January 2026

The ninth presentation in the Jay Nathan, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar Lecture Series featured remarks by a career diplomat and additional programming that celebrated her native country.

Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Ambassador of Finland to the U.S., participated in the program, titled, “Finland: History. Culture. Economy,” on Thursday, Jan. 15, at the PNC Auditorium inside The University of Scranton’s Loyola Science Center.

Mikkola, who previously served as Ambassador to China (2021-2024) and Israel (2011-2016) and as Director General for Africa and the Middle East (2017-2021), has been in her current role since September 2024. She spoke alongside Petri Koikkalainen, senior specialist for science and higher education.

In addition to the lecture, the evening’s events included live performances by Finnish singer Josefin Silén and Finnish classical pianist Markus Kaitila, as well as a reception.

Previous Nathan lecturers have included representatives from Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Romania, India, Thailand, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

For more information, please see the series’ webpage on The University of Scranton’s website.

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The University of Scranton will host the 25th annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Brain Bee, an event that offers high school students a chance to test their neuroscience knowledge in an academic competition. 

There is no cost to enter the Brain Bee, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at room 133 inside the Loyola Science Center. Registration is currently open and will close after Feb. 20. The registration form can be found on the event’s website. The event is open to high school students currently enrolled in Grades 9-12 and between the ages of 13-19. 

Sponsored by the University’s neuroscience program in the Department of Biology, the Brain Bee covers topics including emotions, intelligence, memory, sleep and stress. 

The winner of this regional bee — dedicated to the memory of J. Timothy Cannon, Ph.D., founder of the University’s neuroscience program and a longtime Brain Bee coordinator and judge — receives a $400 prize, a $1,000 scholarship to The University of Scranton and also advances to the National Brain Bee, held Saturday, April 25, at the University of California, Irvine. 

Three University of Scranton biology professors will serve as NEPA Brain Bee Judges: Gary Kwiecinski, Ph.D.; Marc Seid, Ph.D.; and Robert F. Waldeck, Ph.D., director of the neuroscience program and NEPA Brain Bee coordinator. 

Previous top-three finishers have attended local schools such as Wyoming Area, Wallenpaupack, Abington Heights and Scranton Prep, as well as schools from other parts of Pennsylvania and other East Coast states. 

For more information or to register online, visit the NEPA Brain Bee’s website or contact Dr. Waldeck at 570-941-4324 or email robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will host the Anderson Twins Sextet performing their acclaimed program, “The Fabulous Dorseys,” to open Performance Music’s spring 2026 season. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

“Will and Pete are no strangers to Scranton, and on every occasion they visit, their approachable virtuosity draws in our students," said Performance Music Executive Director Janelle Decker.

“The twins first performed here with Loren Schoenberg and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars in 2008 and have returned to the University as guest artists and clinicians so many times that they feel like sons of Scranton," added Cheryl Y. Boga, Artistic Director of Performance Music.

The Anderson brothers’ program brings the remarkable story of the Dorsey brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, to life. Performed by a sextet of New York’s finest musicians, the show traces the Dorseys’ journey from their start in the coal regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania as teenage professionals on trombone and saxophone through their rise as national stars with the Dorsey Brothers Band, to the dramatic 1935 sibling split that sent them on separate paths, followed by their long-awaited reunion a decade later.

Identical twins Peter and Will Anderson are two of the most extraordinary jazz woodwind players today. Hailed by The New York Times as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone," they were born and raised in Washington, D.C., and moved to New York City to attend The Juilliard School. They’ve performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, Wynton Marsalis, and can be heard on the 2014 Grammy-winning soundtrack of HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. They’ve headlined at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Feinstein’s 54 Below, Blues Alley, Birdland and performed live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie "Home Companion" Radio Program. The Andersons have performed in over 40 U.S. states, throughout Brazil, Japan, the U.K., and six times in New York City's famed "Highlights in Jazz" series, alongside Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Heath, Ken Peplowski, Steve Turre, Warren Vache, Frank Vignola and Jimmy Cobb.

The Andersons' film credits include "Revolutionary Road," "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." They performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars in "After Midnight," which ran on Broadway from 2013-2014, and featured Vanessa Williams, k.d. lang, Fantasia Barrino and Patti LaBelle. In 2017, the Andersons directed “The Fabulous Dorsey Brothers” in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room, narrated by "The Wire" and "Treme" actor Clarke Peters.

The legendary Dorsey Brothers began their professional careers performing with the popular local band, the Scranton Sirens, at venues such as Scranton’s historic Hotel Casey in the early 1920s before relocating to New York and rising to fame as big band leaders. A mural of the brothers, completed in 2024 to honor their connection to the area, can be seen at 217 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton.

For further information on the performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on the Andersons, visit peterandwillanderson.com.

 

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If You Go:

What: “The Fabulous Dorseys” with the Anderson Twins Sextet, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31

Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton

Admission: FREE

A group of seventh-grade students from Wyoming Seminary visited The University of Scranton on Thursday, Jan. 22, for a hands-on field trip focused on creativity, problem-solving and entrepreneurship.

Much of the day’s programming occurred inside the IDEA Center at Robert S. ’68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, where Sem students participated in interactive activities that challenged them to think like entrepreneurs and designers. Working in small teams, the students developed business ideas, identified real-world problems and pitched solutions in areas such as gaming, entertainment, sustainability and school improvements. The students also engaged with the IDEA Center’s laser engravers and 3-D printers to create advertisement products and investigate protoyping.

“Students embraced this experience completely,” said Tom Bryan, director of the IDEA Center, who was featured earlier this month in a video walkthrough of the new facility. “They collaborated, solved problems and gained real insight into entrepreneurship and design. They stepped into the role of University students for the day, rose to the occasion and had a lot of fun in the process.”

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Working alongside Bryan as volunteers were University of Scranton students Allison Kipp, a business analytics major from Pittston; Cameron Moczulski, a journalism/electronic media and advertising/public relations major from Carbondale; Damien Bryla, an accounting major from Canadensis; Daniel Juchnicki, a mechanical engineering major from Tobyhanna; and Vincenzo Angeloni, a journalism/electronic media major from Jessup.

The goal of the IDEA Center, which opened at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, is to empower students, faculty and community partners to turn concepts into reality with cutting-edge resources and instructors.

For additional coverage, please see the following links from WNEP-TV and the Scranton Times-Tribune.

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Lackawanna and Wayne County residents, whose households earned $67,000 or less in 2025, 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 at Brennan Hall on the University’s campus begins Monday, Feb. 4, and will end on Wednesday, April 8. 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 its website or calling 570-602-3133 or 1-866-662-8887.

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, noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Service begins on Monday, Feb. 4, and continues to Wednesday, April 8, except for the week of March 16-20, when the University is closed for Spring Break.

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.

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum will offer two evening courses this spring, each furthering the program’s mission of sharing ideas and lessons that illuminate culture, ethics and the human experience. Both courses will be taught inside room 305 at the Weinberg Memorial Library.

The first course, titled, “Food, Climate Change and Justice,” is instructed by Sarah Kenehan ’02, Ph.D., executive director of the University’s Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities. Meeting from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Mondays — Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 and March 2 and 9 — the course examines how global food systems intersects with climate change. Participants will explore scientific data and philosophical literature to better understand how justice intersects with food systems and individual food choices in the context of a warming world.

Dr. Kenehan earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy from The University of Scranton, where she was also a member of the women’s cross country team. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and her Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Australia. Dr. Kenehan, who previously worked at Marywood University, began working in her current position in 2022.

The second course, titled “Appreciating Art Through the Ages,” is instructed by Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of the Hope Horn Gallery at The University of Scranton. Dr. Miller-Lanning’s course will meet from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Wednesdays — March 25 and April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 — and covers major art developments and significant artworks from the Ancient, Classic, Medieval, Renaissance, Modern and Contemporary eras, as described in Helen Gardner’s century-old text.

Dr. Miller Lanning earned a bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University, a master’s from Marywood University and a Ph.D. from Binghamton University. She has worked at the University since 1991.

Registration starts at $100 per course for non-members of the Schemel Forum.

To register for the evening courses or to request more information, please call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

For more information about upcoming events, visit the Schemel Forum’s website. The Schemel Forum’s spring brochure is now available.

One of The University of Scranton’s most historic and highest-achieving programs has been awarded a nearly $1 million federal grant.

The University of Scranton’s clinical rehabilitation counseling program will receive a five-year grant, totaling nearly $1 million, from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The grant, which will provide scholarships to graduate students at Scranton and will also broaden program accessibility through online and hybrid learning formats, was announced Monday, Jan. 12, in partnership with U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan ’12 through an official press release.

“The University of Scranton plays an important role in preparing students for careers that meet real needs in our communities,” said Rep. Bresnahan in the press release. “That’s why I’m proud to have helped secure this critical funding to expand access to training and help address workforce shortages in rehabilitation and counseling services. I will always fight to bring tax dollars back to Northeastern Pennsylvania to strengthen programs our communities rely on.”

The rehabilitation counseling profession itself was significantly shaped — and in many ways created — by the federal government. It emerged in the early 20th century as a result of injured veterans returning from war and desiring a sense of normalcy. As the demand for these services grew, so, too, did the need for qualified professionals. Because of service demand and concomitant federal commitment to rehabilitation programmatic success, a handful of programs were started at well-established, graduate degree-granting colleges and universities.

Clinical rehabilitation counseling practitioners are charged with helping individuals overcome developmental, emotional, mental and physical disabilities while also encouraging autonomy and removing the social and attitudinal barriers that restrict full participation for people with disabilities.

“As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, The University of Scranton teaches our students and graduates to be ‘for and with others.’ We must not only serve others but stand in solidarity with them,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University of Scranton president. “The clinical rehabilitation counseling field is a shining example of this Jesuit ideal. Our students are trained to treat — but even more importantly, accompany — individuals as they face emotional, physical and psychological challenges. They work with the underserved and overlooked, treating them with the humanity and dignity they deserve and that ultimately helps them flourish.”

The grant will fund tuition scholarships and increase the pool of highly qualified, master’s-level rehabilitation counselors, thus addressing regional personnel shortages. The degree was previously offered only on-campus, but will now also be offered entirely online or as an on-campus/online hybrid, making it accessible to more students.

Scranton’s nationally recognized rehabilitation counseling program, which offers a Master of Science degree, was established in 1965. It is the second-oldest such program at a Catholic college or university in the U.S.

Since its inception, Scranton’s rehabilitation counseling program has prepared 976 graduates who have gone on to serve people with disabilities in both public and private settings. Data shows rehabilitation counselors are likely to serve 1,500 to 2,500 individual clients in a career, meaning Scranton’s graduates are estimated to have served about 1.5 million clients with disabilities.

In addition to the teaching rooted in Jesuit values and instruction coming from world-class educators, Scranton’s innovative program features state-of-the-art video technology at the David W. Hall Counselor Training Center, which enables students to record counseling sessions with hands-on supervision.

“We are very honored to have received this grant award, as it is a significant validation of the commitment to excellence of those who have built and sustained this program for over 60 years,” said Samantha Herrick, Ph.D., associate professor of counseling and human services and director of the University’s Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Program. “This grant will allow us to carry forward our mission into the future by increasing capacity and expanding access for qualified applicants with a passion for empowering others to reach their full potential.”

The clinical rehabilitation field offers strong employment rates and salaries, as well as opportunities to engage in meaningful, life-changing work. Additionally, Scranton alumni remain connected to the program long after graduation, evidenced by the 60-year anniversary celebration and reunion held this fall.

The grant will award the University’s program with five payments over a five-year period, totaling $999,909.16.

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Scranton’s rehabilitation counseling program as No. 2 in Pennsylvania and in the top 50 in the U.S., reflecting its strong reputation across the nation.

The University of Scranton has been nationally recognized for its dedication and distinction in community engagement in a newly released report that serves as the premier framework for assessing and honoring institutions committed to this work.

The 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, listed Scranton as one of 237 honorees nationwide. The cohort includes 157 public and 80 private institutions, including 19 others in Pennsylvania. The University is the only 2026 cohort recipient of the honor in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

The classification, which is valid until 2032, is awarded to colleges and universities that submitted a self-study that revealed an institutional integration of mission, culture, leadership and resources used to advance meaningful and impactful community engagement. The Carnegie Foundation describes community engagement as “the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity” that contributes to the public good.

Answering the Call To 'Love Your Neighbor'

 

“Students, faculty, staff and alumni engage with the Scranton community in a range of ways — direct service, academic projects and research, and joint initiatives — that help improve the community we all call home. They address community-defined needs and priorities in such areas as poverty, food insecurity, youth programming, health care, older adult needs, immigrant and refugee support, prison education and civic engagement,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of community engagement and government affairs. “These community-based activities and partnerships are where some of our best learning takes place and one of the important ways that we respond to the call to ‘love your neighbor,’ grounded in our Jesuit and Catholic mission."

As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, The University of Scranton’s identity is closely tied to serving others in the community. Spearheading the University’s efforts are the Center for Service and Social Justice, the Office of Community Relations in External Affairs, the Office of Community-Based Learning, the Leahy Community Health and Family Center and the Small Business Development Center. Collectively, these offices and others organize service opportunities, host educational and cultural events, provide health and wellness services, offer expert consulting solutions and create hands-on learning experiences that connect students and employees with local and regional partners. Altogether, through these and other offices and programs, the University invested $1,077,557 in its 2023-2024 annual budget to support institutional engagement in the community.

These campus offices work directly with a range of community organizations; the application highlights several key partnerships including Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania, United Neighborhoods Center of NEPA, Scranton Jewish Community Center, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton Tomorrow, The Gino Merli Center, Catherine McAuley Center and Friends of the Poor, Bhutanese Cultural Foundation Association of Scranton, Congolese Community of Scranton, Saint Joseph's Center, Neighborworks of NEPA, Marywood STARS after-school program, McNichols Plaza Elementary School and more. 

“Since arriving at the University in 2021, I have found the relationship between The University of Scranton and the City of Scranton and the broader community of Northeastern Pennsylvania to be a source of pride, mutual learning, and collaboration in pursuit of the common good. The University cannot be successful if Scranton is not flourishing and vice versa,” Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University of Scranton president, said in a letter submitted with the Carnegie application. “The University’s Jesuit and Catholic mission characterizes how we seek to engage with our community — in solidarity, in a spirit of mutuality and encounter, and in service of justice and positive change.”

The application provides information and analysis of the University’s community engagement efforts, reflecting on areas of growth and improvement as well as long-standing programs and commitments. It details local co-curricular service such as students preparing 1,700 meals in 2023-2024 for low-income neighbors through innovative projects such as “We Care;" supporting and mentoring youth in after-school programs; conducting item drives; volunteering with numerous local non-profit organizations; and participating in domestic and international service trips.

Through community-based learning, faculty and students engage locally in ways tied to their academic course or program. They have helped improve the health and wellbeing of neighbors with special needs and older adults, archived the stories of veterans, addressed period poverty, created arts activities for elementary students, provided health fairs for newly arrived refugees, and promoted awareness and advocacy on such issues as child abuse, among other projects. In 2023-2024, a total of 88 community-based learning courses were taught at the University, including an estimated 1,200 students performing 31,673 academic service hours during that year.

Community engagement is embedded in still further ways — through student government’s biannual Street Sweep that beautifies streetscapes and parks, through the many faculty and staff (80%) who engage in local community volunteer activities, and through the University's alumni’s annual day of service. The application also highlights civic engagement programs — such as non-partisan voter engagement activities and a political dialogue across differences project run since 2017 — which help students reflect on their values and use their voice within campus and in the public square.

The data and projects detailed in the Carnegie application built on the information shared through the University’s 2024 Community and Economic Impact Report, produced by the University’s Office of Community Relations. The University produced an overall economic impact of more than $277 million and awarded over $100 million in institutional student aid. The newest building on campus, Robert S. ’68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, is a hub for several of the University’s community-focused programs and has state-of-the-art equipment that is meant to be shared with local partners.

The University of Scranton’s life-changing, four-year, pre-college program was recently awarded a grant that will help it continue to provide encouragement and academic, cultural and social enrichment to local teenagers who aspire to enroll in colleges and universities.

The University of Success program at The University of Scranton received a $15,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation. It was awarded as part of the 2025 spring grant cycle for the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The funds will support promising high school students who can contribute to the community and achieve success with access to post-secondary education.

Created in 1996 and with its first full graduating class in 2001, the University of Success is supported by gifts and grants. The program, which is offered free of charge to selected local students beginning in Grade 9 and continuing through Grade 12, offers mentorship, seminars, test prep and developmental enrichment courses covering a wide range of topics. The University of Success staff closely works with students to keep them on track as they develop skills and confidence and ultimately gain admission to their chosen institutions of higher learning. The 17 University of Success graduates in the Class of 2025 matriculated to 11 colleges and universities, including five at The University of Scranton. Two graduates joined the military to further pursue their education.

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in funding to initiatives and programs that serve the people of Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was founded in 2015, shortly after the death of Spitz, who was born in Scranton in 1955, graduated from Scranton Central High School and the University of Miami, Florida, and had been employed by the U.S. Department of Labor and owned several local Arby’s restaurants.

On Sunday, Jan.18, The University of Scranton will once again host the Greater Scranton MLK Commission’s annual dinner. This event strives to give voice to and emphasize the importance of positive community and racial relations in all aspects of life through education, programming, and special events. It is an opportunity to celebrate the life, legacy and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

The annual celebration and awards dinner will take place on Sunday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. in the University’s DeNaples Center McIllhenny Ballroom.

This year’s program theme is “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” and will feature keynote speakers, U. Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., associate professor of history and director of Black Studies at The University of Scranton and Dr. Yerodin Lucas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Marywood University. University President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., will provide an opening welcome.  

The University will sponsor a table; members of the University community interested in attending are directed to contact Julie Schumacher Cohen in Community Relations at julie.cohen@scranton.edu 

For more information, visit the event registration page: MLK Commission Annual Dinner details. 

Innovation. Design. Education. Application. The IDEA Center at The University of Scranton promotes creativity among students and fosters connections with the community.

In this video, IDEA Center Director Tom Bryan explains some of the possibilities the center offers, including 3D printing, laser engraving, graphic design, and manufacturing equipment, as well as a podcast media studio.

You do not need to be an engineer to create in the space at the IDEA Center, which is located at the University's Robert S '68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall. The team there provides instruction, safety training and guidance prior to the use of the equipment or machinery.

Learn more about how the IDEA Center can help bring creative ideas to life. Visit the website to reserve the podcast studio, complete a form to request training or schedule a visit or field trip.

Walk through the IDEA Center in this video interview with Tom Bryan. Then, get all the details at The Scranton Journal website: https://journal.scranton.edu/issues/2025/fall