2023

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 

The University of Scranton’s “Celebrating Women: 50^th 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 50^th 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.

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 11^th 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.

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.

See the University’s 2023 Black History Month events here.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.