Masks are not required outdoors but are required inside the AFA Gallery.

The Jane Jacobs Walk is a part of the first theme, “Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation,” in the multi-year National Endowment for the Humanities grant project “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story.” Additional theme events include a special keynote talk by author and native Scrantonian Jay Parini with respondent panel and audience Q&A on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 7 pm at the Scranton Cultural Center. This event is also free and open to the public with registration required: surveymonkey.com/r/ImagineScranton 

This Jane Jacobs Walk is a collaboration of The University of Scranton, the Center for the Living City, the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton Fringe and WVIA with the support of additional project partner organizations. This Jane Jacobs Walking Tour has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Follow “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” on Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter @scrantonstory. For more information on all programs, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this walk do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Scranton is the hometown of the President of the United States, and the hometown of the father of a former First Lady. It is the location of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in NBC’s The Office. It’s the where the Pennsylvania Polka started. It is also the place where anthracite coal was mined and where a miner’s strike in 1902 led to national labor reforms. Scranton is like Boston - only without the clams, if the description mentioned in an episode of HBO’s Sopranos is accurate. Scranton makes cameo appearances in the movie Home Alone and in the Harry Chapin song, 30,000 Pounds of Bananas.  

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, a program will examine “Scranton in the Popular Imagination,” and consider how and if Scranton in the popular and national imagination reflects the Scranton of today. The event is the first public event of “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story,” a multi-year project led by The University of Scranton in collaboration with community partners, and supported through a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Scranton in the Popular Imagination” features a talk by author and Scranton native Jay Parini, Ph.D., followed by a panel discussion with community leaders and University humanities faculty. The event, which begins at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Scranton Cultural Center, is offered free of charge. Reservations are required to attend and can be made at: surveymonkey.com/r/ImagineScranton. Additional events around this theme include a Jane Jacobs inspired walking tour on Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. in downtown Scranton.

An award-winning poet, biographer, fiction writer and educator, Dr. Parini is the Axinn Professor of English at Middlebury College in Vermont. He has written is volumes of poetry and biographies of John Steinbeck, Robert Frost and William Faulkner. His books include “The Last Station” about the last year in the life of Russian author Leo Tolstoy that was made into a film in 2009, which received two Oscar nominations. His most recent book is “Borges and Me: An Encounter,” published in 2020.

A graduate of West Scranton High School, Dr. Parini received an honorary degree from The University of Scranton in 2005 and was awarded the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Royden B. Davis, S.J., Distinguished Author Award in 2012.

Panelists for “Scranton in the Popular Imagination” are Joseph Kraus, Ph.D., professor and chair of the English and Theatre Department at the University; Glynis Johns, founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project; and Maria MacDonald, executive director of the Center for the Living City. Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., Theatre Program director and associate professor in the Department of English and Theatre at the University will moderate the panel and audience discussion.

“For the first set of events as part of this larger project, we thought we should begin at home and focus discussion around our identity.  What makes Scranton unique? How does its portrayal match our lived experience? What does it mean to be a Scrantonian, as we look ahead to the 250^th anniversary of the country? Authenticity and authentic portrayal are integral parts of any city’s ethos and our experience of where we live,” said Willenbrink, also a member of the project’s steering committee. 

“Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” seeks to capture the unique narrative of Scranton and relate it to the history of the United States prior to the commemoration of the 250^th anniversary of the United States. The project incorporates eight themes, starting with how Scranton has been portrayed in the popular imagination, and continuing to its industrial era growth, Indigenous history, religious tapestry, diverse immigrant populations – past and present – and the role it played in the Underground Railroad and Black history. Throughout, civic engagement, founding debates, and local and national identity will be explored by considering how the Scranton, and American, story may be understood anew 250 years later and the roles and responsibilities of local citizens.

The programs, which begin in Oct. 2021 and end in fall 2023, will involve lectures with question and answer interactive sessions, panel discussions with audience responses, public facilitated dialogues, and story exchanges, as well as walking and bus tours, youth writing workshops, and an oral history story collection that will provide new humanities material for discussion.

University offices coordinating the project include: Office of Community Relations, Schemel Forum, Slattery Center for the Humanities, and the Weinberg Memorial Library. Community organizations collaborating with the University on the project include: Black Scranton Project, Center for the Living City, Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department, The Lackawanna Historical Society, Lackawanna County Immigration Inclusion Committee, Narrative 4, the Scranton Area Ministerium, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania and WVIA.

Jane Jacob's First City: What Comes Next?

Mayor Paige Cognetti, City of Scranton, will discuss Scranton's reputation as a city, as seen by Jane Jacobs in the 1930s. The Mayor will then address some of the issues facing the city, and her visions for Scranton's future.

Live online program from Noon to 1:30 p.m. A remote link will be emailed to registrants.
RSVP to Alicen.Morrison@scranton.edu

Free to University of Scranton Staff, Students, Faculty and Schemel Forum Members; Others $10 per person.

The University of Scranton received a $2,500 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation to support its We Care Wednesday’s program, which is an initiative to provide meals to those most in need in the Scranton area. The program is unlike other food giveaway projects in that the ready-to-eat meals are delivered to those without transportation or the means to prepare food.

The program, organized by the Center for Service and Social Justice and EFFORT (Excess Food For Others Recovery Team), was started in 2020 as a way to bring members of campus together for a service project while meeting the health and safety requirements established during the pandemic.

The program was so well received that it surpassed its original plan of preparing five grab-and-go meals a week. In September alone, 240 grab-and-go meals were organized and distributed to local agencies including the Community Intervention Center in Scranton. During the fall semester, members of the University community provided more than 600 meals, including a roast beef holiday lunch at the end of the semester. During spring semester, the program expanded to include a meal on Thursdays. In total, more than 2,000 grab and goal meals were prepared during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, University faculty, staff and students donated time and funding to prepare salads, meals and desserts. A team of students volunteered for one-hour shifts in small socially distant groups to make the final preparations for the meals, which often included cards with inspirational messages and homemade gifts like bracelets and keychains from students. Meal bags also often included a variety of snacks (cereal, fresh fruit, granola bars) and COVID- care items such as masks, paper products or hand sanitizer, collected by the Center for Service and Social Justice and EFFORT.

Support from the Spitz Foundation will be used support the continuation of the successful program for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports initiatives and programs serving the residents of Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Scranton Area Community Foundation serves as the administrator of the Robert H. Spitz Foundation.

The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was recently awarded the Pennsylvania SBDC (PASBDC) 2019 and 2020 Center Performance Award, the 2020 Creative Funding Award and the 2020 Service Award for the Ag Center of Excellence.

In addition, consultant manager Donna Simpson, business consultant Keith Yurgosky and business consultant Gretchen Kukuchka are each the recipients of the PASBDC $2 Million Dollar Club Award for helping their clients obtain $2 million dollars in combined financing during 2020.

In addition, SBDC consultant manager Donna Simpson and business consultant Keith Yurgosky were both recognized for 25 Plus Years of Service.

Scranton’s SBDC serves Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

The University’s first-ever “South Side Restaurant Tour” will take place this Saturday, Oct. 2, with two start times at 11 a.m. or 12:15 p.m., and will offer University of Scranton students an opportunity to explore the revitalized Cedar Iron District while celebrating Hispanic Heritage month.  

The event begins with a trip to United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (UNC) South Side Farmers Market and registration includes $5 in free Market Bucks that students can use at the various participating vendors at the Market. After enjoying the Market, students will be able to go in small, predesignated groups to enjoy a set menu with two courses at different Mexican or El Salvadorian restaurants before meeting back at UNC’s community room for dessert from Florita’s Bakery. 

University students can register for this event here. There is a $10 fee for students, payable in-person with your Royal Card after completing online registration. Registered students can pay this fee on the 2^nd floor of the DeNaples Center on Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-3p.m. and on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Registration is open until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. 

Participating restaurants include: Chicano's Restaurant, La Chingada Restaurante y Carniceria Mexicana, Italo's Restaurant, La Libertad Pupuseria, and Florita's Bakery. This event is co-sponsored by Latin American Studies Program, Cross Cultural Centers, Spanish Cultural Society, Office of Community Relations, and United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA. For more information, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4119.

Family Weekend returns this year on Friday, Sept. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 26. This year’s weekend-long event has a new format and modifications in light of the continuing pandemic but is still focused on bringing the families of University students to Scranton to both visit with their son or daughter and to explore the Scranton area.  

This year’s event has a Scranton focus, encouraging families to go out with their son or daughter into the greater Scranton area to explore the city’s rich historical heritage, beautiful natural settings, small businesses, and entertainment and cultural attractions. Families seeking things to do with their students have a wide array of options to enjoy.

Downtown Scranton

During Family Weekend 2021, families can enjoy dinner downtown at a range of restaurants with varying cuisines and offerings, including Italian, Japanese, Thai, American, vegan, soul food, seafood, Mediterranean and more. Downtown Scranton has something for everyone. Many downtown businesses will also be offering 10% off to students and their families with a valid Royal Card. To learn more about downtown restaurants, visit this information page.

Special Festivals

Scranton is often busy with special festivals that highlight culture, community, arts, and foods. During this upcoming weekend, families can take advantage of the special foods offered at the annual Greek Food Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Scranton Sept., 21-25 and the Lebanese Heritage Festival at St. Ann Maronite Church on Sept. 26 in West Scranton. In addition, the Scranton Fringe Festival will be hosting “Fringe Under Glass,” live socially distant theatre in venues throughout downtown Scranton. 

Natural Beauty

As Scranton area residents know, Scranton comes alive in the fall. With its close proximity to many nature areas, families that enjoy the great outdoors can get a first look at fall and the soon-to-be changing foliage around the city. Families can visit Nay Aug Park, located just up the hill from campus on the top of Mulberry Street, including walking trails, playgrounds, and an accessible treehouse.  

The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail offers a great opportunity for runners, walkers and bikers. Trailheads are easily accessible from campus including an entry at the University’s Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. Athletics Campus. Lake Scranton Walking Trail, a short drive (or run, if you are up for an energetic one!), and Lackawanna State Park, just a short drive from campus in North Abington Township, offer two more recreational opportunities.  

Rich History

There are several sites and museums to consider to explore Scranton’s rich history. The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour provides participants with a chance to step back in time to see what going down 300 feet beneath the earth through an anthracite coal mine is really like. Steamtown National Historic Site, a short walk from campus is a National Park created to further public understanding of the role steam railroading played in U.S. development.  Founded in 1908, the Everhart Museum is one of the oldest museums in Northeastern Pennsylvania and features both a permanent collection and special exhibitions, including “Every Stitch Counts: Works from the Social Justice Sewing Academy.”

Fall Fun

Lackawanna County offers some of NEPA’s most iconic fall activity venues. From end-of-season baseball to pumpkin picking, Scranton is the place to enjoy this great season. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders will be at home against the Syracuse Mets at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept 24, Saturday, Sept 25 at 4:00 p.m. or Sunday, Sept 26 at 1:00 p.m. Lakeland Orchard and Cidery in Scott Twp. offers live music, food, games, apple picking and more, including on September 25 and 26 an Apple harvest festival and Halloween light show from 8-10 p.m. Roba Farms in N. Abington Township offers pumpkin, picking maze navigating, apple cider donuts and onsite campfire spaces onsite.

Click here to view a listing of local attractions. Follow the Office of Community Relations on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, Performance Music at The University of Scranton’s Family Weekend President’s Concert will celebrate the Inauguration of Joseph G. Marina, S.J., as the University’s 29^th President.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. 

The concert is open to invited guests, parents and family members visiting campus for Family Weekend and all members of the University community. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis. All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage.

The University of Scranton Concert Band and Concert Choir will both perform at the concert, which is in commemoration of Father Marina’s Inauguration. The performance will include the second performance of a new work for combined band and soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB) choir commissioned for Father Marina’s inauguration, entitled “To The Ends Of The Earth,” composed by David Lantz III with a text inspired by themes from the 35^thGeneral Congregation of The Society of Jesus. The work will receive its premiere at the Inauguration Ceremony on Sept. 24, the day before the concert, and the composer will be conducting the work at both the Inauguration Ceremony and the concert. 

The concert will also include a short four-part choral work that was written as a gift to the University by Dr. Wycliffe Gordon H. ’06, “We Give In To Your Will”, which has become an Inauguration tradition at Scranton. 

In addition, surprise guest performances with a “family” theme will be part of the event, according to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga. Guest artists for the evening include the composer’s wife Marti Lantz (who will serve as pianist for the performance), Boga’s son Joseph (trumpeter with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks and The Louis Armstrong Eternity Band) and his girlfriend Kako Miura (acclaimed solo and chamber music violinist).

For more information on the Family Weekend Concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.

The University of Scranton announced today that more than 96 percent of its students, faculty and staff who are on campus for the fall semester are fully vaccinated. The University implemented a vaccine requirement for the return of in-person classes and activities for the fall 2021 semester, which began on Monday, Aug. 30.

Vaccination rates above 90 percent were found to be important for resuming normal campus activity, according to a recently released study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Students attending classes on campus were required to submit vaccine information through the school’s Student Health Services and employees were required to attest to their vaccination status through the Office of Human Resources. In accordance with Pennsylvania law, students and employees could request a waiver to the vaccine requirement for religious or medical reasons.

Students attending fully-online graduate courses were not required to submit vaccine information.

According to University records, nearly 96 percent of students and more than 97 percent of staff are fully vaccinated. The University expects these percentages to increase in the coming weeks as individuals with one dose of the vaccine receive their second dose.

Unvaccinated members of the University community who were granted a waiver to be on campus during the fall semester must participate in weekly PCR testing and wear a mask when indoors and when outdoors when social distancing is not possible, among other health and safety requirements as outlined in the University’s Royals Back Together plan.

Vaccinated individuals do not need to participate in COVID-19 surveillance testing.

Following CDC guidelines, the University will adjust indoor masking requirements for vaccinated individuals based on community spread. A Mask Status tile on the Royals Back Together webpage will indicate if masks are required indoors for vaccinated individuals, as well as other health and safety requirements. (Currently, the University is requiring all individuals to wear masks indoors through Oct. 4, and the access to the campus is limited to University community members, invited guests and others as outlined in its Royals Back Together plan. The University will update information on or before Oct. 4).

Sept. 17, 2021, marks Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, commemorating the 234^th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution and recognizing all those who have become U.S. citizens.

The day is an annual opportunity to reflect on the importance of active citizenship, including the right to vote. The Constitution, as originally written, did not establish specifically who could or could not vote; this was left for the states to determine. It was decades after 1787 that the right to vote was protected for all Americans, including African Americans and women. The 15th amendment, ratified in 1870 prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race, and the 19th amendment, ratified in 1920 gave women the right to vote. 2021 marks the 50^th anniversary of the 26th amendment, lowering the universal voting age from 21 to 18 years, providing greater access to voting for young Americans, including college students.

Events: Last week, the University’s Schemel Forum hosted Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science from Yale University, to discuss his book, "The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840," in which Amar revives U.S. constitutional history for a 21st century nation, confronting the founders’ failures and successes. The event can be viewed online here. On Thursday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. (noon CST), Dr. Jean Harris, Professor in the Political Science Department, will be part of a virtual panel discussion, “Constitutional Politics in a Pandemic Era,” together with her fellow authors of "American Democracy Now." Further details and registration info are available here. 

Local & State Election Information: Whether it is presidential, national, or local, each vote counts toward deciding an election. This year, Lackawanna County is hosting its Municipal Elections on Nov. 2 (mail-in and absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m.). The ballot will include city, school board, judicial, and state-level candidates. Oct. 18 is the last day to register before the November election and Oct. 26 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot. Students who are registered to vote in Lackawanna County, and who vote, can play a role in influencing how elected officials in Scranton and Lackawanna County will spend resources and shape local policies. The University’s Royals Vote non-partisan voter engagement initiative has compiled resources to help navigate the process, including information on voter registration, common voting terms and definitions, and how voting connects to Ignatian spirituality.

Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS) Activities: In October, the University’s new Center will have a formal launch event and will be hosting local candidate forums in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, including: Oct. 13 (Lackawanna Court of Common Pleas and 113th Legislative State House District Special Election), Oct. 14 (Scranton Mayor and Scranton City Council), and Oct. 19 (Scranton School Board). For more information about those events and the work of CEEPS, contact co-directors Dr. Jean Harris or Dr. JoyAnna Hopper in the Political Science Department at ceeps@scranton.edu.   

The Ignatian mission of The University of Scranton will take a preeminent role in the Inauguration of Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., as the 29th president of The University of Scranton. The Inauguration will occur as the Society of Jesus celebrates an Ignatian Year, commemorating the 500^th anniversary of the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

The Inauguration theme, “A Fire that Kindles Other Fires,” is quoted from Decree 2 of the 35^th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus.

The Decree reads: “Legend has it that Saint Ignatius, when he sent Saint Francis Xavier to the East, told him: ‘go, set the world alight.’ With the birth of the Society of Jesus, a new fire was lit in a changing world. A novel form of religious life came about, not through human enterprise but as a divine initiative. The fire that was set alight then continues to burn in our Jesuit life today, as was said about Saint Alberto Hurtado, ‘a fire that kindles other fires.’ With it, we are called to set all things alight with the love of God.”

The formal Inauguration Ceremony for Father Marina will take place on Friday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. on campus for members of the University community and invited guests. The University will livestream the event. A luncheon will immediately follow the ceremony.

In addition to the Inauguration Ceremony, an Inauguration Mass is planned for Saturday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. on campus. An Inauguration Concert, set for Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, will feature an original work composed for the Inauguration by David Lantz III, titled “To the Ends of the Earth.”

The events coincide with Family Weekend. Parents and family members visiting campus for the weekend are welcome to attend the Inauguration events.

Thomas MacKinnon, vice president for university advancement, and Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, are serving as co-chairs for the Inauguration Celebration.

Additional information is available on The Inauguration of Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., website.

The stunningly cross-genre combo Port Mande Quartet will kick off Performance Music at The University of Scranton’s fall 2021 concert season on Saturday, Sept. 18.

The concert, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton.

Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis for invited guests of Performance Music and all members of the University community.

Port Mande is a collaborative partnership between clarinetist Mark Dover of Imani Winds and pianist/producer Jeremy Ajani Jordan. For this performance, they will be joined by Johannes Felscher, bass, and Jimmy Macbride, drums.

A play on a “portmanteau” – a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two words – Port Mande appropriately blends Dover and Jordan’s vast musical influences and work within the classical, jazz, hip hop, gospel, pop, electronic and world music genres. The duo’s overriding mission is to bring all cultures of people together by embracing music of all types, and in July 2020 they released their self-produced debut EP, “Is This Loss?”

Individually, Dover and Jordan have collaborated and performed with numerous marquee artists, among them Yo Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Gil Kalish, Imani Winds, Vulfpeck, Edward Simon, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, David Binney, Cyrille Aimee, Charles Yang and the Temptations.

Recently, Port Mande has performed original music at National Sawdust as part of Chris Gryme’s Open G Series, as well at National Sawdust live on Chicago’s WFMT and New York City’s WKCR, premiering Jonathan Ragonese’s “Non-Poem 4” as part of the Live at National Sawdust Series and Relevant Tones. In addition, they have played Emerald City Music in Seattle, Lyrica Music in New Jersey and other New York venues including DROM, Spectrum and Rockwood Music Hall.

Dover is a member of the award-winning Imani Winds, and serves on the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music, Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts and the Aaron Copland School of Music at CCNY Queens.

A winner of The Steinway Concerto Competition, Jordan has appeared as a soloist and with chamber ensembles and orchestras throughout the world.

All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage.

For more information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more on Port Mande, visit: markdovermusic.com/port-mande.

The Scranton Times-Tribune published the following editorial by University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., about doubling the Pell Grant.

Like the Class of 2025, I too am a newcomer to The University of Scranton, deeply grateful to serve as its 29th President. Over the summer, some of my first meetings involved joining with my fellow Jesuit college presidents in advocating for Congressional legislative proposals to further assist college students with financial need. Affordability and access are a priority for the University as I look ahead to the future of higher education in our country.

Throughout my career, which has involved several colleges and universities, I have been consistently impressed with the drive and determination of Pell Grant recipient students. The Pell Grant program, established in 1972 with bi-partisan support, provides a grant from the federal government to assist students with financial need complete their undergraduate degrees. Since the program started, increases in the grant have not kept pace. Nearly 50 years ago, Pell grants covered more than three-quarters of the cost of attending a four-year public college. Today, Pell covers just one-third

Now is the time to double the Pell grant to $13,000. We need to make an historic investment in Pell Grants, one that will help a new generation of students complete their undergraduate careers with less economic stress and immediately contribute to the American workforce. Doubling Pell will increase access to higher education for students, allowing them to choose the right school for them – public or private. This longstanding program assists students with the greatest need and reduces heavy borrowing – directing taxpayer dollars to those who need it most. Nearly 70 percent of Pell Grant dollars go to students with a family income at $30,000 or below, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education (for the 2018-2019 year)

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the network of private colleges and universities, including The University of Scranton, makes a big impact. Our sector educates 51% of all students and 44% of low-income students. These schools’ 6-year graduation rates among all students average 74%. At the University of Scranton, our graduation rates are as high as 84.4%, much higher than national averages.

At the University, Pell students make up 22% of our total student body. These students benefit from our Catholic, Jesuit education, steeped in the humanities, and can choose from a wide array of liberal arts, science, business, and professional degrees. At the same time, the entire University benefits from the experience and perspectives they bring to our campus. We are proud to have strong Pell graduation rates at 72%, also exceeding national averages and aligning very closely with our overall graduation rate.

Non-completion of college can be a life-altering event; doubling Pell is a time-tested strategy to boost degree completion.

As a leader of a Catholic, Jesuit institution, I support doubling the Pell Grant as a tool for greater equity and as a way to empower students while opening the doors of opportunity. At the University, we are also doing our part to address affordability and access – through scholarships and additional financial aid programs, a unique “Book and Supply” award, and financial counseling programs.

We also know that Pell offers a strong return on investment. College graduates consistently earn higher wages than individuals with only a high school diploma. And yet in Northeastern Pennsylvania, higher education attainment still lags from statewide and national averages. While 22.2% in Scranton have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau reporting, in Pennsylvania overall that percentage is significantly higher at 31.4%.

Doubling Pell is one important way for the U.S. Congress to assist the students who need support the most and ensure that our country can be successful in the 21^st century. Right now, Congress is making decisions about how to spend resources next year. So please reach out to your members of Congress and visit www.doublepell.org to make your voice heard.

The University of Scranton plans to offer a new Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology, which is one of the nation’s fastest growing occupations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for speech-language pathologists is expected to grow 25 percent between 2019-2025. The average annual salary for speech-language pathologists, which require a master’s degree and passing a national board examination for certification, was $80,480 for 2020.

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology at The University of Scranton is an applicant for candidacy by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Anticipated to begin in the fall of 2023, the graduate program will be offered in a blended format with online academic courses offered within a synchronous remote learning environment during the fall and spring semesters, an on-campus clinical rotation and in-person academic courses during the first summer session, and two in-person externship clinical training experiences in the student’s place of residence during year two. Students who are interested, may also elect a healthcare specialization in order to obtain advanced training in testing and therapy procedures commonly used by the speech-language pathologist in a medical setting. The program is designed to provide students with the specified knowledge and skill outcomes stipulated in the 2020 Standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology and the 2017 Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Education Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

“The vision of the graduate degree program is for the University to become a leader in speech-language pathology studies by providing exemplary well-rounded training with the opportunity for specialization in healthcare,” said Hope E. Baylow, D.A., assistant professor in the University’s Department of Health and Human Performance. “The University of Scranton’s undergraduate communication sciences and disorders and graduate speech-language pathology degree programs will positively impact the number of competent and qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists who service not only the Scranton community and the state of Pennsylvania, but across the United States of America and beyond.”

The graduate degree program is designed to accommodate students from across the United States and beyond by providing a distance learning environment spanning two academic years from 21 to 24 months. The length of the degree program is determined by the student’s selection to complete the program either with or without an area of specialization. The student may choose to solely complete the 63- credit hour degree program of study or select the 73-credit hour degree program of study with specialization in healthcare. The healthcare specialization requires an additional 10 credit hours, which is dispersed over a 24-month timeframe.

“Through a diverse range of academic and clinical experiences, students will acquire advanced knowledge of basic human communication sciences and disorders by analyzing, interpreting, integrating and applying evidence-based theory to the clinical environment within a learner, knowledge and skill and assessment-centered blended learning atmosphere,” said Dr. Baylow. “This will be done in the context of a Jesuit Catholic education, which provides an inclusive and caring community, individual attention to students, and shows respect for the uniqueness of each member of the University community.”

“The three interrelated themes of Jesuit Catholic education – a focus on a diverse and open-minded education, moral reflection, and teaching for social justice – are embedded in the curriculum along with rigorous scholarship, teaching, service, and community partnerships.” said Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of the University’s Panuska College of Professional Studies. “Our emphasis is on developing critical thinking, communication skills and interpersonal competency that create a transformational experience and strengthen our professional practice in helping others. Our graduates, as well as our faculty and staff, are compassionate and ethical practitioners and mentors, committed to striving for excellence grounded in gratitude, lifelong learning and service to others in a global community.”

“As dean of PCPS, I have the utmost confidence that our future speech language pathologist will unite with PCPS alums who model the tenets of St. Ignatius of Loyola by being ‘men and women for and with others.’ They will strengthen our community through service to others by working on inter-professional teams. Our SLP graduates will be grounded in Jesuit ideals and Ignatian pedagogy that will enhance their knowledge and skills to make a difference in their communities by providing culturally relevant and sensitive care and by treating others with respect and dignity, and advocating for basic human communicative rights and safe medical care,” said Dean Pellegrino.

Applicants to this highly anticipated new graduate program must meet admission requirements. For more information, visit the program’s webpage or contact Dr. Baylow at hope.baylow@scranton.edu.

On Sept. 2 through 3, The University of Scranton’s Office of Community Relations hosted its 11th Annual Scavenger Hunt in downtown Scranton, offering students an opportunity to explore the City of Scranton, including businesses, historical sites, landmarks, and murals. For many incoming University students, this event is their first chance to explore the downtown. This year it fell on First Friday and the first day of La Festa Italiana.

Over 30 participating locations from across the downtown hosted “Iggy” posters in their windows for students to find. Students could scan QR codes on the posters to receive a clue with more information about the next location; they could participate completely outdoors and at any time during the event.

In addition to the Scavenger Hunt, this year’s event also had two additional photo contests: one focusing on downtown landmarks and artistic murals and the other to mark the most creative photo overall. This year’s hunt also included a First Friday event with free Scavenger Hunt t-shirts for the first 100 registered students, with water ice and popcorn from Carolyns Corner Carnival, games, and an interactive exhibit where participants could pin either their hometown or the road that led them to Scranton.

“We had a beautiful two days in downtown Scranton and it was so exciting to see our University students engage with the city of Scranton in this special way. I hope that this event serves as an introduction to all the wonderful things that our city has to offer,” said Carolyn M. Bonacci, community and civic engagement coordinator at the University.

This year’s winners are as follows:

Scavenger Hunt Winners:

Grand Prize: Maggie Ho ’23 and Gwyn Cruz ‘24

Runners Up: Annika E. Stager ’24 and Brian White ‘25

Downtown Murals and Landmarks Photo Contest Winners:

Grand Prize: Chyenne Ward ’24 and Bridget Nucatola ‘25

Runner Up: Lindsay M. Csaszar ‘25

Creativity Photo Contest Winners:

Grand Prize: Veronica Romanek ’24 and Steve Holguin ‘25

Bonus Clue Winners:

Grand Prize: Arissa Chambers ’25 and Alexandra Shomali ‘25

There were 199 students registered for the event and 32 downtown businesses and cultural and city venues offered students a chance to experience different facets of the city.

This event was held in collaboration with The Center for Student Engagement, The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, and The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action, and Scranton Tomorrow.

Follow Community Relations on Facebook to view a full album of the winning photos.

Participating Businesses and Locations

• Adezzo
• Artworks Gallery & Studio
• Backyard Ale House
• Bartari
• Boden Outlet
• Citizens Savings Bank
• City Hall
• City Market and Café
• Comics on the Green
• Commonwealth Coffee House
• Community Bank, N.A.
• DaVinci Pizza
• Downtown Deli
• Eden-A Vegan Cafe
• Electric City Bakehouse x
• Freedlove
• Lavish Body and Home
• Northern Light Espresso Bar & Café
• Paradise Soulfood & Sweets
• Peculiar Kitchen
• Peoples Security Bank & Trust
• Pizza by Pappas
• POSH @ The Scranton Club
• Scoops on Spruce
• Scranton Cultural Center
• Scranton Public Library
• Steamtown Hot Yoga & Barre
• The Daisy Collective
• The Garden Mediterranean Café
• The Salad Shop
• Tom Grudis Optical and The Bare Accessories
• Yoga West

Photo Gallery

This fall’s Schemel Forum World Affairs Luncheon Seminars at The University of Scranton promise an array of thought-provoking, timely lectures, presented both in-person and remotely.

The series will feature eight highly accomplished speakers in all, with all luncheons taking place from noon to 1:30 p.m. With the exception of the second seminar, all events will take place in Brennan Hall’s Rose Room 509, with Zoom links provided to attendees who would prefer to attend remotely.

Admission is free for University students, faculty and staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the luncheons are $25 in-person and $10 remote only. 

The series kicks off Friday, Sept. 10, with a lecture by Akhil Reed Amar, J.D., titled “The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840.” During the talk, Atty. Amar, the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, will explore the theories found in his book, “The Words That Made Us,” which revives the constitutional history of the United States for a 21^st-century nation and confronts the founders’ failures and successes with admirable frankness. Signed copies of Atty. Amar’s book will be sold following the lecture.

Next, on Tuesday, Sept. 14, former acting solicitor of the United States Neal Katyal, J.D., will present “Arguing at the Supreme Court in a Time of Conflict.” During the talk, Atty. Katyal, who has conducted 44 oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court (more than any minority attorney in American history), will explain the Supreme Court’s role in times of conflict. A regular contributor to MSNBC, Atty. Katyal is currently a partner at Hogan Lovells and the Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center.

This luncheon will take place in Edward Leahy Hall’s Kane Forum, with Atty. Katyal presenting his talk remotely.

On Monday, Sept. 20, Philadelphia Inquirer Worldview columnist Trudy Rubin will present “Biden and the World,” in which she’ll assess President Joe Biden’s handling of a number of complex foreign policy issues, including an increasingly aggressive China, a vengeful Russia and the lingering effects of conflicts in the Mideast and Afghanistan that occupied previous administrations.

On Tuesday, Sept. 28, local attorneys Dan Brier, J.D., and Donna Walsh, J.D., partners at Myers, Brier & Kelly, LLP, will present “The 2020 Pennsylvania Presidential Election Litigation,” a backstage tour of the court challenges that played out statewide in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will present “Jane Jacobs’ First City: What Comes Next?” on Thursday, Oct. 7. During the talk, Cognetti will note Scranton’s reputation as a city during the 1930s as seen through the eyes of city native and iconic urbanist/activist Jane Jacobs, and then address present issues and her visions for the city’s future.

“In May of this year, our city celebrated the life and work of Jane Jacobs, a Scranton native who as a child observed the impact that city planning has on community, culture and life,” Cognetti said. “I’m excited to continue this conversation at the Schemel Forum this fall, sharing what we hope to accomplish in Scranton in the coming years and hearing from attendees about their ideas.”

On Friday, Oct. 15, Fintan O’Toole, columnist for The Irish Times and Leonard L. Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University, will present “Democracy in America? An Outsider’s View.” The Irish writer will discuss his unique perspective on the American democratic experiment, the troubles it has faced in recent years and how those difficulties seem to go beyond immediate political events to raise more fundamental questions about systems, values and institutions. O’Toole will explore how deep this crisis goes, and whether the promise that America once held for the rest of the world can be restored.

Finally, on Tuesday, Oct. 26, Carol Rittner, RSM, D.Ed., distinguished professor emerita of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Dr. Marsha Raticoff Grossman Professor Emerita of Holocaust Studies at Stockton University, will present “The Holocaust and Jewish-Christian Relations,” which will look at how the Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, have re-evaluated their theology, religious education and prayers when it comes to Jews and Judaism in the decades since the Holocaust.

To register for the seminars, contact Alicen Morrison, Schemel Forum assistant, at 570-941-6206 or alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. To pay by credit card over the phone, contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816, or to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a $152,791 grant to The University of Scranton to support a multifaceted two-year project that seeks to capture the unique story of Scranton and relate it to the history of the United States. The project, called “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story,” involves multiple community partners and relates Scranton’s industrial, religious and ethnically diverse heritage and aspirations to the history of the nation, responding to the NEH special initiative “A More Perfect Union” commemorating the upcoming 250^th anniversary of the United States. The project also seeks to share underrepresented Scranton stories, including that of recent immigrants, Black Scrantonians and Indigenous history, in order to stitch together a full local and national narrative.

The University was among just 239 projects in the nation to receive NEH support and among 16 projects in Pennsylvania to receive funding. The grants awarded “demonstrate the resilience and breadth of our nation’s humanities institutions and practitioners,” said NEH’s Acting Chairman Adam Wolfson in a news release announcing $28.4 million in funding support for the 239 projects.

“We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Humanities for its support of this important project for the University, Scranton and the nation,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “The humanities play an integral part of the transformational nature of the Jesuit education we provide to our students. This project will give our students and the greater community a more profound understanding of the human transformations that have occurred in the lives of Scrantonians and Americans.”

“We have lots of stories to tell about how the Electric City has powered and shaped our great nation over the course of our history, and I can’t think of anyone better to lift them up than The University of Scranton,” said Rep. Matt Cartwright. “I am very much looking forward to seeing the results of this project, but I know it will offer all of us new reasons to be proud of our Northeastern Pennsylvania ties.”

“Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” incorporates eight themes ranging from how Scranton has been portrayed in the popular imagination, to its industrial era growth, Indigenous history, religious tapestry, diverse immigrant populations – past and present – and the role it played in the Underground Railroad and Black history. Throughout, civic engagement, founding debates, and local and national identity will be explored by considering how the Scranton, and American, story may be understood anew 250 years later and the roles and responsibilities of local citizens.

The programs will involve lectures with question and answer interactive sessions, panel discussions with audience responses, public facilitated dialogues, and story exchanges, as well as walking and bus tours, youth writing workshops, and oral history story collection and community mapping projects that will provide new humanities material and content for discussion.

“As a broad team of university faculty and community organization partners, we are proud and excited to be able to highlight Scranton’s multi-faceted story in the context of our nation’s story with the support of the NEH,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for Community and Government Affairs and Project Director. “All events will enable audience and community participation and engagement, drawing on humanities resources in history, literature, philosophy and religious studies and facilitate story-telling and dialogue to build civic engagement.”  

Cohen noted the facilitated dialogues are based on public and student dialogues run by the University combining the reflective, structured dialogue methods of non-profit Essential Partners and the non-sectarian tradition of reflection and discernment of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Events will begin in Oct. 2021 and end in fall 2023.

Community organizations collaborating on the project include: Black Scranton Project, Center for the Living City, Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department, The Lackawanna Historical Society, Lackawanna County Immigration Inclusion Committee, Narrative 4, the Scranton Area Ministerium, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania and WVIA.

The project comprises a range of University offices. In addition to Cohen, project team members include, from The University of Scranton: Patrick Clark, PhD., associate professor of theology and religious studies; David J. Dzurec, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of History; Colleen Farry, assistant professor and digital services librarian; Teresa A. Grettano, Ph.D.; associate professor of English and theatre; Gregory W. Jordan, executive director of the Slattery Center for the Humanities; Aiala Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, Latin American studies, and women’s and gender studies; Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and faculty director of the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities; Sondra Myers, senior fellow for international, civic and cultural projects and director of the Schemel Forum; Jessica A. Nolan, Ph.D., professor of psychology; Adam J. Pratt, Ph.D., associate professor of history; Sheli E. Pratt-McHugh, assistant dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library; Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., Theatre Program director and associate professor of English and theatre; and Carolyn M. Bonacci, community and civic engagement coordinator. Community humanities partners include: Erika Funke, senior producer, classical producer and program host at WVIA Public Media; Maureen McGuigan, director of the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department; Glynis Johns, founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project; Sarah Piccini, assistant director of the Lackawanna Historical Society; and Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus, director of the Lackawanna Historical Society.

The 20^th Annual U.S. Conference on disAbility at The University of Scranton will be held in a virtual format on Oct. 14. The conference, “Exploring Autism Across the Spectrum: Building Inclusive Communities,” is open to the public free of charge and will feature a number of live and pre-recorded speakers. Registration is required to attend the conference.

Speakers at this year’s conference include a keynote address by Maria Davis–Pierre, founder and CEO of Autism In Black, Inc., and licensed mental health counselor, who will look at Autism from a cultural perspective. Award-winning artist Devin Wildes, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 years old, and his mother, AJ Paron-Wildes, a design consultant in healthcare and education, will share their inspirational story. The conference also includes a panel discussion of “Dads Making a Difference” with Jose Velasco (moderator), vice president of product development for SAP and U.S. ambassador of Autism at Work (an employment initiative of SAP); V. R. Ferose, senior vice president and head of SAP Engineering Academy; and Thorkil Sonne, founder of Specialisterne and Specialisterne Foundation.

The conference will also include pre-recorded sessions on curriculum and inclusive classrooms and first responder training, as well as panel discussions with employees with ASD, with the ACCE Grant Founders Panel about creative collaborations, and a discussion with The Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation/National Employment Team business partners. The conference is presented by the University’s Panuska College of Professional Studies and the Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Endowment in partnership with AllOne Foundation.

 Registration is required to attend and capacity is limited. Registration and additional information is available online or by contacting the conference co-chairs Rebecca Spirito Dalgin, Ph.D., director of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, at rebecca.dalgin@scranton.edu; or Lori Bruch, Ed.D., chair of the Counseling and Human Services Department, at lori.bruch@scranton.edu.

Annual U.S. Conference on disAbility Turns 20

Edward R. and Patricia Leahy will serve as Honorary Conference Co-Chairs for the 2021 U.S. Conference on disAbility, which they helped to establish 20 years ago.

“We established the endowment as a way to remember our son and do something to help children with disabilities,” said University of Scranton alumnus and benefactor Edward Leahy ’68, H’01.

“Providing a quality education, proper resources and access to qualified professionals will empower individuals with disabilities to secure high quality employment, live independently in the community, and share fully in the American dream,” said Patricia Leahy at the inaugural U.S. Conference on disAbility in 2002.

Over the past two decades, numerous nationally-recognized speakers have discussed topics such as transitioning from school to work and enhancing the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, autism across the lifespan, veterans’ issues, the evolution of the Americans with Disabilities Act., vocational workforce innovations and technology for accessing education, employment and life. Since 2019, through a partnership with AllOne Foundation, the conference has focused on “Exploring Autism Across the Spectrum: Building Inclusive Communities.”

Past Conference on disAbility keynote speakers include John Hockenberry, an Emmy Award-winning journalist; Richard Pimentel, disability rights activist and subject of the film “Music Within;” Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky; actor R.J. Mitte, who played Walter “Flynn” White Jr. in the television series “Breaking Bad;” and well-known authors including Denise Bissonnette, Br. Rick Curry, S.J, Dr. Edward Hallowell, Jonathan Mooney, Nelson Lauver, Kerry Magro, Ph.D., and Dr. Temple Grandin, world-renowned animal behaviorist and autism spokesperson. U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr., also spoke at several conferences.

Another constant presence at the conferences has been Dr. Bruch, who has had a role in the conferences since they began in 2002.

“The conference will offer participants a chance to explore best practices, increase their knowledge of resources, technology and legislation, and develop advocacy skills that can help school-age students with disabilities,” said Dr. Bruch in 2002. The U.S. Conference on disAbilities continues to provide world-class resources and information to empower individuals with disAbilities to meet their full potential as well as the families and professionals who help them.

A look at the U.S. Conference on disAbility over the years.

The 11th Annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt is announced for Welcome Weekend 2021. This year’s event will run from 1 PM on Thursday, September 2nd through 9 PM Friday, September 3rd following the modified format introduced last year with students participating in the hunt asynchronously. New this year is an additional First Friday event on Sept. 3 from 5-9 p.m. outside of Brown Hall located at 600 Linden Street. The first 100 Hunt participants to stop by the First Friday event will receive a free Scavenger Hunt t-shirt featuring the Scavenger Hunt logo.  

The annual Scavenger Hunt is offered in partnership with The Center for Student Engagement, The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, and The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce & Metro Action, and Scranton Tomorrow. This event offers students a unique opportunity to explore downtown Scranton area and to learn more about our small businesses, cultural venues, and unique features, such as landmarks and murals. This year’s Hunt features 31 participating downtown partners.  

The 2021 Scavenger Hunt will not be timed and students can participate in it over a 2-day period. All students must follow the Royals Back Together plan along with business guidelines if they choose to enter a business. Hunt clues featuring our University’s “Iggy” mascot will be shared via QR codes and be displayed in business windows to keep the hunt entirely outdoors.  

Hunt participants can compete in additional photo contests by visiting a list of downtown historical landmarks and murals, take photos, and submit these to community@scranton.edu to win a grand prize. There will also be a contest for the most creative photo overall. These photo contests offer students additional chances to win great prizes and new ways to engage with the downtown area.  

Registration with waiver is required in Royal Sync (see event listing). Students can also register by scanning the QR codes on Scavenger Hunt posters located around campus. Registered students will receive an email on Thursday, September 2nd with a special downtown map and rules sheet that will detail how the scavenger hunt will proceed. A smartphone will be necessary to scan QR codes that will unlock clues at different locations.  

To our new students, Class of 2025, welcome! To our returning students, welcome back! The scavenger hunt is a great way for students to learn about their new home while supporting local businesses! When the time comes, be sure to register and find as many locations as you can. 

For more information about the annual Scavenger Hunt and the greater Scranton area, follow The Office of Community Relations on Facebook @uscrantoncommunityrelations and on Instagram and Twitter @uofscommunity or contact by email at community@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum returns this fall with three evening courses that will be delivered both in-person and remotely.

Covering a range of stimulating and timely topics, the courses will be taught in six weekly sessions from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in room 305 of the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library, with Zoom links provided via email for those who would like to attend remotely.

The courses are free for University students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the in-person fee is $75 per individual and $125 per couple, and $60 for remote-only.

Paul Sampson, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at the University, will present “Trust the Science? A Political History of Science,” Thursday evenings Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Oct. 7 and 14.

Sampson will use the course to examine how conventional scientific views on subjects like climate change, vaccinations, the theory of evolution and even the shape of the earth have become controversial among some in contemporary American society by linking these ideas to the history of modern science, which emerged as an attempt to avoid political and religious disagreement by viewing nature with “objectivity.”

Among other things, the course will look at the creationist vs. geological conceptions of Earth’s origins, debates surrounding Darwin’s theory of evolution and the rise and fall of eugenics practices to get a sense of how political and religious concerns have always played a role in scientific work.

The goal, Sampson said, is to show how scientific ideas and practices have a history, and to better understand how that history and the place of scientists within the wider society continues to influence and inform scientific work.

“This course is essentially a condensed version of the History of Science course I teach at the University,” Sampson said. “The standard version of the history of science that most people were taught begins in Europe around 1600 and focuses on ‘geniuses’ who made astounding discoveries and cleared away ‘superstitious’ ideas about the nature and the universe. What I try to do in my course is to show that the story is much more complicated than that. Science has never been exclusive to Europe; it has always involved large networks of people rather than lone ‘geniuses,’ and there has always been a lot of interaction between science, religion and politics.”

Sampson said he’s very excited to be participating in the Schemel Forum.

“I am a strong believer in making history public and accessible, and I am glad that the University is helping to make that happen,” he said. “I am also looking forward to continuing some of the conversations that I started with my students and hearing the thoughts of the lifelong learners here in Scranton.”

Joe Kraus, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of English and Theatre and president of MELUS (Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States), will present the course, “Invisible Men: Novels by Ralph Ellison and Viet Thanh Nguyen,” Monday evenings Sept. 13, 20 and 27 and Oct. 4, 18 and 25.

During the sessions, Kraus and the class will explore W.E.B. DuBois’s concept of double-consciousness and its adaptation into Ralph Ellison’s concept of invisibility in his iconic novel, “Invisible Man.” From there, the class will read Viet Thanh Nguyen’s “The Sympathizer” to see how those concepts were reworked in an Asian-American context.

Kevin Nordberg, Ph.D., professor emeritus of philosophy and Latin American studies at the University, will present “Social and Moral Issues in Information Technology” Wednesday evenings Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27 and Nov. 3 and 10.

Throughout the course, Nordberg will cover a number of relevant technological issues, including intellectual property, software and music video piracy, liability for defective software, privacy, free speech, facial recognition and computer crime. Among the questions that will be posed -- Is the internet used as a distraction technology rather than an informative technology?

To register for the courses, contact Alicen Morrison, Schemel Forum assistant, at 570-941-6206 or alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. To pay by credit card over the phone, contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816, or to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s new Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service will offer its inaugural workshop “An Introduction to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for NEPA Government Official” on Tuesday, Aug. 31. The workshop, offered free of charge offered free of charge to county and city officials of Northeastern Pennsylvania via Zoom, will run from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will be facilitated by DNG Consulting, an independent diversity, inclusion and equity consulting group (see attached flyer for facilitator bios). PNC is the exclusive sponsor of the event.

“Promoting and maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion is imperative in ensuring ethical and effective governance for all. We are glad to provide a workshop on these timely issues and we look forward to having the Center offer programs on a range of topics that can aid public officials and their staff in their important work,” said JoyAnna Hopper, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and co-director of the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service.

The interactive workshop will address why attentiveness to diversity, equity and inclusion is important for effective governance and articulate how implicit bias and systemic racism are defined and identified. The workshop will also cover best practices in how government bodies and officials can take matters of racism and bias into consideration in evaluating institutions and policy effectiveness.

Three experienced consultants with DNG will facilitate in the workshop. Principal at DNG Consulting, Danielle N. Gadson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of public administration at Villanova University and chairs their Public Administration Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. As a professor and a trained Intergroup Dialogue facilitator focusing on race, Dr. Gadson teaches courses in public administration theory, data analysis, health services planning, and intergroup relations.

Senior consultant at DNG, Stephen A. Sheridan, Jr. works as the director for accountability, accreditation and assessment services at Villanova University, providing leadership and expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of assessment activities related to student development and learning outcomes. He is a trained Intergroup Dialogue facilitator with experience facilitating on the topics of disability, race and socioeconomic status.

Senior consultant at DNG, Terri Boyer, Ed.D., is the founding director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership and an associate professor of education and counseling at Villanova University. Dr. Boyer has published widely on educational and workforce equity, institutional reform for equity, women’s education and leadership, the effectiveness of equity programs, and assessment and teacher training.

The workshop is convened by the University’s Center for Excellence in Ethics and Public Service with its Office of Community and Government Relations in collaboration with DNG Consulting. Registration is required to participate in the event and can be completed online or by e-mailing ceeps@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton Center for Ethics and Excellence and Public Service is focused on advocating for and promoting the common good of all through programs that support the development of ethical and competent public officials and of civically knowledgeable, responsible and engaged community members. Through education, collaboration and outreach, the Center seeks to support communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania in which local and state public officials and community members are dedicated to governance. The Center is housed in the University’s Political Science Department and is co-directed by Dr. Hopper and Jean Harris, Ph.D., professor of political science.

Twenty rising high school students entered The University of Scranton’s University of Success program. The four-year, pre-college mentorship program began for the new participants with a two-week summer institute, which took place on the University’s campus in July.

The University of Success is an academic and enrichment program designed to provide academic, social, and cultural enrichment to area high school students. The program’s ultimate goal is to assist participating students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university. Students enter the program at the completion of the eighth grade and continue through their high school years.

The summer institute provides learning experiences designed to engage the students in creative thinking, problem solving and communication through activities that expose students to concepts in various academic disciples.

The summer program featured presentations by University faculty, staff and students as well as counselors from Lackawanna County Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. At the institute, students learned about alternate renewable energy sources, sustainability, climate change, physics, neurobiology research and neurological disorders, among other topics. The institute included field trips to Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Pike County and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The students also volunteered for a cleanup project at the Advocacy Center and helped to water plants in the Community Garden on the University’s campus.              

Following the summer institute, the students meet monthly throughout their four years in high school.

The University of Success, offered free of charge to participants, is funded almost entirely by corporate and foundation grants. Donors to the program include AT&T; BB&T Bank; The Dime Bank; Fidelity Bank; Charles A. Frueauff Foundation; Carl and JoAnne Kuehner; Medico Industries; Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, Inc.; Overlook Estate Foundation; Peoples Security Bank and Trust; PPL Foundation; Lisa C. Thomas, M.D.; and Waste Management.

Students entering the University of Success program are as follows:

Christain Alers, Scranton, who attended West Scranton Intermediate School;

Brandon Amorim, Scranton, who attended West Scranton Intermediate School;

Amiya Brown, Scranton, who attended Abington Heights Middle School;

Christopher Cordero, Scranton, who attended Northeast Intermediate School;

Christina Denney, Clifford Township, who attended Mountain View Middle School;

Nathan Fuller, Scranton, who attended Northeast Intermediate School;

Alisha Jackson, Scranton, who attended Northeast Intermediate School;

Leslie Martinez, Scranton, who attended Northeast Intermediate School;

Luisa Martinez, Taylor, who attended Riverside High School;

Pujan Nepal, Scranton, who attended South Scranton Intermediate School;

Aiden Norton, New Milford, who attended Mountain View Middle School;

Latifa Pearson, Scranton, who attended South Scranton Intermediate School;

Christian Quintana, Scranton, who attended West Scranton Intermediate School;

Dawson Reed Machado, Peckville, who attended Valley View Middle School;

JoAnn Regan, Moosic, who attended Riverside High School;

Jorge Rodriguez, Scranton, who attended South Scranton Intermediate School;

Mikayla Sansky, Clifford, who attended Mountain View Middle School;

Sulekha Sharma, Moosic, who attended Riverside High School;

Gabriella Singh, South Abington Township, who attended Abington Heights Middle School;

Amber Wine, Scranton, who attended South Scranton Intermediate School;

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

The University of Scranton has been approved for Tuition Assistance through Memorandum of Understanding with Department of Defense. Active duty, National Guard and Reserve Component Service members enrolling at Scranton in an approved program of study by the VA may be eligible for Tuition Assistance benefits.

Those interested in pursuing tuition assistance should first consult with their individual unit or base education office for procedures on establishing benefits as well as payment rates, as all branches of service have varying rules and regulations for service members to follow. Once application is made through their individual unit, applicants can contact the University’s Financial Aid office for information on next steps and certification.

The University has a long history of successfully administering Veteran Administration (VA) education benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill®, Post 9/11 GI Bill® to veterans, active duty service members and their families and we are also proud to work with the VA to cover tuition and fees to qualifying veterans and their dependent children through the VA Yellow Ribbon program.

The University of Scranton has been recognized for its support of veterans and active personnel of the U.S. military and their families. In the 2017 edition, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Scranton No. 2 for Best College for Veterans. Scranton was also selected by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School.

More information on tuition assistance and VA education benefits, visit Veteran Information page of the University’s webpage.

 The University ran two summer camps for high school students: physics and cybercrime investigation. Read about them, here.

UNIVERSITY HOLDS CYBERCRIME INVESTIGATION CAMP

Nineteen high school students received hands-on training in investigating and thwarting cybercrimes from experts in the much-in-demand field of cyber security at The University of Scranton’s first Cybercrime Investigation Summer Camp. Run by faculty of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, the camp took place July 13-15 in the University’s Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime on campus.

Through lectures, exercises, case discussions, the University’s data center tour, computer simulations and a capture-the-flag competition, the students learned about cyber threats, cybercriminal profiling, cyber law, cyber security and how to conduct a cyber forensics investigation. They also learned about the various roles and responsibilities assumed by professionals working in the growing field.

The job outlook for cybersecurity analysts is predicted to increase by 31 percent for the period between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The annual median salary for cybersecurity analysts in 2020 was $103,900. The University offers a major in cybercrime and homeland security.

The camp was offered free of charge to participants through support from the University’s College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office and the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Read on, here.

UNIVERSITY HOLDS PHYSICS SUMMER CAMP

High school students were introduced to the extraordinary world of physics at a summer camp hosted at The University of Scranton. The three-day camp for 9th and 10th grade high school students, taught by University physics faculty members, included mini-lectures and hands-on activities to introduce basic physics concepts of electricity and magnetism, as well as dramatic real-life examples of these principals in action.

At the camp, which took place July 19-21, 12 high school students learned about types of waves, oscilloscopes, magnetic coils, loudspeakers and software defined radio. They built a generator, a motor, and learned to use cutting edge Software Defined Radios (SDR). They installed and got to keep an actual SDR to use at home.

The students were also introduced to an array of much-in-demand careers available to physicists, or “supercharged engineers,” as the profession is described by Declan Mulhall, Ph.D., professor of physics and engineering at Scranton.

“Physicists have a depth of knowledge and training to give them a broad understanding of a subject and are able to apply their training to find solutions to complex problems and issues,” said Dr. Mulhall, who was among the faculty members leading the camp. “People always have to learn new technology to enter the workforce because of technological advances. Physics – and to some extent engineers – are the source of those advances, and we are training future physicists.”

Read on, here.

The Scranton Brass Orchestra will perform a “pops” concert on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center at The University of Scranton. Admission is free, and the performance is open to the public. Doors will open at 6:50 p.m. with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis. Masks will be required for all audience members.

Guests are reminded to check the Performance Music website at scranton.edu/music regularly for changes or updates in attendance guidelines and requirements.

The program for the concert features a variety of arrangements and transcriptions for brass band/brass orchestra of pops hits, Great American Songbook ballads and folk songs, including Bohemian Rhapsody, MacArthur Park, Amazing Grace, Guantanamera, Black Bottom Stomp, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Over The Rainbow, When I Fall In Love, Someone To Watch Over Me and others.

The Scranton Brass Orchestra is under the direction of founder and director Cheryl Y. Boga and is presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton. Now in its 11^th season, it is a fully professional 28-member ensemble comprised of brass & percussion players/teachers from the region. The group's performances are free of charge and open to the public, and have often featured nationally and internationally acclaimed guests, including many of the most respected brass players of our time. The group made its debut before hundreds of appreciative audience members in June 2011, and has since garnered acclaim from both audiences and musicians alike.

For additional information, visit scranton.edu/music or email music@scranton.edu.

During the uncertainty and physical distancing of the 2020-21 academic year, The University of Scranton’s Community-Based Learning (CBL) projects offered opportunities for students to connect with the city of Scranton and our community members in new ways. 

Marketing Students Memorialize Stories of Hospice Patients and Families

In fall 2020, students in associate professor of marketing Satya P. Chattopadhyay’s First Year Seminar courses engaged in a community-based learning project partnering with Compassionate Care Hospice to capture the life stories of patients to create biographies for their families and caregivers. For the project, Chattopadhyay’s students were trained as Hospice volunteers and met virtually via Zoom with Cassie Kobeski, volunteer coordinator for Compassionate Care Hospice, and then worked together in small groups with the caregivers and families of the Hospice patients to listen and learn about their patients to create biographies. These biographies captured the life stories of patients and provided a keepsake for families to memorialize the lives of their loved ones.

During this project, Chattopadhyay’s students conducted virtual interviews with family members and caregivers over Zoom and on the phone. These interviews impacted both the families and caregivers, along with University students. Caregiver Jessica Homschek connected with marketing students Allison Buckman from Shrewsbury, New Jersey; Karina Roettger from Brick, New Jersey; and Aidan Bohn from Scranton to share the life and story of her father Salvatore Falvo. 

“It was a pleasure working with the students. I told them to cherish life and hold on to memories because [life] is short and can change in a moment with no warning and you never know what’s in store for you,” said Homschek.

In addition to providing perspective and important life lessons, this project also helped students, patients, and caregivers alike to find new connections with people that they may have otherwise never encountered.

“In this challenging time when all of us must work harder to stay connected and present, this biography program has connected individuals whose paths may have never crossed.  In addition, our hospice staff looks forward to each new patient’s story shared. When a patient begins our hospice services, we may not always get to know the full breadth of their life experience. The biography program has been a shining light, highlighting the personality and memories sometimes shrouded by the immediate concern of the illness at hand. I am very grateful to The University of Scranton for helping to give a voice to these stories,” said Cassie Kobeski.

Communications Course Shares Experiences of Pine Brook Neighborhood 

In another CBL course, students in assistant professor of communications Kimberly Pavlick’s COMM 224: Media Writing course worked with United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA to help support their Pine Brook Neighborhood Revitalization project. This CBL project connected Pavlick’s students with business owners and long-time Pine Brook area residents to create feature stories highlighting the residents’ stories and experiences of Pine Brook. Students curated stories with photos of the Pine Brook residents to help tell the story of this area of Scranton. This project provided students with insights into this area of Scranton right next to downtown that they may have otherwise not encountered. Interviews included the stories of lifelong Pine Brook residents John and Cathy Giumento, Groove Brewing and UNC’s Director of Community Revitalization Christina Manuel.

Occupational Therapy Students Explore Accessibilty in the City

In addition to these community-building projects, CBL projects from this past academic year included other projects that worked to connect University coursework with Scranton community needs and priorities. Occupational therapy faculty specialist Patricia Wisniewski, MS, OTR/L, CPRP worked with two sections of her OT121: Occupational Performance to identify ways to improve accessibility and walkability from an occupational therapy perspective, in collaboration with both the City of Scranton and the Scranton Public Library.  These projects provided actionable insights for the community partners and also gave students a new perspective on what navigating spaces may be like for community members with diverse needs and the importance of resolving health and social disparities in the community.

Community-Based Learning a Source of Connection, Learning, and Impact

Looking ahead to what the 2021-22 academic year may bring, Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for Community and Government Relations and the Community-Based Learning Board Chair, is hopeful about returning to some pre-pandemic community activities, but confident that regardless of mode, community-based learning will continue to offer special ways for University students to learn about and become a part of the Scranton community.

“This past year truly demonstrated the need for University-community connections and partnerships," she said. "These CBL experiences not only enhanced the coursework for students while helping to meet community-defined needs, but they are also a vehicle for students to truly become a part of our Scranton community.”

To learn more about Community-Based Learning at The University of Scranton click here. 

High school students were introduced to the extraordinary world of physics at a summer camp hosted at The University of Scranton. The three-day camp for 9^th and 10^th grade high school students, taught by University physics faculty members, included mini-lectures and hands-on activities to introduce basic physics concepts of electricity and magnetism, as well as dramatic real-life examples of these principals in action.

At the camp, which took place July 19-21, 12 high school students learned about types of waves, oscilloscopes, magnetic coils, loudspeakers and software defined radio. They built a generator, a motor, and learned to use cutting edge Software Defined Radios (SDR). They installed and got to keep an actual SDR to use at home.

The students were also introduced to an array of much-in-demand careers available to physicists, or “supercharged engineers,” as the profession is described by Declan Mulhall, Ph.D., professor of physics and engineering at Scranton.

“Physicists have a depth of knowledge and training to give them a broad understanding of a subject and are able to apply their training to find solutions to complex problems and issues,” said Dr. Mulhall, who was among the faculty members leading the camp. “People always have to learn new technology to enter the workforce because of technological advances. Physics – and to some extent engineers – are the source of those advances, and we are training future physicists.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook physicists and astronomers is projected to grow seven percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for physicists was $129,850 in May 2020.

Dr. Mulhall said graduates earning a bachelor’s degree in physics work in a number of industries. Recent graduates of the University are working as industrial physicists at Collins Aerospace, optical systems designers at Thorlabs, as well as pursuing graduate studies in physics or astrophysics. “One student is working on cutting edge quantum computers at Michigan State University. She reports loving it,” he said.

The summer camp was offered free of charge to participants through support from the University’s Department of Physics and Engineering and a National Science Foundation grant.

Nineteen high school students received hands-on training in investigating and thwarting cybercrimes from experts in the much-in-demand field of cyber security at The University of Scranton’s first Cybercrime Investigation Summer Camp. Run by faculty of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, the camp took place July 13-15 in the University’s Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime on campus.

Through lectures, exercises, case discussions, the University’s data center tour, computer simulations and a capture-the-flag competition, the students learned about cyber threats, cybercriminal profiling, cyber law, cyber security and how to conduct a cyber forensics investigation. They also learned about the various roles and responsibilities assumed by professionals working in the growing field.

The job outlook for cybersecurity analysts is predicted to increase by 31 percent for the period between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The annual median salary for cybersecurity analysts in 2020 was $103,900. The University offers a major in cybercrime and homeland security.

The camp was offered free of charge to participants through support from the University’s College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office and the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology.

The innovation, cooperation and success of The Electric City Connection, an effort led during the pandemic by The University of Scranton, Scranton Tomorrow and Friends of the Poor, was presented at the International Town and Gown Association conference. The program, which raised more than $66,500 since its launch in March of 2020, enabled local restaurants to use donations from area residents to supply meals for members of our community who were in need.

Topics discussed at the three-day virtual conference hosted by Marquette University in May included “Partnerships to Mutually Strengthen What Are Perceived to be Disparate Communities.” University of Scranton representatives Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of community and government relations, and Carolyn M. Bonacci, community and civic engagement coordinator, with community partners Liz Baldi, project coordinator of Scranton Tomorrow and Meghan Loftus, president and CEO of Friends of the Poor, presented “Electric City Connection – Addressing Small Business Needs and Food Insecurity as an Anchor Institution Amidst COVID.”

The initiative partnered with more than 20 restaurants in Scranton to provide more than 4,400 meals to area residents who were facing food insecurity during the pandemic.

Members of the International Town and Gown Association represent colleges and universities, municipalities, businesses, and strategic partners. The organization is a resource for addressing challenges, emerging issues and opportunities between and among institutions of higher education and the communities in which they reside.

Laura Adamo, East Stroudsburg; Tara Atkins, North Abington Township; Vandy Galvez, Bushkill; Kristy Jamison, Scranton; Cliffette Longford, Scranton; Esther Pagan, Bushkill; Christina Ranallo, Forest City; Ashley Shipsky, Jermyn; Brianna Turner, Wilkes-Barre; and Valerie Valenti, Scranton, and one other individual completed The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center and Small Business Development Center StartUP Program in June.

Facilitated by experienced Small Business Development Center (SBDC) consultants, this certificate series is designed for women in transition or those trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. This program offers women education, support and guidance in determining if entrepreneurship is an option for them while teaching business startup basics, legal and insurance considerations, marketing and social media essentials, business plan development, accounting and budget skills, financing options and goal setting.

Housed in the Kania School of Management, The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center is a program of the SBDC. WEC student interns and SBDC staff offer business start-up information, guidance, and encouragement. Participating interns included: Erin Hahn, junior accounting and corporate finance major, Flourtown; Iris Hu, junior finance major, Tianjin, China; Jaqueline Heraty, senior neuroscience major, New York, New York; Jennifer Rossiter, junior business administration major, Jenkintown; Jordyn Lieber, junior business administration major, Edison, New Jersey; Kimberly Stossel, junior marketing major, East Stroudsburg; Nicole Freeman, junior biology major, New Tripoli; and Rebecca Farrell, sophomore entrepreneurship major, Clarks Summit.

Scranton’s SBDC serves eight counties in Northeastern and Northern Tier Pennsylvania.

Small businesses in the Northeastern and Northern Tier regions of Pennsylvania continue to receive guidance and education from The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as they respond to and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. “In 2020, we worked with over 730 clients through training events or consulting to assist their businesses,” said Leigh Fennie, business consultant at the SBDC.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, SBDC business consultant Leigh Fennie worked with businesses to continue assisting in training small business owners in various areas including marketing, social media, starting a daycare, as well as various topics specifically for food and agriculture businesses and are continuing to do so.

“We also offered and continue to offer one-on-one, confidential consulting sessions for small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Fennie said. “Many businesses that were affected by COVID-19 used these sessions to get assistance with determining what finding options were available to them for their specific business.”

With the group's broad reach of eight counties throughout Northeastern and Northern Pennsylvania, Fennie and the Scranton SBDC continue to look to expand their reach and assist businesses in any way they can as the aftereffects of the pandemic linger.

“We are hopeful that with the allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, there will be more funds allocated to the state and local levels for additional funds for small businesses,” Fennie said. “We will continue to keep as up-to-date as possible with all of the funds available for small businesses and have taken great care to ensure that the information we are sharing with clients is the most up-to-date and accurate information available.”

The University of Scranton SBDC is housed in the Kania School of Management and has a wide service area that includes Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The team of professional Business Consultants and student interns provide educational programs and no-cost, confidential consulting services to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a small business.

Kathy Reap, owner of Rock Steady Boxing Northeast Pennsylvania said that the Scranton SBDC has been an invaluable resource to her as a new business owner for the past five years. “Before I opened my doors, I attended the StartUP program for new business owners offered by the SBDC,” Reap said.  “This gave me much necessary information about starting a business and increased confidence to proceed with my plan.” Reap said that she continues to find value in the SBDC as an existing business owner. She said the team has assisted her with things like budgeting, marketing, applying for local funds for hiring interns, accounting software tutorials, developing job descriptions and advertising open positions.

“I would highly recommend that any small business make use of their excellent resources,” Reap said. “I have specific issues that come up and they already know my business and we come up with great solutions and learn new resources relatively quickly.  I feel like I have a built-in mentor that I can turn to at any time.”

Katelyn McManamon, the special projects coordinator at the SBDC, said the organization is quite versatile and can help both aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses and help those existing firms expand. “The University of Scranton SBDC is the resource entrepreneurs in all industry sectors can turn to for help and provide insight for businesses making critical decisions,” McManamon said. “This help can make the difference between success and failure.” 

In addition to confidential, one-on-one consulting services, the SBDC offers training programs on a variety of topics and recently launched on-demand training videos, which can be accessed by entrepreneurs whenever they have time. Information about live and on-demand trainings can be found on their website: scrantonsbdc.com/training/.

For more information about The University of Scranton SBDC and its services, please visit scrantonsbdc.com, call (570) 941-7588, or email sbdc@scranton.edu.

Eighteen of high school students completed The University of Scranton’s University of Success program, a multi-year, pre-college program that is designed for high school students to develop the skills needed to successfully gain acceptance to college. One graduate will take a gap year, all the other graduates have been admitted to post-secondary schools or have enlisted in the military.

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. Donors to the program include AT&T Foundation, BB&T Bank, Dime Bank, Fidelity Bank, Carl and JoAnne Kuehner, Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, Medico Industries, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, Inc., Overlook Estate Foundation, Peoples Security Bank and Trust, PPL Foundation, Lisa C. Thomas, M.D., and Waste Management.

The following is a list of 2021 University of Success graduates, the high school they attended, and their post-high school plans.

Nicholas Alejandro of Cresco, East Stroudsburg Senior High School, plans to attend Washington and Lee University and major in biochemistry.

Rachel Batista of Scott Township, Lakeland Senior High School, plans to attend The University of Scranton and major in communications.

Raphel Carvalho of Scranton, West Scranton High School, plans to attend Penn State, Wilkes Barre campus, and major in pre-med.

Maria Do Vale of Dickson City, Mid Valley Secondary Center, plans to attend Temple University and major in sports medicine.

Nicholas Freeswick of Olyphant, Mid Valley Secondary Center, plans to attend North Point Bible College and major in theology.

Nicholas Hipolto of Scranton, West Scranton High School, plans to attend The University of Scranton and major in mathematics.

Shak’ee Hoskins of Carbondale, Carbondale High School, plans to attend King's College and major in psychology.

Kimberly Kovalcki of Scranton, Lackawanna Trail High School, plans to attend West Chester University and has not yet declared a major.

Mauri Kurcin of Olyphant, Mid Valley Secondary Center, plans to attend Bloomsburg University and major in communications and speech.

Wilber Lopez of Scranton, Scranton High School, has enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Marisol Olivares of Covington Township, North Pocono High School, plans to attend The University of Scranton and major in accounting.

Dev Patel of Scranton, Scranton High School, plans to attend The University of Scranton and has not yet declared a major.

Haripriya Ramkissoon of Milford, Delaware Valley High School, plans to attend Bloomsburg University and major in music.

Marytere Qunitana of Scranton, West Scranton High School, plans to attend Wilkes University and major in political science.

Brayan Rodriquez of Scranton, Scranton High School, has enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Zi Xuan Weng of Plains, Coughlin High School, plans to attend the University of Florida and major in computer science.

Ivan Urena of Scranton, Scranton High School, plans to attend Johnson College following a gap year.

Paige Zona of Tunkhannock, Tunkhannock High School, plans to attend Marywood University and major in nursing.

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

Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., vice president for Mission and Ministry at The University of Scranton, has accepted a position in the Theology Department at Scranton Preparatory School, effective in the summer of 2022. In his position at Scranton Prep, Father Keller will return to the classroom and will also provide pastoral support for students, including involvement with the school’s Kairos retreat program.

Father Keller will step down as vice president for Mission and Ministry at the end of the 2021-22 academic year. The division he leads includes Campus Ministries, the Center for Service and Social Justice, and The Jesuit Center. He has held the role since 2019, having previously served as the University’s interim president for the 2017-2018 academic year and as special assistant to the president.

“On behalf of the University, I am deeply grateful for the many ways in which he has helped advance our Catholic and Jesuit mission, from his leadership of Mission and Ministry to his generous service as interim president,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “The University community, especially our students, benefit from Father Keller’s deep devotion to personal and spiritual development, and we are fortunate to have his continued service this coming year both in mission and ministries and as a member of the President’s Cabinet.”

“We wish him every grace and blessing as he prepares for this next chapter of his distinguished service to the Society of Jesus,” he added.

“I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to have worked at The University of Scranton for these past years and am especially honored to have served as interim president. In turn, I am grateful to Scranton Preparatory School for the invitation to join the school full time as a teacher and pastoral minister.” Father Keller said. “After 37 years as a high school and college administrator, I greatly look forward to this new opportunity and this new mission that I have received from my Jesuit Provincial.”

Father Keller has served as the rector of the Scranton Jesuit Community since September 2015. Prior to that, he served for 18 years as president of Scranton Preparatory School and is the longest-serving president in the Jesuit school’s history.

He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Wernersville in 1969. In 1975, he received a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Fordham University. He earned a master’s degree with distinction from Weston School of Theology in Boston and a professional diploma in secondary school administration from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education.

He was ordained a priest in 1981 and has served in Jesuit secondary education for 35 years. Father Keller was named principal of Scranton Prep in 1983 and served in that capacity for eight years. From 1991 to 1997, he was named principal of his alma mater, Saint Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, and also served as rector of the Jesuit Community.

In 2016, Father Keller served as a delegate from the Maryland Province for the Society of Jesus' General Congregation 36. In addition to servicing 17 years on The University of Scranton’s board across several terms, he is a past trustee of Fairfield University and Saint Joseph’s University, as well as Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School and Gonzaga College High School.  In 2006, Father Keller received an honorary doctoral degree from The University of Scranton.