March 2026

The gold standard for business school accreditation has been reaccredited for the next six years at The University of Scranton.

Scranton’s undergraduate and master’s programs in business offered by the Kania School of Management (KSOM) have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) since 1995. The accreditation process requires schools to submit a comprehensive, 360-degree review every six years to prove that the college continues to offer students an exceptional and relevant business education.

Approximately 6% of business colleges worldwide — 1,072 schools of business in 70 countries — hold the prestigious AACSB accreditation.

“When we meet with parents and students, they not only recognize the value of a Jesuit education but recognize that one with AACSB accreditation assures that their son or daughter will receive a high-quality business education grounded in the liberal arts,” said Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School of Management.

The accreditation review is conducted by deans from other AACSB-accredited schools and includes a comprehensive written report along with an on-site visit. During the visit, the deans meet with faculty, staff, students, the provost, the president and members of the KSOM advisory board. The review examines a school’s course development or innovation, the delivery or engagement of faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders and the outcomes or assessment of learning, all the while gathering evidence that the college’s education remains relevant to current business needs.

“In various aspects of the report, the peer review team noted how the faculty and staff take a very student-centric approach,” Dr. Higgins said.

The peer review team also noted teaching effectiveness and research as clear strengths of the business school. The team also highlighted that the Accounting program ranked second nationally in education research over both six- and 12-year windows, according to Brigham Young University’s Accounting Research Rankings, with Douglas M. Boyle, DBA ’88, professor and chair of Scranton’s Accounting Department and director of the Ph.D. program, ranking among the top accounting education researchers in the country.

The report also highlighted that KSOM fulfills its Jesuit mission by incorporating a societal impact course into every major, noting that it is recommending this as a best practice for all schools to follow.

The peer review team said it was impressed with how the school incorporates career orientation, beginning with a student’s first year, and the outstanding placements the school has in the New York and Philadelphia region. The team also mentioned the Henry George Lecture Series, which, overseen by the Economics, Finance and International Business Department, has brought 13 Nobel Prize winners to campus. Finally, the team spoke highly of Scranton’s Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) dynamic director, Lisa Hall Zielinski, and the integration of the SBDC and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Center with KSOM.

The SBDC program resides in the KSOM, leveraging University financial support to secure additional funding that facilitates student learning activity and community economic improvements.

Undergraduate Kania School of Management programs include bachelor’s degree programs in accounting, business administration, business analytics, economics, finance, international business, management, marketing and supply chain.

Graduate-level Kania School of Management programs include a master’s in accountancy; a master’s in finance; a master’s in business analytics; and a master of business administration (MBA) in general management or with a specialization in accounting, business analytics, finance, healthcare management, international business, marketing, and operations management. Combined bachelor’s and master’s level programs include accounting BS/MBA and finance BS/MBA, as well as accelerated programs in a number of areas.

One of the Weinberg Memorial Library’s most popular events — and for good reason — is returning in April. 

The Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library announced it will host the 2026 Book Sale on Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. It is open to the public.

A special preview sale — open to current members of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library, current members of the Schemel Forum and current University of Scranton students, faculty and staff — will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 24. Current students, faculty and staff must bring their valid and unexpired Royal Card for entry.

The sale will offer a wide selection of paperback and hardcover titles, ranging from popular leisure reading to academic works with fiction, nonfiction, children’s, young adult, cookbooks and various other genres. A variety of CDs, DVDs and select vinyl records will also be on sale.

Sales benefit the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library Endowment.

Cash, check and credit card payments will be accepted.

Additionally, the library will accept donations of clean books in good condition now through Friday, April 10.

For more information, to volunteer or to schedule a donation appointment, please contact Melisa Gallo at 570-941-6195 or email melisa.gallo@scranton.edu.

On Saturday, March 28, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s Concert Choir and Symphonic Band. The concert will begin 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, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

According to conductors Cheryl Y. Boga and Janelle Decker, the concert will feature a short program by each group, as well as three or four pieces by the combined groups.

“Usually the two groups only perform together at our Commencements, so it is unusual and special for our Houlihan-McLean audience to have the opportunity to hear them combine forces," Decker said.

“We are looking forward to having the groups perform together in our own concert hall, a decidedly more intimate venue acoustically than the Commencement arena they usually team up in," Boga added.

The University of Scranton Concert Choir and Symphonic Band are 50- and 70-plus member groups, respectively, comprised of members of the University community. Their majors and departments span the curriculum. The vast majority of them are undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students and members of the faculty and staff, none of whom are music majors. They are all brought together by their mutual love of music-making and sharing their love of music with their audiences.

The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no major in music at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University Bands, University Performance Choirs, University String Orchestra and Ensembles and Steel Drum Ensemble. A few members of the faculty and staff and alumni from the region also perform with the groups. Each year, hundreds of students participate in the ensembles.

For additional information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website.

IF YOU GO:

What: IN CONCERT: The University of Scranton Concert Choir and Symphonic Band, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton

When: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 7:30 p.m.

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

Admission: FREE

The University of Scranton Lady Royals departed from campus Tuesday afternoon.

Next stop: Salem, Virginia, home of the NCAA Division III women's basketball Final Four.

Having successfully defended their home court at the Long Center through four rounds of play — the first and second rounds, Sweet 16 and Elite 8 — the Lady Royals (31-0) will play New York University (29-0) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner advances to the national title game against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (28-3) or Denison University (28-2).

In the Elite 8 win against Concordia-Moorhead, 67-42, senior Kaci Kranson, the D3Hoops.com Region 5 Player of the Year, scored a team-high 15 points. Katie Gorski, Meghan Lamanna and first team all-region selection Kaeli Romanowski also scored in double-figures. Jenna Sloan and Elizabeth Bennett added seven points each. Freshman Sophia Talutto, the D3Hoops.com Region 5 Rookie of the Year, added four points. The Lady Royals are led by head coach Ben O'Brien, the D3Hoops.com Region 5 Coach of the Year.

The Lady Royals have won 11 consecutive Landmark Conference championships. They're back in the Final Four for the first time since 2019. The team won a national title in 1985.

Continue reading to learn more about the matchup and how can you watch and follow:

University of Scranton Lady Royals (31-0) vs. NYU Violets (29-0)

What: NCAA Division III women's basketball national semifinal

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19

Where: Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia

Watch online: The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. ESPN+ is a premium streaming service with original online content, including live sporting events. For more information or to purchase an ESPN+ subscription, visit the ESPN+ website.

Watch in-person: Fans are invited to join fellow fans at the University's Watch Party, which will be held at the McIlhenny Ballroom on the fourth floor of the DeNaples Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served and the game will be shown on the big screen. RSVP at this link.

Follow: The Lady Royals' Instagram handle is @ScrantonLadyRoyals and Twitter/X is @ScrantonWBB. The University's athletic department is on Instagram @RoyalAthletics and Twitter/X @RoyalAthletics. Additionally, live stats during the game will be published by the NCAA.

Tickets: Available for purchase via HomeTown Ticketing.

Up next: The winner advances to play in the national championship game against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (28-3) or Denison University (28-2). The national championship will also be streamed on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 21.

Throughout construction of Robert S. ’68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, the 10,000 square-foot area on the first floor’s northwest wing always had a purpose.

The vision was that it would serve as a “makerspace” or “innovation hub,” two terms often used to describe the facility before it took on its official name: the IDEA Center — short for Innovation, Design, Education, Application — four things happening every day as it nears seven months of serving The University of Scranton and local communities.

"Whether you’re doing an in-class project and need to bring ideas to life, or just trying to find a creative outlet, the Center has so many resources available for students, faculty and the surrounding community,” said Allison Kipp ’29, an IDEA Center work study and business analytics major from Pittston.

The IDEA Center has assisted 185-plus students and counting with class or personal creative projects, using 3D design, CNC fabrication, graphic design or media production. The podcast studio alone has accommodated approximately 90 reservations.

Additionally, more than 400 community members have come through its doors, according to IDEA Center director Thomas Bryan, and it has served more than 200 of them with applied resources and programming.

"The Center has become a regional hub where educators, civic leaders, corporate teams and students collaborate through design-based learning, innovation and workforce-aligned experiences,” Bryan said.

Recent visitors have included several dozen attendees at Campaign School, a free workshop organized by the University's Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service. The event provided aspiring political candidates and staffers with opportunities to network and learn what it takes to run a political campaign. Using the IDEA Center’s large classroom space, the three current Lackawanna County Commissioners, former U.S. Sen. and current University of Scranton Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service Bob Casey, and prominent marketing professionals offered guidance at the event.

Many school-age children have visited the IDEA Center as well, including students from the NEPA PAC After School Program who used the IDEA Center’s industry-level design and fabrication tools to create personal brand images that were engraved onto wooden plaques. Students also went home with custom NEPA PAC T-shirts that they personally hand-pressed.

The visit, which included five Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students who volunteered to help, made for “an evening of creativity, innovation and hands-on learning,” Bryan said.

“Experiences like that embody the mission of the IDEA Center,” Bryan said. “Moving learners from consumers to creators and empowering young people across our region to see themselves as innovators, leaders and makers of their own future.”

Weiss Hall also serves as the headquarters for the Departments of Psychology and of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology; the Small Business Development Center; Student Health Services; the University of Success; and the Center for Health, Education and Wellness.

Together, these academic units, student-support offices and University programs fulfill the charge given years ago by one of the building’s benefactors.

"Get the idea, do basic research, apply the idea,” Robert S. Weiss '68 said at the 2024 naming announcement. “Then go out and ‘set the world on fire.’”

The University of Scranton will host Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Ph.D., a renowned scholar, author and longtime friend of Pope Francis, at the upcoming Judaic Studies Institute Lecture.

Dr. Skorka will deliver his lecture, titled, “The Pope and the Rabbi: My Story of Friendship and Dialogue with Pope Francis,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Pearn Auditorium inside Brennan Hall. Dr. Skorka’s presentation is open to the public and free to attend.

Dr. Skorka is the former rabbi of the Benei Tikva Congregation and Rector of the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, both in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Like Pope Francis, Dr. Skorka was born in Buenos Aires.

In addition to being fellow Argentinians and friends, Dr. Skorka and Pope Francis cowrote the 2013 book, “On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the 21st Century.”

“As soon as he was elected Pope, Francis called me on the phone and gave me the email address we could use to keep in touch with each other,” Dr. Skorka wrote in a letter for Georgetown University, where he is a senior research fellow for Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Relations. “Our friendship began in the second half of the 1990s and has been characterized by mutual respect and sincere, direct dialogue ever since. Gradually, we revealed ourselves to one another, opening our hearts.”

For more information, please contact Marc B. Shapiro, Ph.D., professor and chair of theology and religious studies at the University at 570-941-7956 or email marc.shapiro@scranton.edu.

On Monday, March 30 from 6 - 7:30 p.m., The University of Scranton will host a program titled, “The High Cost of AI: How Data Centers Are Reshaping Pennsylvania’s Energy Landscape,” which discusses the impact AI and data centers have on their environments and utility and energy costs. This event will take place in the Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall (320 Madison Ave).

Featured speakers include Eleanor Breslin, the senior attorney for the Clean Air Council, Josephine Gingerich, the Health Advocacy Outreach Coordinator for Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, and Eva Morgan, the Project Manager of the Clean Energy Group.

This event is free and open to the public. To register for this event, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Data-Centers-Event

This event is co-sponsored by The University of Scranton (Laudato Si’ community engagement and ecological education subcommittees, Office of Community Relations, Environmental Studies Concentration and Ethics Across the Curriculum) together with Marywood University  Environmental Studies Program; Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; the Clean Energy Group; Clean Air Council and Physicians for Social Responsibility PA.

Questions about this event, please contact Julie Schumacher Cohen at julie.cohen@scranton.edu

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. This year, the University is offering four workshops. Four pysanka workshops will be offered as follows: Sunday, March 22, from 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 29, from 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. 

All workshops will take place in the Smurfit Arts Center, Scranton, on the corners of Vine Street and Madison Avenue. Each workshop is limited to 15 people, and children must be accompanied by an adult. The workshop cost is $30, payable by cash or check. Registration is required.

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. 

“While we hope the Russian aggression on Ukraine will end soon, the country will be in turmoil for a long time yet. Please join us in writing pysanky and donating to humanitarian aid in 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. 

To learn more about Dr. Randich and her work creating and teaching the art of pysanka, please visit https://pysankypower.wordpress.com/  or read this profile in The Scranton Journal.  

View Dr. Randich’s work and follow her on social media on Facebook: @pysankypower and 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.

The Scranton Brain and Behavior Conference will return to The University of Scranton on Saturday, April 18, further highlighting the University’s role as an important hub for neuroscience and psychology education and research.

The undergraduate-focused conference will be held at the Loyola Science Center with registration beginning at 8 a.m. The conference begins at 9 a.m. and will feature panels, poster presentations and a keynote lecture.

While registration fees are $5 for college students and $15 for faculty/staff, the conference is free to attend for high school students and includes lunch.

“This is a good place to see undergraduate students, college students, showing their research and for high school students to see what that looks like and learn about what it involves,” said Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., director of the University’s neuroscience program.

Lisa Gabel, Ph.D., a neuroscience professor at Lafayette College, will deliver the keynote speech on the topic, “Decoding Dyslexia: Translating Neuroscience Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration.”

Faculty, staff and undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to participate in an abstract (talk/poster) submission. The submission form is live. The deadline to submit is Friday, March 27.

To attend the conference, please register by Monday, April 13. For more information, please visit the Brain and Behavior Conference website.

University of Scranton president Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., announced that WeiDong Zhu, Ph.D., has been named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, effective July 2026.

Dr. Zhu was selected following a highly competitive national search and will join the president’s cabinet, providing academic and strategic leadership to advance the University’s mission. Working closely with deans and faculty, the provost helps guide the development of curricula and directs academic programming across the University’s three colleges. The provost is responsible for providing leadership and oversight for the academic division’s budget; undergraduate and graduate programs; teaching and research activities; the University’s library; and the faculty.

Dr. Zhu comes to Scranton from Saint Peter’s University, a Jesuit sister institution in New Jersey, where he has served in numerous academic leadership roles since being hired in 2007. He is currently the interim vice president for academic affairs at Saints Peter’s. Since assuming this role in August 2024, he has guided Saint Peter’s through a period of significant institutional evolution, creating its newest strategic plan, restructuring academic departments for mission-aligned relevance and infusing Ignatian values into faculty development, core revision and high-impact practices.

“Dr. Zhu brings a breadth of experience and mission-centered leadership to The University of Scranton,” Fr. Marina said in a community email announcing the hire. “He is a deeply accomplished academic leader and scholar whose record and achievements reflect both intellectual distinction and a deeply humanistic approach to higher education, especially in a Catholic and Jesuit setting.”

Beyond his recent work as chief academic officer at Saint Peter’s, he was the co-director and later director of its Center for Microplasma Science and Technology from 2009-2018; chair of the Department of Applied Science and Technology, 2014-2018; vice president and briefly president of the faculty senate, 2016-2018; and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, 2018-2024.

As a dean, Dr. Zhu led the largest college at Saint Peter’s, focusing on academic innovation and financial and strategic stewardship. Earlier, as department chair, he helped establish new academic concentrations, implement revised curricula and enhance lab-based learning for biochemistry, biotechnology and physics programs, as well as dual-degree engineering partnerships.

Dr. Zhu helped secure more than $2 million in research grants and the establishment of the federally-funded Center for Microplasma Science and Technology. Through collaborations with partner institutions, Dr. Zhu mentored high school, undergraduate and graduate students, helping develop future scientists.

A first-generation college student, Dr. Zhu was born in China. He came to the U.S. to pursue a doctoral degree at Stevens Institute of Technology. He credits his personal journey, including early challenges with language and cultural adjustments, for shaping his compassionate, community-focused approach to leadership.

Dr. Zhu earned a Bachelor of Science in physics and education and a Master of Engineering in material science and engineering from Soochow University in China. He also holds a Ph.D. in physics from the Stevens Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program, which included formative experiences such as a silent retreat at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat Center in Colorado and an immersion trip to Lima, Peru.

An accomplished researcher and scholar in plasma physics, he holds two patents in the United States and six in China, and has had numerous peer-reviewed journal and conference publications.

Philip E. Auerswald, Ph.D., professor of public policy at George Mason University, will deliver the keynote speech at this spring’s Henry George Seminar.

Dr. Auerswald will present his lecture, titled, “How We Got to Now,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the McIlhenny Ballroom (Room 407) inside The University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center. It is free and open to the public.

Dr. Auerswald's research interests include innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development with an emphasis on technology-driven growth. He currently serves as cochair and executive director of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Network, an initiative of the Kauffman Foundation. He is a Senior Fellow at George Mason's Mercatus Center and is the cofounder and editor of "Innovations," a quarterly journal about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges published by MIT Press.

A distinguished author, Dr. Auerswald's most recent book, "The Code Economy: A Forty-Thousand Year History," was released in 2017. The book discusses the ways in which code has driven human development throughout history.

Dr. Auerswald received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University. From 2010 to 2013, he was an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative.

Financial support for the Henry George Seminar is provided by a grant from the Progress and Poverty Institute. The lecture series is organized and presented by the Kania School of Management's Department of Economics, Finance and International Business and the XI chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon. The series is named in honor of the 19th century American economist and social reformer and has hosted many of the world's leading economists.

For more information about the spring Henry George Seminar, please call 570-941-4048 email pamela.turbessi@scranton.edu.

High school students from around the region competed in the 25th annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Brain Bee, an academic competition designed to inspire an interest in neuroscience. The event was held Saturday, Feb. 21, at the PNC Auditorium inside the Loyola Science Center.

Among the participants was the winner Muyan Liu, a junior from Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. Liu’s victory advanced her to the National Brain Bee that will be held Saturday, April 25, at the University of California, Irvine. She also received a $1,000 scholarship to The University of Scranton, if she attends the University, and a cash prize.

“Most people take biology in high school. Maybe they’ve had psychology, but generally, they don’t have neuroscience,” Robert F. Waldeck, Ph.D., director of the neuroscience program at Scranton and the NEPA Brain Bee coordinator, told the Times Leader. “So it seems like a really complicated topic and they don’t really know much about it, because they don’t know anybody doing it.”

Dr. Waldeck explained that’s where an event like the NEPA Brain Bee proves useful, as it is a competitive, fun and informal way of expanding one’s knowledge on the topic.

For additional coverage, please visit the Times Leader, WNEP and Fox56.

Additionally, the Scranton Brain and Behavior Conference is fast approaching on Saturday, April 18. For more information, please visit the conference’s website.

The University of Scranton welcomed aspiring authors, filmmakers, researchers and historians to campus on Saturday, Feb. 28, as part of a regional National History Day (NHD) competition.

The University’s DeNaples Center opened its doors to 60 students from Bedford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan and Wayne counties. Participants competed across five categories — documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances and websites — in Junior (Grades 6-8) and Senior (Grades 9-12) divisions. Submitted projects aligned with this year’s theme “Revolution, Reaction and Reform.”

Wyalusing Senior High School was Best School, Senior Division, while Harlan Rowe Middle School won Best School, Junior Division.

The event served as the Pennsylvania Region 2 contest, setting the stage for the upcoming Pennsylvania State Finals, which will also be hosted at the University. The state championship will be held April 25-26.

NHD is a nonprofit education organization, established in 1974 and dedicated the improving the teaching and learning of history.

For more information, visit the National History Day page on the University’s website. If you have any questions about the regional or state competition, please contact Sean Brennan, Ph.D., professor of history, at sean.brennan@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s University of Success, a four-year,  pre-college mentorship program, is now accepting applications for the upcoming 2026 academic year that begins this summer. It is open to students currently in eighth grade.

The University of Success is an academic, social and cultural 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, college-bound students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university. Last year's freshman class included students who graduated eighth grade from All Saints Academy, Northeast Intermediate School, North Pocono Intermediate School, West Scranton Intermediate School, South Scranton Intermediate School, Riverside Junior High School, Carbondale Area Junior High School, Abington Heights Middle School and Dunmore Junior High School.

Accepted students will begin the program with a residential summer academy, which will be held at The University of Scranton's campus from Sunday, July 12, to Tuesday, July 21. Upon completing the summer program students will continue to meet for enrichment sessions throughout their high school career.

The deadline for submission of applications is Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

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 website.

As The University of Scranton approaches its 140-year anniversary, it has released a new roadmap designed to empower the institution to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of today and those that lie ahead.

“Strategic Plan 2030: Forging Our Future” is built around four goals: a future-oriented enrollment strategy; student success and retention; next-generation learning and innovation; and organizational effectiveness. The execution of these four goals will ensure sustainability, innovation, student success and long-term institutional strength. The steps to achieving these goals — along with supporting objectives and more detailed outcomes — are laid out in a newly launched webpage on the University’s website.

The Strategic Plan has and will continue to engage offices and departments throughout campus as a collaborative, institution-wide effort. While areas of the University will advance the plan’s goals according to their own expertise and operations, the Strategic Plan is universally rooted in a commitment to the University’s mission, vision and values.

“Our work is grounded in a mission that calls us to not only maintain the University, but to nurture and strengthen it,” Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, said in a campus-wide email announcing the Strategic Plan. “Together, we will advance this shared responsibility, moving forward with a readiness to meet change, to embrace innovation and to shape students who will lead productive lives with integrity.” 

The Strategic Plan’s cooperative effort was spearheaded by Tracy M. Stewart, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Kate Yerkes, assistant provost for planning and institutional effectiveness. The Plan is the product of a year’s worth of research and analysis led by the Provost’s Office and informed by campus-wide input.

It is the University’s first such planning document since “Our Core, Our Community, Our Commitment” was released in 2020.

“It is common practice for institutions like ours to create and refresh strategic plans every few years,” Father Marina said. “The preparation of this Strategic Plan, however, was not merely an administrative task. It was a necessary act of stewardship led by the representative University Planning Committee. I am deeply thankful to the committee members and all faculty, staff, students and trustees who shared their thoughtful input, insight and wisdom as part of a University-wide discernment process.”

The Strategic Plan will be implemented through the University’s integrated planning and institutional effectiveness model, which will allow the University to track progress and illustrate the work being done. The initial stages of implementation will include the establishment of team leads and priorities, divisional planning and self-study assessments. Execution of the Plan will continue through 2029 and into 2030.

The multi-level planning and execution of the Strategic Plan, which transcends academic departments, administrative divisions and student-facing units, will be aligned with the University’s Jesuit values. Cura personalis (care of each individual and our campus community) and cura apostolica (care of our institution and its resources) are among the prime influences.

The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university with 70 majors across the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, the Kania School of Management and the Leahy College of Health Sciences, as well as 40-plus graduate programs tailored for part-time and full-time students. The Wall Street Journal recently touted the value of a Scranton degree, as the University ranks highly and is trending positively in categories related to return on investment. Recent graduates have exceeded national benchmarks in achieving successful, post-graduation outcomes. Forbes, U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review have also selected Scranton as one of the nation’s best colleges.

For more information, please visit “Strategic Plan 2030: Forging Our Future” on the University’s website.

 The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) announces the third cohort of the CBL Student Fellows Program. CBL is an academic experience that involves students working with community partners — individuals, groups and local organizations — in ways that meet community-defined needs. The Student Fellowship Program aims to foster the professional and personal growth of students who are pursuing a CBL project alongside a faculty mentor. 

Projects focus on a plethora of areas and interests such as exploring the benefits and limitations of AI use in English Language instruction, understanding the lived experiences of women and their healthcare needs, coordinating a career exploration workshop for youth in Scranton, assessing food insecurity in Scranton through program assessment and client experience, early language and literacy development for preschool children and identifying gaps in access to pet healthcare services and providing educational resources to pet owners in Scranton. 

All projects are in collaboration with community partners and aim to improve or expand the services they provide. The fellowship program will run throughout the spring semester.   

The Spring 2026 CBL Student Fellows are listed below, including their involvement and a description of each intended project.     

Lauren DeSantis ’26  

Lauren DeSantis ‘26 is a senior from Copiague, New York, in the College of Arts and Sciences studying  English and philosophy. Her project focuses on understanding how free, accessible AI tools can support English Language Learning (ELL) instructors. The project centers on educator perspectives on the benefits and limitations of AI use in real classrooms. 

By grounding her research in the lived realities of local instructors, the project aims to identify tools that are  innovative and culturally responsive, and practical while considering the community’s existing resources. DeSantis seeks to offer a free training workshop to give instructors hands-on exposure to AI tools they choose to incorporate into their teaching. This project moves to inform broader conversations among educators, community organizations and institutions in the local Scranton community about how emerging technologies can be utilized responsibly to support language learning.  

Jessica Ely '26 

Jessica Ely ‘26 is a senior from Dimock in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has a major in biology, a minor in psychology and a health humanities concentration. Her project aims to use graphic medicine to center the lived experiences of women and other marginalized patients navigating healthcare in the Scranton community. The project highlights healthcare as a deeply human journey shaped by access, cost, policy and emotional well-being. Project partners include Maternal and Family Health Services and the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured. 

Ely aims to hear from students and community members connected to organizations in the area through anonymous surveys to gather firsthand perspectives on women’s health concerns. These local perspectives will inform a public-facing educational comic that reflects the realities and challenges faced by people in the region, making complex topics more approachable and visible. 

By distributing the comic at partner organizations and online, Ely aims to increase awareness and empower individuals to make better-informed decisions about their health. Grounded in The University of Scranton’s Jesuit values of cura personalis and social justice, this project blends art, public health and advocacy to foster a more informed and connected community.  

Gianna Familetti '28 

Gianna Familetti ‘28, is a sophomore from Dalton, in the Leahy College of Health Sciences. She has a major in communication sciences and disorders as well as a minor in psychology. Familetti will be teaming up with Marywood University’s after-school program, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), to expand post-secondary education and career awareness through interactive, panel-style workshops.

The youth participating in the STARS program will have the opportunity to engage directly with students, faculty, and staff from The University of Scranton about college life, academic majors and diverse career pathways. By pairing peer-to-peer conversations with faculty insight and interactive campus activities, the workshops aim to make higher education feel more accessible and achievable for local students. Drawing on her own experience as a first-generation college student, Familetti brings empathy and mentorship to students facing uncertainty in their academic paths. This project supports the local community by empowering youth to envision meaningful futures. 

Fiona Killeen '26 

Fiona Killeen ‘26 , is a senior from Sparkill, New York, in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has a major in psychology, along with a minor in political science. Her project, Navigating Nourishment, addresses food insecurity in the Scranton community by focusing on program assessment and client experience at Friends of the Poor. The project centers on the experiences of community members navigating shifting eligibility requirements and access barriers. Through the development and administration of a client survey, Killeen is examining how effectively the pantry meets the needs of the community it serves. By analyzing client feedback and overall program effectiveness, this project aims to understand how local food assistance organizations can respond to community needs with greater accessibility and dignity. Grounded in the Jesuit value of being men and women for others, this work promotes dignity, equity and care for the whole person. 

Tia Varghese ‘27 

Tia Varghese ‘27, is a junior from Catonsville, Maryland  in the Leahy College of Health Sciences. She is majoring in communication sciences and disorders. Her project, Little Voices, Big Futures, supports early language and literacy development for preschool children from multicultural families in the Scranton community. She is teaming up with The University of Scranton Early Learning Center to provide weekly interactive language sessions focused on storytelling, music and play, alongside take-home kits in English, Spanish, and Hindi to extend learning into the home. The program draws on evidence-based practices in early language intervention to ensure activities are engaging and accessible for children of varied language backgrounds and abilities. This project responds directly to a community-identified need for equitable early childhood support by addressing early language gaps, which can hold long-term academic and social consequences. Varghese aims to empower families with tools and strategies to support language growth at home, while preschool staff gain a sustainable model for inclusive language enrichment.  

Olivia Zrebiec '28 
 

Olivia Zrebiec ’28 is a sophomore from Belford, New Jersey  in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is majoring in biology with minors in biochemistry and history; as well as being on the Pre-Veterinary track. Through her project, Care for Every Paw, she aims to partner with the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative to identify and address gaps in access to preventative pet healthcare and veterinary education in underserved Scranton communities. By working with the NEPA Animal Welfare Collective, Zrebiec aims to identify common preventable medical issues, seasonal trends, and patterns linked to environmental factors. This data-driven approach would allow shelters to better anticipate medical needs and use limited resources more efficiently. 

Zrebiec hopes to develop accessible materials, such as pamphlets and social media content as well as engaging with the public through workshops or information tables at adoption events. This project extends care to the full ecosystem of families, communities and animals that provide much-needed companionship and emotional support.  

The Office of Community-Based Learning is excited to see how these programs develop and to see the impact that they will have on the Scranton community. For more information on CBL at the University visit www.scranton.edu/cbl