2023
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On March 7, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Leahy 235, the University community is invited to French Game Night. This cultural event is being led by the French Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Audrey Lecerf.
During this event, guests will be able to play a multitude of games including: Loup-garou, 7 Familles and French Pictionary. Their knowledge of the language will also be tested, with a short quiz and other activities. French snacks and sweets will be provided as well.
Don’t miss out on this immersive French experience!
French Game Night March 7
The Office of Human Resources presents 'For Your Benefit: A Series of Information Sessions on Benefits Topics"
The learning series, "For Your Benefit," continues with sessions geared toward resources, planning and guidance on topics including our various employee benefit plans and life issues, such as University Compensation program, Tuition Remission benefit, University benefit package overview and more.
Session 2, "Back by Popular Demand! 'Using your Tuition Benefit'," will take place March 7, 2:30-4:00 p.m., The DeNaples Center, 401 - Theatre
The Tuition benefit is one of the most significant benefits of working at the University, and we encourage employees to take advantage of it. Employees can pursue an undergraduate degree, learn for their own enrichment, or pursue a graduate degree. This workshop will be presented by a team to provide a full overview of all of the benefits associated with remission:
- BethAnn McCartney, Benefits Manager, will provide an overview of the many ways eligible employees can take advantage of this benefit for themselves, and for their dependents,
- Jonathan Kirby, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, will share information about the Tuition Exchange program, and
- Melissa Afshari, Associate Director, Graduate Admissions, will join the conversation to provide information about the Admissions process for both undergraduate and graduate level coursework, as well as High School Scholars.
Session 3 will take place April 18, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. BRN 228
The University of Scranton fosters a spirit of caring, grounded in Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, by providing an outstanding benefits package to its employees. Our comprehensive benefits and resources are designed to promote and sustain the health and wellness of employees and their families, and to help employees invest wisely in their future.
Session 1 was hosted Feb. 28 by Patti Tetreault, Vice President for Human Resources with an overview of The University of Scranton's staff compensation program, which has been in place since 2017 and provides a structure for pay grades and pay adjustments.
University benefits package includes:
- Health care plan choices that include medical, dental and vision
- A University-supported retirement savings plan
- Tuition remission and tuition exchange plans for employees and their families
- Short and long-term disability programs
- Life Insurance
- Generous paid time off
- An employee assistance program
- Mission and Community Service Leave
- Alternative work schedule program
Join BethAnn McCartney, Benefits Manager and Eileen Notarianni, Benefits Specialist, for an overview of the University’s benefit package and important steps to access the benefits.
Human Resources Presents 'For Your Benefit' Series
Applications for Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society in Social Sciences, are now being accepted. Applications are available in the Psychology Department, Alumni Memorial Hall, Room 200, or by emailing donna.rupp@scranton.edu.
Online application is the preferred and can be found at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/gVbZcvyGtR
Eligibility details are listed below. Applicants must:
• have completed a minimum of 45 credit hours
• achieved an overall GPA of at least 3.66
• earned a grade of “B” or better in seven graded courses in any combination of Economics, History, Human Services, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
NOTE: AP and TC courses are not considered for eligibility
Applications must be returned by March 23, 2023.
Social Sciences Honor Society Applications Due March 23
Staff, faculty and students are invited to attend the film screening of "Fair Play," a documentary discussing the challenges of work-life-family balance, on March 2, 6:00 p.m. in Rose Room, Brennan Hall, 509.
Refreshments will be served at the event, which is free and open to all. The film screening is sponsored by Women's and Gender Studies and Diversity Initiatives
Please register at the link below or contact Dr. Marzia Caporale for information: marzia.caporale@scranton.edu
Register at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/gGBYPAk1Y8
'Fair Play' free film screening and reception March 2
Recommendations for the 2023-2024 Peter S. Graybar Memorial Scholarship are being solicited. The scholarship will provide assistance for students entering their junior year in the fall.
The Peter S. Graybar Memorial Scholarship was created by the class of 1993 to honor a beloved friend and classmate. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who is active in extracurricular and community service activities and demonstrates personal impact on fellow students.
For more Information visit www.scranton.edu/financialaid. Click on Scholarships and Grants, Additional Scholarship Opportunities.
Application deadline is Friday, March 24, 2023.
Peter S. Graybar Memorial Scholarship 2023-2024 Application Deadline March 24
The Staff Senate would like to thank all staff members who took the time to recognize and share their colleague’s accomplishments, sense of community, and dedication to excellence. The Meg Cullen Brown Magis Award would not exist without our caring community!
THE MEG CULLEN-BROWN MAGIS AWARD WINNER for MARCH 2023 is: Jason Thorne, Printing Service
How long have you worked at the University?
"Almost 15 years."
What is your title?
"Senior Graphic Designer"
What do you like best about your job?
"Creative freedom and the people."
What do you like to do for fun?
Hiking with friends and spoiling my three girls, Bella (shown), Sheba and Isis, an 8-year old black Lab and two 10-year old felines."
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the good work that Jason does on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in personally congratulating Jason and all our nominees.
Jason will receive a certificate for $50 worth of complimentary food at our fabulous University food service outlets, as well as a reserved parking space in the DeNaples Parking Pavilion for the month of March. Each monthly winner is also invited to the Senate Recognition event in May to receive a certificate of appreciation.
We congratulate our winner and all nominees for being recognized as “Magis” employees!
March 2023 Nominees:
Devleta Alic, Facilities
Anthon Amato , Facilities
Jessica Barletta, University Police
Tara Blaine, Graduate Admissions
Salisa Brown, Faculty Secretary PHY/EE/CHEM
Christopher Carter, Grounds
Tom Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Janelle Decker, Music
Nancy Dolan, General Counsel
Hugh Doyle, Admissions
John Harris, Physical Plant Electrician
Jessica Hughes, Facilities Operations
JoAnne Jurkiewicz, World Languages and Cultures
Tom Kern, Client Services
Starr Laird, Facilities
Peg Mazzino, Facilities
Ikram Muhammad, Information Technology
Denise Mullen, Facilities
Glen Pace, IT
James Piazza, Carpentry/Trades
Dylan Popien, Facilities
Dolores Rozelle, PCPS
Donna Rupp, Psychology
Melissa Sherrill, Printing and mailing
Ken Smoke, Grounds
Adam Szydlowski, KSOM Advising
Mauri Walsh, Facilities
Eve Walsh-Bisignani, IT
Devleta Alic, Facilities
Anthony Amato, Facilities
Geri Barber, Counseling and Human Services
Deanna Beyrent, Client Services
Julie Brackeva-Phillips, IT
Gina Butler, CAS Dean's Office
Christopher Carter, Grounds
Thomas Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Janelle Decker, Music
Cheryl Evans, Financial Aid
Kym Fetsko, Library
Sharon Finnerty, Weinberg Memorial Library
Melisa Gallo, Interlibrary Loan - Library
John Garzarella, Athletic - Maintenance
Terri Golosky, Admissions
Synthia Guthrie-Kretsch, Mailing Services
Jacob Harris, Facilities Operations
Cindy Hricko, IT
Ann Keeler, Counseling and Human Services
Tom Kern, IT
Jon Kessell, Application Development
Anthony Kilker, Grounds
Barbara King, Dean of Students Office
Gary Lalli, Registrar's Office
Dave Martin, Athletics
Mary Ann Maslar, CAS Dean's Office
Peg Mazzino, Facilities
Ellen Morgan, Counseling Center
Denise Mullen, Facilities
Lisa Notarianni, Information Technology
Jill O'Connor, Nursing
Debbie Parry, KSOM Deans office
Carol Policastro, Facilities
Michael Ritterbeck, CSE
Janet Schieber, Residence Life
Melissa Sherrill, Printing
Eileen Siock, Grad Admission
JoAnn Stavisky, Facilities
Jason Thorne, Creative Services - Printing and Mailing
Eve Walsh-Bisignani, IT
John Witko, Facilities
Gerry Wren, Security
Jason Thorne is Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner
The 13th annual Shamrockin’ Eve will return to the Byron Center Friday, March 10, at 8:30 p.m.
The event will unite alumni from the classes of 2018-2022 with current seniors in celebration of one of Scranton's favorite traditions. Featuring food, drinks, a DJ, a photo booth, and a sea of green T-shirts, Shamrockin’ Eve will truly be a night to remember.
Alumni can register online through Friday, March 10, at 9 a.m.; alumni may also register as walk-ins at the event for $40. Seniors must register online for $35 by March 10 at 9 a.m. as senior walk-ins will not be admitted. See a list of registrants here. This year, $5 of every registration fee will benefit The University of Scranton Royal Fund.
In 2009, the University held its first Shamrockin' Eve. The event was founded after a group of young alumni who wanted to reconnect with Scranton and each other prior to their five-year class reunion met with the late Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., the University’s 24th and 27th president, at Chapman Lake. It quickly evolved into an opportunity for current seniors and recent graduates to contribute to the success of future University students.
For more information, visit scranton.edu/shamrock.
Shamrockin' Eve Returns March 10
The University will hold a reception for alumni, parents and friends in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at Murphy's Law Sports Bar March 13 at 7 p.m.
The $15 registration fee includes beer, wine, soda and appetizers. Register for the reception here.
The University's Baseball and Softball teams will be in Myrtle Beach for spring break training from March 11-17. Visit athletics.scranton.edu for the latest team schedules.
University To Hold Myrtle Beach Reception March 13
The Council of Alumni Lawyers (CAL) will hold a networking reception with University of Scranton Pre-Law Society students at The Pyramid Club in Philadelphia April 21.
The cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception will give alumni lawyers the chance to meet both their fellow alumni attorneys in the Philadelphia area and current students interested in a legal career. Register for the CAL Networking Reception with Pre-Law Society Students today.
CAL To Hold Networking Reception With Pre-Law Society Students In Philadelphia April 21
The University will celebrate Reunion Weekend 2023 from June 9-11. Registration for the event will open soon. For more information, visit scranton.edu/reunion or email alumni@scranton.edu.
The “Planning to Attend” list for Reunion Weekend 2023 has officially opened. Add your name to the Planning to Attend list to let your friends know you're coming, and visit the Planning to Attend page to see which of your classmates is planning to attend the festivities.
Reminder: University To Hold Reunion 2023 June 9-11
Alumni, parents and friends of The University of Scranton will have the opportunity to celebrate Earth Day by participating in one of several regional service projects at the University's annual Day of Service celebration, which will fall on Saturday, April 22. Visit scranton.edu/dayofservice for a full list of this year's sites.
Massachusetts
Royals in the Newtonville, Massachusetts, area will have the opportunity to inspect, sort and package donations at Cradles to Crayons. Register for the Cradles to Crayons service project today.
New York
Royals in the Brooklyn area will have the chance to work on an Earth Day project with the students of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, and they will also have the opportunity to assist with homework and play games. Register for the Brooklyn Jesuit Prep service project today.
Pennsylvania
Royals in the Harrisburg area will have the opportunity to participate in Tri County Community Action's 11th Annual Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup. Register today for the 11th Annual Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup.
Royals in NEPA will have the opportunity to prepare and package meals for the University's We Care program at The Retreat Center at Chapman Lake. Register for The Retreat Center at Chapman Lake service project today.
Royals in NEPA will also have the opportunity to assist the St. Joseph's Center Baby and Food Pantry by meeting cars and taking and sorting donations. Register for the St. Joseph's Center Baby and Food Pantry service project today.
Royals in Philadelphia will have the chance to plant a garden, clean and landscape a playground, and paint happways and lounges at The Drueding Center. Register for The Drueding Center service project today.
Royals in Worcester area will have the opportunity to paint, landscape, clean and organize The Variety Children's Charity. Register for The Variety Children's Charity service project today.
Washington, D.C.
Royals in the Washington, D.C., area will have the opportunity to sort and package items for distribution to those in need at the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Register for the Arlington Food Assistance Center service project today.
If you are interested in coordinating a Day of Service site in your region, please email Marge Gleason, P'14, '17, at margery.gleason@scranton.edu. If you don't see a service site in your region but would still like to participate in the Day of Service, volunteer in your community April 22 and tell us about it by sending a picture or emailing your information to alumni@scranton.edu.
Registration Now Open For Day of Service April 22
Assistant Professor of Biology, Spencer Galen, Ph.D, instructs University students in the classroom, lab and field. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Galen participates in scientific research regarding ornithology, the study of birds, and parasitology, the study of parasites. Recently, DNA he sequenced helped solve a biological mystery. He explains how the collaboration identifies a "strange-looking bird" (spotted in Pennsylvania!) as a species unlike any known to science.
When he's not instructing Royals in General Biology I and II, General Physiology Laboratory, and Parasitology, he's guiding them toward forward-thinking facets of the field, including statistics and bioinformatics, which he describes as "powerful tools that scientists increasingly rely on to understand their data".
Today Dr. Galen discusses his contributions as co-author of "Genetic confirmation of a hybrid between two highly divergent cardinalid species: A rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) and a scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea)," shown, below.
What inspired you to research this topic?
"The story behind my contribution to this study is actually quite an odd one, but one that speaks to the collaborative nature of science. As many people know the news or from popular media, DNA can be used to identify an unknown person of interest whether it may be a suspect in a criminal case or a long-lost relative. We can also use DNA to solve biological mysteries, such as identifying the parents of a hybrid organism.
Several years ago a strange-looking bird unlike any species known to science was seen right here in Pennsylvania, and a team of researchers sought to study its DNA to try to determine if it was a hybrid. Coincidentally, I had previously sequenced the DNA of a number of bird species from the eastern U.S.A., and my DNA data was used to solve the hybrid mystery – as it turned out, the bird was a hybrid of two very distantly related bird species (the rose-breasted grosbeak and scarlet tanager, believed to have last shared a common ancestor 10 million years ago)."
What theory did your research team have as to how a hybrid formed under natural conditions in the wild? What techniques were used to solve the mystery of the bird’s origin?
"The research team that I was involved with used a combination of evidence from DNA, physical appearance, and song analysis to determine the parents of the hybrid bird. While the song of the bird was similar to one of the proposed parental species (scarlet tanager), both the physical appearance and the DNA of the bird appeared to be a perfect mix of the two parents. We really don’t understand the circumstances under which the hybrid formed, but with increasing forest fragmentation and declining songbird populations it may mean that birds are having a harder time finding a mate, possibly making hybridization more likely."
What is something that has surprised you in your research?
"A parasite is any organism that lives in or on a host species and depends on that host species for energetic resources. Parasites are everywhere and are extremely diverse, which makes studying them very rewarding as there is a lot of room for discovery. I am particularly interested in what is called parasite biodiversity, which is broadly thought of as the number of species of parasite and their abundances throughout the world.
The general hypothesis that drives a lot of my research is that parasites are probably even more abundant and diverse than we have previously understood. Using more advanced DNA-based methods my research largely supports this idea, showing that there are likely thousands of undiscovered species of blood parasite that are in need of study."
What do you recommend to someone interested in pursuing a career in your field?
"I probably wouldn’t have liked to hear this advice when I was an undergraduate, but it is advantageous to become skilled with both numbers and computers if you want to work in any biological field. I am referring specifically to the fields of statistics and bioinformatics, which are both powerful tools that scientists increasingly rely on to understand their data.
I don’t think someone interested in ecology and evolutionary biology needs to become an expert statistician or bioinformatician (I am certainly not), but having basic skills in these areas will make you a more versatile scientist who has the ability to transition to a variety of other fields. I recommend taking a least one introductory class in statistics (e.g. Biostatistics offered by the biology department) and computer science, to start building these skills."
What’s next for you in terms of research projects?
"I have many different projects going on that I am excited about! I have students working on projects related to blood parasites in birds from Alaska, blood parasites that infect birds of prey such as eagles and vultures, discovering new species of blood parasites in the eastern U.S., and identifying what animals insect vectors like mosquitoes are feeding on in northeastern PA, among several other projects. I have a talented group of students working on these studies and I have been thrilled to see them develop as scientists."
When did you decide to pursue a career as a researcher and educator?
"I don’t know exactly when I decided that I wanted to be a professor, but I suppose I was always destined to become one because I never considered pursuing a career that wouldn’t allow me to freely explore my interests in science and natural history. As a professor I get to do research with my students on any topic that strikes my interest, which is a special thing about this job that I greatly value.
It is hard to know when your work as an academic is truly making an impact, and so I try to focus on making sure my students are building long-lasting, positive associations with biology, whether it is in the lab or in the classroom. I think getting the next generation excited about biology is probably the most impactful thing that we can do as professors."
On a Lighter Note...
Dr. Spencer C. Galen earned a doctoral degree in Comparative Biology from the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, a Master's in Biology from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware.
Favorite birdsongs?
"Picking my favorite bird song is like trying to pick a favorite child, but I will throw out one that I am particularly fond of – the Veery is a thrush that spends its summers in Pennsylvania forests that has an eerily beautiful song. You can listen to it here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Veery/sounds#."
Favorite location for bird watching?
"In the eastern U.S.A. I think that it is hard to beat Cape May, New Jersey for the best bird watching location. It is a small area packed with amazing bird watching spots that span the transition from forest to the ocean. Visit during Spring or Fall and birds are everywhere! It is also a charming little beach town if you need a different reason to visit."
Faculty Profile: A Conversation with Dr. Spencer Galen
Dr. Paul Datti, professor in the counseling and human services program will present “All These Isms: Understanding Privilege, Power, and Oppression,” on Wednesday, March 8, at 12:00 p.m., in the Kane Forum, Leahy Hall, Rm. 235. Registration is required.
Dr. Paul Datti will discuss “Isms,” such as racism, sexism, cisgenderism, able-ism, and more. He will show examples of privilege and how it gives power to some and excludes others, and highlight the importance of social justice in Jesuit education to reduce incidents of discrimination and harassment in the learning and working environment.
Dr. Paul Datti, Ph.D., CRC, HS-BCP, is a professor and director of the Counseling and Human Services program. Along with his dedication to diversity and inclusivity, Dr. Paul Datti received The University of Scranton’s Award for Excellence in Integrating Diversity in Teaching in 2014 and 2021. He participates in diversity-related initiatives and committees inside and outside the University of Scranton community.
Dr. Paul Datti provides trainings at state and national conferences, community organizations, and to the faculty, staff, and students at The University of Scranton. While doing extensive service work for diverse populations, his research and scholarly interests involve HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ affirmative practices, disability, and intersectionality.
Register for the March 8 Diversity Lunch and Learn.
All These Isms: Understanding Privilege, Power, and Oppression
The University will hold three Presidential Receptions with Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, in Florida during the month of March.
The first reception will take place at Admiral's Cove Golf Village in Jupiter, Florida, March 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. Visit https://bit.ly/UofSJupiter2023 to register for the event.
The second reception will take place at Naples Bay Resort & Marina in Naples, Florida, March 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit https://scranton.advancementform.com/event/florida-events-2023/register to register for the event.
The third gathering will take place at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, March 26 as the Yankees take on the Blue Jays at a spring training game. The pre-game reception will begin at 11 a.m., and the first pitch will be thrown at 1:05 p.m. The $50 registration fee includes the pre-game reception and a ticket to the game. Visit https://scranton.advancementform.com/event/florida-events-2023/register to register for the event.
University To Hold Presidential Receptions In Florida In March
On Wednesday, March 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall 509 at The University of Scranton a humanities lecture and discussion “Black Patience & Emancipation: A Conversation,” will feature Dr. Julius Fleming, Jr., author and Associate Professor of English and Director, English Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Fleming will reflect on the themes raised in his recent book, "Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation". He will then engage in conversation about their local and national relevance with Glynis Johns, CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project and Dr. Melissa Anyiwo, Associate Professor of African American History at The University of Scranton. A Q&A with the audience will follow the discussion.
This event is co-sponsored by the Black Scranton Project. To register for this event, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BlackPatience23
Dr. Fleming earned a doctorate in English, and a graduate certificate in Africana studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Specializing in Afro-Diasporic literatures and cultures, Dr. Fleming has particular interests in performance studies, Black political culture, diaspora, and colonialism, especially where they intersect with race, gender, and sexuality.
His book "Black Patience" reconsiders the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of Black theatre, while examining the importance of time and effect to the making of the modern racial order. Analyzing a largely unexplored, transnational archive of Black theatre, the book demonstrates how Black artists and activists used theatre and performance to unsettle the demands of a violent racial project he terms “Black patience.” From the slave castle to the hold of the slave ship, from the auction block to commands to “go slow” in fighting segregation, Black people have historically been forced to wait, coerced into performing patience. This book argues that during the Civil Rights Movement, Black people’s cries for “freedom now”—at the lunch counter, in the streets, and importantly, on the theatrical stage—disturbed the historical praxis of using Black patience to manufacture and preserve anti-Blackness and white supremacy.
This event is a part of the "Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story" project’s sixth theme, “The Underground Railroad to Black Scranton.” The theme included a PBS Black History Film Series, a connected exhibition at the University’s Hope Horn Gallery, A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince, ongoing through March 10, and a humanities lecture and discussion, “Black History and Housing in Scranton,” featuring Glynis Johns CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project, held on Feb. 9. During the Feb. 9 event, Johns discussed the Black history of Adams Avenue in the downtown Scranton area where a predominantly African American neighborhood existed prior to redevelopment in the 1970s and explored themes around Blackness, housing, racial discrimination, and affordability that remain relevant today. This event was also part of the University’s spring Community-Based Learning talks series. The event recording is now available on the University’s YouTube channel at: "Black History and Housing in Scranton."
For more information about the Scranton Story project and to view upcoming events and recordings of past events, please visit www.scranton.edu/scrantonstory.
Questions? Contact community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.
Follow the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project on social media at: Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter at @scrantonstory
March 8 Event Featuring Dr. Julius Fleming, Jr. to Explore Black Patience, Emancipation
February
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The Staff Senate would like to thank all staff members who took the time to recognize and share their colleague’s accomplishments, sense of community, and dedication to excellence. The Meg Cullen Brown Magis Award would not exist without our caring community!
THE MEG CULLEN-BROWN MAGIS AWARD WINNER for FEBRUARY 2023 is: Donna Rupp, Psychology Department
How long have you worked for the University?
"I have worked at the University for 22 years."
What is your title?
"I am the full-time Faculty Secretary for the Psychology Department (the entire 22 years). I am also the part-time secretary for the Latin American/Latinx Studies and Women’s & and Gender Studies programs (since 2012)."
What do you like best about your job?
"The appreciation and respect I receive from faculty and students is very gratifying."
What do you like to do for fun?
"The most fun thing is spending time with my 3-year-old grandson (shown below). It is such a joy to watch him learn new things and be amazed at everything. Also, although it doesn’t always feel like “fun” at the time I am doing them (haha), I run several days a week and participate in several Wellness classes offered by the University such as Light Weights and Abs and Pickleball. I only started running and faithfully exercising over the past ten years, so I’m not burned out yet -- and curious to see how long I can continue…"
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the good work that Donna does on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in personally congratulating Donna and all our nominees.
Donna will receive a certificate for $50 worth of complimentary food at our fabulous University food service outlets, as well as a reserved parking space in the DeNaples Parking Pavilion for the month of February. Each monthly winner is also invited to the Senate Recognition event in May to receive a certificate of appreciation.
We congratulate our winner and all nominees for being recognized as “Magis” employees!
February 2023 Nominees:
Devleta Alic, Facilities
Anthon Amato , Facilities
Jessica Barletta, University Police
Tara Blaine, Graduate Admissions
Salisa Brown, Faculty Secretary PHY/EE/CHEM
Christopher Carter, Grounds
Tom Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Janelle Decker, Music
Nancy Dolan, General Counsel
Hugh Doyle, Admissions
John Harris, Physical Plant Electrician
Jessica Hughes, Facilities Operations
JoAnne Jurkiewicz, World Languages and Cultures
Tom Kern, Client Services
Starr Laird, Facilities
Peg Mazzino, Facilities
Ikram Muhammad, Information Technology
Denise Mullen, Facilities
Glen Pace, IT
James Piazza, Carpentry/Trades
Dylan Popien, Facilities
Dolores Rozelle, PCPS
Donna Rupp, Psychology
Melissa Sherrill, Printing and mailing
Ken Smoke, Grounds
Adam Szydlowski, KSOM Advising
Mauri Walsh, Facilities
Eve Walsh-Bisignani, IT
Donna Rupp is Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner
“I Am Woman,” the Helen Reddy song that became an unofficial anthem of the women’s movement, hit number one on Billboard’s record chart on Dec. 9, 1972.
At the same time, a group of 120 women were charting a new course for themselves and future generations on the campus of The University of Scranton as members of the first incoming class that included women as residential and commuter full-time students.
A news article from that period in the then-Sunday paper The Scrantonian, interviewed several women in the first coed class about the transition. Students quoted said that they chose Scranton because they felt Scranton genuinely wanted them. Many of the women said that when the classes began in the fall semester, they felt self-conscious about being members of the first coed class and noted that the men, too, had to adjust. But, they said, as the semester continued they felt more comfortable and accepted.
Among the first cohort of women trailblazers at Scranton interviewed in The Scrantonian news story was Susan Swain ’76, now the president and co-CEO of C-SPAN. The English major was quoted as saying: “I find that I don’t have to be on my guard as much. I don’t have to constantly worry about whether I’m making a good impression because the guys I associate with are really good friends and I can be myself and they can too.”
Another member of the first coed cohort, former University Trustee Karen Pennington, Ph.D., ’76, G’83, H’15, who served as vice president for student development and campus life at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, until she retired a few years ago, was quoted as saying: “The small classes are great, because the teachers have the opportunity of giving students closer attention.”
The University has marked the 50th anniversary of becoming coeducational with a year-long celebration.
“These celebrations matter,” said Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the opening ceremony of the celebration in September. “I’m very aware that I am standing in front of you in this space because of these women, and because of this decision,” noting that it is important to remember the women “who created spaces for us that did not exist for them.”
In addition, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of the University, sent a message about the celebration to the University community.
The Committee for the Celebration of 50 years of Coeducation at Scranton is co-chaired by Elizabeth Garcia, J.D., executive director of the Office of Equity and Diversity and special assistant to the president, and Lauren Rivera, J.D., interim vice president for student life and dean of students.
'Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation' upcoming events include:
* A screening of the documentary “Fair Play,” followed by a facilitated conversation about wage gap, the effects of gender roles in families struggling to maintain their work-life balance and intersectionality, will take place March 2 at 6 p.m. in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall. “Fair Play” is based on the best-selling book written by Eve Rodsky.
* A “Talk Back” led by Susan Poulson, Ph.D., professor of history at the University, will immediately follow the 8 p.m. March 4 performance of “Little Women: the Broadway Musical” by The University of Scranton Players in the McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts.
* A Salary Negotiations Workshop, offered by the University’s Center for Career Development, Office of Human Resources and Jane Kopas Women’s Center, is set for March 7 at 6 p.m. in room 405 of the DeNaples Center.
* The Women of Vision and Courage Award Presentation and Celebration will take place at 3 p.m. on March 8, International Women’s Day, in the McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center.
* 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, New Jersey, will present “The Courage to Care” as part of the Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminars. The talk begins at noon on March 13 in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall.
* In recognition of the 50th anniversaries of Title IX and coeducation at Scranton, a full-day Women’s and Gender Justice Teach-in, hosted by the University’s Ellacuria Initiative will take place on March 28 in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center.
* The highest-ranking female official at the Vatican, Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, will discuss “Pope Francis, Women and Synodality,” at 7 p.m. on March 29 at 7 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. Sister Becquart was appointed by Pope Francis as the undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
* A screening of the film “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva” will take place on March 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center.
* An Alumni Panel Discussion will take place on April 12 at 5 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center
* The University of Scranton’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the English and Theatre Department will perform “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight” at the Studio Theatre of the McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Performances are set for April 27, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m., and on April 30 at 2 p.m.
Additional events include table sits and trivia tables on the second floor of the DeNaples Center in March and a trip to Seneca Falls on March 25, among other activities. The University will also light the Class of 2020 Gateway Sign in honor of the celebration on March 1, 8 and April 12.
Some events are free of charge, while ticket prices vary for others. More details about events planned for “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” can be seen here. For questions or additional information, contact the University’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center at 570-941-6194.
University Celebrates Roar That Began 50 Years Ago
The University of Scranton’s “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” kicks into high gear in March and April. The following is a list of events planned in the coming months.
Mar. 1 11 a.m. Table Sit: information about the 50th anniversary celebration and Women’s History Month, sponsored by the University’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center. Second floor, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to members of the University community. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 2 6 p.m. Documentary film screening: “Fair Play,” based on the best-selling book by Eve Rodsky, followed by a facilitated conversation about wage gap, the effects gender roles in families struggling to maintain their work life balance, and intersectionality. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Free. Open to the University community. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 4 Following the 8 p.m. performance of “Little Women: the Broadway Musical,” Talk Back, led by Susan Poulson, Ph.D., professor of history at The University of Scranton. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Open to the public. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
Mar. 7 6 p.m. Salary Negotiations Workshop offered by The University of Scranton’s Career Development Office, Human Resources Office and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center. Room 405, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to the public. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 8 3 p.m. Women of Vision and Courage Award Presentation offered by The University of Scranton’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to invited guests. Reservations required. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 13 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Courage to Care” presented by 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, New Jersey. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Open to the public. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 24 1 p.m. Trivia Table sponsored by the University’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center. Second floor, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to members of the University community. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 25 8 a.m. Bus trip to historic Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace of the women’s movement in the United States. Departs from the DeNaples Center circle. Fees vary. Reservations required. Open to members of the University community. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 28 8 a.m. Women’s and Gender Justice Teach-in, sponsored by the University’s Ellacuria Initiative, in recognition of the 50th anniversaries of Title IX and coeducation at Scranton. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Reservations required. Free. Open to members of the University community. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 29 7 p.m. Lecture: “Pope Francis, Women and Synodality” by Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (the highest-ranking female official at the Vatican). McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to the public. Call 570-941-7419 or email campusministries@scranton.edu.
Mar. 30 7:30 p.m. Film screening: “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva,” a documentary film about the life of the eco-activist and agro-ecologist, who fought against multinational agribusiness in India and became leader in the international organic food movement. Panel discussion immediately follows. The event is presented by the University’s Office of Sustainability, The Slattery Center, Environmental Studies Concentration, Women and Gender Studies, Asian Studies and the Cultural Centers. Moscovitz theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to the public. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu.
Apr. 12 5 p.m. Alumni Panel Discussion. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Open to the public. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Apr. 27-30 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight” by the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the English and Theatre Department. Studio Theatre, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Prices vary. Open to the public. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
For additional information about events, contact the University’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center at 570-941-6194 or by email at jkwc@scranton.edu.
A message from Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, about the celebration can be seen here.
Additional events planned in March can be seen here.
Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation Events
On Sunday, Mar. 5, at 7:30 p.m., The University of Scranton’s Concert Choir will present a concert in collaboration with Scranton Brass Orchestra. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert will take place at the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.
According to Performance Music Conductors and Co-Directors Cheryl Y. Boga and Philip Kuehn, the concert will feature a short program by each group, followed by the performance of three pieces by the combined groups, with piano accompaniment.
Formed four decades ago, the mixed-voice University of Scranton Concert Choir is a 50-member ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the University’s curriculum, brought together by their love of music. They are known for their eclectic and diverse styles of programming, and their selections for this concert include a lush choral arrangement of the Great American Songbook standard “When I Fall in Love,” an a cappella version of Don McLean’s “Vincent,” a setting by James Mulholland of the Robert Burns poem “A Red, Red Rose,” Rene Clausen’s “If Music Be The Food of Love,” and the tonally shimmering “Water Night” by Eric Whitacre.
Now in its 11th season, Scranton Brass Orchestra is a fully-professional, 28-member ensemble comprised of brass and percussion players/teachers from across the region. Since its founding in June 2011, the group’s performances have been free and open to the public, and have featured nationally and internationally acclaimed guests, among them some of the most acclaimed brass players of our time. For the Mar. 5 concert, the ensemble will perform brass band arrangements of music by Gershwin, Andrew Lloyd Weber and American folk songs.
The primary focus of Performance Music at the University is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year. Other programs within the department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, 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.
For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624 or visit scranton.edu/music.
The full spring season of Performance Music Concerts can be seen here.
Choir and Scranton Brass Orchestra to Perform
The University of Scranton offered a Community-Based Learning Talk titled “Black History and Housing in Scranton,” by Glynis Johns, CEO and founder of the Black Scranton Project, in February. The talk highlighted downtown Scranton’s history and discussed themes of Blackness, housing, racial discrimination and more. The event was part of the University’s Black History Month programming and the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project, which is a National Endowment for the Humanities funded initiative led by the University and various community organizations.
Black History and Housing in Scranton Discussed
In partnership with the Center for Anti-Slavery Studies, the Weinberg Memorial Library has acquired a selection of books and media for the collection. This generous gift from Sherman and Cindy Wooden will be called the Center for Anti-Slavery Studies Collection. The resources include important works on Black Pennsylvanians and will enhance our collection in the areas of Black history and culture, the underground railroad, the abolition movement, and the civil rights movement.
The entirety of this collection can be discovered in the Weinberg Memorial Library's online catalog by keyword searching "Center for Anti-Slavery Studies Collection."
Fifteen titles have been added to the Media Collection.
One-hundred and sixty-nine titles have been added to the Weinberg Memorial Library's collection, with select items added to Special Collections and the EdLab.
The Center for Anti-Slavery Studies (CASS) works to promote historical research, preserve relevant history, and educate the public on the activities surrounding the Anti-Slavery Movement in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 1996, CASS works closely with interested individuals, families, and partner organizations to find the physical documentation and historic sites relevant to the Anti-Slavery Movement in Pennsylvania’s northeast. CASS is housed in a historical 1816 home and the site of the former Silver Lake Bank in Montrose, Pennsylvania.
Center for Anti-Slavery Studies Collection gifted to Weinberg Memorial Library
A film series sponsored by the Office of Community Relations, the Black Scranton Project, and WVIA as part of the Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story project will conclude this Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. in the Moskowitz Theatre with a screening of "Jim Crow of the North" that explores northern cities' promulgation of racialized housing policies that continue to reverberate today.
Discussion and Q&A to follow with Glynis Johns of Black Scranton and Julie Schumacher Cohen, University of Scranton AVP for Community Engagement and Government Affairs regarding the national and especially local implications of these practices and policies, including reflections and highlights from Johns' recent presentation on "Black History and Housing in Scranton."
To register, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419. No registration required. Light refreshments available.
'Jim Crow of the North' Film Screening Feb. 26
For University of Scranton student Ashley Moronta, the Multicultural Center is a “home away from home.”
“I met my closest friends there. It has brought so many student from different backgrounds together,” said Moronta at the Grand Opening and Blessing Ceremony of the newly expanded and renovated Multicultural Center, now located on the first floor of the DeNaples Center.
University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., noted the prominent location and increased size of the Multicultural Center as an illustration of the importance of the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.
“On my way to the ceremony, I saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It is a symbol of what we have here today – the gift God has given us with the diversity of our campus,” said Father Marina in his remarks prior to blessing the Center.
According to José Sanchez, assistant director of the University’s Cultural Centers, input from students was solicited and incorporated into the design of the new space.
The renovated facility includes places to store backpacks and coats and a refrigerator for food; rooms for study and group meetings; and TV screens, white boards and coated walls for presentations or to help organize collaborative efforts. Tables function for dining as well as group work spaces. Couches, comfortable for just relaxing, can be easily reformed into theater-type seating for movie screenings, performances or guest lectures.
“We want the Center to be inviting and a place where our students want to spend their time,” said Sanchez.
And that warmth is what attracted student Paul Amara to the Center.
“I felt welcomed. It made me feel that this is a place where I am meant to be,” said Amara in his remarks at the ceremony. An accounting major from Williamsport, Amara said the Multicultural Center and the people he met there have changed him into who he is today, growing from shy person, to a more outgoing individual.
“It warms my heart that the Center will now be open to more people,” he said.
Following the blessing, officers from student organizations cut a ribbon to formally open the renovated Multicultural Center to the campus community. Students cutting the ribbon were Moronta, a senior forensic chemistry major from Hazleton and president of the United Cultures Organization, who also spoke at the ceremony; Arielle Contrera, a senior English major from Brooklyn, New York, and president of the Spanish Cultural Society; Eli Kerr, a 2022 graduate of the University and current occupational therapy graduate student from Scranton and former president of Scranton Alliance for Equity (SAFE); Erica Mascardo, a senior biology major from Kansas City, Missouri, and president of the International Student Club; Ayana McCalla, a senior sociology major from Baldwin, New York, and president of the Louis Stanley Brown Student Union; Siddharth Patel, a senior biochemistry major from Scranton and president of the Asia Club; and Danica Sinson, a senior biology and philosophy double major from Floral Park, New York, and a participant in the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and president of the Scranton Student Association of the Philippines.
Lauren Rivera, J.D., M.Ed., interim vice president for student life and dean of students, and Sanchez also spoke at the ceremony.
The University received generous financial support from PNC to help fund the Multicultural Center renovations.
Photos of the Grand Opening and Blessing Ceremony of the Multicultural Center, as well as the open house that immediately followed, can be seen in the gallery below.
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The University of Scranton will host the HamSCI Workshop 2023, which engages amateur radio enthusiasts and professional scientists to collaborate on existing and future innovative research projects. Titled “Forging Amateur-Professional Bonds,” the conference takes place March 17-18 at locations on campus and at the historic Lackawanna Station hotel. HamSCI is an officially recognized NASA Citizen Science project and the conference has received grant support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC.)
“The HamSCI Workshop plays a unique and important role in the development of both the amateur radio community and the scientific workforce,” said Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., (W2NAF) assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering at The University of Scranton.
Speakers for the HamSCI Workshop 2023 include a keynote presentation by Patricia Reiff, Ph.D., (W5TAR) professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University and founding director of the Rice Space Institute. She will discuss the importance of united teams of amateurs and professionals in conducting and advancing scientific research. She earned her Ph.D. in space physics and astronomy from Rice University.
Joseph Huba, Ph.D., vice president of Syntek Technologies and former head of the Space Plasma Physics Section at the Naval Research Laboratory, will discuss “Modeling the Ionosphere with SAMI3.” Dr. Huba’s tutorial will provide a general overview of ionospheric physics and SAMI3, which models the plasma and chemical evolution of seven ion species. Dr. Huba earned his Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics at the University of Maryland.
Also, speaking at the conference will be Jesse Alexander (WB2IFS/3), a licensed amateur radio operator, who will discuss his efforts to introduce young people to the wonder of the Electromagnetic Spectrum through hands-on ham radio-based experiences.
The HamSCI Workshop will give participants hands-on experience using University’s amateur radio station W3USR as well. The workshop will also serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project (PSWS), which is a $1.3 million NSF funded project previously awarded to Dr. Frissell.
The workshop also features presentations of research abstracts related to the latest developments related radio science and amateur radio, including those related to solar eclipse ionospheric effects, Sporadic E, traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), and space and terrestrial weather impacts to radio propagation. University of Scranton students Veronica Romanek, Hampton, New Jersey, a senior physics and Spanish double major; Francis Tholley ’21, Darby, a software engineering graduate student, who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Scranton; and Shaaf Sarwar, Qazalbash Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan, a senior physics major and recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, will be among the research presenters.
In addition, the Murgas Amateur Radio club from NEPA will showcase old amateur radios in an “Amateur Radio Through the Ages” exhibit in the display cases on the second floor of Loyola Science Center. The Murgas Amateur Radio Club and Scranton Pocono Amateur Radio Club will also run a special event amateur radio station at the workshop using the W3USR call sign and offer on-site amateur radio license exams.
The HamSCI Workshop 2023 offers both in-person or virtual participation. Lodging for the event is available at the historic Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel Scranton and the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. For registration details and conference information, visit the HamSCI Workshop 2023 webpage.
University to Host HamSCI Sixth Annual Workshop
Soup for the Soul, a program hosted by The Center for Service and Social Justice, asks the University community to donate the cost of a bowl of soup each Thursday during Lent, beginning Feb. 23. Donations will be accepted in the first floor food court DeNaples Center.
The donations are given in bulk each week from Dining Services and the soup is distributed as part of a meal prepared by the We Care program at Arrupe House. The students will be collecting donations from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and can be made via Flex, Royal, cash or CC/Debit by scanning a bar code given to the cashier at check out.
Questions? Patricia.Vaccaro@scranton.edu
Soup for the Soul Donations Start Feb. 23
Announcing the most important recognition of student scholarship at The University of Scranton: 2023 Celebration of Student Scholars.
The University of Scranton will hold its annual Celebration of Student Scholars during the afternoon of Wednesday, April 26, at the Loyola Science Center.
All University of Scranton students and their faculty mentors are encouraged to consider participating in this showcase of the outstanding and unique scholarly work of our undergraduate and graduate students. Share the date with family, friends, teachers, and others interested in your scholarly growth.
Watch for a call for submissions of poster and oral presentations to be issued in late March.
Celebration of Student Scholars is coordinated by The Office Research Support & Sponsored Programs, O'Hara Hall, 4th Floor. They can be contacted at 570.941.5824 or via orsp@scranton.edu.
Save the Date for Celebration of Student Scholars
University employees are invite to learn more about the policies overseen the Office of Equity and Diversity on Monday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
The following topics and University policies will be discussed at three upcoming information sessions:
• Requests for Accommodations for disability, pregnancy and religious reasons
• Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy including violations as defined in the policy and information on your role as a responsible reporter of sexual misconduct, and the policy complaint procedures
• Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy including the protected classes as defined by the University policy, and the related complaint process
Questions may be sent in advance to: diversity@scranton.edu.
University Policies Information Session for Employees March 6
The Community Based Learning Faculty Fellows Program at The University of Scranton seeks to recognize, reward, and support faculty who are eager to fully integrate CBL as an intentional pedagogical strategy and community engagement activity into their course and/or curricular-based/discipline-oriented project. The fellowship can involve substantively revamping existing CBL activity or creating a new course or project. Each fellowship will last for the academic year, and there will be up to four fellowships per academic year. Each fellow will earn a $2,000 stipend for completing the program.
This program is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our academic community engagement in ways that align deeply with our Jesuit and Catholic mission to promote the common good in the area that the University calls home.
Applications are available here: https://www.scranton.edu/academics/provost/cbl/faculty-resources/cbl-faculty-fellows-program.shtml
Please review the application documents and consider applying for the CBL Faculty Fellows Program for the 2023-2024 academic year. Deadline for applications: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Debra Fetherman, CBL Faculty Coordinator (debra.fetherman@scranton.edu) or Julie Schumacher Cohen, Chair of CBL Board (julie.cohen@scranton.edu).
CBL Faculty Fellow Application Due Feb. 28
The University community is invited to join for the grand opening of the Multicultural Center new space Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. at the first floor of the DeNaples Center. Events will include an opening ceremony and blessing.
All are welcome to celebrate, tour the new space, and learn about the work of the Cultural Centers. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact Jose Sanchez, Assistant Director of the Cultural Centers at 570-941-4160 or jose.sanchez@scranton.edu
Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. is Multicultural Center Blessing and Opening Ceremony
Through Mar. 10 Art Exhibit: “A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Mar. 3-5 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, book by Allan Knee presented by The University of Scranton Players. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
Mar. 4 Following 8 p.m. performance: Talk Back immediately after the performance of “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” by The University of Scranton Players as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
Mar. 5 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Concert Choir and The Scranton Brass Orchestra. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Mar. 7 6 p.m. Salary Negotiations Workshop offered by The University of Scranton’s Career Development Office and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Room 405, The DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 8 3 p.m. Women of Vision and Courage Award Presentation offered by The University of Scranton’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Reservations required. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 8 7 p.m. Humanities Lecture and Discussion: “Black Patience and Emancipation: A Conversation,” with author Julius Fleming Jr, author of “Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation;” discussion follows with Glynis Johns, Black Scranton, and Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., associate professor of African American history at The University of Scranton. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Free. Registration requested at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BlackPatience23. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu.
Mar. 13 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Courage to Care” presented by 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, New Jersey. The luncheon is part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 20 through Apr. 14 Art Exhibit: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Mar. 23 11:45 a.m. Community-Based Learning Talk “Environmental Health” presented by Tonyehn Verkitus. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu.
Mar. 24 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District” presented by Darlene Miller-Lanning. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Mar. 25 9 a.m. Preview Day for accepted students to The University of Scranton’s class of 2027. Various locations on campus. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu.
Mar. 28 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “A Foreigner Called Picasso” presented by Annie Cohen-Solal, writer and social historian, distinguished professor at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 29 5:30 p.m. Schemel Forum with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Collaborative Program: “Mozart: The Mind and Music of a Genius” presented by Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director, Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. Sordoni Theater, WVIA Public Media Studies. Reception to follow. Registration required. $35 per person. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 29 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “General Recital” featuring flute choir, percussion ensemble, steel drums and more. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu
Mar. 30 5 p.m. 26th Annual ACHE Healthcare Symposium: “Bedside and Administration: A Strategic Alliance.” McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required. Includes dinner, presentation and panel discussion. Fees vary. Call 570-709-9892 or email scarlet.alexander@scranton.edu.
Mar. 30 7:30 p.m. Office of Sustainability film and panel discussion “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva.” Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu.
March Events Planned at University
For the fourth time, a University of Scranton student was selected for the Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA) “Jimmie Smith” Student Leadership Experience. This highly-selective program chose only three students from the around the world to participate this year.
Charles Csaszar ’22, Hopewell Junction, New York, will participate in a series of virtual meetings from January to May, 2023, focused on governance and volunteerism. The program will conclude in June with his attending the IMA’s Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout the program, Csaszar will be assigned a IMA’s Global Board of Director mentor to learn more about the IMA’s Global Board and explore future IMA volunteer leadership opportunities.
The other two students selected to participate this year are at Illinois State University and Singapore Management University, Singapore.
The IMA Selection Committee only chooses students from IMA Higher Education Endorsement Program member schools to attend this experience. Approximately 100 colleges have achieved endorsement by IMA internationally. The University of Scranton received its endorsement in November 2017.
This is the fourth year a University of Scranton student has attended the prestigious IMA Student Leadership Experience. Nicholas Varriano ’17, ‘G18, attended in 2018, and Nhu Nguyen ’19, attended in 2019, and Emma Bolye ’23, attended in 2022.
Globally, IMA supports the profession through research, the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) program, continuing education, networking and advocacy of the highest ethical business practices. IMA has a global network of more than 140,000 members in 140 countries and over 300 professional and student chapters.
A class of 2022 magna cum laude graduate of The University of Scranton, Csaszar is currently pursuing an accelerated Master of Accountancy degree with a concentration in accounting analytics at Scranton. As an undergraduate, he was an accounting and philosophy double major and member of the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and its Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program. He was a member of Phi Sigma Tau, the international honor society for students of philosophy, and Beta Alpha Psi, the international honor society for students of accounting, finance, and operations management. He was a recipient of the Accounting Department’s Sophie V. West Service Award for his leadership in service activities while at Scranton. Csaszar was also a member of a team of Scranton students whose virtual presentation was selected as a “Semi-Final 8” for the 2021 IMA Case Competition. He serves as an officer for the University’s IMA Student Chapter that was three-times selected as one of just five IMA Outstanding Student Chapters in the nation. He completed a tax internship with PwC in the New York office and will return to PwC as a tax associate upon graduation with his master’s degree.
Student Selected for Elite Leadership Program
The University of Scranton is offering a series of pysanka workshops in advance of the Easter holiday to teach the art of decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs with traditional folk designs using a wax-resist method. One hundred percent of the workshop fee will be donated to humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Participants will be taught how to write pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter eggs. All materials will be provided, and each participant will take home their own, blown-out pysanka. Anyone who attended a workshop last year is encouraged to return to develop their skills and learn more advanced folk designs.
This workshop series was first offered in spring 2022 as a series of four to support Ukraine. This year, the University is expanding to offer six workshops.
Six pysanka workshops will be offered as follows: on Monday, Feb. 27 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.; on Saturday, March 4 from 1-2:30 p.m.; on Saturday, March 4 from 3-4:30 p.m.; on Monday, March 6 from 6:30-8 p.m.; on Saturday, March 11 from 1-2:30 p.m.; and on Saturday, March 11 from 3-4:30 p.m.
All workshops will take place in the Smurfit Arts Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, on the corners of Vine St. and Madison Ave. Masks are recommended. Each workshop is limited to 10 people and children must be accompanied by an adult. The workshop cost is $25, payable by cash or check. Registration is required at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA5A822A3F5CE9-pysanka
The workshops will be led by Dr. Amelia Randich, assistant professor of Biology at The University of Scranton. Dr. Randich is a fourth-generation Ukrainian-American, and this art has been passed down through the women in her family. She has been writing pysanky for over 30 years and teaches pysankarstvo (the art of writing pysanky) at various retreats in the U.S.
“The tradition of pysankarstvo has been handed down through the women in my family and I’m tremendously proud to continue the art. I’ve been writing pysanky with my mother since before I can remember. Easter on my mom’s side has always been a treasured holiday, and the days of Lent before it a special season for writing pysanky. I now write pysanky year-round and have the honor of having some of my pysanky in the Pysanka Museum in Kolomyya, Ukraine,” said Dr. Randich.
Dr. Randich has a dedicated website, “Saving the World One Egg at Time,” to illustrate her work in pysanka along with the meaning and importance of their creation.
“It has been a terrible winter and will likely be a difficult spring for Ukraine. As I begin to make dyes this year, it is with the hope that we will have peace this year and see the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian lands. Please join me in writing these intentions in the form of folk pysanky,” said Dr. Randich.
To learn more about Dr. Randich and her work creating and teaching the art of pysanka, please visit https://pysankypower.wordpress.com/
View Dr. Randich’s work and follow her on social media on Facebook: @pysankypower & Instagram: @AmeliaRandich.
These workshops are offered by The University of Scranton and are cosponsored by the Hope Horn Gallery and the Office of Community and Government Relations. For questions, please contact community@scranton.edu.
Upcoming Pysanka Workshops to Benefit Humanitarian Relief to Ukraine
Keep reading if you're a Royal interested in a work-study position that will prepare you for your first job in marketing, communications or social media.
Want to work closely with the University's Marketing Communications team to engage prospective students, students, alumni, faculty and staff with your favorite University?
The Department of Marketing Communications is seeking social media interns beginning this summer and continuing through the 2023-2024 academic year.
We're looking for creative self-starters who have a talent for writing copy and who understand the importance of social media in establishing a strong brand identity. You'll plan and schedule social media posts across various channels, work with statistics (an important skill in this field!) and analyze news to help us improve and innovate!
Contact kristie.ceruti@scranton.edu to request the full job description. Read on to find out about preferred experience and requirements!
Department of Marketing Communications – Social Media Correspondent
Preferred Experience
- Strong writing skills.
- Ability to meet strict deadlines.
- Willingness to be creative and collaborate closely with a team to plan content.
- Familiarity with Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Flickr and emerging social media channels.
- Good working knowledge of social media in general, as well as an awareness of how it can be part of a brand marketing strategy.
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word.
Requirements
- Involvement in campus activities, clubs, etc.
- Available to work 7-10 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters.
- Rising junior preferred.
NOTE: This is a paid internship and, in the past, has qualified for credit (dependent on faculty approval).
Interested students should submit their resume and the name of a faculty member who will recommend them to: socialmedia@scranton.edu by March 1, 2023.
Apply to Be a Social Media Intern at the University
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22. All services on Ash Wednesday will be held in the DeNaples Center Ballroom (4th floor). Ashes will be distributed at the following times:
Mass at 12:05 p.m.; Prayer Services at 4:40 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God. This day marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season and is commonly observed with ashes and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head, which symbolizes the dust from which God made us. As the minister applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he or she speaks the words: "Repent and believe in the Gospel."
Ash Wednesday is February 22
University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., announced the appointment of Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Ph.D., as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, effective immediately. Dr. Maldonado was serving as Scranton’s interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the 2022-2023 academic year.
“Dr. Maldonado has a deep understanding and appreciation of our Catholic and Jesuit mission, and a love of the characteristics that make Scranton so special,” said Father Marina in a Feb. 14th message to the University community.
A member of the President’s Cabinet, the provost serves as the chief academic officer for the University and has overall responsibility for its education and research programs. The provost is responsible for providing leadership and oversight for the academic division’s budget, undergraduate and graduate programs, teaching, research, the library and the faculty. In addition, the provost works with deans and faculty to develop advancements to the curriculum and oversee the academic programming of the University’s three colleges.
In the campus announcement, Father Marina noted that during her time as interim provost, Dr. Maldonado “outlined academic priorities that are integrated with the Universal Apostolic Preferences and the University’s Strategic Plan” and had “begun work to implement more transfer-friendly policies for students, created academic support programs for first-generation students, developed innovative programs for non-traditional learners, and is spearheading our initiative to become a Laudato Si’ university.”
“Throughout her time at Scranton, she has also played a key role in the creation and implementation of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan,” said Father Marina.
Dr. Maldonado joined the University in 2020 as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. As dean, she oversaw the development and implementation of a five-year strategic plan for the College and launched an online Master’s in Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity, among other accomplishments.
As a scholar, Dr. Maldonado’s academic areas of specialization include Latino/a and Latin American theology; Afro-Caribbean and Latino/a studies; and constructive and cultural theologies. In addition to the nearly dozen books that she has edited, co-authored or authored, she has published more than 50 articles in academic journals and book chapters. She has also presented at more than 90 academic conferences and meetings and contributed more than a dozen book reviews. She has written articles for the National Catholic Reporter and Conversations, and, in March of 2021, participated as a panelist in “The Francis Factor at Eight Years: Global Impacts, U.S. Challenges” discussion hosted by Georgetown University. In 2022, she was a panel participant and keynote speaker for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s V Encuentro Ministry Series Project.
Prior to joining Scranton, Dr. Maldonado served as assistant provost of undergraduate education at the University of Miami, where she has also served as the executive director of the Office of Academic Enhancement and as a professor of religious studies. She joined the faculty at the University of Miami in 2006.
Dr. Maldonado has received multiple honors and awards during her career, including the Alumni of the Year award from the Graduate Theological Union, the 2008 Catholic Press Association Book Award for Second Place in Gender Issues for her book “Created in God’s Image,” and a 2004 Catholic Press Association Book Award and a 2004 Hispanic Theological Initiative Book Prize for her first book “Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas.”
Previously, Dr. Maldonado served as a theologian-in-residence at San Lucas Toliman Mission in Guatemala and as an assistant professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University.
Dr. Maldonado earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, her master’s degree from the Union Theology Seminary, and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union.
The University’s selection of Dr. Maldonado followed a national search conducted by a broadly representative search committee chaired by Scranton alumnus Anthony Yanni, M.D., University trustee and senior vice president and global head, Patient Centricity for Astellas.
Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Ph.D., Named Provost
An Ellacuría Initiative-sponsored event, "Title 42: Justice at the Border" will take place March 2, from 4 to 6:00 p.m. in The Kane Forum, Edward Leahy Hall (ELH), 2nd Floor. The event will begin with an introduction to Title 42 and the KINO Border Initiative, followed by a background of the historical context of migration in Scranton and the impact on people at the U.S.- Mexico border. Discussion will be facilitated by The University of Scranton graduate students from the Counseling and Human Services Department.
The purpose of this campus community event is to raise awareness of the various perspectives and issues related to migration, border restrictions, and the impact on the lives of humans at the U.S.-Mexico border. These discussions are meant to explore human issues of (in)justice from various disciplinary perspectives seeking to understand and emanate cura personalis, and to continue our work toward a more just and inclusive society.
Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome on the day of the event.
Register HERE.
Faculty are invited to bring their classes if taught on Thursdays, and to encourage students to attend part or all of the session. Royal Card readers will keep attendance.
Contact lori.walton@scranton.edu or tiffany.bordonada@scranton.edu with questions.
SESSION SCHEDULE FOR 'Title 42: Justice at the Border'
Sessions at the "Title 42 and Justice at the Border," event on March 2 from 4 - 6:00 p.m. are scheduled as follows:
- 4 - 4:20 p.m., Introduction to Title 42 and The KINO Border Initiative, with Ryan Sheehan, JD, executive director of the Jesuit Center
- 4:20 - 5:00 p.m., Historical Context of Migration in Scranton and Experiences of Migration, with Julie Schumacher-Cohen, AVP for Community Engagement and Government Affairs, and Jenny Gonzalez, Marywood STARS program director
- 5 - 5:30 p.m., Title 42's Impact at the U.S.- Mexico Border, with Dr. Mike Allison, professor and chair, department of Political Science
- 5:30- 6 p.m., facilitated discussion by graduate students from the department of Counseling and Human Services, with Dr. Tiffany Bordonada, associate professor and co-director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, and Dr. Lori Walton, Ellacuría Initiative
'Title 42: Justice at the Border' Event March 2
Celebrate Kuwait National Day with Kuwaiti coffee and sweets, Henna, Arabic calligraphy, and more on Feb. 22. The University community is invited to "Kuwaiti Coffee and Henna," a cultural event led by Badoor Albuloushi, Arabic Fulbright scholar and Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) in the World Languages Department.
Learn about and experience Kuwaiti traditions, such as serving coffee as a sign of generosity and hospitality. On Feb. 22, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in Leahy Hall, Room 235 (the Kane F orum), Albuloushi, will share the celebration of Kuwait National Day and Liberation Day, which are noted annually at the end of February.
Albuloushi will also teach attendees to apply Henna, and to write their names in Arabic. Kuwaiti coffee from Badoor’s hometown will be served to guests, as well as sweets Kuwait is famous for. Activities will include a selfie station to capture photographs of guests in traditional Kuwaiti outfits, quizzes and games.
She invites everyone to experience Kuwaiti celebrations for themselves!
Sponsored by the World Languages and Cultures Department, this event is open to students, faculty, and staff.
Feb. 22 event celebrates Kuwait National Day, Kuwait Liberation Day
With buoyant, joyful melodies, memorable characters, and a big-hearted message, "Little Women: The Musical," embodies the complete theatrical experience: laughter, tears, and a lifting of the spirit. The University of Scranton Players will present "Little Women: The Musical," based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, book by Allan Knee and directed by Michael O’Steen this month and next.
The production will run February 24 to 26 and March 3 to 5. Shows will be Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. All performances are in the Royal Theatre in the McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts on the University of Scranton campus.
Reservations can be made HERE.
Louisa May Alcott’s beloved story of the adventures of the four March sisters is brought to vivid musical life in "Little Women". The Civil War is in full swing, and the March sisters - Meg, the oldest, a romantic; the spirited and tomboyish Jo; sweet and loving Beth; and irascible, playful Amy - live in Concord, Massachusetts with their Marmee while their father is on the battlefield.
With buoyant, joyful melodies, memorable characters, and a big-hearted message, "Little Women" embodies the complete theatrical experience: laughter, tears, and a lifting of the spirit. Filled with heartbreak, and a deep sense of hope, the struggle of these “Little Women” to find their own voices mirrors the growing pains of a young America.
The company of "Little Women" features: Samantha Burton of Syracuse, New York, Samantha Gurn of Montrose, Pennsylvania, Matthew Valunas of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, Keenan Beveridge of Warminster, Pennsylvania, Gabriella Palmer of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Thomas Kennedy of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Molly McGuinness of Stewart Manor, New York, Mackenna Percy from Sussex County, New Jersey, Erin Horan of Massapequa, New York, Geoff Pizzuto from Green Ridge, Pennsylvania and Seraphina Stager from Rhode Island.
There will be talkbacks, in collaboration with the Jane Kopas Women’s Center, on Feb. 25 and March 4. The audience will get a chance to discuss the stereotypes of women presented within the performance, and how these stereotypes have impacted societies today.
Shown above, from left: cast members Geoff Pizzuto, Thomas Kennedy, Samantha Burton, Molly Mcguinness, Mackenna Percey, Gabriella Palmer, Erin Horan.
Ticket and reservation details
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $7 for senior citizens, students and University of Scranton faculty and staff. Tickets are free for first-year students during the first weekend of performances. The box office opens 30 minutes before performances and accepts cash, checks or Royal Card only.
Reservations can be made HERE.
For more information, contact the University Players box office at 570-941-4318, visit their website at www.thescrantonplayers.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The University of Scranton Players is an academic theatre program that brings exceptional theatre to Northeastern Pennsylvania every season. The Players’ productions feature University of Scranton students in a mix of classical and contemporary works under the direction and mentorship of award-winning faculty and guest artists.
The University of Scranton Players Present 'Little Women: The Musical' February 24-26, March 3-5
In an occasional series, Royal News spotlights clubs from the university’s 80+ student organizations on campus, speaks to members, and offers information on how to connect with the clubs.
To suggest suggest a club for a future Royal News article, share ideas, or to inform us of any upcoming club events, please email RoyalNews@scranton.edu or Gabriella.petti@scranton.edu
GET INVOLVED
Club: Royal Signers
Meet: Julia Higgins '23, shown below, is a senior occupational therapy major from Honesdale, Pennsylvania and president of the Royal Signers.
Connect: @scrantonroyalsigners
By: Gabriella Petti ’24, student correspondentQ: When and where do the Royal Signers meet?
A: "The Royal Signers meet every Monday at 8 p.m. in Loyola Science Center."
Q: Do you teach and learn sign language in the club?
A: "Yes! Each week we pick a theme and learn signs around that theme."
Q: What does a typical meeting look like?
A: "A typical meeting will start with updates and exciting news. Next, we will teach our signs for the week and do a related activity. Finally, we end our night with a Deaf culture spotlight. This is a time for us to showcase deafness in the media and current events."
Q: Why did you join the club?
A: "I joined the club because I was interested in learning more about ASL [American Sign Language] and the people in the club seemed so welcoming."
Q: How did you become interested in ASL (American Sign Language)?
A: "I went to school with a CODA (child of a Deaf adult). His mom would teach us ASL in elementary school."
Q: Why would you recommend someone to join?
A: "I would recommend that anyone who is interested in Deaf culture or ASL join the club, regardless of prior knowledge. We are very welcoming, supportive, and love to have a good time."
Q: What, in your opinion, is the most exciting activity you do as a club?
A: "I think our most exciting event that we do as a club is any of our performances. Being able to learn a song and perform it for our peers and even members of the Deaf community is a really meaningful experience!...A little note: in deaf culture there is a difference between deaf and Deaf so in this interview I am speaking about Deaf culture." *
* According to Carol Padden and Tom Humphries in "Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture (1988)" : "
We use the lowercase deaf when referring to the audiological condition of not hearing, and the uppercase Deaf when referring to a particular group of deaf people who share a language – American Sign Language (ASL) – and a culture."
Club Spotlight: Royal Signers
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a nearly $50,000 grant to Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., assistant professor physics and electrical engineering at The University of Scranton, to support “The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Workshop 2023.” He also received a grant of just over $25,000 from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) to support the workshop. The HamSCI Workshop 2023 will take place Mar. 17 and 18 at The University of Scranton and the historic Radisson at Lackawanna Station.
“The HamSCI Workshop plays a unique and important role in the development of both the amateur radio community and the scientific workforce,” said Dr. Frissell, who noted there are more than 770,000 licensed ham radio operators in the U. S. and about 3 million worldwide. “Each year, the workshop brings together many young student researchers and experienced scientists, engineers and amateur radio operators in an environment where they can share ideas and learn from each other.”
The HamSCI is a collective of professional researchers and licensed amateur radio operators (a.k.a. hams) with the objective to foster collaborations between the amateur and professional communities for the purposes of advancing scientific research and understanding, encouraging the development of new technologies to support this research, and to provide educational opportunities for the amateur radio community and the general public.
“Dr. Frissell is doing incredible work at The University of Scranton, performing cutting-edge scientific research while educating future scientists. The workshop funded by this grant will bring some of the brightest scientific minds to Scranton, and I am sure it will be a weekend of great collaboration and discussion. As the Ranking Member of the Commerce Justice and Science Subcommittee, I am proud to help fund projects like this one through the National Science Foundation, and I admire Dr. Frissell’s efforts to put Northeastern Pennsylvania on the map through his scientific endeavors,” said U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.
The workshop will include talks from prominent leaders in radio science, space science and space weather from both the professional and amateur communities, as well as research abstracts related to the latest developments related radio science and amateur radio, including those related to solar eclipse ionospheric effects, Sporadic E, traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), and space and terrestrial weather impacts to radio propagation.
Dr. Frissell noted that the 2023 HamSCI Workshop is particularly important and timely for the HamSCI community in order to prepare for the upcoming annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14 and the total solar eclipse on Oct. 8, 2024. “Both eclipses have paths that sweep across the continental United States and are the last solar eclipses to traverse this area until 2044, and are therefore important, time-sensitive, in- formation rich opportunities for running unique and “controlled” ionospheric experiments,” said Dr. Frissell.
The workshop will serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project, which is a $1.3 million NSF funded project previously awarded to Dr. Frissell. The project seeks to harness the power of a network of licensed amateur radio operators to better understand and measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere. In August 2021, Dr. Frissell received a six-figure grant through the NASA’s Space Weather Applications Operations 2 Research Program for the research project “Enabling Space Weather Research with Global Scale Amateur Radio Datasets.
Speakers for the HamSCI Workshop 2023 include a keynote presentation by Patricia Reiff, Ph.D., (W5TAR) professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University and founding director of the Rice Space Institute. She will discuss “Forging Amateur-Professional Bonds.” Joseph Huba, Ph.D., vice president of Syntek Technologies and former head of the Space Plasma Physics Section at the Naval Research Laboratory, will discuss “Modeling the Ionosphere with SAMI3.” (SAMI3 models the plasma and chemical evolution of seven ion species.) Also, Jesse Alexander (WB2IFS/3), a licensed amateur radio operator, will discuss his efforts to introduce young people to the wonder of the Electromagnetic Spectrum through hands-on ham radio based experiences.
In addition, the Murgas Amateur Radio club from NEPA will showcase old amateur radios in an “Amateur Radio Through the Ages” exhibit in the display cases on the second floor of Loyola Science Center.
Registration and additional information about the conference, which is offered in an in-person and virtual format, can be found on the HamSCI Workshop 2023 webpage.
NSF and ARDC Grants Support HamSCI Workshop
This spring, The University of Scranton Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminars will feature another diverse lineup of thought-provoking discussions centered around important global issues.
Six prominent speakers will appear at the luncheons, which will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Brennan Hall’s Rose Room (with the exception of the April 21st event). In addition, a Zoom option is available for those who wish to attend remotely.
The series begins Monday, Mar. 13, with “The Courage to Care,” presented by 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, New Jersey. At the talk, Rittner will discuss the small minority of European Christians who assisted Jewish people during the Holocaust. Among the questions she’ll address are: “Why did they risk their lives?” and “What can we learn from people who had ‘the courage to care?’”
Next, on Tuesday, Mar. 28, writer and social historian Annie Cohen-Solal, distinguished professor at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, will present “A Foreigner Called Picasso,” a look at Picasso’s life in France, where he managed to flourish artistically despite always being looked at as an “other” and never being afforded French citizenship. In spite of all that, he managed to enrich the country’s cultural life like few others in its history.
National Book Award-winning Irish novelist Colum McCann will visit the University on Friday, April 21, for the seminar, “How Stories Heal the World.” During the talk, McCann will discuss how, despite living in fractured times, we can bring a healing bond to our communities and our own lives through the power of stories. The talk will take place in Redington Hall’s Collegiate Hall.
On Friday, Apr. 28, Dunmore native, CNN on-air contributor and Russia expert Jill Dougherty will present “The World after the Ukraine War,” an incisive look at how the war in Ukraine has created global upheaval, affecting energy policies, inflation, food prices and political stability.
Dougherty was in Moscow when the invasion began and now, a year into the war, she’ll examine this watershed event that is transforming Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the world.
“Vladimir Putin thought his invasion of Ukraine would be a blitzkrieg-style lightning strike to remove Ukraine’s president and pull Ukraine back under the influence of Russia,” Dougherty said. “But, one year later, President Volodymyr Zelensky is still in power in Kyiv, NATO allies are supporting Ukraine with tanks and heavy weaponry, the alliance is about to add two more members, Russia’s economy is being hit with unprecedented sanctions, and Ukrainians are more united than ever against Russia.”
On Tuesday, May 2, Fredrik Logevall, Ph.D., the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at John F. Kennedy School of Government and professor of history at Harvard University, will present “The Promise of American Democracy.”
At the event, Dr. Logevall will discuss America’s deeply divided politics, and whether the two major parties can ever find their way back to the type of good-faith bargaining that’s essential in a functioning democracy.
“American democracy faces challenges on various fronts,” Dr. Logevall said. “For evidence, we need look no further than the assault on the U.S. Capitol two years ago. Could such violent protest occur again? The possibility is there, so deep is the political dysfunction. But I want to suggest in the talk that there are also reasons to be hopeful, and that some of those reasons can be found in looking at the nation’s history. And I’ll also look to the future a bit, and talk about what I believe a healthy democracy requires.”
Finally, on Tuesday, May 9, Harmar Brereton, M.D., medical and radiation oncologist, Weill Cornell Medical School faculty, and clinical professor of Medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, brings the seminars to a close with “Vocalising and Music in the Development of Speech Language and Consciousness.”
In previous Schemel Forum presentations, Dr. Brereton explored the evolution of consciousness reflected in tool artifacts and Paleolithic art. This time, he’ll look at how the hearing and making of sound also may have influenced the development of consciousness.
“We’ll look at the origins of music up to the beginning of vocalizing and steps taken to what music is for us today,” Dr. Brereton said. “We’ll include a biological and evolutionary review with some assumptions along the way.”
Admission to the luncheon seminars is free for University students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the seminars are $25 in-person (buffet lunch included) and $10 remote.
To register for the seminars, contact Brooke Leonard at 570-941-4740 or brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.
Additional Schemel Forum events scheduled for the spring semester include courses and collaborative events. Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, discusses the spring events in a WVIA interview with Erika Funke. The full schedule events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.
Six Eclectic World Affairs Seminars Set for Spring
“Towards a Just Economy: Guaranteed Income and Human Potential” is the title of The University of Scranton’s Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities Lecture by Amy Beth Castro, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice and co-founder and director of its Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR). The talk, presented free of charge and open to the public, begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, in PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center.
Dr. Castro’s research explores economic mobility, guaranteed income and innovation. She is the co-principal investigator of 30 applied cash-transfer studies housed at CGIR, where she currently advises more than 20 mayoral teams, state and county legislators on unconditional cash research. She is co-principal investigator of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), the nation’s first mayor-led guaranteed income demonstration.
Launched in February 2019 by former Mayor of Stockton, California, Michael D. Tubbs, SEED gave 125 randomly selected residents $500 per month for 24 months. The cash was completely unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements. Preliminary outcomes indicate the guaranteed income recipients were enabled to find full-time employment and were healthier, showing less depression and anxiety, among other findings, according to the study’s website.
Dr. Castro’s research has been published by the Social Service Review, The Gerontologist, Social Science and Medicine, Social Work, The American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM). Her research has been featured in newspapers and national publications that include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and The Economist, as well as broadcast media outlets such as CNN, NBC, PBS and National Public Radio.
Dr. Castro is also known for her work on women and risky lending during the 2008 foreclosure crisis. She was awarded the Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Dissertation Award, the GADE research award and the Nina Fortin Award for her work on the gender and racial profiles of predatory lending.
At Penn, she is an affiliated faculty member of the Alice Paul Center and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and is a member of the LGBTQ faculty working group. Prior to her tenure at Penn, she spent more than a decade working with non-profits and community-based agencies in Philadelphia and New York City.
Dr. Castro received her Ph.D. in social welfare and her master’s degree from the City University of New York, her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree from Cairn University.
For additional information about the lecture, visit upcoming events on the Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities webpage.
Guaranteed Income and Human Potential Analyzed
The University of Scranton welcomed artist Travis Prince to campus as part of its Black History Month events to discuss an exhibition of his work at the Hope Horn Gallery titled “A New Understanding.” Prince discussed his work at a lecture in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall on Feb. 3, which was immediately followed by an opening reception at the Hope Horn Gallery. His work will be on display during galley hours until Friday, Mar. 10.
See the University’s planned events for the spring semester here.
$content.getChild('content').textValueHope Horn Gallery Hosts Artist Travis Prince
Mark your calendar to attend an upcoming event sponsored by Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS), the Spanish Cultural Society, and the Multicultural Center. El Carnaval will offer attendees the opportunity to sample Latin American food, listen to Latin American and Latinx music, and participate in games and crafts from the region.
Those interested can also take part in the Rep Your Culture desfile, or pageant, by signing up HERE.
The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 17, from 8 to 10 p.m., in the DeNaples Center ballroom.
Celebrate El Carnaval Feb. 17
A milestone moment in early December highlights two University of Scranton staff members and the valuable services they provide to the academic community here and at 599 libraries in 25 countries.
At the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library, Kevin Kocur, Interlibrary Loan Coordinator, and Melisa Gallo ’16, G’21, Interlibrary Loan and Collections Assistant, recently processed the 20 millionth borrowing request of Ex Libris RapidILL, a global interlibrary loan system Scranton has been part of for more than a decade. On Dec.13, they furnished access to content from the July 23, 1964, issue of “The Times Literary Supplement,” Vol. 63, Issue No. 3256, shown below, to a borrowing library at the University of Oklahoma. The team supports the University of Scranton community in a similar manner.
“It’s rewarding when we find something very rare for our teachers, our students and our staff members,” said Kocur, who has shared his talents in this role for the past 11 years.
He described a memorable loan that occurred during the pandemic.
“One of our professors requested an item, and I contacted the author directly at a German Jesuit university, because everything was shut down. She scanned the pages and sent them right to us,” said Kocur.
RapidILL engenders cooperation.
“Harvard [University] will help us... and we provide items from our collection that they do not have. We also help smaller colleges, especially the Catholic universities in Pennsylvania. Around Philadelphia, there are a lot of smaller schools, and it is always rewarding to provide them with materials that they can’t purchase.”
RapidILL connects libraries from around the world into a single place where they can share resources with reciprocal lending – there are no charges between members.
“The RapidILL story is rooted back to 1997 when a devastating flood that destroyed half a million journals at Colorado State University led to the creation of a reciprocal resource-sharing system between several U.S. academic libraries – the start of an operating interlibrary loan system,” as reported by Laetitia Maarek in “20 Million Reasons to Celebrate" at the company's blog.
“Over the past three years only, the RapidILL community has experienced exponential growth, going from 325 to over 600 libraries in 25 countries. Its members, [as of December], had placed an amazing 20 million requests to lend and borrow articles and book chapters within their network.”
The entire process occurs in record time. RapidILL's company mission focuses on fast turnaround to end users, such as committed 24-hour request fulfillment. Kocur and Gallo consistently provide University loans within eight hours, well below the benchmark.
“We are really proud of that, given the fact that we are a relatively smaller university when compared to Research-intensive Universities like Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania, and NYU. Those research-intensive schools usually comprise multiple libraries where even their smaller libraries could be equivalent in size to ours. Nonetheless, we have a collection that is strong enough to be lending to these major research-intensive universities.
"And we get a benefit as well. Anything that we do not have, we can turn around quickly for our faculty and students,” said George Aulisio, Dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library. “We’re very happy to offer this service.
Gallo, as a recent graduate, echoed that sentiment from a student perspective.
“I utilized the Interlibrary Loan services frequently as a student. ILL was a crucial resource because there were a variety of journal articles and books that would be needed for research, presentations, and projects,” said Gallo, who has been in her current role on the library staff for one year. During her undergraduate career, Gallo was a work study student in Circulation Services.
Another benefit of RapidILL system: ease of use.
“In many cases, it’s automated. If an article or resource is indexed in a database, and we do not have it, they can just click a link, and the ILL form auto-populates with the citation information. In those cases, requesting an article is as easy as possible,” Aulisio said.
Visit the library's webpage for details: HERE.
A Sample of Rare and Requested Interlibrary Loan Titles at the Weinberg Memorial Library
1. "The Chronicles of the last Jewish Gangster: from Meyer to Myron," by Myron Sugerman
2. "Ellen Robillard O'Hara," by Patricia Patton Lawhon
3. "Girl Around the World," by Dorothy Kilgallen
Milestone Moment for Scranton's Interlibrary Loan Team
Following two more Landmark Conference victories last week, The University of Scranton women's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 polls.
The Lady Royals (21-0) also received one first place vote this week in the D3hoops.com poll.
Christopher Newport (22-0) leads the way in both polls and is followed in the top five by Transylvania (21-0), Scranton, Trinity (Tex.) (20-1) and Smith (20-1).
Click the following links to view the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA polls.
Scranton will host Drew in a Landmark Conference matchup Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the John Long Center.
New Week, New Ranking: Lady Royals Up to No. 3 in Latest Top 25 Polls
The University of Scranton’s University of Success, a four-year pre-college mentorship program, is now accepting applications for the upcoming 2023 academic year that begins this summer. Students who are currently in the eighth grade are eligible to apply.
The University of Success is an academic and enrichment program funded entirely by corporate and foundations grants, so there is no charge to students and their families. The program's goal is to assist first generation bound students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university.
Accepted students will begin the program with a two-week residential summer academy which will be held on the campus of The University of Scranton from July 9 to 21. Upon completion of the summer program, the students will continue to meet for enrichment sessions throughout their high school career.
The deadline for submission of applications is Saturday, April 1, 2023.
Applications may be obtained by emailing Margaret Loughney, University of Success program director, at margaret.loughney@scranton.edu. Applications may also be obtained online at The University of Success web site.
University of Success Now Accepting Applications
Twenty University of Scranton education majors are serving as student teachers during the spring semester at 12 local schools in the following nine school districts: Abington Heights, Dunmore, Mid Valley, NEIU, North Pocono, Riverside, Scranton, Valley View and Western Wayne.
The following is a list of undergraduate and graduate students who are serving as student teachers and the schools to which they have been assigned during the spring semester.
Delany Adams of White House Station, New Jersey, will teach at Valley View Middle School;
Valerie Alfaro of Deer Park, New York, will teach at Riverside Junior/Senior High School;
Amanda Benko of Allentown will teach at Dunmore Learning Center;
Arianna Boelens of Hackettstown, New Jersey, will teach at Dunmore Learning Center;
Lauren Cawley of Duryea will teach at Mid Valley Secondary Center;
Alexandra Colecchia of Freehold, New Jersey, will teach at Dunmore Elementary School;
Halle Conklin of Point Lookout, New York, will teach at Mid Valley Elementary Center;
Michael DiMarco of North Bellmore, New York, will teach at Kennedy Elementary School;
McCae Dougher of Scranton will teach at Valley View Middle School;
Stephanie Hoffman of Staten Island, New York, will teach at Dunmore Junior/Senior High School.
Nicole Kokoszka of Parlin, New Jersey, will teach at Valley View Middle School;
Jillian Lambdin of Plainview, New York, will teach at Evergreen Elementary School;
Reilly Medzadourian of Township of Washington, New Jersey, will teach at Evergreen Elementary School;
David Pennino of Smithtown, New York, will teach at Riverside Junior/Senior High School;
Skyler Pozo of Wayne, New Jersey, will teach at Mid Valley Secondary Center;
Chloe Schubert of Jackson, New Jersey, will teach at Waverly Elementary School;
Katie Tubridy of Manor, New York, will teach at Mid Valley Elementary Center;
Stephanie Vasquez of Scranton will teach at North Pocono Middle School;
Mary Grace Winterle of Havertown will teach at Mid Valley Elementary Center;
Aubrey Wolff of Hawley will teach at North Pocono High School.
University Student Teachers Begin at Area Schools
The Princeton Review listed The University of Scranton’s Kania School of Management among the nation’s “Best Business Schools” in its 2023 ranking of just 243 colleges in the country. This is the 18th consecutive year that Scranton has been included in the listing the nation’s most elite business colleges. Scranton was included among the list of “Best On-Campus MBA Programs,” which was published online on January 31.
The listing of business programs is compiled from data from the Princeton Review’s surveys of nearly 20,300 students enrolled in MBA programs as well as institutional data collected from the schools. The data incorporates career outcomes, academic rigor, admissions selectivity and other factors. The Princeton Review does not provide an overall rank of the schools, but does publish lists of the top 10 schools in 18 different categories, such as the “toughest to get into.”
The University’s Kania School of Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is widely considered the gold standard of excellence for business schools. Less than five percent of business colleges worldwide hold AACSB accreditation.
The Princeton Review also listed Scranton in its 2023 edition of the “Best 388 Colleges,” ranking Scranton among the nation’s “Best Science Labs” (No. 7), “Best Campus Food” (No. 25 ) and “Most Religious Schools (No. 24). The Princeton Review also included Scranton in its 2023 “Guide to Green Colleges,” which lists just 455 schools in the world selected for expressing “strong commitments to the environment in their campus policies, programs and practices.”
Scranton Among Nation’s Best Business Schools
Home to one of earth's oldest civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization, Pakistan features a host of ancient ruins and culture combined with modern living and technology.
All faculty, staff and students are invited to join the opening Global Insights program for Spring 2023, featuring Ramsha Siddiqui, graduate student, MBA business analytics, on Feb. 21, at 11:30 a.m., in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall, Rm. 509. The luncheon presentation will feature Pakistani cultural cuisine. Registration is required. Register for the Global Insights Pakistan presentation.
Mount Godwin-Austen, better known as K2, the world's second highest peak, towers over the mountainous region of Pakistan at 28,251 feet. The country, about the twice the size of California, is primarily a Muslim state. Pakistan holds over 207 million people living in terrain between the highest peaks and sea level; most reside along the Indus River Valley.
Siddiqui will discuss the cultural differences between Pakistan and the United States, especially with regard to food, and will touch upon public services such as medical facilities.
"I'd definitely advise people to try the food of Pakistan and (visit) Karachi, which is also the hub of trade and business in Pakistan," said Siddiqui, referencing the most active coastal city that is responsible for more than half than Gross Domestic Product of the southeast Asian country.
Siddiqui said she misses the nightlife, restaurants, her family, and the rights and freedom she had there.
"I would highly recommend a visit to the northern areas of Pakistan. They are replete with scenic beauty and raw and untampered natural resources...all Pakistanis go there during the summer vacations and winter breaks," said Siddiqui.
Please join Siddiqui as she shares photos of Pakistan's natural wonders, and its rich history and culture.
This program is being offered by the Office of Global Education, the Cultural Centers, Residence Life and the Office of Equity and Diversity. For more information, please contact international@scranton.edu or 570-941-4841.
Global Insights presents: Pakistan
Nearly 900 campus members have already registered for the University's Center for Health and Wellness (CHEW) 16th Annual Fitness Challenge. Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to participate in the four-week challenge, and to do so must register by end of day, Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Join CHEW in committing to 150 minutes of exercise per week and earn a Dri-Fit T-shirt if challenge is completed. The program launches Feb. 13.
Get fit, earn prizes, feel good! Help spread the word about this campus tradition. Last year, over 1,110 campus members registered for the Center for Health and Wellness four-week Fitness Challenge.
Register here: Fitness Challenge Webpage or visit us @uofschew on Instagram to register.
Let's get fit together, Royals!
16th Annual Fitness Challenge Registration Deadline Feb. 8
On Sunday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m., Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band with special guest guitarist and vocalist Matt Munisteri. The 7:30 p.m. concert will take place in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.
Munisteri will also offer a free guitar masterclass in the afternoon before the concert, please email music@scranton.edu for more information.
According to Performance Music directors Cheryl Y. Boga and Philip J. Kuehn, the concert will feature a variety of songs about love and heartbreak, in a nod to the concert’s proximity to Valentines’ Day. Munisteri and the Jazz Band will combine to perform a number of songs together, and there will be several solo pieces during the concert featuring only Munisteri.
A multi-faceted musician, Munisteri is the sparkling guitarist on several chart-topping jazz CDs. He is a critically lauded songwriter and nimble lyricist, an urban banjo-warrior, a selfless and devoted sideman, a wry-yet-honest singer, an engaging and winning front-man, and an arranger whose ear-pulling re-inventions of well-traveled songs have contributed to Grammy winning CDs for artists such as Loudon Wainwright and Catherine Russell.
Munisteri’s debut CD “Love Story” from 2003 wound up on several critic’s “Best Of” lists, and garnered the number two slot on Amazon’s Top Ten Jazz CDs of The Year. A formidable lyricist, his literate songs have been compared to Randy Newman, Mose Allison and Bob Dorough. Munisteri has been featured on France’s ARTE television, profiled in Downbeat magazine, honored with Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award, and has been the subject of several broadcasts on NPR.
When not working on his own projects, his primary sideman gigs for the last few years have been playing with violinist Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing, Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra and with the singer Catherine Russell, for whom he also currently serves as Music Director. He also lent a hand to his friend, guitarist Julian Lage, producing Julian’s acclaimed solo guitar debut “Worlds Fair” (2015).
The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year, and a number of University faculty, staff and alumni perform with them.
Performance Music’s large ensembles include Concert/Symphonic Band, Concert Choir/Singers, String Orchestra and Jazz Band (big band format). Smaller groups are made up of members from within the large ensembles, and include Steel Drum Band, Percussion Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble and Sax Ensemble, plus other small vocal and instrumental groups in various formats. Solo, duo and trio performance opportunities are available to members of the ensembles through the general recitals offered each semester. Other programs within the department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, 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. Please check Performance Music’s website, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season.
For further information about Munisteri, visit mattmunisteri.com.
Matt Munisteri Set to Perform with Jazz Band
Area students in grades five to 12 can participate in The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest 2023. The contest is offered free of charge. This year’s essay theme is “The People’s Planet, Climate Justice,” a celebration of our shared global community and how we may all contribute to make it a better one.
Topics students can write about include Conservation, recycling, bees, access to healthy eating, factory farming, renewable energy, eliminating single use containers, gardening, public transportation, community, family, vertical planting and plant-based meals, among other subjects.
Essays for students in grades five and six must be between 200 to 400 words. Essays for students in grades seven and eight must be between 300 to 500 words. Essays for students in grades nine to 12 must be between 500 to 700 words. Electronic submissions must be sent to susan.falbo@scranton.edu on or before Monday, April 3. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or by April 1 to be considered and can be sent to: The University of Scranton, Office of Sustainability, Smurfit Arts Center, 445 Madison Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, Attn: Earth Day Essay Contest.
Visit the Sustainability & Energy Management Department section of the University’s facilities management page, then scroll down to locate the contest guidelines, complete submission rules and details.
Winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest will be announced by the University’s Sustainability Office and student Sustainability and Conservation Society at an Evening of Environmental Science program for participants and their families and teachers on Thursday, April 20, 2022, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center on campus.
See photo gallery below for photos from last year's Evening of Environmental Science.
$content.getChild('content').textValue2023 Earth Day Essay Contest Set for Area Students
The Office of Equity and Diversity, along with the Provost and Office Human Resources, is hosting a book club in recognition of Black History Month and the 50th Anniversary of Coeducation at The University of Scranton.
All faculty and staff are invited to join the Scranton Inclusive Books for Employees club (SCRIBE) in reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."
Author Rebecca Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, her family, and the immortal human cell line harvested from this mother of five, a tobacco farmer and descendant of slaves. Author Skloot presents the Lacks’ family story in a compelling examination of human dignity, human rights, and bioethics.
The club will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. in the DeNaples Center, Room 405.
Books are provided for participants who register for the discussion/luncheon meeting. A limited number of books/seats remain available. Registration is required.
Scranton Inclusive Books for Employees Offers Spring Book Club
The Office of Equity and Diversity is pleased to announce the upcoming Diversity + Inclusion = A Better U! lunch and learn programs for staff and faculty.
Each event will be held in the Kane Forum, Leahy Hall, Rm. 235 beginning at noon. Registration is required for each lunch and learn.
March 8, "All These Isms: Understanding Privilege, Power, and Oppression" will be presented by Dr. Paul Datti, Counseling / Human Services. Register for the March 8 event.
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Learn about "Isms” including racism, sexism, heterosexism, cisgenderism, classism, ableism, and religism.
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Explore examples of privileges including white, male, straight, cisgender, middle-upper class, ability, and Christian and learn how they create power for some and oppression for others.
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Recognize the importance of social justice and its significance in Jesuit education, learn ways to promote it, and reduce discrimination and oppression for many.
April 11, "Psychological Safety in Organizations and Classrooms" will be presented by Dr. Ovidiu Cocieru, Management and Marketing. Register for April 11 event.
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Understand why it is important to prioritize psychological safety in teams and classrooms
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Learn how to create a culture where it’s safe to share ideas and ask questions
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Use step-by-step frameworks to establish psychological safety
MAY 3, "Disruptive Innovation: Inclusive Educational and Community-Based Rehabilitation Practices in Uganda" will be presented by Dr. Michael Bermudez, Occupational Therapy. Register for May 3 event.
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Discuss experiences and reflections as a Fulbright US Scholar in the uses of “disruptive innovation”—relatively new technologies, pedagogies, and other “powerful ideas”—as part of learning and research in Uganda
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Understand implementation of makerspaces and constructionism—learning by building—as part of educational experience in Uganda.
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Explore experiences and reflections on the creation of community projects for children with disabilities in the marginalized communities of Uganda.
These programs are sponsored by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan fund to enhance and promote diversity awareenss and a welcoming campus community.
Questions? Contact diversity@scranton.edu or 570-941-6645.
Professors Facilitate Diversity/Inclusion Lunch and Learn Series
The University of Scranton’s Multicultural Center, the Office of Community Engagement and Government Relations, the Weinberg Memorial Library, the Hope Horn Art Gallery, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and other organizations have planned a number of events for Black History Month at venues on- and off-campus.
“As many have said, African-American and Black history is American history,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president, in a Black History Month message to the University community. “The historic and ongoing resistance to racial injustice that Black people have undertaken has made the United States more just, more equal, and more democratic in ways that have changed our country forever for the better.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the University will light its Class of 2020 Gateway sign in red, yellow and green for Black History Month. The sign will feature these colors on Saturday evenings in February. The Multicultural Center will sponsor a table sit on the second floor of the DeNaples Center titled “MC Awareness Month Table Sit: Black Resistance.” The table sit begins at 11 a.m.
Also on Feb. 1, the University’s will begin its Black History Month Film Series with the screening of “Moonlight,” which won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture. Presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union, the films will be shown at 7 p.m. free of charge on Wednesdays in February in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. Other films planned for the Black History Month Film Series are: “Blackkklansman,” the 2018 Academy-award winning film directed by Spike Lee, on Feb. 8; “Whose Streets?,” a documentary about how the police killing of Mike Brown inspired a global movement, on Feb. 15; and the documentary “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975,” on Feb. 22. The series will conclude with the screening of “Sparkle,” a musical film inspired by The Supremes, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m.
On Friday, Feb. 3, the University’s Hope Horn Art Gallery will host a lecture by artist Travis Prince about the exhibition of his work titled “A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince.” The lecture will take place at 5 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall, followed by an opening reception of his work in the Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Prince's work will be on display during gallery hours through March 10. The exhibit and lecture are free of charge.
On Thursday, Feb. 9, the University will host a Community-Based Learning Talk, titled “Black History and Housing in Scranton,” by Glynis Johns, CEO and founder of the Black Scranton Project. The event is part of the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project, a National Endowment for the Humanities funded initiative led by the University and community organizations. The talk, offered free of charge, beings at 6 p.m. in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. Registration is required to attend and can be made at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23BlackHistoryHousing
Also as part of “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project, a Black History PBS Film Series will be screened on three Sundays in February. The first film of the series, “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom,” will be shown at 3 p.m. on Feb. 5 at the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture, 1902 North Main Avenue. The film “Becoming Frederick Douglass” will be shown at 3 p.m. on Feb. 19, also at Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture. The series will conclude with the showing of “Jim Crow of the North” at 3 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. The files are presented free of charge. Registration is required to attend and can be made by emailing info@blackscranton.org or by calling 570-941-4419.
In addition, the Multicultural Center will also host a trivia night for students the evening of Feb. 7, and is planning additional events for later in the month, including a grand opening ceremony for the Center’s newly-renovated location on the first-floor of the DeNaples Center. The University also launched a progress update webpage for its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, to inform the University community of the ongoing work accomplished regarding this initiative.
For additional information about the University’s Black History Month events and learning opportunities, contact the Multicultural Center at 570-941-5904 or multicultural@scranton.edu.
The University Celebrates Black History Month
Liva Arts Company will present “Curtains,” a musical comedy whodunnit, April 20 - 22. Performances will take place Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m. and Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Royal Theater, McDade Center
Admission is free for undergraduate students, $5 otherwise.
Visit https://livaartscompany.ludus.com to reserve tickets. Email livaartscompany@gmail.com with questions.
'Curtains' presented by Liva Arts Company
Welcome the new year of 2023 and the arrival of Chinese new year of rabbit, and join in festivities at an Asian New Year Celebration and Workshop on Feb. 9.
Professor Kunihiko Matsui, Professor Yun (Lily) Chiang, and students from the Japanese and Chinese classes will guide attendees in creating artwork with Japanese origami and Chinese calligraphy and symbols.
The event, cosponsored by Asian Studies Program, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Asia Club, and Asian Studies Honor Society, will take place Thursday at 6 p.m., Brennan 509.
Seating is limited. RSVP required: https://tinyurl.com/AsianNewYearUofS
What attendees can expect at the Feb. 9 Asian New Year Celebration and Workshop
- Celebrate Asian New Year with Chopstick Competition, prizes, workshop, food, and more.
- Learn about how Japanese and Chinese celebrate the New Year.
- Create your own artwork with Japanese origami and Chinese calligraphy and symbols with Prof. Kunihiko Matsui and Prof. Yun (Lily) Chiang, and students from the Japanese and Chinese classes.
Questions? email asianstudies@scranton.edu or ann.pang-white@scranton.edu
Asian New Year Celebration and Workshop Feb. 9
In an occasional series, Royal News spotlights clubs from the university’s 80+ student organizations on campus, speaks to members, and offers information on how to connect with the clubs.
To suggest suggest a club for a future Royal News article, share ideas, or to inform us of any upcoming club events, please email RoyalNews@scranton.edu or Gabriella.petti@scranton.edu
GET INVOLVED
Club: The University of Scranton Philosophy Society
Meet: Tess Sinclair ‘23, is a senior biology and philosophy major on the pre-med track from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and president of the Philosophy Society. She is shown during a summer visit to Walt Disney World.
Connect: @uofs.ps
By: Gabriella Petti ’24, student correspondent
Q: What has been your favorite philosophy class at the University?
A: "Medical ethics. As a pre-med student interested in philosophy and becoming a physician, this class was most relevant to my interests."
Q: Does The University of Scranton Philosophy Society host special events or speakers?
A: "The Philosophy Society invites guest speakers who are professors from the Philosophy Department, to join us at each of our meetings to offer presentations on topics of their choice. Members can experience philosophical ideas and thinkers beyond those typically taught in class. Professors have spoken to the group about anxiety, ADHD, free will, feminist philosophy, Crusius (a German philosopher), among many other topics."
Q: Describe a typical meeting?
A: "On Tuesdays, every other week, at 6 p.m. in St. Thomas 312, the Society gathers. Presentations vary from lectures and Powerpoint slide decks, to discussion-based learning. Club meetings last approximately one hour with professors presenting for 35 to 45 minutes, then inviting student questions for the remainder of the meeting."
Q: What inspired you to become a member?
A: "I joined the Philosophy Society as a freshman to expand my knowledge in an area I was not too familiar with and to meet others interested in philosophy."
Q: Why should people should join?
A: "I think people should join The University of Scranton Philosophy Society to learn more about philosophical topics that are not usually taught in a class.... Students are able to ask questions and engage more on topics of interest without the pressure of an exam or paper."
Q: Who is your favorite philosopher, and why?
A: "My favorite philosopher is Heraclitus because of his quote, 'No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.' Heraclitus believed that everything is in constant flux. As a STEM major, I easily understood and applied his philosophy."
Club Spotlight: University of Scranton Philosophy Society
Forty years after a historic 29-3 season that culminated in winning the national title, The University of Scranton will welcome back the 1982-83 men's basketball team for a reunion that will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4, at halftime of the Royals' game versus Catholic in the John Long Center. Opening tip is slated for 4 p.m.
It marked the second national title in eight seasons for the Royals, who were led by legendary head coach Bob Bessoir for both championship runs.
"We are excited to welcome back the 1983 championship men's basketball team and celebrate them on the 40th Anniversary of their historic National Championship run!", Executive Director of Athletics Dave Martin said.
The 1983 Royals won their final 19 games of the year and defeated Wittenberg in thrilling fashion by a score of 64-63 in front of 3,700 people at Calvin University (Mich.). Ironically, the Tigers were also on the losing end when the Royals won their first title in 1976. Scranton also defeated Moravian (73-59), Widener (74-69 in 3OT), Potsdam State (65-64) and Roanoke (82-67) en route to capturing the program's second national title, with the first three of those victories coming in the Long Center.
Coach Bessoir's son, Bill, earned Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring 27 points in the national title game victory over Wittenberg, and Mickey Banas was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
The team included Bessoir, Banas, Todd Bailey, Mark Hutchinson, Jeff Jones, Steve Joseph, Tom Kosin, Bill Maile, Rich Para, Dan Polacheck and Floyd Wood. Coach Bessoir was joined on the sidelines by assistant coach Bob Walsh and assistant coach Oriey Glenn.
Visit In A Dallas Minute's YouTube page for a look back at some of the best memories from the unforgettable 1983 National Championship run.
Scranton's women's basketball team will open the action on Feb. 4 by taking on the Cardinals at 2 p.m.
Admission for the doubleheader is $7 for adults (18-61), $4 for seniors 62+ and children 10+, while University of Scranton faculty, staff, students and children ages nine and under are free of charge.
University Athletic Department To Host Reunion of 1983 Men's Basketball National Title Team Feb. 4
Newly inaugurated Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro nominated three University of Scranton graduates to Cabinet positions in his administration. Michael Carroll ’09 was nominated to serve as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Transportation. Jason Kavulich ’97 was nominated to serve as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Aging. Major Christopher Paris ’99 was nominated to serve as State Police Commissioner.
The 22 members of the Governor’s Cabinet serve as directors of various state agencies. The directors are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate.
Carroll, Pittston, was elected to the state House in 2006, and served eight terms, including two as the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation Committee. He also worked as legislative liaison for PennDOT under Gov. Robert Casey; served as chief of staff for former state Rep. John Yudichak, and was the district office director for former U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski.
Kavulich, Scranton, has 21 years of experience in the human services field, rising from a county caseworker to supervisory administrative positions in the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services and the Area Agency on Aging, where he served as director. As Secretary of Aging, Kavulich will follow in the footsteps of fellow alumnus Brian Duke ’79, who served in the position from 2011-2015.
A native of Lackawanna County, Major Paris has been a member of the Pennsylvania State Police since enlisting in 1999. He served as a state trooper in several parts of the state, as a station and troop commander, and as deputy commissioner of administration and professional accountability. He earned a law degree from Temple University Law School, and is a graduate of the 267th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
Three Alumni Nominated To Cabinet By PA Governor
Registration has opened for the University's 13th annual Shamrockin' Eve, a celebration for the Classes of 2018-2023 that will take place in the Byron Recreation Complex March 10.
Visit the Shamrockin' Eve Alumni Registration Page to register today, or visit scranton.edu/shamrockin to learn more about this year's festivities.
Registration Now Open For Shamrockin' Eve 2023
The University will celebrate Reunion Weekend 2023 from June 9-11. Registration for the event will open in March. For more information, visit scranton.edu/reunion or email alumni@scranton.edu.
The “Planning to Attend” list for Reunion Weekend 2023 has officially opened. Add your name to the Planning to Attend list to let your friends know you're coming, and visit the Planning to Attend page to see which of your classmates is planning to attend the festivities.
Reminder: University To Hold Reunion 2023 June 9-11
The University will hold its annual Day of Service on Earth Day 2023, which will fall on Saturday, April 22.
In honor of Earth Day, the University is seeking environmentally-focused regional service projects such as cleaning a park, schoolyard or church; it is also seeking to serve your communities in other ways, such as food and clothing drives. Contact alumni@scranton.edu by Jan. 31 to propose a service project in your region.
Reminder: University To Hold Day of Service April 22
What's new with you? To submit a Class Note, visit the Class Notes Submission Page.
Melinda Ghilardi ’80, Dunmore, spoke at the American Association of Justice’s 2022 Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington, on the topic of Insurance Sales Broker and Agent Liability.
Peter Stockschlaeder ’91, Potomac, Maryland, is currently working as a Windows Engineer and Project Manager for GRSi, Inc., a leading Maryland company in the health care information technology field. Stockschlaeder is a recipient of the company's 2022 Technical Achievement award for contributions to a GRSi, Inc., program he works on at the National Institute of Mental Health, in Rockville, Maryland.
Dawn K. deQuevedo ’93, Olyphant, recently appeared with her son and family on CBS Mornings in a piece on Tourette Syndrome by CBS Lead National News Correspondent David Begnaud. Watch the segment or read the story at CBS News.
Jason P. Kavulich ’97, Scranton, was appointed by Governor Shapiro to be the next secretary of the Department of Aging.
Susan Chrusciel Marangos ’04, Chatham, New Jersey, has started a new position as Senior Technical Project Manager at eClinical Solutions. In this new role, she will be managing next generation data repositories and analytics.
MARRIAGES
Alexander Pinarreta ’18 to Kara Truskolawski ’18, G’19,
Alex Wolan '18 to Sara Rizzo '18 G'19
BIRTHS
A daughter, Adriana Pearl, to Matthew and Victoria Swift Mound '02, Morris Plains, New Jersey
DEATHS
Paul S. Berger ’54, North Bethesda, Maryland
Joseph J. Banick ’59, G’67, Dunmore
Robert T. Fidiam ’63, Dunmore
Joseph “Cliff” Curry ’66, West Pittston
Marcia A. Shelinski ’68, G’70, Muncy
Francis M. Goskowski ’72, Clarks Summit
FRIENDS' DEATHS
Kathleen E. Bevilacqua, mother of Michael J. Bevilacqua '78, Richard G. Bevilacqua '83 and Steven Bevilacqua, M.D., D.M.D. '84
Catherine M. "Kitty" Fisch, grandmother of Robert J. Fisch '11, G'15, Timothy M. Fisch '15, G'16, and Matthew N. Fisch '20, and mother-in-law of Patrick M. Scanlon '81
Alumni Class Notes, February 2023
This spring’s first theme in the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project, “The Underground Railroad to Black Scranton” will explore Scranton’s Black history, including nearby Waverly, Pennsylvania as an outpost of the Underground Railroad, the trials and triumphs of the Black community in business, housing, arts, and culture, and the connections and significance of Scranton area history to U.S. Black history. This project is made possible thanks to a generous National Endowment for the Humanities grant to explore Scranton’s history, culture, and role in the nation at large.
Theme events will include humanities lectures and discussions, a PBS Black History film series, and a connected exhibition featuring painter Travis Prince at the Hope Horn Gallery.
Pair of Humanities Lectures and Discussions
On Thursday, Feb. 9 from 6-7 p.m. in the Moskowitz Theater at The University of Scranton a humanities lecture and discussion, “Black History and Housing in Scranton,” will feature Glynis Johns CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project, a local history and heritage initiative. During this event, Johns will discuss the Black history of Adams Avenue in the downtown Scranton area where a predominantly African American neighborhood existed prior to redevelopment in the 1970s. This talk will explore themes around Blackness, housing, affordability, and racial discrimination that remain relevant today. This event is also part of our spring Community-Based Learning talks series. To register, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23BlackHistoryHousing
On Wednesday, Mar. 8 from 7-8:30 pm in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall 509 at The University of Scranton a humanities lecture and discussion “Black Patience,” will feature Julius Fleming, author and Associate Professor of English and Director, English Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Fleming will reflect on the themes raised in his recent book, "Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation," and their relevance to our nation. Then Dr. Fleming will engage in conversation and discussion about their local relevance. This event is co-sponsored with the Black Scranton Project. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BlackPatience23
Black History PBS Film Series
A film series will explore key people and topics related to Black history nationally and with local Scranton salience. The films will explore the visions of freedom offered by the life of Harriet Tubman; the journey of the formerly enslaved Frederick Douglass, which included a speech here in Scranton; and the northern cities' promulgation of racialized housing policies that continue to reverberate today. Events will include a one-hour film screening followed by a 30-minute Q&A with discussants drawn from the co-sponsoring organizations. Co-sponsors include the Black Scranton Project, together with Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly, The University of Scranton, and WVIA.
Film schedule as follows:
- Feb. 5, 3 - 4:30 p.m., “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom,” Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture.
- Feb.19, 3 - 4:30 p.m., “Becoming Frederick Douglass,” Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture.
- Feb. 26, 3 - 4:30 p.m., “Jim Crow of the North,” Moskowitz Theater, The University of Scranton.
To register for this film series, please email info@blackscranton.org or call 570-941-4419.
Connected Hope Horn Exhibition and Events
From Feb. 3 - Mar. 10, 2023, The University of Scranton’s Hope Horn Gallery will feature a connected exhibition, A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince with a First Friday Scranton exhibition opening on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5 - 9 p.m. in Hyland Hall at The University of Scranton. Other special events on Feb. 3 at The University of Scranton include an artist’s lecture from 5 - 6 pm in Brennan Hall 228, followed by a public reception from 6 - 8 p.m. in Hyland 407.
For more information and to view upcoming events and recordings of past events, please visit www.scranton.edu/scrantonstory.
Questions? Contact community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.
Follow the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project on social media at: Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter at @scrantonstory
Scranton Story Spring Events Begin With Focus on Black History in City, Nation
You may have noticed that the Royal News e-newsletter and home page both have a fresh, new look!.
We've made a few changes, with the biggest being that all the latest campus news - community, faculty, general, staff and student - is now found at the top of the home page.
Looking for the most recent student news? or which faculty earned an intersession research grant? You can still find news grouped by our audience categories - alumni, athletics, community, faculty, general, staff and student - by using the "Categories" top navigation menu.
Alumni and athletics news still have dedicated sections, as do Royals in the News, Announcements and Events. And stories from recent University publications, and from our social media sites, can still be found at the bottom of the home page.
The e-newsletter has been redesigned as well to bring you more content in a streamlined format.
HELPFUL TOOLS
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Squeezing the latest news into a jam-packed schedule? Our new "time to read" function (based on 225 words per minute) helps make it happen. Have ten minutes on a lunch break, three minutes waiting for class to begin, or under 60 seconds in the elevator to get your update? A helpful toolbar at the top of each article provides the details to help you decide what you've got "time to read".
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Want to share news with colleagues, classmates, friends and family, or save an article to read later? In the toolbar above the article, click on the "copy link" icon and you're set. The current link copies to your clipboard. The text changes to “Link Copied!” and reverts to its default after three seconds.
EXPANDED ACCESSIBILITY
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Small changes make a big impact. Each article title is now outside the accompanying image and no longer overlays it, which improves accessibility. Subheads offer more context to share quick overview.
Please tell us what you think of the new Royal News experience and share any suggestions for design and content you'd like to see in the future. Email us at royalnews@scranton.edu.
Before and After Pictures
In With The New: Updates To Royal News
By: Claire Sunday, '23, student correspondent
An experience as teaching assistant led Roxana Curiel, Ph.D. to a profession to which she has dedicated more than a decade, including three years at The University of Scranton. Originally from Mexico City, she graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and received a doctorate in Peninsular and Mexican Literature and Cultures from the University of California, Riverside. During her second year in that program, her scholarship required a teaching assistantship.
The assistant professor in the University's department of World Languages and Cultures described the moment when she entered the classroom, prepared to be a teaching assistant, but was informed she would be teaching the class solo.
“It felt like someone literally just threw me to the lion’s den,” Dr. Curiel said. “When I started making connections with my research and the things I was teaching…that’s when I realized…this is what I am supposed to do.”
Today, she designs courses reflective of those that she wishes would have been part of her formal education. The curriculum also mirrors input received from her students. “We are doing this together,” Dr. Curiel said, explaining her teaching methods.
She again brought her student to the forefront when asked about her proudest moment as an educator: “It was the moment that I realized I was making a difference with my students.”
Dr. Curiel believes in changing one mind at a time and described education as a powerful means through which that difference can be made.
How Dr. Roxana Curiel educates and engages beyond the classroom
In spring 2022, Dr. Curiel completed a paper for the Faculty Success Program of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). Her work, "De Roma a Juchitán: Intimacies and Colonial Gaze in Alfonso Cuarón's Roma and Graciela Iturbide's Photography," will be submitted to the Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies.
She also wrote a critique piece with her SPAN 315 “Migrations Across the Americas” students. They went to see the play "A Good Farmer" offered by the Academic Theatre Program/University Players and felt compelled to speak about it. Their piece unpacked the play's shortcomings and promoted an informed understanding of citizenship and the criminalization of Latinx migrants in the U.S.
Last summer, Dr. Curiel was awarded The University of Scranton Faculty Development Grant for the project “De muxe a muxe: Meuxeidad and the Third Gender in Zapotec Culture.” She spent the summer performing an ethnography of two muxe artists, Elvis Guerra and Luka Avedaño, which is part of her book manuscript, "Machorras: Embodying Identity Against Mexicanidad." Dr. Curiel’s current research supports the book, which questions Mexican identity and the label of Latinidad, in general.
She also created “Robles,” a drag performance piece with fellow dragtivist Nancy Cázares and musician Gabriel Tepichín. They were invited to perform it at the Archivo de la Ciudad de México as part of the talk series, “Disidencia, resistencia y movilización. La diversidad sexual en la Ciudad de México a través de sus archivos.” In the performance, they told the story of Colonel Amelio Robles and their transition during the Mexican Revolution (1910), along with current stories of violencia machista against trans women in Latin America. The piece's success has led to several invitations to perform at festivals and LGBTQIA+ events.
Said Dr. Curiel of her research, “If... not tied to activism, it loses meaning.”
In fall 2022, Dr. Curiel was invited to write a chapter on queer theory by scholars from Harvard University and the Universidad Autónoma de México, collaborating in an edited book, "Teoría Queer en México: Disidencias, Diversidades y Diferencias, under contract with Editorial Signos." Latinx students also invited her to be a faculty advisor in creating an ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) chapter at the University of Scranton.
During the celebration and commemoration of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, Dr. Curiel took part in the panel discussion “Building DEI Partnerships for Students Leaning Inside and Outside the Classroom” at The University of Scranton Diversity Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, Faculty Workshop, "Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Classroom." She also participated in a panel conversation organized by the Multicultural Center on the topic of Latino/x/e communities navigating labels, and their identity.
Before joining The University of Scranton faculty, Dr. Curiel worked at Pepperdine University, and Williams College where she was an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow.
Faculty Profile: A Conversation With Dr. Roxana Curiel
January
View January Listing Page
Two University of Scranton accounting Ph.D. students won The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Award this year, becoming the third and fourth doctoral students to win this highly-coveted prize in just the past four years. Scranton is the only university to have had four students win this national award.
Lisa S. Haylon of Hamden, Connecticut, and Xiaobing (Emily) Li of South Abington Township, both students in the University’s Ph.D. in accounting program, received the IIA’s Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Award for 2022. Haylon received the award for her dissertation, “An Investigation of the Tactics Used to Create Collusive Fraud Teams,” and Li received the award for her dissertation, “Effects of Management Training Ground and Internal Audit Service Type on External Auditors’ Reliance on Internal Auditors’ Work.” They join previous Barrett award winners from Scranton: Gregory Kogan, DBA ’22, and Joy Chacko, DBA ’21.
“In the history of IIA’s dissertation award, which began in 2004, Scranton is the leading institution for the number of doctoral students that have received this award. This reflects the practice relevance and quality of the research of our doctoral students, faculty and program. Congratulations to Lisa and Emily and their dissertation committees,” said Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, Accounting Department chair and Ph.D. program director.
The Barrett award selection process is competitive and determined through the IIA’s Committee of Research and Education Advisors, which is comprised of both academicians and practitioners actively involved in the profession of internal auditing. The selection includes the following criteria: relevance of the topic to internal auditing; soundness of methodology; coherent organization and clarity of presentation; and quality of data (where applicable). With an international membership of more than 200,000 members, the IIA is among the largest and most respected professional organizations for accountants.
Haylon, who will graduate with a Ph.D. from Scranton in May, was “honored, humbled and grateful to be selected for award.” She said the award demonstrates that Scranton’s Ph.D program, offered in a non-traditional format for working professionals, “provides valuable experience and exposure in research.”
“Through the program, I was able to explore research collaboration opportunities with global scholars who are well-established and respected in their areas of expertise. The research opportunities have been outstanding,” said Haylon, whose research interests include social influence pressures in practice, collusive fraud and psychological components of fraud.
Li agreed, saying Scranton’s Ph.D. program is “a very well-designed, efficient education model.”
“The program provides students first with a solid foundation on how to properly conduct research studies. Then students work with closely with professors who have been successful in publishing multiple research studies on their own. The professors are accessible and very helpful. They are mentors as well as professors,” said Li, who is a transfer pricing consultant for EY LLP and will also graduate with a Ph.D. from Scranton in May.
Li, a certified public accountant, earned her MBA from Scranton 2020. She also earned a master’s degree in mathematics and statistics from Northeast Normal University in Changehun, China. She has worked in the accounting field for a number of years at organizations that include Northeast PA Center for Independent Living and The University of Scranton. Earlier in her career, she was a middle school mathematics teacher in China.
A certified public accountant, Haylon is an assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University. Her study “How to Handle Pressure to Act Unethically,” with Dr. Boyle, Carol Bishop, D.B.A., and Dana Hermanson, Ph.D., was published in the summer 2022 edition of Management Accounting Quarterly. She previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and served as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting.
Housed in the Kania School of Management, this is the first Ph.D. program offered by The University of Scranton. The program was developed with a concentration in accounting, to provide experienced practitioners with a practical pathway to an academic career. The program offers participants flexibility, while still providing for the development of the knowledge and skill set necessary to become a “scholarly academic” – one who is qualified to teach at a school of business that possesses or is seeking formal accreditation by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
AACSB recognized Scranton’s doctoral program for “Innovations and Best Practices in Canada, Latin America and the United States” in 2019.
Scranton Doctoral Students Win National Awards in Record Numbers
U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 “Best Online Graduate Programs” ranked The University of Scranton’s online master’s degree programs in business (excluding MBA) at No. 54 and its online MBA program at No. 102 in the nation. U.S. News also ranked Scranton at No. 72 in the country for “Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans.”
This is the 12th consecutive year that U.S. News ranked the University’s online programs among the best in the nation. The methodology used by U.S. News to determine the ranking has changed several times throughout the years.
For the 2023 Best Online Programs ranking, which published Jan. 24, U.S. News reviewed statistical information submitted by schools. The ranking criteria differed by category. The criteria used by U.S. News to rank online business and MBA programs included student engagement (30 percent), which looked at graduation rates, class size, one-year retention rates, and best practices such as accreditation by AACSB International, among other factors. The ranking criteria also included peer reputation score (25 percent); faculty credentials and training (15 percent); student excellence (15 percent); and student services and technology (15 percent).
In addition to offering distance education programs that incorporate coursework that is predominantly online, colleges and universities making the “Best Online Program for Veterans” list must have ranked in top half of 2023 Best Online Program rankings; be regionally accredited; be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program; and enroll a “critical mass of veterans” as defined by U.S. News based on the size of the college.
Scranton offers online MBA degrees in general business, accounting, business analytics, enterprise resource planning, finance, healthcare management, human resources management, international business and operations management; master’s degrees in accountancy, applied behavior analysis, business analytics, cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity, finance, health administration, health informatics, human resources management and a dual MBA/MHA degree, in addition to graduate certificates. For technology, recruitment and marketing support, the University partners with Wiley for the online programs.
In other rankings published by U.S. News, Scranton has been ranked among the top 10 “Best Regional Universities in the North” for 29 consecutive years. Scranton is ranked No. 5 in the 2023 edition of the guidebook. U.S. News also ranked Scranton No. 6 in its category for “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” a selection of the top colleges in the nation that express a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.
Scranton Online Programs Ranked Among Best in USA
Two Intersession domestic service trips were organized by the Center For Service and Social Justice from Jan. 15-21. One group traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, where they collaborated with The Saint Bernard Project to build and renovate homes devastated by hurricanes. The second group visited Missoula, Montana, where they volunteered with the Hope Rescue Mission and the Poverello Center homeless shelters and temporary housing agencies.
Domestic service inspires future volunteerism
"This is Scranton’s first trip to Missoula!" said Mia Sandy, '23, of Scranton, who served as a peer facilitator on the trip to rural Montana.
Sandy, a senior Counseling and Human Services (CHS) major, said she helped the group with advance preparation, including several fundraising events to offset trip expenses.
"For me, it was really important to have an understanding of the community we were going to engage with, so I did a lot of reading on rural poverty and I researched the agencies we are working with this week. I have also been working closely with Avianna to prepare for the trip and to prepare my group for the trip," said Sandy, referencing Avianna Carilli '22, coordinator of domestic and international service programs for the Center for Service and Social Justice.
"We had a few meetings in the fall semester in addition to fundraising events, so the group really had to be committed to this experience," said Sandy, shown above, far right, with members of the group that traveled to Montana.
She heard about the Domestic and International trips as a first-year student through a Reflective Service Program called FIRST, then shared stories and experiences of other students encouraged her to participate.
Sandy's travels have motivated her toward service to others in the future.
"I am currently in the accelerated Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program on campus, but I have been exploring an opportunity to do a year of service in Arizona. I am not sure where I will be next year, but I know that I will be participating in some form of service and trying to spread the Scranton love to whoever I meet," Sandy said.
More than 150 students experience education abroad
Approximately 150 students participated in trips abroad during Intersession, according to Associate Director of Global Education Kara Kofira Bishop.
January Intersession programs through the Office of Global Education included trips to:
AIFS Barcelona, Spain
AIFS Granada, Spain
AIFS Rome, Italy
AIFS Paris, France
AIFS London, UK
AIFS Germany, Berlin
Sacred Heart University Dingle, Ireland
Their faculty-led programs included:
T/RS 296 Christianity in the Middle East (Jerusalem, Israel)
BIOL 296 Terrestrial Tropical Ecology (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
HAD 595 South America Health Systems (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
NURS 496 Healthcare Systems and Nursing Practice Abroad (Dublin, Ireland)
PS 296 Irish Political Culture (Dublin, Ireland)
ENTR 481 Global Practicum (Paris, France)
Moira Courtney '23, Kinesiology-PT and Philosophy major from Hamilton, New Jersey was among students who participated in a Faculty-led Study Abroad trip to Jerusalem, Israel with Theology/Religious Studies 296: Christianity in the Middle East.
"I really wanted the opportunity to learn more about my faith while exploring the Holy Land, which I’ve heard so much about. Especially with the ongoing occupation, my interest in this area has been growing; I have been seeking to connect faith and social justice," said Courtney.
"Our group has explored Holy sites, local churches, and some of the beautiful cities of Palestine. During these tours we have been discussing the importance of religion in the region, as well as the current occupation. We have gotten the opportunity to discuss these important topics with individuals who experience the effects on a daily basis," she added.
For information, visit: studyabroad.scranton.edu
Ariana Isayiw, sophomore Kinesiology major, shown above, participated in the Sacred Heart University study abroad winter 2023 session in Dingle, Ireland from Dec. 28 through Jan.12.
"I was able to celebrate New Year's in Dingle! I took a three-credit class while abroad that fulfilled my theology elective at Scranton. I was assigned housing in a cute cottage on the Dingle harbor. I had a great view from my front walkway and was even able to see the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve from the front door!"
Isayiw offered insight into the course and the program.
"I loved being able to fully immerse myself in the Irish culture for those two weeks while also taking a class. The course included a mix of in-class lecture and field trips to local religious sites.
The study abroad program itself included activities for us to participate in outside of class such as a cookery class, horseback riding on the coast, a bus tour (with a stop to hold a baby sheep!), and a day trip to Killarney. We also had a few group dinners with our professor, class, and the other students in the program.
The locals were all very welcoming and the professors were excited to have us in their classes and loved showing us around town and teaching us about their culture.
I truly enjoyed my time in Dingle and would recommend the program to anyone looking for a short term study abroad experience!"
Postcards from 2023 Scranton Intersession
The series, presented by The Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and The University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library, will be shown throughout February. Dr. Anthony Betancourt, assistant professor in the Psychology Department, and Dr. Melissa Anyiwo, associate professor in the History Department, will introduce and contextualize one film each Wednesday, beginning at 7 p.m.
“Black History Month is an important time for us to reflect on the experiences and contributions of Black people in American history. The Weinberg Memorial Library is proud to partner with the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union on this important initiative," said George Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library at the University.
"The Library is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and being a welcoming place for our community. Furthermore, the Library’s longstanding expertise with Media Resources was an obvious avenue for us to promote understanding and play our part to help create a more equitable future."
The film schedule is as follows:
- February 1, "Moonlight"
- February 8, "Blackkklansman"
- Feburary 15, "Whose Streets"
- Feb. 22, "Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975"
- Feb. 28, "Sparkle"
Faculty to introduce and contextualize Black History Month Film Series
Dr. Anyiwo, who joined the University in 2022, is an award-winning teacher and researcher who specializes in using historical methods to explore racial and gender stereotypes. Most recently, Dr. Anyiwo was a faculty member at Curry College as a professor of politics and history, and prior to that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Dr. Anyiwo earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies and politics and her Ph.D. at the University of Wales Swansea, where her dissertation analyzed the dominant stereotypes of African-American women from the 16th century to present.
Dr. Betancourt, who joined the University in 2022, is the founder and chief executive officer of ABLE Research LLC in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He brings to Scranton expertise in the subjects of bullying, scientific racism, learning disabilities and economic inequality. He has taught at the City College of New York and won a coveted fellowship at the City University of New York teaching undergraduate psychology.
Dr. Betancourt earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology at The University of Scranton, his Master of Arts in general theoretical psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and both his Master of Philosophy and his Ph.D. in educational psychology at the City University of New York.
The Black History Month Film Series is supported by a 2023 grant awarded by the Diversity Initiatives Review Board.
'Moonlight' to Open Black History Month Film Series Feb. 1
This spring, The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum will hold another semester’s worth of stimulating programming courtesy of its ever-diverse collection of courses, luncheons and collaborative programs geared around contemporary cultural and political issues.
There will be three courses this spring, with the first one beginning Thursday, Feb. 2. Taught by University faculty members, the courses are presented in six weekly sessions from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the Weinberg Memorial Library.
The courses are free for University students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members, and $75 per individual and $125 per couple for non-members.
Joseph Kraus, Ph.D., professor in the University’s Department of English and Theatre, will present “Down These Mean Streets: An Ethics of Hardboiled, Noir Fiction,” on Monday evenings Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27, and March 6 and 13.
During the course, Dr. Kraus and the class will examine the roots of noir fiction, beginning with its roots in the 1920s and moving all the way up to today’s contemporary practitioners of the form. The class will discuss a selection of stories and novels, as well as some of the classic films they inspired.
Most people hear the word “noir” and think of Humphrey Bogart in a fedora, Dr. Kraus said. That’s true -- but only partly, he stressed.
“For me, noir begins with the crisis of faith that (Ernest) Hemingway and others explored in the 1920s as Modernism developed in literature. Hemingway’s stories show us characters who have lost their faith in something larger – whether religion or some cultural system – and then he shows how they develop ‘codes’ for moving forward in their lives,” Dr. Kraus said. “The first full-blown successful hardboiled/noir writers, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, move forward with that idea of characters who employ codes of conduct in contexts where faith has collapsed. Chandler gives us detectives who aspire to be modern-day knights but settle for being emotionally insulated men doing what they can to protect flawed clients. Hammett ironizes the whole situation, giving us characters who seem cut-throat but act from clear and sustained motives.”
“Put another way, I see noir as a form of ‘applied ethics,’” Dr. Kraus added. “It asks the question of how we should carry ourselves in a world where – as Nietzsche suggested and Hemingway echoed – we’ve lost the moral clarity of an inherited faith.”
Ann A. Pang-White, Ph.D., professor in the University’s Department of Philosophy and director of the Asian Studies program, will present “Philosophy East and West” Wednesdays March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 and April 5.
Why teach philosophy comparatively and cross-culturally? What are the benefits of thinking outside the box? Those are some of the questions Dr. Pang-White will explore in the class, reviewing the works of Western thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas and Kant and then thematically compare them to Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism on topics of self-and-other, virtue, government, gender and ecology.
The purpose of this comparative approach, according to Dr. Pang-White, is to broaden people’s mental horizons by considering alternative conceptual frameworks that can serve as useful resources for treatment of contemporary social, political and environmental problems.
“Oftentimes intercultural conflict arises from a lack of understanding of other cultures,” Dr. Pang-White said. “Because of my international heritage and background in philosophy, I thought it would be a great use of my knowledge and interest to bring Western philosophy into conversation with non-Western philosophy on key issues as a step toward peace-making, using a method that questions rigid binary thinking about self and others. I am excited to teach this course and hope that participants will find the class experience enjoyable and thought-provoking.”
Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., professor in the University’s Department of Philosophy, will present “The Anatomy of Contemporary Conservatism in the U.S.” Thursdays Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 and March 2 and 9.
The course, Meyer said, will explore “the different strands of conservatism that have emerged in recent years, from George Will’s defense of classic liberalism to Yoram Hazony’s turn to nationalism, and ask to what extent, if at all, these different strands are compatible with each other.”
This semester will be the final one for longtime Schemel Forum Director Sondra Myers, who is retiring.
“It has been a privilege for me to serve you with issues and ideas through all these years and get to know you all,” Myers said in remarks to the Schemel Forum community. “We’ll always be friends.”
To register for the courses, or for more information on the Schemel Forum, contact Brooke Leonard at 570-941-4740 or brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.
Additional Schemel Forum events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.
Schemel Forum Courses Set for Spring
In conjunction with the Hope Horn Gallery exhibition "A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince," a Campus Coffeehouse with the artist will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23. The event will be held in the Rose Room, 5th Floor, Brennan Hall, from 7 - 8:00 p.m.
The coffeehouse is produced in conjunction with The University of Scranton Office of Equity and Diversity and University of Scranton Multicultural Center, and is supported in part by a University of Scranton Diversity Initiatives Grant, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Scranton's Story/Our Nation's Story project.
Please call Darlene Miller-Lanning for information at 570-9412-4214.
Campus Coffeehouse with Travis Prince Feb. 23
Join The Center for Health Education and Wellness (CHEW) in the new semester for CHEW'S Weekly Wellness Classes.
Drop-in classes are taught by professional instructors to promote stress relief and increase strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Classes are open to students, staff and faculty (unless otherwise stated).
- MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: MONDAY 5 p.m., Library, Room 305
- DROP-IN PICKLEBALL* : TUESDAY 12- 1 p.m., Byron Gym (Employees Only)
- POUND: TUESDAY, 5:30 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
- LUNCHTIME YOGA: WEDNESDAY, 12:15 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
- LIGHT WEIGHTS and ABS*: MONDAY and WEDNESDAY 5 p.m.- Byron Gym, Royals Room (Employees Only)
- ENERGIZING YOGA: THURSDAY, 5 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
* Denotes faculty- and staff-only classes.
CHEW'S Weekly Wellness Classes Begin for Spring Semester
More than 1,600 students were named to The University of Scranton’s Dean’s List for the 2022 fall semester. The Dean’s List recognizes students for academic excellence. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better with a minimum number of credit hours during the semester to make the Dean’s List. The list includes students from the Jesuit university’s College of Arts and Sciences, Kania School of Management and Panuska College of Professional Studies.
University Announces Fall 2022 Dean’s List
THE MEG CULLEN-BROWN MAGIS AWARD WINNER for JANUARY 2023 is: Angel Bladt, Mail Carrier Services
How long have you worked for the University?
1.5 years
What do you like to do for fun?
"I enjoy spending time with my family."
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the good work that Angel does on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in personally congratulating Angel and all our nominees.
Angel will receive a certificate for $50 worth of complimentary food at our fabulous University food service outlets, as well as a reserved parking space in the DeNaples Parking Pavilion for the month of January. Each monthly winner is also invited to the Senate Recognition event in May to receive a certificate of appreciation.
We congratulate our winner and all nominees for being recognized as “Magis” employees!
January 2023 Nominees:
Mary Kay Aston, Financial Aid
Angel Bladt, Mailing
Maureen Carlton, Financial Aid
Christopher Carter, Physical plant
Bridget Chomko, Advancement
Donna Cochrane-Kalinowski, Nursing
Thomas Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Kelly Connor Lewis, Admissions
Deb Cwalinski, Physical Plant
Janelle Decker, Music
Shonna Emmick, Facilities
Phil Erb, Infrastructure Services
Lori Flynn, Registrars Office
Jacob Harris, Facilities Operations
Tom Kern, IT
Brooke Leonard, Schemel Forum
Mary Ann Maslar, CAS Dean's Office
Peg Mazzino, Facilities
Peter Nguyen, University Police
Eileen Notarianni, Human Resources
John Ochman, IT
Hollie Roscioli, Facilities
Dolores Rozelle, PCPS Field Placement
Reka Shayka, Residence Life
Melissa Sherrill, Printshop
Rose Striefsky, University Advancement
Justin Tambeau, Facilites
Rose Termini, CTLE
Jillian Wall, Admissions
Eve Walsh-Bisignani, IT
Angel Bladt is Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner
Earlier this month, the PNC Automated Teller Machine (ATM) situated in the McGurrin Hall vestibule was deactivated.
The ATM in the DeNaples Center vestibule will remain in service.
As always, PNC account holders can access the DeNaples Center ATM without fees.
Important Update to Campus Banking Options
Scranton (17-0) posted a pair of road victories last week to remain unbeaten as they notched a 63-50 win at Drew and a 62-34 victory at Juniata.
Trinity (Tex.) recorded 18 of the 25 first place votes and sits at 19-0 on the season in the D3hoops.com poll and is followed in the top five by Transylvania (17-0), Christopher Newport (17-0), Scranton and Smith (16-1). In the WBCA poll, Christopher Newport leads the way and the rest of the top five is comprised of Trinity, Transylvania, Scranton and Smith.
Click the following links to view the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA polls.
The Lady Royals will battle Moravian in a Landmark matchup Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the John Long Center with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
Women's Hoops Ranked No. 4 in Latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 Polls
The following students were added to The University of Scranton Dean’s List for the spring 2022 semester after publication of the list in June of 2022.
The Dean’s List recognizes students for academic excellence during the 2022 spring semester. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better with a minimum number of credit hours to make the Dean’s List. The list includes students from the Jesuit university’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Kania School of Management and the Panuska College of Professional Studies.
Students added to the spring 2022 Dean’s List are:
Students Added to Spring 2022 Dean’s List
Jan. 28 8:30 a.m. Campaign School 2023. League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County's campaign training program, co-sponsored by the University's Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service. The program also includes a panel of elected local government officials offering helpful tips. Brennan Hall, Rose Room. Fees vary. Register at www.lwvlackawanna.org or email ceeps@scranton.edu.
Feb. 1 7 p.m. Black History Month Film Series: “Moonlight” presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7524 or email george.aulisio@scranton.edu.
Feb. 3 through Mar. 10 Art Exhibit: “A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Feb. 3 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince” presented by Travis Prince, exhibiting artist. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Feb. 4 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring Tony Lustig Trio. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Feb. 5 3 p.m. Black History PBS Film Series “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom.” This event is part of the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project. Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture. Registration required. Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email info@blackscranton.org.
Feb. 8 7 p.m. Black History Month Film Series: “Blackkklansman” presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7524 or email george.aulisio@scranton.edu.
Feb. 9 6 p.m. Asian New Year Celebration and Workshop. Brennan Hall, Rose Room. Free. Registration required at https://tinyurl.com/AsianNewYearUofS or email asianstudies@scranton.edu.
Feb. 9 6 p.m. Community-Based Learning Talk “Black History and Housing in Scranton” featuring Glynis Johns, CEO and founder of the Black Scranton Project. This event is part of the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Registration required at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23BlackHistoryHousing Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu.
Feb. 11 1 p.m. 21th Annual Northeast PA Brain Bee sponsored by the Neuroscience Program at The University of Scranton. Snow date Feb. 18. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4324 or email robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.
Feb. 15 7 p.m. Black History Month Film Series: “Whose Streets?” presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7524 or email george.aulisio@scranton.edu.
Feb. 19 3 p.m. Black History PBS Film Series “Becoming Frederick Douglass.” This event is part of the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project. Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture. Free. Registration required by emailing info@blackscranton.org or call 570-941-4419.
Feb 19 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band with guest soloist Matt Munisteri, guitar and voice. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Feb. 22 7 p.m. Black History Month Film Series: “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7524 or email george.aulisio@scranton.edu.
Feb. 23 5:30 p.m. The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities Lecture: “Towards a Just Economy: Guaranteed Income and Human Potential” with Amy Castro, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Pennsylvania. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu.
Feb. 24-26 and Mar. 3-5 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, book by Allan Knee presented by The University of Scranton Players. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
Feb. 26 3 p.m. Black History PBS Film Series “Jim Crow of the North.” This event is part of the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Registration required by emailing info@blackscranton.org or call 570-941-4419.
Feb. 28 7 p.m. Black History Month Film Series: “Sparkle” presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7524 or email george.aulisio@scranton.edu.
Mar. 4 Talk Back immediately after the performance of “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” by The University of Scranton Players as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu.
Mar. 5 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Concert Choir and The Scranton Brass Orchestra. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Mar. 7 6 p.m. Salary Negotiations Workshop offered by The University of Scranton’s Career Development Office and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Room 405, The DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 8 3 p.m. Women of Vision and Courage Award Presentation offered by The University of Scranton’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Mar. 13 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Courage to Care” presented by 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, New Jersey. The luncheon is part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 20 through Apr. 14 Art Exhibit: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Mar. 23 11:45 a.m. Community-Based Learning Talk “Environmental Health” presented by Tonyehn Verkitus. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu.
Mar. 24 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District” presented by Darlene Miller-Lanning. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.
Mar. 25 9 a.m. Preview Day for accepted students to The University of Scranton’s class of 2027. Various locations on campus. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu.
Mar. 28 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “A Foreigner Called Picasso” presented by Annie Cohen-Solal, writer and social historian, distinguished professor at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 29 5:30 p.m. Schemel Forum with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Collaborative Program: “Mozart: The Mind and Music of a Genius” presented by Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director, Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. Sordoni Theater, WVIA Public Media Studies. Reception to follow. Registration required. $35 per person. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Mar. 29 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “General Recital” featuring flute choir, percussion ensemble, steel drums and more. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Mar. 30 7:30 p.m. Office of Sustainability film and panel discussion “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva.” Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu.
Mar. 30 5 p.m. 26th Annual ACHE Healthcare Symposium: “Bedside and Administration: A Strategic Alliance.” McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required. Includes dinner, presentation and panel discussion. Fees vary. Call 570-709-9892 or email scarlet.alexander@scranton.edu.
Apr. 1 9 a.m. Regional National History Day Competition for junior and senior high school students. The DeNaples Center. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4549 or email nhdparegion2@gmail.com.
Apr. 2 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Recital” featuring Mikaela Bennett, voice. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Apr. 14-25 Environmental Art Show. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free. Call 570-941-7482 or email marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu.
Apr. 14 4:30 p.m. Environmental Art Show opening event – Artist Talk with Stéphanie Williams. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free. Call 570-941-7482 or email marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu.
Apr. 15 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band and Saxophone Ensemble with guest baritone/bass saxophonist Leigh Pilzer. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Apr. 18 11 a.m. Earth Day Fair with interactive games, presentation and information related to the environment and sustainable practices. Atrium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu.
Apr. 20 8:30 a.m. Hayes Family Competition in physics and engineering for high school students. Byron Complex. Registration required. Call 570-941-7509 or email salisa.brown@scranton.edu.
Apr. 20 4 p.m. Henry George Lecture: “Where Does Wealth Come From?” presented by Sandra Black, Ph.D., Columbia University. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4048 or email john.ruddy@scranton.edu.
Apr. 20 5:30 p.m. Earth Day “Evening of Environmental Science” with University student-run interactive science experiments and exhibit of University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest submissions. Essay contest awards will be announced at the event. Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-6267 or email susan.falbo@scranton.edu.
Apr. 21 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “How Stories Heal the World” presented by Colum McCann, author of seven novels and three collections of stories, recipient of many international honors including the National Book Award and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Collegiate Hall, Redington Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Apr. 23 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Singers and Symphonic Band. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
Apr. 24 through May 5 Art Exhibit: “The University of Scranton Student Exhibition Online.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call. 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu
Apr. 27 5 p.m. Campus Take Back the Night. Dionne Green. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email brandice.ricciardi@scranton.edu.
Apr. 27-30 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Theatrical performance of “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight” by The University of Scranton’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the English and Theatre Department as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Studio Theatre of the McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu.
Apr. 27 7 p.m. Schemel Forum with Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute at The University of Scranton Collaborative Program: “Only in America? Religion, State, and a Hasidic Town in Rural New York” presented by David N. Myers, Ph.D., distinguished professor of history, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History and director of the Luskin Center for History and Policy, UCLA. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Registration required. $15 per person. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Apr. 28 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The World after the Ukraine War” presented by Jill Dougherty, Russian expert, former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, current CNN on-air contributor and professor, Georgetown University. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Apr. 29-30 9 a.m. Saturday; Noon Sunday. Friends of the Library Book and Plant Sale. Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Call 570-941-7816 or email kym.fetsko@scranton.edu.
May 2 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Promise of American Democracy” presented by Fredrik Logevall, Ph.D., Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School and professor of history, Harvard University. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
May 6 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “40th Annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert” The University of Scranton Concert Band and Concert Choir featuring two new works by composer/conductor Philip J. Kuehn. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
May 9 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “Vocalising and Music in the Development of Speech Language and Consciousness” presented by Harmar Brereton, M.D., medical and radiation oncologist, Weill Cornell Medical School faculty and clinical professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
May 12 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton String Orchestra. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.
May 20 TBA Commencement Baccalaureate Mass. Byron Recreation Complex. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu.
May 21 TBA Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu.
Schemel Forum Courses
Mondays: Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27 & Mar. 6, 13 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Down These Mean Streets: An Ethics of Hardboiled, Noir Fiction” presented by Joseph Kraus, Ph.D., professor, Department of English and Theatre, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Wednesdays: Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 & Apr. 5 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “Philosophy East and West” presented by Ann A. Pang-White, Ph.D., professor, Department of Philosophy and director, Asian Studies Program, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Thursdays: Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 & Mar. 2, 9 6 p.m. Schemel Forum Evening Course: “The Anatomy of Contemporary Conservatism in the US” presented by Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., professor, Department of Philosophy, The University of Scranton. Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu.
Spring Events Planned at University
The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL), in collaboration with campus partners, is pleased to offer a series of three "CBL Talks" in the Spring 2023 semester. The goal of these talks is to provide University students, as well as the wider community, with information and insights into some of the major challenges and opportunities facing the Scranton area and how they can be part of positive change. This spring's talks will focus on: Black History and Housing in Scranton; Environmental Health; and the Living Wage Study 2022 Report.
Each of the CBL Talks will be offered as a live session, beginning with a presentation from guest speakers, followed by Q&A. These sessions will also be recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses and reflection questions will be provided to student attendees after each event. The CBL Talks can be used as a teaching resource for CBL faculty members. This year’s series is also a special collaboration of the Office of Community-Based Learning with the Panuska College of Professional Studies T.A.P.E.S.T.R.Y. program. The talks can also be attended by the wider university and Scranton community.
The spring 2023 CBL Talks are:
Black History and Housing in Scranton with Glynis Johns
On Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Moscowitz Theater, Glynis Johns, CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project, a local history and heritage initiative, will discuss the Black history of Adams Avenue in the downtown Scranton area where a predominantly African American neighborhood existed prior to redevelopment in the 1970s. This CBL Talk will explore themes around Blackness, housing, racial discrimination, and affordability that remain relevant today.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23BlackHistoryHousing
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations and the Multicultural Center. It is also part of the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project supported by the NEH and in collaboration with the Black Scranton Project and other community partners.
Environmental Health with Tonyehn Verkitus, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
On Thursday, March 23 at 11:45 a.m. in The DeNaples Center Ballroom, Tonyehn Verkitus, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania will provide a discussion on how environmental factors such as air and water quality are one of many determinants of our health and well-being. These and other environmental factors can lead to disease and health disparities in the places where people live, work, learn and play. This discussion will highlight how existing environmental disparities in communities exposed to a combination of poor environmental quality and social inequities lead to more sickness and disease than you see in wealthier, less polluted communities.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23EnvironmentalHealth
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, the Office of Sustainability and the Environmental Studies Concentration. This event is also a part of the University's 2023 Earth Month events.
Living Wage Study 2022 Report with Julie Schumacher Cohen, The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, Friends of the Poor Scranton
On Friday, April 14 at 3 p.m. in the Moskowitz Theater, Julie Schumacher Cohen, AVP for Community Engagement & Government Affairs at The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, President & CEO of the Friends of the Poor Scranton will highlight the Living Wage Report 2022, including key findings of the study and its recommendations related to what constitutes a living wage in NEPA and issues related to economic justice, racial disparities, and public policy action through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. Meghan Loftus, university partner and alumna, will discuss the work of Friends of the Poor around the realities of poverty and the need for systemic change.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23LivingWage
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with The Ellacuría Initiative and the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service.
For more information on the CBL Talks program, please visit www.scranton.edu/cbltalks or email cbl@scranton.edu.
Spring Talks Highlight Community Issues
The Scranton Area Community Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to The University of Scranton to support the ongoing “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project.
“Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” explores the aspirational journey to fulfill our national ideals through the lens of Scranton, an iconic American city that has experienced many of the key elements of our nation’s experience, such as industrial era growth and decline, waves of immigration past and present and Black and Indigenous experiences. The ongoing two-year project is supported by a 2021 National Endowment for the Humanities grant. The project includes a number of programs in a variety of participatory formats and as well as story collection component that will engage a diverse group of Scrantonians, which the Scranton Area Community Foundation grant will help to support.
“The story collection project is rooted in the central place that diverse human stories play in the humanities, critical to the goal of sharing Scranton’s stories as archetypal of other stories representing the many American experiences,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for Community and Government Affairs and “Scranton Stories” project director, who also noted that University students majoring in communication have assisted in the recording of the stories through community-based-learning projects included in their courses.
Cohen said that the ongoing story collection includes a public engagement phase this fall that includes an “I am Scranton” social media campaign and collection process at public events inviting stories in different modes, formats and through an online submission form.
Community organizations collaborating on this project include Black Scranton Project, Center for the Living City, Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department, The Lackawanna Historical Society, Lackawanna County Immigration Inclusion Comm., Narrative 4, the Scranton Area Ministerium, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA and WVIA.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Grant Awarded
In collaboration with The Schemel Forum, The “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project, a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded initiative of The University of Scranton and community partner organizations, hosted “The Journey from ‘Immigrant’ to Citizen” recently on campus. This roundtable discussion was a part of the Scranton’s Story project’s “From ‘Immigrant’ to Citizen” theme and featured four local speakers sharing their stories. The speakers and the discussion highlighted the myriad ways in which people have come to be members of the Scranton community and “citizens” of the larger United States, and included sharing from those who trace their ancestry to the European immigration of the industrial era to more recent migration from across Latin America and global refugee resettlement.
Visit www.scranton.edu/scrantonstory for more details.
Pictured, from left: Jenny Gonzalez Monge, STARS program director, Marywood University; Ushu Mukelo, Congolese community of Scranton; Jack McGuigan, retired English teacher and poet; Stephanie Longo, author of regional Italian American history; and Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at The University of Scranton, co-moderator of the program.
Journey to Citizenship Discussed at Scranton
Area residents, whose households earned $60,000 or less in 2022, can receive free assistance in completing and filing their federal, state and local tax returns from University of Scranton accounting students through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
University students have assisted residents with low and moderate incomes who need help with their basic tax returns for more than 30 years.
Walk-in service in Brennan Hall on the University’s campus begins on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The VITA service is offered on a first-come, first served basis during scheduled hours. Appointments are not available at the University.
Residents can schedule appointments at other locations by contacting the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties by visiting www.uwlc.net or calling 211 or 1-855-567-5341.
Residents who qualify for the free VITA service are asked to bring the following items: a valid photo ID; Social Security cards for all taxpayers and dependents; all W2 forms; last year’s tax returns; all 1099 forms (interest, dividends, pensions); unemployment paperwork; Form 8332 for non-custodial parents; information related to income and expenses (business, rental properties, sale of stocks); a personal banking account check if direct deposit is desired; documentation related to health insurance for themselves and anyone on the tax return, such as Form 1095-A, -B or –C; and real estate tax receipts if you qualify for the rent/tax rebate.
Walk-in VITA service without an appointment is available in room 111 of Brennan Hall, Madison Avenue, on the University’s campus on Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesdays, from noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Service begins on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and continues to Wednesday, April. 5, except for the week of March 13 to March 17, when the University is closed for Spring Break. Service. The VITA office may also close due to inclement weather.
The University reserves the right to cap the number of walk-in residents they can serve within a single day.
Residents with questions may call the University at 570-941-4045.
Scranton Students Offer Free Income Tax Assistance
On Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert by the Tony Lustig Trio. The 7:30 p.m. concert will take place in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.
Tony Lustig is a dynamic saxophonist hailing from Fraser, Michigan. His musical journey began under the mentorship of Detroit trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. Through Belgrave, Lustig had the opportunity to play with such greats as Jon Hendricks, Patti Austin and Gerald Wilson. He received his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University where he studied with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, Wes Anderson and others. From there he went on to earn his master’s degree at the illustrious Juilliard School, where he studied with baritone saxophone titan Joe Temperley.
Lustig spent a decade freelancing in New York City. He performed in and out of the jazz idiom with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The Birdland Big Band – which he was a member of for nearly ten years - the house band of America’s Got Talent, Leslie Odom, Jr., Santino Fontana, Gloria Gaynor, Jon Batiste, Louis Cole, the 8-Bit Big Band, Thomas Rhett and others. His playing brought him all around the world and to such notable stages as the Kennedy Center, Madison Square Garden, Saturday Night Live and the CMT Music Awards. Lustig taught briefly at Connecticut College and now resides in Rhode Island where he has been the house composer for Providence Ballet Theatre for the past five years.
The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year, and a number of University faculty, staff and alumni perform with them.
Performance Music’s large ensembles include Concert/Symphonic Band, Concert Choir/Singers, String Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble (big band format). Smaller groups are made up of members from within the large ensembles, and include Steel Drum Band, Percussion Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble and Clarinet Ensemble, plus other small vocal and instrumental groups in various formats. Solo, duo and trio performance opportunities are available to members of the ensembles through general recitals each semester.
Other programs within the department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, 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. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season.
For more information on Tony Lustig’s music, please visit: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B01C3LSM9Y/tony-lustig-quintet.
Tony Lustig Trio to Perform at Houlihan-McLean Center
The University of Scranton recognized students and their elementary or high school teachers, who they credit for contributing to their success, with Rose Kelly Awards at a recent ceremony held on campus.
The Rose Kelly Award was established by University of Scranton alumnus Joseph Wineburgh, Ph.D., to link the efforts of educators to the achievements of college students. The award is presented jointly to a student in each of the University’s colleges who has completed two years at Scranton and to the teacher whom he or she recognizes as having a great impact in his or her life. Students are selected based on exemplary achievement in both academics and general campus involvement.
Dominic Finan, Malvern, received the Rose Kelly Award for the College of Arts and Sciences. He honored Kathleen Crisi, his biology teacher at Great Valley High School, Malvern. Finan is a neuroscience and philosophy double major at Scranton with a minor in biochemistry and a member of the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, Finan is a member of the international philosophy and the national chemistry and biology honor societies. He is the recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship.
Kathryn Moore, Oyster Bay, New York, received the Rose Kelly Award for the Panuska College of Professional Studies. She honored Rebecca Lieberman, her guidance counselor at Oyster Bay High School. Moore is a counseling and human services major at Scranton enrolled in the University’s accelerated graduate program for clinical mental health counseling. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is a member of the national human services honor society and the international psychology honor society.
Madelyn Ronan, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, received the Rose Kelly Award for the Kania School of Management. She honored Leigh Ann Larkin, her honors and advanced chemistry teacher at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken Township. Ronan is an accounting and finance double major at Scranton with a minor in business leadership. She is a member of the University’s Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program and the University’s Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is a member of the Women’s Business Honor Society.
In photo below, from left Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School of Management, and Rose Kelly Award recipient Madelyn Ronan. Her high school teacher honored, Leigh Ann Larkin, was absent from the photo. Dominic Finan, who received the Rose Kelly Award for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the teacher he honored were also absent from the photo.
$content.getChild('content').textValueRose Kelly Awards Presented at University
The Greater Scranton MLK Commission will host the Annual Community Celebration and Awards Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, beginning promptly at 1:30 p.m. The event will take place at The University of Scranton, DeNaples Center, McIlhenny Ballroom, 4th floor, 900 Mulberry Street, Scranton.
The Commission focuses on the effects of anti-semitism, othering and belonging, inspired by words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter...”
A virtual keynote presentation will feature Sr. Mary C. Boys, Ed.D., Dr. Theology, Dlitt, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, Skinner McAplin Professor of Practical Theology and author of six books and hundreds of articles.
A panel discussion will follow the keynote. Panelists include:
Rabbi Daniel Swartz, spritual leader, Temple Hesed
Reverend Mark Alexander, Pastor, Bethel A.M.E. Church
Mother Rebecca A. Barnes, Reverend, St. Lukes Episcopal Church
Pastor Eric Wahner, Member Care and Descipleship Pastor, Steamtown Church
Tickets for this event are $25 each, $150 per table reservation of six. Event sponsors are greatly appreciated! Go to https://safdn.org/mlk-event/ Questions? Email gsmlkcommission@gmail.com.
Greater Scranton MLK Commission Hosts Annual Community Dinner
Staff Senate and the Staff Development Committee present Gerianne Barber, NCC, LPC for "Restoration, Resilience, and Resolutions," a discussion on Wellness and You.
The event will take place Thursday, Jan. 5 from 12 - 1 p.m. at Brennan Hall 509, The Rose Room.
Staff is invited to the join for positivity and self-care to begin the new year!
Attendees are invited to bring their own lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided.
Staff Senate and Staff Development Committee Present Wellness Event
The University of Scranton will light its four-story, Class of 2020 Gateway sign in memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Jan. 3, 4 and 5. The sign will display a white cross with a gold background.
White and gold are worn by the Pope during Christmas and Easter, symbolizing the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These colors are also worn during funerals because they symbolize life rather than mourning, according to an ABC News article about the meaning of the colors worn by the Pope.
“As a true pastor and scholar, his writings and teachings will continue to inspire theologians for generations to come. More than that, as a great pastoral leader, he called us all to a deeper relationship with God, one grounded in love and fidelity,” wrote Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of the University, in a statement on the passing of Pope Benedict XVI.
$content.getChild('content').textValueIn Memory of Pope Benedict XVI
The University will hold its 13th annual Shamrockin' Eve celebration for members of the Classes of 2019-2023 on Friday, March 10.
Registration will open soon. For more information, visit scranton.edu/shamrock.
Save The Date For Shamrockin' Eve March 10
Frank O’Hara medals were given to University of Scranton students with the highest grade-point averages in their first-, second- and third-year in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kania School of Management and the Panuska College of Professional Studies for the 2021-22 academic year. The awards, named in honor of the late Frank O’Hara who served the University for 53 years in various administrative positions, were presented at a ceremony held recently on campus.
College of Arts and Sciences
Patrick DelBalso, Plains, received a medal for academic achievement for his freshman year. A recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, he is currently a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and participates in the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the University’s Undergraduate Honors Program. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, he is a member of the Health Professions Organization, and is an editor for Esprit, the University’s literary magazine.
Mary Krichbaum, Endicot, New York, received a medal for academic achievement for her sophomore year. A recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, she is a double majoring in mathematics and philosophy with a minor in chemistry. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she participates in the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the University’s Magis Honors Program in STEM. On campus, she is a lector for Campus Ministries. She is also mathematics tutor with the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and is involved in research in the Chemistry Department.
Emily Amershek, New Ringgold, received a medal for academic achievement for her junior year. A recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, she is currently a junior majoring in philosophy with minors in theology and international studies and concentrations in legal studies and health humanities. She participates in the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is a member of the National Philosophy Honors Society and the National Theology Honors Society. At Scranton, she was awarded a Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities Fellowship and the President’s Fellowship for Summer Research, where she researches bail reform and originalism in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade. She also was the recipient of the O’Hara Award in 2021. She is a tour guide, an orientation assistant, a Campus Ministries lector, a tutor for logic courses, a student conduct University Review Board member and a member of the Pre-Law Society. In the greater Scranton community, she volunteers with Men’s Clothesline project and works part-time as a legal assistant at a local law firm.
Kania School of Management
Samuel Hannah, Dunmore, received a medal for academic achievement for his freshman year. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, he is currently a sophomore majoring in accounting. On campus, he is a member of the Society of Accounting Students and The Institute of Management Accountants. He also serves in the Visitor’s Center of the Admissions Office.
Madalyne Buhler, Stony Point, New York, received a medal for academic achievement for her sophomore year. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is currently a junior majoring in finance with a business leadership minor. She participates in the University’s Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program and the University’s Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program. She is a member of the Women’s Business Honor Society. On campus, she is co-captain of the Women’s Golf Team and was awarded first-team all-conference honors for her sophomore season. She is a member of Scranton’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and serves as executive chair of the Kania School of Management’s Student Advisory Board, and co-president of PRISM, the University’s student investment club. She also participated in Wall Street Bootcamp. Buhler served as a summer intern for MetLife Investment Management and next summer will be a global markets summer analyst for RBC Capital Markets.
Alice Banks, Hazle Township, received a medal for academic achievement for her junior year. She is currently a junior majoring in finance and participates in the University’s Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program. She was also the recipient of the O’Hara Award in 2021. On campus, she is a Royal Start Ambassador for first-year students and a resident assistant for junior and senior housing. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is a member of the Women’s Business Honor Society, the United Cultures Organization, Praise and Worship and the University of Scranton Black Student Union.
Panuska College of Professional Studies
Priyal Patel, Mountaintop, received a medal for academic achievement for her freshman year. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is currently a sophomore majoring in health administration with a minor in business. Off-campus, she volunteered with the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth Behling, Raritan, New Jersey, received a medal for academic achievement for her sophomore year. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is currently a junior and is majoring in occupational therapy. On campus, she is a member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), where she served as a delegate for the Class of 2024 on SOTA’s Executive Board and currently serves as the club’s vice president. She also serves as a teaching assistant for a second-year occupational therapy anatomy course, and served as a tutor for several anatomy courses.
Rosa Azzato, Harrisburg, received a medal for academic achievement for her junior year. A Dean’s List student at Scranton, she is currently a senior majoring in occupational therapy with a minor in psychology and a concentration in lifespan development. She is a member of the Psychology Honors Society. On campus, she serves as vice president of AFYA: The Global Health Club, as secretary and social media representative of the Student Occupational Therapy Association, and as the social media representative for the Students for Life Club. She is a peer mentor and a teaching assistant for the occupation therapy Anatomy and Mechanics of Human Movement course. She also participates in the University’s Performance Music choir and steel drum band, and the University’s music ministries choir, and the Praise and Worship Club. Azzato volunteers with service programs offered through the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice. In the greater Scranton community, she volunteered at the Lackawanna Blind Association.
In photos below, from left: Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies, and O’Hara Award recipients Elizabeth Behling, Priyal Patel and Rosa Azzato. From left: David Dzurec, Ph.D., interim dean for The University of Scranton’s College of Arts and Science; and O’Hara Award recipients Emily Amershek, Patrick DelBalso and Mary Krichbaum.
$content.getChild('content').textValueUniversity Students Receive Frank O’Hara Awards
Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, met with James K.J. Lee, director-general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York, and head of the United Nations Affairs Task Force in New York, and other TECO officials to discuss current and future programming opportunities. He also met with Hans Chunyu Chang, deputy director general of TECO, New York, and Min-Ling Yang, Ph.D., director of the Education Division of TECO, New York. Ann Pang-White, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and director of Asian Studies at Scranton, and Gerry Zaboski, senior vice president for the Office of the President at Scranton, also attended the meetings.
The University has a long-standing relationship with TECO which began in 2010. Most recently, the University and Fu Jen Catholic University, a Jesuit university in Taiwan, entered into an articulation agreement for a 4+1 MBA degree partnership. The agreement allows qualified students at Fu Jen Catholic University’s College of Management to take graduate-level courses at Fu Jen during their senior year, which will be recognized at The University of Scranton and allow the students to earn an MBA from Scranton in as little as one year after completing their bachelor’s degree at Fu Jen.
Programming established through the University’s international partnership with the Education Division of TECO-New York and Taiwan Ministry of Education includes university-level faculty- and student-exchange programs with elite universities in Taiwan, such as Fu Jen Catholic University. With support from the “Chinese language-and-culture teacher from Taiwan” grant, Scranton hosts visiting instructors annually. In addition, more than 10 University of Scranton students have participated in “Huayu Language Immersion Scholarship” to study in Taiwan at a university-level language center.
Through the partnership with the Taiwan Ministry of Culture, the University has hosted numerous programs in Scranton, including performances by the Taiwan Bangzi Opera Company, the Chai Found Music Workshop and the Taiyuan Puppet Theater, in addition to hosting several lectures and film festivals with meet the author and director discussions.
In 2014, the University was presented with replica of the Kinmen Peace Bell from Taiwan in honor of Scranton’s charter membership in the Taiwan Academy and its success with its Taiwanese cultural programming and Asian Studies program.
$content.getChild('content').textValueScranton President Meets With Taiwanese Officials
Joe Fitzgerald, M.D. ’64 has figured out the key to a happy, successful retirement: serve the children of his community and play a lot of golf.
The retired orthopedic surgeon, who resides in Kingston, Rhode Island, with his wife, Kathleen, spends every Tuesday and Thursday at Clothes to Kids Rhode Island, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school-age children in Providence County free of charge so that they may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.
“It’s supposed to add self-esteem, and I think it works,” Fitzgerald said. “I think it makes the world a better place.”
Fitzgerald’s interest in making the world a better place can be traced back to the example he saw his mother, a nurse, and his father, a school teacher, set for him when he was growing up in Throop, Pennsylvania. His love affair with golf also began early in his life after an uncle arranged for him to play for free at a local course.
“I played golf about 45 holes a day when I was 13,” he said, “so I got pretty good as a result of that.”
As a student at Throop High School, Fitzgerald already knew he wanted to attend the University.
“Where else would I go?” he said with a laugh. “Everybody went to Scranton. I was five miles away from Scranton.
“It was affordable and it was a rite of passage.”
After spending a few weeks considering what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Fitzgerald realized he enjoyed his science courses and thought a life spent helping others through medicine would be a life well-spent.
“I was very happy I did that,” he said. “I never regretted that.”
Fitzgerald commuted to campus each day with a few friends who also commuted. At Scranton, he double-majored in biology and philosophy in an early version of what would become the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, and he played on the Golf Team, where he achieved a three-stroke handicap. During his senior year, he was accepted at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., where he initially lived above the office of a doctor who happened to be a Scranton native.
During the rest of his time at medical school, Fitzgerald lived at the District of Columbia General Hospital, where he worked a few hours a week in exchange for room and board. In addition to that arrangement, he also worked as a lab technician to cover the rest of his expenses. He graduated from medical school in 1968 and met his future wife, Kathleen, who was then a student nurse, during his time as a medical intern.
“We got married about a year-and-a-half later,” he said, adding that they eventually brought two children, Matthew and Jennifer, into the world.
After finishing his internship, Fitzgerald spent two years in the U.S. Army as a general medical officer. After he was discharged, he landed a prestigious residency in orthopedics at Rhode Island Hospital. After finishing his residency, he founded South County Orthopedics and became the Chief Team Physician at the University of Rhode Island. While running South County Orthopedics, he found a way to “pay it forward” that proved to be as spiritually rewarding as it was financially advantageous.
“Because of my living at D.C. General and the fact that I was able to go through school without much debt, I tended to do a lot of charitable work in my own practice,” he said. “If people could’t pay me, I’d say, ‘That’s OK. Just keep coming back and send your friends,’ and I filled up a practice that way.
“I just wanted to be a doctor, take care of people and do charitable work.”
Fitzgerald continued to operate as a Team Physician at Rhode Island University and as the head of South County Orthopedics for 40 years; when the company merged with a few other groups into Ortho Rhode Island in 2016, he retired and began playing golf three days a week. About three years ago, he discovered Clothes To Kids Rhode Island and dedicated himself to supporting its mission.
“Clothe a child, change a life,” he said, echoing one of Clothes To Kids Rhode Island’s slogans. “It’s very gratifying.
“I shop with people, that’s all, and talk to people about their lives.”
Since opening in 2016, Clothes To Kids Rhode Island, which is primarily funded by donations from local citizens or corporations, has provided 9,000 wardrobes to children in Providence County, a thrift store value of more than $375,000. Fitzgerald plans to continue to serve his community at Clothes To Kids Rhode Island, and he needn’t look any further than the smiles on the faces of the people he serves to know that his efforts are helping to make the world a better place.
"I have a chance to talk to people and smile at them," he said. "In our place, everybody smiles."
Alumni Spotlight: Joe Fitzgerald, M.D. '64
The University of Scranton Women's Basketball team will battle Susquehanna on Sunday, Jan. 15, as part of a full day of Landmark Conference men's and women's hoops action at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Game time for the Lady Royals will begin at 2:30 p.m. The University will host a post-game reception at New Deck Tavern, 3408 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, at 5 p.m. The $20 reception fee includes appetizers and two drink tickets (game ticket not included). To register for the reception, visit this link.
Reminder: University To Host Lady Royals Post-Game Reception In Philadelphia Jan. 15
The University will hold its annual Day of Service on Earth Day 2023, which will fall on Saturday, April 22.
In honor of Earth Day, the University is seeking environmentally-focused regional service projects such as cleaning a park, schoolyard or church; it is also seeking to serve your communities in other ways, such as food and clothing drives. Contact alumni@scranton.edu by Jan. 31 to propose a service project in your region.
Reminder: University To Hold Day of Service April 22
In December, hundreds of alumni, parents and friends of the University celebrated the Christmas season with Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University President, at receptions in Washington, D.C., New York City, Scranton and Philadelphia.
EVENT PHOTOS
- To see photos from the Washington, D.C., reception at The Mayflower Hotel, visit this link.
- To see photos from the New York City reception at The New York Athletic Club, visit this link.
- To see photos from the President's Circle reception at the McIlhenny Ballroom, visit this link.
- To see photos from the Philadelphia reception at The Bellevue Hotel, visit this link.
Inclement weather caused a planned Presidential Christmas Reception at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, New Jersey, to be rescheduled for Jan. 20. Check the next alumni issue of Royal News for a link to photos from the event.
Royals Celebrate At Presidential Christmas Parties
What's new with you? To submit a Class Note, visit the Class Notes Submission Page.
Alexander Zygmunt, M.D. ’12, Covington, Kentucky, completed a neuromuscular fellowship with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 2022. Zygmunt is a pediatric neurologist and assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
MARRIAGES
Shawn Lamb ’11 to Jay Wong
Alexander Zygmunt, M.D. ’12 to Danielle Tapp, Ph.D.
Joshua Bayzick ’15 to Megan Hudock ’16
BIRTHS
A daughter, Kayla Maeve, to Bobby ’13, G14 and Christine Moleti Della Polla '13, DPT '16, Havertown
DEATHS
Chester R. Cott ’50, Lilitz
Paul S. Dudzik ’57, G’65, Old Forge
Alexander P. Mickiewicz ’57, Baltimore, Maryland
William H. Wasilewski, Ph.D. ’63, G’68, Lynn, Massachusetts
Joseph R. Clift ’67, G’73, Honesdale
Joseph J. Malewich ’67, Fairfax, Virginia
John C. Garlinger ’68, Beaufort, South Carolina
James J. Gillern ’69, Medford, New Jersey
Thomas P. Stezar ’76, Etters
Michael P. Sandone ’80, North Abington Township
Ross J. Cordaro ’81, Scranton
Michele M. Albright G’02, Clarks Summit
Alumni Class Notes, January 2023
Marzia Caporale, Ph.D., Director of Women's & Gender Studies, is a faculty member in the World Languages and Cultures Department. Dr. Caporale, who joined the University in 2007, shares information about her background, and experience working as a professor at the University. This semester, her courses include intermediate Italian, intermediate French, and a hybrid class, Lit 330, Resistance and Resilience: Francophone Women Authors.
Which languages do you speak?
"I speak French, Italian, English, and some Spanish."
What inspired your early interest with languages?
"In my elementary school, we started English in third grade.... I became fascinated knowing there was another language out there. In high school, on a study abroad program, I went to England, where we stayed with English families and explored the culture of the city. I did that for a couple of years. As I got older, I sought out more opportunities. During the summer there I worked as a nanny. I also traveled to France and did home stays with families."
What drew your interest in learning and studying other languages?
"I’ve always been interested in languages, mostly because I’ve wanted to travel. I wanted to talk to others in other countries. I started with English, then French, and continued learning Spanish at the University."
What interested you to teach languages?
"I was inspired by the people who taught me. I was fortunate to have amazing language teachers from early on... elementary school, middle school, and high school. At the university, my French professor was student centered and I loved his style."
Where did you study before you came to The University of Scranton?
"At the University of Florence, I earned my first degree, equivalent to a master’s. I then attended University of Nebraska - Lincoln for my Ph.D."
Which aspects of teaching at The University of Scranton and working in the World Languages Department do you most enjoy?
"What I love is getting students inspired to travel and to learn about the culture. Language serves as a gateway to the culture. This is not just about learning abstract concepts, it’s about learning something that is alive and that can be practiced.
"I love having colleagues from different parts of the world. It’s a constant learning experience since you are exposed to new cultures and new people. It’s always a dynamic process, never static."
What is your favorite course to teach, and why?
"Literature of Global Minorities is a course that the department revised recently. It's for the General Education curriculum, so it has a broad target. I love it because it allows me to use texts from different languages and cultures. It allows me to blend in my expertise into one course. The students have loved the course."
Please discuss your recent research projects.
"Dr. (Virginia A.) Picchietti, the other Italian professor, and I are in the process of translating the book "Born for You," from Italian to English. It tells the story of an Italian man, who as a single parent, adopted a child with a disability. It was the first case of single-parent adoption of a child, because laws in Italy don’t usually allow that.
"I am enjoying the translation of "Born for You," because it’s challenging. Even though I’ve taught courses in translation, I’ve never professionally translated. This book is very important because it talks about acceptance, civil rights and discrimination. It has so many aspects that we want people to learn about. It’s not just translating a novel, it’s a book that can spark a debate about acceptance and rights. Essentially, it’s a project with a purpose.
"I’m also working on a book project titled "Gender in French Banlieue Cinema," which is a collection of articles about the film genre relating to French suburbs."