University Holds Spring Convocation
The University of Scranton presented Sursum Corda (Lift Up Your Hearts) Awards to four staff members at a convocation held on campus. The award recognizes members of the University’s professional/paraprofessional staff, clerical/technical staff and maintenance/public safety staff who have made outstanding contributions to the life and mission of the University. From left, are: Patricia Tetreault, vice president for human resources; Sursum Corda Award recipients Cindy Hricko, business applications analyst and manager of enterprise application for Information Technology; Pete Sakowski, network resources technician; Maria Marinucci, director of the Cross Cultural Centers; and Kristi Klien, administrative assistant for the Center for Career Development; and Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president; and Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., senior provost and vice president for academic affairs.Sursum Corda Awards were presented to four staff members, and University of Scranton President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., delivered his first State of the University address at the Spring Convocation, which took place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center on April 5. In addition, new staff members who joined the University between Jan. 31, 2020 through April 1, 2022, were recognized.
Sursum Corda (Lift Up Your Hearts) Awards recognize members of the University’s professional/paraprofessional staff, clerical/technical staff and maintenance/public safety staff who have made outstanding contributions to the life and mission of the University. This year’s recipients were: Cindy Hricko, business applications analyst and manager of enterprise application for Information Technology; Kristi Klien, administrative assistant for the Center for Career Development; Maria Marinucci, director of the Cross Cultural Centers; and Pete Sakowski, network resources technician.
In his remarks, Father Marina thanked the award recipients for their service to the University and said the Sursum Corda, Lift Up Your Hearts, is “an award so fitting for Kristi, Pete, Cindy and Maria, and all those who have received this award before you.”
In his address, he referred to the state of universities in the nation as being “the best of times and the worst of times,” referencing the famous opening words of the Charles Dickens novel “A Tale of Two Cities.”
He outlined a number of challenges facing colleges and universities, then acknowledged the many in-roads The University of Scranton has already begun to address these issues and to advance Scranton’s mission as a Catholic and Jesuit university. These include renovations made to Hyland Hall to support the new mechanical engineering major and the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan that was formed through input from constituencies from all over the University, among other initiatives.
“At the last meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Board unanimously approved the creation of the Opening Doors Scholarship Fund to meet the unmet need of students seeking to enroll at Scranton who have graduated from Cristo Rey High Schools, Arrupe College and other institutions with similar missions,” said Father Marina. “Our Trustees are contributing to this fund from their own personal resources and already, after just a couple of months, there is more than $400,000 in this new fund, which will advance our goals for both access and affordability and increasing the diversity of our student body.”
In closing, Father Marina referred again to the Charles Dickens quote.
“In higher education, the present days can be considered as the best of times and the worst of times because of both the opportunities as well as the great challenges that currently exist. Yet, if we meet these challenges together, as friends and colleagues in mission, we can turn them into opportunities. If we are able to do that, then the worst of times will dissipate and only the best will remain,” said Father Marina.
