September 2023

The University of Scranton Community English as a Second Language (ESL) Program received a $2,000 critical needs grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The grant will be used to purchase textbooks and workbooks to serve the growing number of community members who seek to improve their English. Through this program, which is free to participants, University of Scranton students tutor local refugees and immigrants in English as a second language at the Language Learning Center, located in O’Hara Hall on the University’s campus.

The textbooks will expand the capacity and improve the quality of the Community ESL Program through audio and video content, reading and writing exercises, workbooks and more.

The University’s World Languages and Cultures Department oversees the University’s Scranton Community ESL Program. Yamile Silva, Ph.D., professor of Spanish, serves as the department’s chair.

On Saturday, Oct. 14, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a recital by critically and popularly acclaimed award-winning pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Conductor and Director of Performance Music Cheryl Y. Boga says, “I first became of aware of Llewellyn and his incredible talent when my son would text me from his classes at Juilliard to tell me about this amazing 13-year-old who was already enrolled in pursuit of his undergraduate degree and – according to Joseph – ‘played piano like craaaazy!’ Now, at age 26, he is already one of the most virtuosic, vibrant, and socially committed musicians of his generation.”

Described as “a gifted virtuoso” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Sanchez-Werner has been performing with orchestras since the age of 6. The California native has played internationally with the Royal Concertgebouw in the Netherlands, CultureSummit Abu Dhabi, the Louvre and Grenoble Museums in France, Smetana Hall in the Czech Republic, State Philharmonic Hall in Slovakia, Verbier Festival in Switzerland, Ashford Castle in Ireland and Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain. In the United States, he has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center and National Sawdust in New York City, Mary B. Galvin Hall in Chicago, Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, Paramount Theater in Oakland, and the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Art Museum, and Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

In addition, Sanchez-Werner has performed at the Kennedy Center and the White House for former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden, for President Peña Nieto of Mexico, Prime Minister Peres of Israel, and President Kagame of Rwanda. Committed to public service, he received the Atlantic Council Young Global Citizen Award recognizing his dedication to social action through music in such countries as Iraq, Rwanda, France, Canada and the U.S.

An active chamber musician, Sanchez-Werner has collaborated with Renée Fleming, Eric Owens, Marina Poplavskaya, Richard O’Neill and Cynthia Phelps. He partnered with the Gershwin family on a concert and biographical tribute to the Gershwin brothers, and performed “Hallelujah Junction” for John Adams at his 70th birthday celebration in New York.

Sanchez-Werner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where he was awarded the Kovner Fellowship, won the concerto competition and was the youngest admittee to each program at ages 14 and 18, respectively. Juilliard was Sanchez-Werner’s second college experience - he became a full-time student at Ventura College at age five, where he completed 170 college credits toward degrees in music and international relations. Sanchez-Werner also earned an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music, where he was awarded the Charles S. Miller Prize.

For further information on the recital, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Sanchez-Werner, visit llewellynsanchezwerner.com.

Two unique Collaborative Programs are scheduled as part of The University of Scranton Schemel Forum’s fall programming.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Schemel Forum will partner with the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities to present the Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Humanities and Civic Engagement Lecture featuring Dale Jamieson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of environmental studies and director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection at New York University.

Named for Schemel Forum founding director Sondra Myers and her husband, the Sondra and Morey Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in the Humanities and Civic Engagement advances the University’s efforts to bring renowned scholars, artists and thinkers to Scranton to share their work and enrich cultural and civic activity at the University and in Scranton. Dr. Jamieson is a renowned scholar of environmental ethics and animal rights, and an expert on contemporary climate change discourse.

The lecture will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Brennan Hall, Rose Room, 509, and includes a reception. Admission is free and open to the community, courtesy of the Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellow Endowment.

Then, on Monday, Oct. 30, Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the American Library Association, will present the lecture, “Book Bans and Censorship.” Sponsored by the Schemel Forum and the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library, the event will take place at 6 p.m. in the Loyola Science Center’s PNC Auditorium.

Hall will give an insightful talk on the history, implications and current state of book censorship in the United States, spotlighting the essential role libraries play in safeguarding democratic values and free speech. An author, curator and advocate for the arts, Hall is one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.

Following the lecture, attendees can engage in further discussions over refreshments and hors d’oeuvres at a reception. Admission is $40, and $10 for those who wish to attend remotely.

For more information on the programs, contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816 or email kym.fetsko@scranton.edu. Or, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

Listen to Dean Aulisio talk about the fall Schemel Forum schedule of events with WVIA’s Erika Funke on ArtScene. 

“O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.”

With a few brief remarks, the saying of a prayer, and a sprinkling of Holy Water, The University of Scranton began its journey to become designated as a Laudato Si’ University by the Vatican.

Inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home,” the University joined a coalition of colleges from around the world who have committed to a seven-year initiative to develop, implement and evaluate initiatives around seven goals to meet the Pope’s call for integral ecology.

Leading the University’s Laudato Si’ effort are Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Daniel Cosacchi, Ph.D., vice president for mission and ministry. Over the past year, they met with representatives from across campus, including students, staff, administrators and faculty, to develop a comprehensive plan for ways the University can address the seven goals put forth by Pope Francis.

“Our action plan harnesses our common energy in defense of our common home. Our goals align with those of Laudato Si’, focusing our attention on the Earth, the poor, economics, lifestyles, education, spirituality, and, finally, community resilience and empowerment,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president, at the University’s Laudato Si’ Plan Kick-off Event on Sept. 19. “The encyclical and its goals brilliantly bridge science and faith, calling all of us to act by shining a bright light on issues that face the entire world and our future. Drawing on Catholic social teaching, Pope Francis ensures that humanity, especially a concern for the poor, marginalized and displaced, is central to the message.”

To be designated as a Laudato Si University, colleges must evaluate comprehensively current environmental and sustainability programs, then improve and develop further initiatives to address the seven goals outlined by the Pope during a seven-year period.

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University professor and chair of the Biology Department, Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., who spoke at the event on behalf the faculty commitment to Laudato Si’ in teaching and research, said the world has “moved from the goal of sustainability to an urgent need for remediation.” She noted that students will be dealing with the consequences of our actions, saying universities need to provide students with the “intellectual tools that will protect our home for future generations.”

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Karla Shaffer, president of Student Government at Scranton, said in her remarks that her generation, GenZ, faces a lot of pressure, including “stopping the world from burning.” Shaffer, a political science major with an environmental and sustainability studies concentration from New Hope, said that “power comes in numbers and there is no lack of powerful student voices at the University.”

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The University’s Laudato Si’ banner was unveiled and blessed at a ceremony held in the Rev. Donald Pantle, S.J., Rose Garden on campus.

Visit The University of Scranton’s Laudato Si’ webpage for more information.

The full prayer said by Father Marina at the Laudato Si’ plan announcement follows.

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The co-director of the Academy Award-nominated film “Crip Camp” will appear at the 22^nd annual U.S. Conference on Disability at The University of Scranton on Thursday, Oct. 5, to discuss his film and advocacy for disability rights.

The event, which seeks to educate and enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families, will return to an in-person format this year for the first time since 2019.

For the last three years, the conference was held virtually.

The conference will focus on this year’s theme, “Ability Focused Advocacy: Breaking Barriers to Achieving Careers and Independence.”

It is free and open to the general public, but registration is required.

Co-director Jim LeBrecht will attend the conference and host an interactive viewing of his renowned documentary that will begin at 2:30 p.m. to close-out the daylong conference. He will stop the film at various points to discuss aspects of the movie and its subjects. He will also answer audience questions.

“Crip Camp,” which was co-directed with Nicole Newnham, won the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for feature length documentary, the 2021 Independent Spirit award for Best Feature Documentary and a 2021 Peabody Award. It tells the story of Camp Jened, a rustic summer camp opened in the Catskills in New York in the early 1970s for disabled teenagers. The idea was to break down the barriers disabled youth faced in participating in the kind activates their able-bodied peers did.

“Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and make-out sessions awaiting everyone, and campers experienced liberation and full inclusion as human beings,” the film’s website explains. “Their bonds endured.”

LeBrecht has worked as an activist for disability rights for more than 40 years. He is a former board member at the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund and he co-founded FWD-Doc, an organization that supports documentary filmmakers with disabilities.

The “Crip Camp” viewing will take place from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

The Conference on Disability will open at 8:30 a.m. with remarks from University President Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J.; Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., Dean of The Panuska College of Professional Studies; and Edward R. and Patricia Leahy, honorary conference co-chairs. Employment and inclusion advocate and scholar Mason Ameri, Ph.D., will then give an opening keynote address.

Dr. Ameri is an associate professor of professional practice at Rutgers University who has been published nationally, including by the New York Times. He has also given TEDx talks and addressed the World Bank Group on promoting accessibility.

Later, Kathy West Evans, the director of business relations for the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, and John Evans, retired State of Washington, Vocational Rehabilitation Program Administrator for Employer Relations, will present VR-Building Careers through Business Relations from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The session will include personal journeys, lived experience, and the impact it has made on the advancement in the careers and independence of VR customers.

Before lunch, Michelle Bornman, who is currently working on special projects with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, will give a talk called “Nothing Changes Unless Something Moves.”

Dr. Castellanos will speak again at the start of the lunch break at noon and Dan Cosacchi, vice president of mission and Ministry at the University, will give the blessing.

After lunch, attendees will see a recorded presentation from Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams and a virtual presentation on “The Greatest Challenge,” from Theo W. Buddy, the executive director of the National Council on Independent Living.

Time will also be carved out for breaks and networking during the day-long conference.

Edward R. and Patricia Leahy helped to establish the Conference on disAbility more than 20 years ago in honor of their son. Over the past two decades, numerous nationally-recognized speakers have appeared at the event to foster advances in the quality of life of individuals with disabilities.

This year’s session will be held in in the McIlhenny Ballroom at the DeNaples Center on campus. It is free and open to the general public, however, registration is required. More detailed information and registration can be found on the Disability Conference website.

Francis X. Clooney, S.J., the Parkman Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, will present The University of Scranton Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities Lecture on comparative theology. The talk, “Hinduism, the Jesuit Tradition, and Comparative Theology,” will be held Thursday, Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. at the Moskovitz Theater in the DeNaples Center on campus. It is free and open to the public.

In his talk, Father Clooney will address: “What is Comparative Theology? How is it humanities? How is it Jesuit? How is it Catholic? Why do you do it, and how have you found that God meets you in this work?”

Father Clooney is a Jesuit priest and scholar in the teachings of Hinduism, and is also a comparative theology professor at Harvard. He previously taught at Boston College.

A leading global figure in the field of comparative theology – a discipline distinguished by attentiveness to the dynamics of theological learning deepened through the study of traditions other than one’s own – Father Clooney has written numerous books on the subject. His works include the 2010 book “Comparative Theology: Deep Learning Across Religious Borders,” which covers the history of comparative theology and distinctive features of its current practice. The book also delves into the ways comparative theology can be initiated within any religious tradition, even a personally defined faith-perspective.

Father Clooney has also authored explorations of the Jesuit missionary tradition in India, early Jesuit pan-Asian discussions of reincarnation and on interreligious learning in the modern world. His most recent books are “St. Joseph in South India: Poetry, Mission and Theology in Costanzo Gioseffo Beschi's Tempavani,” published in 2022, “Western Jesuit Scholars in India: Tracing Their Paths, Reassessing Their Goals,” in 2020 and “Reading the Hindu and Christian Classics: Why and How It Matters,” in 2019. He is currently at work on his memoir, set to be titled “Priest and Scholar, Catholic and Hindu: A Love Story.”

Father Clooney is a fellow of the British Academy and the Australian Catholic University. In the last year he served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America.

A Roman Catholic priest who has been a member of the Society of Jesus for 55 years, Clooney regularly serves in a local Catholic parish on weekends, according to Harvard’s School of Divinity website. He also writes a blog, “The Inner Edge,” which includes 62 online homilies written during the Covid pandemic, when churches were forced to close.

Father Clooney will receive an honorary degree from the University at the event.

The University of Scranton presented Edward ’68, H’01 and Patricia Leahy with the President’s Medal at the “A Fire That Kindles Other Fires Campaign” black-tie gala on Sept. 16.

The President’s Medal recognizes individuals who have achieved excellence in their fields and demonstrated extraordinary compassion for others, representing lifetime achievements that reflect the University’s mission of Catholic and Jesuit excellence and service.

“When you think about a fire that kindles other fires, you cannot help but think about Ed and Pat Leahy and the extraordinary way that they have contributed continuously to benefit the University and the greater community beyond campus,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “Their contributions have supported more than 30 faculty research grants, student scholarships, the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured and the annual U.S. Conference on disABILITY, now in its 23rd year. Through their decades of support, they have touched so many lives for the better, and, I am certain, have sparked flames of excellence in a countless number of individuals. I am grateful to count them among the University’s closest friends and most-generous benefactors.”

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At the gala, Father Marina announced that the University has received the largest single-donation in its history, a $10 million gift from the Leahys.

In his remarks after receiving the medal, Mr. Leahy reminisced about his life – from growing up in a “coal patch” in Mahanoy City, to attending The University of Scranton, to law school at Boston College and completing successful business dealings with international clients.

“Everyday was a day of wonderment,” said Mr. Leahy about his experience as a student at Scranton. “This place opened the world to me.”

In 2008, Mr. Leahy spoke about his son at the dedication ceremony of the clinic named in his son’s honor.

“Edward, who was a wonderful, happy child, with multiple disabilities, passed away in 1993, just before his ninth birthday. Throughout his short life, Edward was helped enormously by doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and many other health professionals. In their honor, and in Edward’s memory, we wanted, in some small way, to bring that same quality healthcare to the people of Lackawanna County, through the efforts of the multitalented faculty and staff at The University of Scranton,” said Mr. Leahy at the 2008 ceremony.

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In 2015, the University dedicated Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall in honor of their late son.

In 1988, in memory of Mr. Leahy’s uncle, the Leahys created the Edward P. Leahy Scholarship, which awards scholarships to University students annually. In 1994, in memory of their son, Edward, they created the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment at the University, which is the largest single endowment at Scranton. That endowment has supported the Clinic for the Uninsured, which includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling and low vision clinics that help individuals who are most in need in Lackawanna County. An agreement between the University and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine will further expand the reach and services offered by the Leahy Medical Clinic.

A University of Scranton alumnus and native of Mahanoy City, Mr. Leahy served as past chair of the University’s Board of Trustees and was honored by the University with the Alumni Achievement Award for Distinguished and Exceptional Attainment, given in 1993, and with an Honorary Degree, bestowed in 2001.

Mr. Leahy participated in the ROTC program as a student at Scranton and was commissioned into the U.S. Army upon graduation. He served as a captain in military intelligence. He earned his law degree from Boston College as a Presidential Scholar, and was elected editor-in-chief of the Law Review. Early in his career, he served as a law clerk to Justice William J. Brennan of the U.S. Supreme Court. Later in his distinguished career, he was a partner in two prestigious law firms. In 2003, he was named the first Sir Maurice Shock Visiting Fellow at University College, Oxford, U.K., where he was also a member of the faculty of law from 1998 to 2016.

Patricia Leahy, who was unable to attend the gala, worked for 19 years on Capitol Hill and spent six years as a special assistant for legislative affairs in the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton Administration. She also served for nearly two decades with public policy and legislative affairs to assist individuals with disabilities for the National Rehabilitation Association in Washington, D.C. A native of Boston, she majored in English at Boston College.

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For three decades U.S. News & World Report has ranked The University of Scranton among the top 10 regional universities in the north, placing Scranton No. 5 in its 2024 edition of the “Best Colleges” guidebook, which became available online today.

“From the beginning of its Best College rankings, U.S. News has advised colleges not to cheer – or jeer – about year-to-year position changes in the rankings, but rather to look for consistency of trends in the ranking achieved over the years,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “Well, I am pleased to say, through the talent and dedication of our faculty and staff, and the outstanding success of our students and graduates, we have achieved exceptional consistency in our status as a top 10 university.”

U.S. News also ranked Scranton No. 8 in its category for “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” a selection of the top colleges in the nation that express a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.

Several of Scranton’s programs were also included in national rankings, as opposed to listings by category. U.S. News ranked Scranton among the nation’s “Best Undergraduate Programs in Accounting” at No. 38 in the U.S.; among the “Best Undergraduate Programs in Finance” at No. 40; among the “Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs” at No. 112; and among “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” at No. 222 (where a doctorate is not offered). Scranton’s was also listed among the 554 “Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs” in the nation. Scranton also ranked No. 211 among America’s “Best Undergraduate Business Programs,” which just listed schools that hold accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

For these program listings, U.S. News only ranked schools holding the highest recognized national accreditations in their fields. The rankings were based solely on dean and senior faculty recommendations from peer institutions.

In addition, U.S. News ranked Scranton No. 54 as a “Best Value Regional University in the North,” which compares academic quality of programs to cost of attendance. This is the tenth consecutive year U.S. News has recognized Scranton as a “Best Value” school. Scranton was ranked No. 115 in its category in “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” which looks at the success of schools that enroll and graduate students who were awarded with Pell Grants.

U.S. News uses data on up to 19 measures of academic quality to rank bachelor’s degree colleges in America. For its rankings, U.S. News considers a range of quality indicators that include a peer assessment of academic excellence; faculty resources; financial resources; graduate indebtedness; freshman retention; graduation rates; Pell graduation rates, and graduation performance rates, which compares a school’s actual graduation rates with predicted graduation rates based on characteristics of the incoming class. U.S. News ranking analysis also includes student selectivity, as measured by SAT or ACT scores and high school ranking of students in the top 25 percent of their class.

U.S. News categorizes colleges for their rankings based on the official Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classification of universities.

The 2024 U.S. News “Best Colleges” rankings became available online Sept. 18.

Take a look at how the campus has changed over the past three decades (notice - spring finally arrived in 2013)

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And how the campus looks now.

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The University of Scranton announced the start of the public phase of the largest capital campaign in its 135-year history, the $135 million “A Fire That Kindles Other Fires Campaign to Advance Mission, Access and Excellence.” The announcement was made at a black-tie gala attended by more than 350 guests in the Byron Recreation Complex on campus Sept. 16. The historic campaign will advance Scranton’s mission, accessibility and excellence.

“A Fire that Kindles Other Fires is an expression borrowed from the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. It is a reference to moving into the future with all of the history and tradition of the past; with the same identity but with a new energy in pursuit of new possibilities,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton. “It is also a reference to people – the people who have been touched by the power of a Catholic and Jesuit education and now move through the world as agents of change and messengers of the gospel, kindling other fires.”

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Mission-related goals of the campaign include continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories, learning spaces, such as the renovations made in Hyland Hall to support the mechanical engineering program, and initiatives that support core aspects of a Scranton Jesuit education, such as the programming and scholarships offered through the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities.

“The wonderful truth remains that anything and everything we do at Scranton should be and will be done for our students first,” said Father Marina. “Our shared focus is precisely where it belongs: on our students and their success.”

The campaign will grow the University’s endowment to help break the cost barrier and allow access to a Scranton education regardless of financial means. First-year students received more than $40 million in financial aid scholarships, $37 million of which was provided by the University.

Cayla Kumar, a first-generation student majoring in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology with a minor in philosophy from Queens Village, New York, now in her senior year at Scranton said in her remarks at the gala: “One key pillar of this campaign is scholarship, and I can personally attest to its transformative power. The scholarships provided by this University have not only eased the financial burden on my mother, but have also opened the doors to countless opportunities for me. Scholarships are not just funding education; they are investments in the future leaders and change-makers who will carry our mission forward. They bridge the gap between potential and realization, between dreams and achievements.”

The campaign will also support efforts to overcome other barriers to a Scranton education, such as the University’s campus-wide plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It will support programming to help enroll, retain and graduate first-generation college students, such as Scranton’s THR1VE program, which provides peer mentors, faculty and staff mentors, advocates and leadership and other resources to first-generation college students.

The campaign will also support Scranton’s goals of excellence in academic and professional outcomes of its graduates, as well as Scranton’s commitment to provide a transformational education to students who graduate as “men and women for and with others.” Each year, more than 2,850 students perform more than 170,000 hours of service. Students also participate in Campus Ministries’ International Service Program, which provides immersion experiences in developing countries across Central and South America.

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Two of Scranton’s most generous longtime benefactors, John D. Dionne ’86, H’10, former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, and Jacquelyn Dionne ’89, co-vice chair of University’s Board of Trustees, will serve as co-chairs of A Fire That Kindles Other Fires.

“The University of Scranton has been stoking the fires of knowledge within its students for 135 years, and we hope that it will continue to kindle those fires for 135 more,” said Jacquelyn Dionne. “Each and every day, Scranton is lighting the way to a better tomorrow.”

In addition to the Dionnes, members of the campaign executive committee include Tracy Bannon ’84, former trustee; John Boken, managing director of AlixPartners and current trustee; Mary Haveron ’85, finance and accounting director of Tire Alliance Groupe, L.L.C., and former trustee; John R. Mariotti, D.M.D. ’75, QMA Orthodontics member and current trustee; Vincent Reilly ’80, managing partner of Reilly, McDevitt and Henrich, P.C., and chair of the University’s Board of Trustees; James Slattery ’86, COO of North America MELROSE P.L.C. and former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees; Joseph Sorbera Jr., JLS Cost Management Systems, Inc., and current trustee; Davida Sweeney, former co-chair of the University’s Parents Executive Council; John “JP” Sweeney, financial advisor/vice president investments Wells Fargo advisors member and current trustee; and Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University, and, ex-officio, Father Marina and Robert Davis Jr.,  Ed.D., ’03, G’10,’13, vice president for University advancement.

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Also at the gala, University benefactors Patricia and Edward Leahy ’68, H’01, were presented with The University of Scranton’s President’s Medal.

To date, the campaign has raised more than $112 million from 17,800 donors in its non-public phase, which began in May of 2018. The campaign received more than 13 gifts of $1 million or more and the largest single-donation in the University’s history, a $10 million gift from the Leahys, which Father Marina announced at the gala.

To make a donation to the University’s A Fire That Kindles Other Fires Campaign, visit scranton.edu/campaign.

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The University of Scranton has named four new members to its Board of Trustees: Brian Archer ’90; Rev. Dennis M. Baker, S.J.; Rev. James F. Duffy, S.J., M.D.’88; and Theresa Pattara ’95.

Brian Archer ’90

Brian Archer, a 1990 graduate of The University of Scranton, is currently an adjunct professor in accounting at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Prior to getting his start in teaching, Archer worked for more than 25 years in the financial services industry. Most recently, he served for 10 years as the head of global credit trading for Citigroup. Before that, Archer held various management and trading positions at Citigroup and JP Morgan in their New York and London offices. He dealt with numerous fixed income and equity products, including derivative instruments.

Earlier in his career, Archer worked as a certified public accountant in the audit department of KPMG, one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S.

Archer was recently elected chair of the St. Peter’s Prep Board of Trustees in Jersey City, New Jersey, a board on which he previously served as a member for two terms. He graduated from St. Peter’s Prep in 1986. Archer also serves on the finance and audit committees of KIPP – NJ, a charter school organization in New Jersey, has been actively involved with the Cristo Rey School in Harlem, New York and previously served on the board of St. Aloysius School in Harlem, New York.

Archer is a currently member of the investment committee of Astoria Advisors. He has served as a board member of the International Swap Dealers Association and was an inaugural member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee. He also served as a member of Scranton’s investment committee.

Archer earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University, an MBA with a concentration in finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University, and a Master of Education degree from Drew University in New Jersey.

Archer and his wife, Gina (Scranton ’90), reside in Chatham, New Jersey, with their three daughters, Emily, Cate and Elizabeth.

Rev. Dennis M. Baker, S.J.

Rev. Dennis M. Baker, S.J., recently completed tertianship, the final stage of his Jesuit formation. He has been praying, reading and writing with seven other Jesuits from around the world in Zinkwazi Beach, on the northeast coast of South Africa.

A 1998 graduate of Canisius (Jesuit) High School in Buffalo, New York, Father Baker earned a bachelor’s degree in history with minors in English and religious studies from Fordham University in New York City in 2002. He went on to earn a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Niagara University, a Vincentian school in New York, in 2004. After joining the Jesuits, he later returned to Fordham where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy in 2009. Father Baker also earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2015 from Boston College and a Master of Education degree in 2016 from Columbia University.

Father Baker taught at Xavier High School in New York City before moving to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He also served as president of Xavier High School in Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia until 2021. After returning to the United States, he then worked as director of engagement and planned giving at Xavier High School in New York City.

He was ordained in 2015.

Rev. James F. Duffy, S.J., M.D. ’88

Rev. James F. Duffy, S.J., M.D.,’88, who is currently serving as superior for the Scranton Jesuit Community, returns to the University’s board after a seven-year hiatus. He previously served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2013.

A 1988 graduate of The University of Scranton, Father Duffy earned his medical degree from Georgetown University in 1992. He then served as an undersea medical officer for the U.S. Navy in Sardegna, Italy, on the USS Simon Lake (AS-33) from 1993-1996.

Upon returning to the U.S., Father Duffy entered the Society of Jesus in 1996. His first mission was to complete his residency training in internal medicine at Georgetown University Hospital, which he did from 1998 to 2000. Father Duffy also earned a master’s degree in health care ethics from Loyola University of Chicago and a master’s in divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in California. He was ordained in 2006.

During his distinguished career, he served as associate dean of clinical education at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington D.C. from 2006 to 2016 and was later named dean of clinical education at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri.

In 2013, Father Duffy received the University of Scranton’s Frank J. O'Hara Distinguished Alumni award, the highest award bestowed jointly by the university and its Alumni Society.

In keeping with the Universal Apostolic Preferences, Father Duffy, a board-certified internist, has continued to practice in Spanish-speaking, underserved medical clinics throughout his Jesuit formation and medical career.

Theresa Pattara ’95

Theresa Pattara is a public policy executive with extensive experience in the federal government and private industry, most recently serving as vice president in federal relations for Aflac, one of the nation’s top supplemental insurance companies. Prior to that, she held the same position at the data and records management company Iron Mountain. She is a former senior director for public policy at H&R Block.

In those roles, Pattara was responsible for leading teams in navigating laws and regulations to achieve business objectives by identifying innovative solutions for unique public policy challenges through public-private partnerships.

Before moving into corporate work, Pattara served as tax counsel to the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. In that capacity, she helped draft numerous pieces of legislation including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Affordable Care Act. She joined the Senate staff from the Internal Revenue Service and specialized in non-profit tax law and governance. She began her career as a certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Pattara currently serves on the board of directors for Court Appointed Special Advocates in Prince George’s County – a nonprofit organization advocating for permanent placements for foster children. She is also active in Many Hands, a women’s collective giving organization, and the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department, as an administrative volunteer.

Pattara graduated from The University of Scranton in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and earned her juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

A Scranton native whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Kerala, India, Pattara currently resides near Annandale, Virginia.