April 2026

Continuing its commitment to offering its students opportunities to work with world-class musicians, Performance Music at The University of Scranton is delighted to spotlight the work of Ahmed Alom at its 43rd annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert on Saturday, May 2.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

The World Premiere Composition Series provides students with the rare opportunity to perform the premiere of a work by a nationally or internationally known composer under the baton of that composer, getting a first-hand glimpse into the compositional process. Meanwhile, audiences get to experience the piece for the first time exactly as the composer intended.

At the concert, The University of Scranton Concert Choir and Concert Band will premiere two brand-new commissioned works by Alom, written specifically for the University’s student ensembles, entitled "A Night – There Lay the Days Between (for SATB choir)" and "A Cuban Landscape (for full concert band)."

"We are very excited to have Ahmed coming to work with our students and for them to have the honor of premiering his new works," said Cheryl Y. Boga, Artistic Director of Performance Music and conductor. “He first visited Scranton a few years ago with our longtime friend Caleb Hudson, and after hearing his incredible playing and moving compositions, we were delighted when he accepted our commission.”

As a pianist, composer and conductor, Alom’s boundary-crossing artistry has earned him worldwide recognition. His musical voice, shaped by the rigor of classical training and the rhythmic vitality of his Cuban heritage, bridges genres and traditions. His compositions have been championed by leading artists, most notably Yuja Wang, who premiered his "Displaced Étude No. 1" with New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has appeared with ensembles and orchestras throughout the Western Hemisphere.

A dynamic collaborator, Alom works with artists across genres, and his ensembles reflect his wide-ranging interests: Triple Cortado — a chamber trio with Caleb Hudson and Achilles Liarmakopoulos — merges classical virtuosity with contemporary works; while CrossCurrents, his duo with Pedrito Martínez, explores the intersection of Afro-Cuban traditions and European classical music. His debut album "Exilio (2023)" traced narratives of displacement through six Hispanic composers, including the first complete recording of Luis A. Calvo’s "Four Intermezzos."

Alom is also the youngest Artistic Director of the Washington Square Music Festival where he curates inclusive and forward-looking programming. His educational work includes masterclasses and lectures at Berklee College of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Dartmouth, Peabody Institute, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

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The University of Scranton Concert Band is a 70-member ensemble of full standard concert band instrumentation, and the Concert Choir is an SSATBB group. Both feature members of The University of Scranton campus community — the vast majority undergraduate students along with a few graduate students, alumni and members of the faculty and staff. 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) 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.  

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the University's website. For more info on Alom, visit his website.

 

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IF YOU GO:

 

What: 43rd annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 2, 2026

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

Admission: Free

The University of Scranton’s Office of Community Relations will host its spring political dialogue to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday. The free event for students and the general public will take place on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center 133. This event is part of the University’s longstanding series of political dialogues across differences. Students and community members from different political perspectives and backgrounds are invited to small-group dialogues to share their views and experiences and listen to one another to build a better understanding.

All who register must be present for the entire event, which is approximately two hours.

This event is sponsored by The University of Scranton Political Dialogues Initiative in collaboration with Student Government, College Democrats, College Republicans, the Philosophy Society, and Political Science Club.

This event is free and open to both students and the general public and is a great opportunity for inter-generational exchange. RSVP for this event. 

Any questions about this event should be directed to community@scranton.edu

The University of Scranton recently brought together more than 100 professionals from 18 U.S. states and overseas, discussing artificial intelligence and presenting topical research.

AI presents both significant promise and real challenges, engaging a wide range of perspectives that were covered at the University’s first AI-themed interdisciplinary conference, Confronting the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, held April 16-18.

Despite the countless points of view and interpretations about AI, however, common ground at the conference was found in the conscientious approach scholars have taken toward the technology and the unanimous agreement that it is here to stay.

“Our responsibility now is to determine how to live with it in ways that won’t diminish human lives and instead will promote the common good,” said George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library. “I can think of no place more fitting than The University of Scranton to bring together scholars committed to exploring the ethical dimensions of a technology already shaping people’s lives.”

Dr. Aulisio was one of the event’s co-planners, along with Megan Heeder, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology and religious studies, and Daniel Marenda, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

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“The conference was a major success,” Dr. Aulisio said. “One aspect of the conference that I particularly appreciated was its intentional interdisciplinarity. Having voices from the humanities, health sciences, business, libraries and the sciences brought a remarkable range of perspectives, each adding from its own area of expertise.”

Guests and participants considered AI's capabilities and its appropriate uses.

"We encountered a diverse range of perspectives from many disciplines on how to evaluate when to use AI in recognition of its dire environmental and human impact, as well as its expansive possibilities. AI skeptics conversed with AI enthusiasts throughout the conference, exploring not just what AI can do, but what it should do," Dr. Heeder said. "Our exceptional keynote speakers — Joe Vukov, from Loyola-Chicago’s Hank Center, and Paul Scherz, from the University of Notre Dame — shared their respective expert perspectives on how to understand human and post-human realities as an evaluative lens to guide our engagement with the world around us and how Alasdair MacIntyre‘s philosophy of social practices serves as tool to understand how AI might enhance or augment ways of engaging and working together. One of the great gifts of the conference was seeing new relationships flourish and hearing participants express the way in which the conference responded to a need in their professional and personal development."

The conference was sponsored by the Diocese of Scranton and Geisinger with support from the University’s Ethics Across the Curriculum initiative.

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The University of Scranton will host an upcoming two-day conference — Applied Ethics in an Era of Globalization: Perspectives From the East and the West — where education leaders will speak and present on innovative ethics education.

The conference begins on Thursday, April 30, at the PNC Auditorium inside the Loyola Science Center. Thursday’s keynote speaker, Bryan W. Van Norden, Ph.D., professor and chair of philosophy at Vassar College, will at 9 a.m. present “On Living Well.” Dr. Van Norden’s presentation will explore how cultures across history have defined “living well,” from virtue and character to human nature.

The conference continues on Friday, May 1, at Brennan Hall’s Pearn Auditorium. Friday’s keynote speaker, Robin M. Wang, professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, will at 9 a.m. present “Ethos of Healing: The Ancient Art of Proximal Attunement.” Dr. Wang’s talk will focus on 2015 Nobel Prize-winning Tu Youyou’s groundbreaking malaria treatment that drew on ancient Daoist medical texts.

Beyond the two keynote lectures, the conference will feature more than a dozen other presenters from Scranton, Georgetown, Penn State, National Taiwan University, Holy Cross, Chicago and other institutions of higher learning.

In addition to Dr. Van Norden’s lecture on Thursday, the conference will feature lectures on the following topics: Moral Psychology and the Function of Ritual and Music; Geriatric Care and Filial Piety; Filiality, Earth Care and Feminist Ethics.

Friday’s conference features lectures on these topics: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Ethics; Approaches to Human Rights; War, Politics and Humanistic Education.

Applied Ethics in an Era of Globalization: Perspectives From the East and the West was made possible through funding by Ethics Across the Curriculum with sponsorship from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Philosophy and the Asian Studies Program.

The conference is free and open to the public, both in the University and Greater Scranton communities. Professors are encouraged to bring their class to any session that may enrich student learning as it relates to their course. A Royal Card reader will be on-site.

More information and a full program are available at this link.

Students and staff represented The University of Scranton at the state Capitol in Harrisburg for this year’s Association of Independent Universities and Colleges of Pennsylvania (AICUP) Advocacy Day on Tuesday, April 14.

The University sends students annually to the state Capitol for AICUP Student Aid Advocacy Day to stress the importance of state financial aid for students pursuing higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and support for independent colleges and universities such as The University of Scranton, with its Catholic and Jesuit mission.

AICUP Advocacy Day is an opportunity for students to meet with legislators and share their impactful stories, including their reasons for choosing The University of Scranton. Through this experience, students exercised their advocacy skills and highlighted the importance of higher education funding.

Students and staff in attendance this year were Cassidy Lowman ‘27, Philip Huffman ‘27, and Daysi Carreto ‘14, assistant director for community and civic engagement.

The students met with Pennsylvania State Senators Marty Flynn and Rosemary Brown’s legislative staff and with state Representatives Bridget M. Kosierowski, Kyle Donahue and Kyle Mullins.

Lowman ‘27 commented on the visit to Harrisburg.

“I had such an incredible time participating in AICUP's Advocacy Day. It was initially nerve-racking to meet and speak with the state legislators, but they were very engaged in what we were saying and receptive to the message we were trying to share," Lowman said. "I really value my education and all that it has done for me, and it was an honor to spend the day in Harrisburg advocating for more funding for higher education. This event has inspired me to continue speaking out about things that are important to me.”

On Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center, room 133, The University of Scranton’s Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) and Office of Community Relations, in collaboration with campus and community partners, will present the final "CBL Talks" installment for the semester.

The event will begin with a screening of the WVIA documentary "Making NEPA Home," which shares stories related to immigration in Northeast Pennsylvania from refugee and immigrant individuals and agencies that work with these communities. Following the screening, a panel discussion will include speakers Kara Washington, WVIA; Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at The University of Scranton; Ushu Mukelo, Congolese Community of Scranton; Fikile Ryder, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton; and Terilynn Brechtel and Audrey Golosky, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA.

The CBL Talks are sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning, Office of Community Relations, and additional campus and community partners.

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP for this event, please visit the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Making-NEPA-Home-CBL-Talk 

Questions about the event should be directed to community@scranton.edu

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

Students at The University of Scranton can look forward to quality-of-life improvements in their dining for the 2026-27 school season, thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), which recently announced Scranton as a recipient of its PA Hunger-Free Campus grant funding.

Adrianna Smith '22 G'23, student life special projects coordinator for The University of Scranton, outlined how the University plans to use its grant allocation. 

“We can increase the availability of grab-and-go meals, meal ingredient kits and emergency dining support while also piloting a micro-pantry and expanding access to hygiene products,” she explained. “Additional funding will allow for expanded grocery shuttle services, cooking workshops and SNAP education and application support to connect eligible students with crucial resources.”

Smith said the grant represents a new ability for campus-wide collaboration among several departments.

“This funding will support a collaborative initiative between the Division of Student Life and Center for Service and Social Justice, enhancing both immediate access to food and long-term resources for students,” Smith said. 

Smith also discussed the grant’s ability to help the University ensure that it lives up to its Jesuit ideals by recognizing and assisting with students’ physical, not just academic, needs. 

“By prioritizing dignity, we will continue to foster an environment where all students are supported and thriving both inside and outside the classroom,” Smith said.

PDE awarded $1 million worth of PA Hunger-Free Campus grants to 30 colleges and universities across the state of Pennsylvania.

The University of Scranton received $40,000 in grant funds from PDE to help improve the dining experience on campus.

PA Hunger-Free Campus grants are awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help schools address food insecurity on campus, including expanding access to food options, creating awareness initiatives and upgrading facilities.

A group of students from The University of Scranton is once again organizing SoccerFest, a community-focused soccer tournament designed to bring together local youth athletes for a day of competition, teamwork and community engagement.

SoccerFest will take place on Saturday, May 9, at Fitzpatrick Field on the University's campus, featuring a fast-paced 6-v-6 tournament format. Teams of up to 10 players will compete in multiple divisions: U10 coed, U12 coed, U12 male, U14 girls, U14 male, high school male and high school female.

The event is entirely planned and executed by students as part of a sports event management course, giving them hands-on experience in organizing a large-scale athletic event — from marketing and registration to scheduling and game operations.

The tournament is open to players of all skill levels, offering each team a guaranteed set of games throughout the day. Participants will also receive event T-shirts. Registration is available through the SoccerFest website.

The goal of the event is to grow the community and bring people together for a fun day. In addition to providing a competitive outlet for young athletes, all SoccerFest proceeds support the charitable initiative of Friends of the Poor.

Student organizers are actively promoting the event across local community spaces, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, inclusivity and community connection.

Registration for SoccerFest 2026 is currently open, with early registration pricing available through April 17 and final registration closing May 3.

For more information, to register a team or to volunteer, visit the SoccerFest website.

The University of Scranton Jazz Band will take the stage Saturday, April 18, with acclaimed trombonist Jennifer Krupa joining them as the evening’s featured guest artist. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert 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.

“Our students are excited to work with Jen again after a very successful week last year of preparing and performing premieres of the works she and Wycliffe Gordon composed for them," said Performance Music Executive Director and conductor Janelle Decker.

“Krupa is truly a part of our Performance Music program here at Scranton — her musical and technical mastery and collaborative, respectful and intuitive teaching style have consistently had a strong positive impact on the musical experiences of our student musicians, staff and audiences throughout her many years of visits," said Cheryl Y. Boga, Artistic Director of Performance Music and conductor.

An acclaimed trombonist, musician, music educator, conductor, composer and arranger, Krupa has written original works and arrangements for a wide variety of ensembles that have been featured in recordings and performances across the globe. Her extensive discography spans nearly 40 recordings. She performs with many of the most highly regarded jazz artists of our time, serves as lead trombonist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, co-leads the Krupa/Pilzer Quartet, is an in-demand soloist throughout the U.S., and maintains a very active career as a player, guest conductor, composer/arranger and teacher in the New York City and Washington/Maryland areas.

Krupa leads clinics, masterclasses and adjudications and guest conducts nationwide; conducts the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Combos; and has presented at the Jazz Educators Network, Midwest Clinic and the International Trombone Festival. Recently retired from her two-decade tenure with the United States Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble, Krupa held multiple key roles with that ensemble, including Music Director, arranger, tour manager, operations and personnel manager and trombonist. She is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School where she directs the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra.

The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 25-member ensemble of big band style instrumentation, made up of University of Scranton student musicians from majors spanning the curriculum. They perform five or more times per year. The majority of their performances are open to the public, free of admission charge, and often feature a nationally or internationally renowned guest soloist.

Krupa received her first critic’s review as a professional in “The Scranton Tribune” for a performance in the University’s Houlihan McLean Center in 2000, performing with The Wycliffe Gordon Quintet.

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the University's website. For more info on Krupa, visit jenkrupa.com.

 

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IF YOU GO:

 

What: IN CONCERT: The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble featuring guest soloist Jennifer Krupa, trombone, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, 2026

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

Admission: FREE

Earth Day week will be especially enriched by Lenape heritage during special events on Sunday, April 19. A new “Spirit of Lenapehoking in Nay Aug Park” Interpretative Sign will be dedicated at The Greenhouse Project in the city of Scranton’s Nay Aug Park from 12 noon – 12:30 p.m. Following the dedication ceremony, the community will be invited to enjoy a Lenape Cultural Program that includes language, storytelling, and the planting of indigenous seeds to take home for their own gardens. The program will be led by Lenape leader, Curtis Zunigha, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Zunigha is an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Through programs in culture and art, he helps build understanding and community around the return of Lenape people to their ancestral homeland, Lenapehoking, after generations living through the traumas of forced removal. His educational programs seek to connect people through developing relationships with one another and with the earth.

“This new Interpretive Sign is another seed planted in the soil of the relationship between Scranton and the Lenape people, which is flourishing thanks to Curtis’ gracious leadership and collaboration,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of community engagement and government affairs at The University of Scranton, who initially brought Zunigha to Scranton during the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project in 2023.

Funding for this project and these events has been provided in part by The University of Scranton, the Greenhouse Project, the Lackawanna County Arts & Culture Department, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area in partnership with the National Park Service, and in local partnership with Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority and The City of Scranton.

Both the dedication and the program are open to the public, reconnecting residents to the deep roots of Lenape people in this region they call Lenapehoking, and the role that the Lenape historically and currently play in the journey of our nation.

To learn more about these two events, please visit this link: https://scrantongreenhouse.org/lenape/

The University of Scranton and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) honored Grace V. Lennox ‘26 as part of the fourth annual ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. The 2026 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll recognized 168 students across the country for their contributions to creating a more civically engaged culture within their campus communities. From civic learning to voter participation, these students lead by example and empower their peers to become lifelong participants in democracy.

Lennox, a senior political science and philosophy double major with a history minor and legal studies concentration from Peckville has been recognized for her outstanding commitment to promoting civic and voter engagement efforts across the University of Scranton.

“I’m honored to be recognized for the Student Voting Honor Roll! Working to make our classmates more politically aware and engaged alongside many friends has easily been one of my favorite parts of college. I’m deeply grateful to have worked with so many bright and passionate students who recognize the importance of paying attention and using their voices. Democracies can only succeed in reflecting the interests of people if people make their interests known! As college students, we are constantly preparing for our futures, but making our voices heard in politics is essential not only for shaping the world we’re stepping into, but also for representing ourselves and our neighbors today,” said Grace Lennox ‘26.

 

“Grace has exuded a tremendous passion for student and civic engagement in her time at The University of Scranton. This work is deeply meaningful to her as she is always seeking to highlight student voices on campus. Grace has coordinated various voter registration drives, served as a resource for her peers, and continues to collaborate across various clubs to promote civic and voter engagement. An integral member of the Royals Vote Coalition and champion of civic and voter engagement, Grace enriches our campus with her drive to uplift and support students,” said Daysi Carreto ‘14, assistant director for community and civic engagement. 

“From hosting registration drives to initiating conversations with classmates in the hallway, our 2026 Student Voting Honor Roll is filled with students who exemplify what it means to be a leader in civic engagement. As college students face increasing barriers to voting while on campus, these students are making nonpartisan voter participation a lifelong habit for themselves, their peers and their campuses. We are thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments and excited to see their continued impact as we approach this year’s midterm elections,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

ALL IN supports more than 1,000 campuses and 10 million students nationally to make nonpartisan civic engagement an ongoing part of campus life. Members of the 2026 Student Voting Honor Roll were nominated by campus leaders for their dedication and excellence in voter education, registration and turnout in 2025.

The full list of 2026 Student Voting Honor Roll award winners can be viewed here.

The Commuter Student Association (CSA) is sponsoring their annual "CSA Restaurant Fest" on Thursday, April 30 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. For the event, the CSA is sponsoring meals for 108 University of Scranton students. Meals will include an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, each from a different downtown Scranton restaurant.

The goal of this event is to promote downtown restaurant businesses and encourage University students to explore the many diverse food options in downtown Scranton. The event includes six different meal routes. Each route will offer University students a different appetizer, entrée, and dessert from three different downtown spots. The routes will be assigned at random to participating University students, mindful of any dietary needs and offer students the chance to both try new downtown restaurant businesses while also enjoying a walk around downtown Scranton.

“Each year we do Restaurant Fest; I hear students tell me how much they loved trying new food without having to pay for it. Restaurant Fest is one of my favorite CSA events because students are offered a free, full-course meal that supports small, local businesses. I have found some of my favorite places to eat from this event that make Scranton feel even more special,” said Jessica Ely ’26, CSA president and biology major.

"Restaurant Fest gives students the chance to explore downtown Scranton, try new restaurants and support our thriving business community. It’s honestly one of my favorite events of the year! It’s such a fun way for students to experience the local food scene with options that make it inclusive for everyone, including vegan and vegetarian students," said Nora Flannery '27, CSA vice president and pre-med physiology and philosophy double major.  

For more information about the CSA Restaurant Fest, please contact commuter@scranton.edu. To register for the event, please visit the following link on Royal Sync https://cglink.me/2rM/r385360.   

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The University of Scranton has more than a dozen graduate programs ranked among the best in the nation, according to one of the leading authorities in assessing academic quality and reputation.

U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” report, released April 7, features 14 University of Scranton master’s and doctoral offerings ranked in their respective categories.

Among Scranton’s highest-ranked and fastest-rising programs are the following:

• No. 43 (tied), Best Rehabilitation Counseling Programs — up six spots from No. 49 in 2025
• No. 59 (tied), Best Occupational Therapy Programs — up 20 spots from No. 79 in 2025
• No. 99 (tied), Best Nurse Anesthesia Programs — up 12 spots from No. 111 in 2025

In rehabilitation counseling, Scranton ranks first in Pennsylvania and shares the No. 43 ranking with the likes of Texas Tech and the University of Alabama.

Scranton also held strong in the Best Healthcare Management Programs category, ranking 53rd nationally, tied with Creighton University, Texas State University, the University of Memphis and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, among others.

Additionally, after not being ranked in 2025, the University placed in the following categories:

• No. 109 (tied), Best International Business Programs
• No. 139 (tied), Best Management Programs
• No. 154 (tied), Best Marketing Programs
• No. 166 (tied), Best Supply Chain Management Programs

The University also received recognition in multiple other categories: Best Part-Time MBA Programs, No. 105 (tied); Best Physical Therapy Programs, No. 115 (tied); Best Business Analytics Programs, No. 115 (tied); Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice, No. 137; Best Accounting Programs, No. 148 (tied); and Best Finance Programs, No. 170 (tied).

The methodologies used by U.S. News to rank programs are constantly updated, refined and tailored to each category. Among the factors that go into U.S. News rankings are the results of surveys of educational and professional personnel, faculty student ratios and student test scores. In addition to U.S. News, The Wall Street Journal, Princeton Review and Forbes are among the other publications that have recently recognized the value of a Scranton education with noteworthy rankings.

The University of Scranton has more than 40 graduate programs covering specialties within the fields of business, health administration, health sciences, social sciences and STEM.

According to the most recent Roche Family Center for Career Development’s First Destination Survey, graduate students from the Class of 2024 reported a 100% success rate with 95% of them employed full-time. The graduates’ mean annual salary was $82,932, up 15% from just three years earlier.

For more information, visit The University of Scranton’s graduate admissions website.

The University of Scranton will host a three-day national interdisciplinary conference, bringing together educators, students and professionals to explore the wide-ranging implications of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.

The conference, titled “Confronting the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” will be held Thursday, April 16, through Saturday, April 18, on the University’s campus. Registration is open with pricing ranging from $50 to $150. Included in the cost is unlimited access to the conference’s panels and workshops, as well as entry into a Thursday night mixer and Friday night dinner. Conference sponsors are the Diocese of Scranton and Geisinger.

Notable presenters include Ryan Struyk, director of AI innovation at CNN; Thursday’s keynote speaker Joe Vukov, Ph.D., associate director of Loyola University Chicago’s Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage and associate professor of philosophy; and Friday’s keynote speaker Paul Scherz, Ph.D., Our Lady of Guadalupe professor of theology at Notre Dame, program chair of the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab and member of the Vatican Centre for Digital Culture’s AI Research Group.

Thursday’s programming begins at 5 p.m. with a welcome by Tracy Stewart, Ph.D., The University of Scranton’s interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, along with conference co-planners George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library; Dan Marenda, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Megan Heeder, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology and religious studies.

On Friday, the conference will offer a staggering 28 breakout sessions across nine time slots, beginning in the 9 to 9:40 a.m. window and ending at 4:30 to 5:10 p.m.

Presenters are coming from across the U.S. to discuss topics including but not limited to arts and humanities; business; education; environmental impact; healthcare and medicine; law and policy; library and information science; philosophy; science; theology; social justice and equity; and social sciences.

A full conference schedule and list of presenters are now available on the University’s website.

As The University of Scranton’s programs that serve community members in need have expanded, so has the need for more space. The Center for Service and Social Justice’s many programs, previously held in the Arrupe House, have now moved to a larger, more modern space in Ciszek Hall on Mulberry Street.

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A new kitchen and hall in the lower level will serve as a new space for the We Care Meal Program, through which students volunteer to prepare and package 50-100 meals weekly for community members in need. The meals include a main course, side, drink, snacks, dessert, utensils and a handmade card. The cards are made in the Crafts room on the first floor of Ciszek Hall. Meals have been donated to Community Intervention Center, Friends of the Poor and low-income housing developments such as Delaware Towers, Valley View, Bangor Heights, Hilltop and Jackson Terrace.

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The first floor of Ciszek Hall includes the Royal Restore Food Pantry, which provides free, nutritious food and personal care products to University students and employees in need, and Teen Threads, a student-run program that offers clothing giveaways at area high schools and other programs for young adults. The hall also includes a meeting space for groups associated with the Center for Service and Social Justice.

The new space was showcased and blessed at an Open House in March. Participating in the event were Daniel Cosacchi, Ph.D., vice president for mission and ministry; Patricia Vaccaro, director of the Center for Service and Social Justice; and University students Patrick George, Endwell, New York; Bridgid Guarnuccio, Scotch Plains, New Jersey; Bradly Kaufman, Scranton; Christina Kennedy, Morristown, New Jersey; and Frank McCann, Glenside.

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The University of Scranton will welcome Harvard University faculty member Brandon Terry, Ph.D., as the speaker at this year’s Sondra H’87 and Morey Myers H’12 Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in the Humanities and Civic Engagement Lecture.

Dr. Terry, Harvard’s John L. Loeb associate professor of the social sciences and co-director of the Institute on Policing, Incarceration and Public Safety at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, will speak at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at the Pearn Auditorium inside Brennan Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Terry’s lecture is titled “Shattered Dreams, Infinite Hope,” the same title as his 546-page book released in October 2025.

The book was selected by The New York Times as one of “100 Notable Books of 2025.”

“The civil rights movement has been enshrined in American history as an exemplary model of transformative social action,” the newspaper wrote. “Terry, a Harvard scholar, upends the conventional wisdom, rejecting both romanticized versions of the past and pessimistic accounts of the present to offer a nuanced theory of the movement — and of social movements in general — predicated on a rigorous philosophical vision of what he calls ‘tragic hope.’”

Housed in The University of Scranton’s Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities, the Myers lecture was created to advance the University’s efforts in bringing renowned scholars, artists and thinkers to campus to share their work and enrich cultural and civic activity.

Sondra Myers was a longtime director of the University’s Schemel Forum whose career has focused on strengthening democracy and civic engagement through cultural programming, public policy work and humanities scholarship. Morey Myers, a civil rights activist and accomplished jurist, is a graduate of the Yale University School of Law and Syracuse University.

For more information, visit the Myers lecture’s webpage on the Slattery Center website.