Campus News
Two Intersession domestic service trips were organized by the Center For Service and Social Justice from Jan. 15-21. One group traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, where they collaborated with The Saint Bernard Project to build and renovate homes devastated by hurricanes. The second group visited Missoula, Montana, where they volunteered with the Hope Rescue Mission and the Poverello Center homeless shelters and temporary housing agencies.
Domestic service inspires future volunteerism
"This is Scranton’s first trip to Missoula!" said Mia Sandy, '23, of Scranton, who served as a peer facilitator on the trip to rural Montana.
Sandy, a senior Counseling and Human Services (CHS) major, said she helped the group with advance preparation, including several fundraising events to offset trip expenses.
"For me, it was really important to have an understanding of the community we were going to engage with, so I did a lot of reading on rural poverty and I researched the agencies we are working with this week. I have also been working closely with Avianna to prepare for the trip and to prepare my group for the trip," said Sandy, referencing Avianna Carilli '22, coordinator of domestic and international service programs for the Center for Service and Social Justice.
"We had a few meetings in the fall semester in addition to fundraising events, so the group really had to be committed to this experience," said Sandy, shown above, far right, with members of the group that traveled to Montana.
She heard about the Domestic and International trips as a first-year student through a Reflective Service Program called FIRST, then shared stories and experiences of other students encouraged her to participate.
Sandy's travels have motivated her toward service to others in the future.
"I am currently in the accelerated Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program on campus, but I have been exploring an opportunity to do a year of service in Arizona. I am not sure where I will be next year, but I know that I will be participating in some form of service and trying to spread the Scranton love to whoever I meet," Sandy said.
More than 150 students experience education abroad
Approximately 150 students participated in trips abroad during Intersession, according to Associate Director of Global Education Kara Kofira Bishop.
January Intersession programs through the Office of Global Education included trips to:
AIFS Barcelona, Spain
AIFS Granada, Spain
AIFS Rome, Italy
AIFS Paris, France
AIFS London, UK
AIFS Germany, Berlin
Sacred Heart University Dingle, Ireland
Their faculty-led programs included:
T/RS 296 Christianity in the Middle East (Jerusalem, Israel)
BIOL 296 Terrestrial Tropical Ecology (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
HAD 595 South America Health Systems (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
NURS 496 Healthcare Systems and Nursing Practice Abroad (Dublin, Ireland)
PS 296 Irish Political Culture (Dublin, Ireland)
ENTR 481 Global Practicum (Paris, France)
Moira Courtney '23, Kinesiology-PT and Philosophy major from Hamilton, New Jersey was among students who participated in a Faculty-led Study Abroad trip to Jerusalem, Israel with Theology/Religious Studies 296: Christianity in the Middle East.
"I really wanted the opportunity to learn more about my faith while exploring the Holy Land, which I’ve heard so much about. Especially with the ongoing occupation, my interest in this area has been growing; I have been seeking to connect faith and social justice," said Courtney.
"Our group has explored Holy sites, local churches, and some of the beautiful cities of Palestine. During these tours we have been discussing the importance of religion in the region, as well as the current occupation. We have gotten the opportunity to discuss these important topics with individuals who experience the effects on a daily basis," she added.
For information, visit: studyabroad.scranton.edu
Ariana Isayiw, sophomore Kinesiology major, shown above, participated in the Sacred Heart University study abroad winter 2023 session in Dingle, Ireland from Dec. 28 through Jan.12.
"I was able to celebrate New Year's in Dingle! I took a three-credit class while abroad that fulfilled my theology elective at Scranton. I was assigned housing in a cute cottage on the Dingle harbor. I had a great view from my front walkway and was even able to see the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve from the front door!"
Isayiw offered insight into the course and the program.
"I loved being able to fully immerse myself in the Irish culture for those two weeks while also taking a class. The course included a mix of in-class lecture and field trips to local religious sites.
The study abroad program itself included activities for us to participate in outside of class such as a cookery class, horseback riding on the coast, a bus tour (with a stop to hold a baby sheep!), and a day trip to Killarney. We also had a few group dinners with our professor, class, and the other students in the program.
The locals were all very welcoming and the professors were excited to have us in their classes and loved showing us around town and teaching us about their culture.
I truly enjoyed my time in Dingle and would recommend the program to anyone looking for a short term study abroad experience!"
Postcards from 2023 Scranton Intersession
University students who participated in domestic and international Intersession trips share their experiences.
The series, presented by The Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and The University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library, will be shown throughout February. Dr. Anthony Betancourt, assistant professor in the Psychology Department, and Dr. Melissa Anyiwo, associate professor in the History Department, will introduce and contextualize one film each Wednesday, beginning at 7 p.m.
“Black History Month is an important time for us to reflect on the experiences and contributions of Black people in American history. The Weinberg Memorial Library is proud to partner with the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union on this important initiative," said George Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library at the University.
"The Library is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and being a welcoming place for our community. Furthermore, the Library’s longstanding expertise with Media Resources was an obvious avenue for us to promote understanding and play our part to help create a more equitable future."
The film schedule is as follows:
- February 1, "Moonlight"
- February 8, "Blackkklansman"
- Feburary 15, "Whose Streets"
- Feb. 22, "Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975"
- Feb. 28, "Sparkle"
Faculty to introduce and contextualize Black History Month Film Series
Dr. Anyiwo, who joined the University in 2022, is an award-winning teacher and researcher who specializes in using historical methods to explore racial and gender stereotypes. Most recently, Dr. Anyiwo was a faculty member at Curry College as a professor of politics and history, and prior to that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Dr. Anyiwo earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies and politics and her Ph.D. at the University of Wales Swansea, where her dissertation analyzed the dominant stereotypes of African-American women from the 16th century to present.
Dr. Betancourt, who joined the University in 2022, is the founder and chief executive officer of ABLE Research LLC in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He brings to Scranton expertise in the subjects of bullying, scientific racism, learning disabilities and economic inequality. He has taught at the City College of New York and won a coveted fellowship at the City University of New York teaching undergraduate psychology.
Dr. Betancourt earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology at The University of Scranton, his Master of Arts in general theoretical psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and both his Master of Philosophy and his Ph.D. in educational psychology at the City University of New York.
The Black History Month Film Series is supported by a 2023 grant awarded by the Diversity Initiatives Review Board.
'Moonlight' to Open Black History Month Film Series Feb. 1
Dr. Anthony Betancourt, assistant professor in the Psychology Department, and Dr. Melissa Anyiwo, associate professor in the History Department, will introduce and contextualize each film in the series presented by The Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and The University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library.
In conjunction with the Hope Horn Gallery exhibition "A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince," a Campus Coffeehouse with the artist will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23. The event will be held in the Rose Room, 5th Floor, Brennan Hall, from 7 - 8:00 p.m.
The coffeehouse is produced in conjunction with The University of Scranton Office of Equity and Diversity and University of Scranton Multicultural Center, and is supported in part by a University of Scranton Diversity Initiatives Grant, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Scranton's Story/Our Nation's Story project.
Please call Darlene Miller-Lanning for information at 570-9412-4214.
Campus Coffeehouse with Travis Prince Feb. 23
In conjunction with the Hope Horn Gallery exhibition "A New Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince," a Campus Coffeehouse with the artist will be held Feb. 23 from 7 -8 p.m. in the Rose Room, 5th floor, Brennan Hall.
Join The Center for Health Education and Wellness (CHEW) in the new semester for CHEW'S Weekly Wellness Classes.
Drop-in classes are taught by professional instructors to promote stress relief and increase strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Classes are open to students, staff and faculty (unless otherwise stated).
- MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: MONDAY 5 p.m., Library, Room 305
- DROP-IN PICKLEBALL* : TUESDAY 12- 1 p.m., Byron Gym (Employees Only)
- POUND: TUESDAY, 5:30 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
- LUNCHTIME YOGA: WEDNESDAY, 12:15 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
- LIGHT WEIGHTS and ABS*: MONDAY and WEDNESDAY 5 p.m.- Byron Gym, Royals Room (Employees Only)
- ENERGIZING YOGA: THURSDAY, 5 p.m., Byron Gym, Royals Room
* Denotes faculty- and staff-only classes.
CHEW'S Weekly Wellness Classes Begin for Spring Semester
Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the Center for Health Education and Wellness (CHEW) for classes taught by professional instructors to promote stress relief and increase strength, flexibility, and mindfulness.
THE MEG CULLEN-BROWN MAGIS AWARD WINNER for JANUARY 2023 is: Angel Bladt, Mail Carrier Services
How long have you worked for the University?
1.5 years
What do you like to do for fun?
"I enjoy spending time with my family."
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the good work that Angel does on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in personally congratulating Angel and all our nominees.
Angel will receive a certificate for $50 worth of complimentary food at our fabulous University food service outlets, as well as a reserved parking space in the DeNaples Parking Pavilion for the month of January. Each monthly winner is also invited to the Senate Recognition event in May to receive a certificate of appreciation.
We congratulate our winner and all nominees for being recognized as “Magis” employees!
January 2023 Nominees:
Mary Kay Aston, Financial Aid
Angel Bladt, Mailing
Maureen Carlton, Financial Aid
Christopher Carter, Physical plant
Bridget Chomko, Advancement
Donna Cochrane-Kalinowski, Nursing
Thomas Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Kelly Connor Lewis, Admissions
Deb Cwalinski, Physical Plant
Janelle Decker, Music
Shonna Emmick, Facilities
Phil Erb, Infrastructure Services
Lori Flynn, Registrars Office
Jacob Harris, Facilities Operations
Tom Kern, IT
Brooke Leonard, Schemel Forum
Mary Ann Maslar, CAS Dean's Office
Peg Mazzino, Facilities
Peter Nguyen, University Police
Eileen Notarianni, Human Resources
John Ochman, IT
Hollie Roscioli, Facilities
Dolores Rozelle, PCPS Field Placement
Reka Shayka, Residence Life
Melissa Sherrill, Printshop
Rose Striefsky, University Advancement
Justin Tambeau, Facilites
Rose Termini, CTLE
Jillian Wall, Admissions
Eve Walsh-Bisignani, IT
Angel Bladt is Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner
Angel Bladt, Campus Mail Carrier, receives the Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award for Jan. 2023
Earlier this month, the PNC Automated Teller Machine (ATM) situated in the McGurrin Hall vestibule was deactivated.
The ATM in the DeNaples Center vestibule will remain in service.
As always, PNC account holders can access the DeNaples Center ATM without fees.
Important Update to Campus Banking Options
Earlier this month, the PNC Automated Teller Machine (ATM) situated in the McGurrin Hall vestibule was deactivated. The ATM in the DeNaples Center vestibule will remain in service.
Scranton (17-0) posted a pair of road victories last week to remain unbeaten as they notched a 63-50 win at Drew and a 62-34 victory at Juniata.
Trinity (Tex.) recorded 18 of the 25 first place votes and sits at 19-0 on the season in the D3hoops.com poll and is followed in the top five by Transylvania (17-0), Christopher Newport (17-0), Scranton and Smith (16-1). In the WBCA poll, Christopher Newport leads the way and the rest of the top five is comprised of Trinity, Transylvania, Scranton and Smith.
Click the following links to view the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA polls.
The Lady Royals will battle Moravian in a Landmark matchup Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the John Long Center with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
Women's Hoops Ranked No. 4 in Latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 Polls
The University women's basketball team is ranked No. 4 for the second straight week in the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 polls that were unveiled on Jan. 24.
The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL), in collaboration with campus partners, is pleased to offer a series of three "CBL Talks" in the Spring 2023 semester. The goal of these talks is to provide University students, as well as the wider community, with information and insights into some of the major challenges and opportunities facing the Scranton area and how they can be part of positive change. This spring's talks will focus on: Black History and Housing in Scranton; Environmental Health; and the Living Wage Study 2022 Report.
Each of the CBL Talks will be offered as a live session, beginning with a presentation from guest speakers, followed by Q&A. These sessions will also be recorded to serve as a resource for CBL courses and reflection questions will be provided to student attendees after each event. The CBL Talks can be used as a teaching resource for CBL faculty members. This year’s series is also a special collaboration of the Office of Community-Based Learning with the Panuska College of Professional Studies T.A.P.E.S.T.R.Y. program. The talks can also be attended by the wider university and Scranton community.
The spring 2023 CBL Talks are:
Black History and Housing in Scranton with Glynis Johns
On Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Moscowitz Theater, Glynis Johns, CEO and Founder of the Black Scranton Project, a local history and heritage initiative, will discuss the Black history of Adams Avenue in the downtown Scranton area where a predominantly African American neighborhood existed prior to redevelopment in the 1970s. This CBL Talk will explore themes around Blackness, housing, racial discrimination, and affordability that remain relevant today.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23BlackHistoryHousing
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations and the Multicultural Center. It is also part of the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project supported by the NEH and in collaboration with the Black Scranton Project and other community partners.
Environmental Health with Tonyehn Verkitus, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
On Thursday, March 23 at 11:45 a.m. in The DeNaples Center Ballroom, Tonyehn Verkitus, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania will provide a discussion on how environmental factors such as air and water quality are one of many determinants of our health and well-being. These and other environmental factors can lead to disease and health disparities in the places where people live, work, learn and play. This discussion will highlight how existing environmental disparities in communities exposed to a combination of poor environmental quality and social inequities lead to more sickness and disease than you see in wealthier, less polluted communities.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23EnvironmentalHealth
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, the Office of Sustainability and the Environmental Studies Concentration. This event is also a part of the University's 2023 Earth Month events.
Living Wage Study 2022 Report with Julie Schumacher Cohen, The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, Friends of the Poor Scranton
On Friday, April 14 at 3 p.m. in the Moskowitz Theater, Julie Schumacher Cohen, AVP for Community Engagement & Government Affairs at The University of Scranton and Meghan Loftus, President & CEO of the Friends of the Poor Scranton will highlight the Living Wage Report 2022, including key findings of the study and its recommendations related to what constitutes a living wage in NEPA and issues related to economic justice, racial disparities, and public policy action through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. Meghan Loftus, university partner and alumna, will discuss the work of Friends of the Poor around the realities of poverty and the need for systemic change.
Registration required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23LivingWage
This event is sponsored by the Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with The Ellacuría Initiative and the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service.
For more information on the CBL Talks program, please visit www.scranton.edu/cbltalks or email cbl@scranton.edu.
Spring Talks Highlight Community Issues
A series of three talks will highlight community partners and issues including Black history and housing, environmental health, and what is necessary to make a living wage in NEPA.
The Greater Scranton MLK Commission will host the Annual Community Celebration and Awards Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, beginning promptly at 1:30 p.m. The event will take place at The University of Scranton, DeNaples Center, McIlhenny Ballroom, 4th floor, 900 Mulberry Street, Scranton.
The Commission focuses on the effects of anti-semitism, othering and belonging, inspired by words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter...”
A virtual keynote presentation will feature Sr. Mary C. Boys, Ed.D., Dr. Theology, Dlitt, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, Skinner McAplin Professor of Practical Theology and author of six books and hundreds of articles.
A panel discussion will follow the keynote. Panelists include:
Rabbi Daniel Swartz, spritual leader, Temple Hesed
Reverend Mark Alexander, Pastor, Bethel A.M.E. Church
Mother Rebecca A. Barnes, Reverend, St. Lukes Episcopal Church
Pastor Eric Wahner, Member Care and Descipleship Pastor, Steamtown Church
Tickets for this event are $25 each, $150 per table reservation of six. Event sponsors are greatly appreciated! Go to https://safdn.org/mlk-event/ Questions? Email gsmlkcommission@gmail.com.
Greater Scranton MLK Commission Hosts Annual Community Dinner
The Office of Government and Community Relations is sponsoring a table for faculty, staff and students. Contact community@scranton.edu to make a reservation.
Staff Senate and the Staff Development Committee present Gerianne Barber, NCC, LPC for "Restoration, Resilience, and Resolutions," a discussion on Wellness and You.
The event will take place Thursday, Jan. 5 from 12 - 1 p.m. at Brennan Hall 509, The Rose Room.
Staff is invited to the join for positivity and self-care to begin the new year!
Attendees are invited to bring their own lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided.
Staff Senate and Staff Development Committee Present Wellness Event
At the Jan. 5 event, Gerianne Barber, NCC, LPC will lead "Restoration, Resilience, and Resolutions," a discussion on Wellness and You.
The University will hold its 13th annual Shamrockin' Eve celebration for members of the Classes of 2019-2023 on Friday, March 10.
Registration will open soon. For more information, visit scranton.edu/shamrock.
Save The Date For Shamrockin' Eve March 10
Royals from the Classes of 2019-2023 to gather together for Scranton tradition.
Joe Fitzgerald, M.D. ’64 has figured out the key to a happy, successful retirement: serve the children of his community and play a lot of golf.
The retired orthopedic surgeon, who resides in Kingston, Rhode Island, with his wife, Kathleen, spends every Tuesday and Thursday at Clothes to Kids Rhode Island, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides new and quality used clothing to low-income or in-crisis school-age children in Providence County free of charge so that they may attend school with the confidence and self-esteem needed to achieve academic success.
“It’s supposed to add self-esteem, and I think it works,” Fitzgerald said. “I think it makes the world a better place.”
Fitzgerald’s interest in making the world a better place can be traced back to the example he saw his mother, a nurse, and his father, a school teacher, set for him when he was growing up in Throop, Pennsylvania. His love affair with golf also began early in his life after an uncle arranged for him to play for free at a local course.
“I played golf about 45 holes a day when I was 13,” he said, “so I got pretty good as a result of that.”
As a student at Throop High School, Fitzgerald already knew he wanted to attend the University.
“Where else would I go?” he said with a laugh. “Everybody went to Scranton. I was five miles away from Scranton.
“It was affordable and it was a rite of passage.”
After spending a few weeks considering what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Fitzgerald realized he enjoyed his science courses and thought a life spent helping others through medicine would be a life well-spent.
“I was very happy I did that,” he said. “I never regretted that.”
Fitzgerald commuted to campus each day with a few friends who also commuted. At Scranton, he double-majored in biology and philosophy in an early version of what would become the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, and he played on the Golf Team, where he achieved a three-stroke handicap. During his senior year, he was accepted at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., where he initially lived above the office of a doctor who happened to be a Scranton native.
During the rest of his time at medical school, Fitzgerald lived at the District of Columbia General Hospital, where he worked a few hours a week in exchange for room and board. In addition to that arrangement, he also worked as a lab technician to cover the rest of his expenses. He graduated from medical school in 1968 and met his future wife, Kathleen, who was then a student nurse, during his time as a medical intern.
“We got married about a year-and-a-half later,” he said, adding that they eventually brought two children, Matthew and Jennifer, into the world.
After finishing his internship, Fitzgerald spent two years in the U.S. Army as a general medical officer. After he was discharged, he landed a prestigious residency in orthopedics at Rhode Island Hospital. After finishing his residency, he founded South County Orthopedics and became the Chief Team Physician at the University of Rhode Island. While running South County Orthopedics, he found a way to “pay it forward” that proved to be as spiritually rewarding as it was financially advantageous.
“Because of my living at D.C. General and the fact that I was able to go through school without much debt, I tended to do a lot of charitable work in my own practice,” he said. “If people could’t pay me, I’d say, ‘That’s OK. Just keep coming back and send your friends,’ and I filled up a practice that way.
“I just wanted to be a doctor, take care of people and do charitable work.”
Fitzgerald continued to operate as a Team Physician at Rhode Island University and as the head of South County Orthopedics for 40 years; when the company merged with a few other groups into Ortho Rhode Island in 2016, he retired and began playing golf three days a week. About three years ago, he discovered Clothes To Kids Rhode Island and dedicated himself to supporting its mission.
“Clothe a child, change a life,” he said, echoing one of Clothes To Kids Rhode Island’s slogans. “It’s very gratifying.
“I shop with people, that’s all, and talk to people about their lives.”
Since opening in 2016, Clothes To Kids Rhode Island, which is primarily funded by donations from local citizens or corporations, has provided 9,000 wardrobes to children in Providence County, a thrift store value of more than $375,000. Fitzgerald plans to continue to serve his community at Clothes To Kids Rhode Island, and he needn’t look any further than the smiles on the faces of the people he serves to know that his efforts are helping to make the world a better place.
"I have a chance to talk to people and smile at them," he said. "In our place, everybody smiles."
Alumni Spotlight: Joe Fitzgerald, M.D. '64
Retired orthopedic surgeon enjoys serving his community at Clothes To Kids Rhode Island.
The University of Scranton Women's Basketball team will battle Susquehanna on Sunday, Jan. 15, as part of a full day of Landmark Conference men's and women's hoops action at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Game time for the Lady Royals will begin at 2:30 p.m. The University will host a post-game reception at New Deck Tavern, 3408 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, at 5 p.m. The $20 reception fee includes appetizers and two drink tickets (game ticket not included). To register for the reception, visit this link.
Reminder: University To Host Lady Royals Post-Game Reception In Philadelphia Jan. 15
Join your fellow Royals for a post-game reception in the City of Brotherly Love.
The University will hold its annual Day of Service on Earth Day 2023, which will fall on Saturday, April 22.
In honor of Earth Day, the University is seeking environmentally-focused regional service projects such as cleaning a park, schoolyard or church; it is also seeking to serve your communities in other ways, such as food and clothing drives. Contact alumni@scranton.edu by Jan. 31 to propose a service project in your region.
Reminder: University To Hold Day of Service April 22
Show your community the meaning of #Royals4Others.
In December, hundreds of alumni, parents and friends of the University celebrated the Christmas season with Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University President, at receptions in Washington, D.C., New York City, Scranton and Philadelphia.
EVENT PHOTOS
- To see photos from the Washington, D.C., reception at The Mayflower Hotel, visit this link.
- To see photos from the New York City reception at The New York Athletic Club, visit this link.
- To see photos from the President's Circle reception at the McIlhenny Ballroom, visit this link.
- To see photos from the Philadelphia reception at The Bellevue Hotel, visit this link.
Inclement weather caused a planned Presidential Christmas Reception at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, New Jersey, to be rescheduled for Jan. 20. Check the next alumni issue of Royal News for a link to photos from the event.
Royals Celebrate At Presidential Christmas Parties
Alumni, parents and friends of the University celebrate the season together in Washington, D.C., New York City, Scranton, and Philadelphia.
What's new with you? To submit a Class Note, visit the Class Notes Submission Page.
Alexander Zygmunt, M.D. ’12, Covington, Kentucky, completed a neuromuscular fellowship with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 2022. Zygmunt is a pediatric neurologist and assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
MARRIAGES
Shawn Lamb ’11 to Jay Wong
Alexander Zygmunt, M.D. ’12 to Danielle Tapp, Ph.D.
Joshua Bayzick ’15 to Megan Hudock ’16
BIRTHS
A daughter, Kayla Maeve, to Bobby ’13, G14 and Christine Moleti Della Polla '13, DPT '16, Havertown
DEATHS
Chester R. Cott ’50, Lilitz
Paul S. Dudzik ’57, G’65, Old Forge
Alexander P. Mickiewicz ’57, Baltimore, Maryland
William H. Wasilewski, Ph.D. ’63, G’68, Lynn, Massachusetts
Joseph R. Clift ’67, G’73, Honesdale
Joseph J. Malewich ’67, Fairfax, Virginia
John C. Garlinger ’68, Beaufort, South Carolina
James J. Gillern ’69, Medford, New Jersey
Thomas P. Stezar ’76, Etters
Michael P. Sandone ’80, North Abington Township
Ross J. Cordaro ’81, Scranton
Michele M. Albright G’02, Clarks Summit
Alumni Class Notes, January 2023
Share your story with your Royal Family.
Staff Senate President Mark Murphy greeted a crowd of more than 350 attendees at The Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon that was hosted Wednesday, Dec. 14 in The McIlhenney Ballroom of The DeNaples Center.
"This is a community that gives ... and this is a very wonderful example of the generosity of our University of Scranton community and staff," said Murphy, referencing raffle baskets created with donated prizes.
Murphy credited Vice President Kristi Klien, the Social Events and Community Building Committee and all volunteers with organizing the event. He closed with an Ignatian prayer.
Attendees were invited to bring donations for Community Intervention Center including packaged socks, underwear, small toiletries (soap, shampoo, oral care, feminine products). Raffle and 50/50 proceeds will benefit Scranton Alliance for Equality (SAFE).
The event was free to attend for University staff members.
More Than 350 Attend Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon
Staff Senate President Mark Murphy welcomed a crowd of more than 350 attendees at the Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon that was hosted Wednesday, Dec. 14 in The McIlhenney Ballroom of The DeNaples Center.
If you can’t stroll through campus this season, please swipe through the photo gallery below for some highlights of the campus Christmas decorations.
To quote Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol,” The University of Scranton knows “how to keep Christmas well.”
Spirit of Christmas Beams at Scranton
From gift giving drives, to concert traditions, to the Christmas trees that adorn campus, Scranton knows “how to keep Christmas well.”
Students in Professor Charlie Cino’s Writing 105 and Writing106 classes gained industry insights on writing and acting from a featured guest. On Nov. 15, actor, producer, and writer Patrick Labyorteaux visited their class via a live Zoom conference.
Labyorteaux is best known for his role as Andy Garvey on the NBC television classic "Little House on the Prairie," a historical drama series which originally aired on NBC from 1974-1983. The show was based on American children's novels about life written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He also appeared for 10 seasons in CBS adventure drama television series "JAG," in the role of Bud Roberts, Jr.
Prior to Labyorteaux's visit, Cino assigned students a research project on the actor and screenwriter's career and accomplishments. For more than an hour during the Nov. 15 event, 35 students participated in a Q and A session with Labyorteaux with writing at the core of their discussions. Labyorteaux also addressed questions ranging from the day in the life on a set to working with his brother Matthew on "Little House on the Prairie".
As an actor, Labyorteaux has guest-starred on many popular television series, including "Scandal," "CSI," "Starsky and Hutch," and "21 Jump Street". His appearances in feature films include: "Heathers," "The Yes Man" with Jim Carrey, and "Summer School" with Mark Harmon.
Labyorteaux has also written a number of screenplays and television scripts and with his wife Tina Albanese was co-executive producer/co-creator of the Nickelodeon sitcom "See Dad Run". A force in voice-over work, he provided the narration for the WB network in the 1990s.
Currently, Labyorteaux is creating several screenplays and television pilots, and when not acting, he teaches the craft. He also provides voice-over instruction to adults and children.
Actor, Producer, Writer Patrick Labyorteaux Speaks with Students
Students of Professor Charles Cino participated in a Q and A session, via Zoom, with actor, producer, and writer Patrick Labyorteaux.
Marzia Caporale, Ph.D., Director of Women's & Gender Studies, is a faculty member in the World Languages and Cultures Department. Dr. Caporale, who joined the University in 2007, shares information about her background, and experience working as a professor at the University. This semester, her courses include intermediate Italian, intermediate French, and a hybrid class, Lit 330, Resistance and Resilience: Francophone Women Authors.
Which languages do you speak?
"I speak French, Italian, English, and some Spanish."
What inspired your early interest with languages?
"In my elementary school, we started English in third grade.... I became fascinated knowing there was another language out there. In high school, on a study abroad program, I went to England, where we stayed with English families and explored the culture of the city. I did that for a couple of years. As I got older, I sought out more opportunities. During the summer there I worked as a nanny. I also traveled to France and did home stays with families."
What drew your interest in learning and studying other languages?
"I’ve always been interested in languages, mostly because I’ve wanted to travel. I wanted to talk to others in other countries. I started with English, then French, and continued learning Spanish at the University."
What interested you to teach languages?
"I was inspired by the people who taught me. I was fortunate to have amazing language teachers from early on... elementary school, middle school, and high school. At the university, my French professor was student centered and I loved his style."
Where did you study before you came to The University of Scranton?
"At the University of Florence, I earned my first degree, equivalent to a master’s. I then attended University of Nebraska - Lincoln for my Ph.D."
Which aspects of teaching at The University of Scranton and working in the World Languages Department do you most enjoy?
"What I love is getting students inspired to travel and to learn about the culture. Language serves as a gateway to the culture. This is not just about learning abstract concepts, it’s about learning something that is alive and that can be practiced.
"I love having colleagues from different parts of the world. It’s a constant learning experience since you are exposed to new cultures and new people. It’s always a dynamic process, never static."
What is your favorite course to teach, and why?
"Literature of Global Minorities is a course that the department revised recently. It's for the General Education curriculum, so it has a broad target. I love it because it allows me to use texts from different languages and cultures. It allows me to blend in my expertise into one course. The students have loved the course."
Please discuss your recent research projects.
"Dr. (Virginia A.) Picchietti, the other Italian professor, and I are in the process of translating the book "Born for You," from Italian to English. It tells the story of an Italian man, who as a single parent, adopted a child with a disability. It was the first case of single-parent adoption of a child, because laws in Italy don’t usually allow that.
"I am enjoying the translation of "Born for You," because it’s challenging. Even though I’ve taught courses in translation, I’ve never professionally translated. This book is very important because it talks about acceptance, civil rights and discrimination. It has so many aspects that we want people to learn about. It’s not just translating a novel, it’s a book that can spark a debate about acceptance and rights. Essentially, it’s a project with a purpose.
"I’m also working on a book project titled "Gender in French Banlieue Cinema," which is a collection of articles about the film genre relating to French suburbs."
Faculty Profile: A Conversation With Marzia Caporale
Dr. Marzia Caporale shares information about her background and experiences as a professor in the World Languages and Cultures department at the University.
Sophomore goalie Nicole Olson (Stoughton, Mass./Ursuline Academy) of The University of Scranton women's soccer team earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American First Team honors as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6.
Olson is the fifth member of the women's soccer program all-time to receive Academic All-American recognition along with Nicole Bayman (2001), Emily Farrell (2012), Erin Casey (2016) and Becca Russo (2019).
The Stoughton, Mass., native was also one of just three sophomores at the Division III level to receive the prestigious honor this year along with Michaela Bosco of Trinity University and Calista Burke of Rowan University.
A total of 42 Scranton student-athletes have now earned Academic All-American distinction.
This season, Olson started all 21 games she appeared in in goal for the Royals and ranked in the top 10 nationally in goals against average (0.26), save percentage (.918) and shutouts (11). She conceded just five goals on the season as Scranton advanced to a second straight Sweet 16 and captured a third consecutive Landmark Conference title.
In an NCAA first round matchup against Bowdoin, Olson tallied six saves and made a decisive save during the penalty kick shootout to help the Royals advance to the second round where they notched a 3-0 victory over Westfield State.
A Kinesiology major, she boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA and is a two-time University of Scranton Dean's List honoree.
Click here to view the full 2022 Academic All-American Women's Soccer teams.
Women's Soccer's Nicole Olson Garners CSC Academic All-American First Team Honors
Sophomore goalie Nicole Olson of The University of Scranton women's soccer team earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American First Team honors.
By: Julia Gavigan ’23, student correspondent
When Phil Grieco ’00, the senior director of Brand Strategy and Consumer Insights at Monster Energy, was an undergraduate at The University of Scranton, he already knew he had a passion for communicating with others.
“Nothing else spoke to me besides communications,” he said. “I loved talking to people and public speaking. I was so drawn to it.”
While working toward a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies, Grieco was impressed by the University’s emphasis on the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. That level of attention to his wellbeing helped prepare him for his remarkable career.
“It felt like people had eyes on you,” Grieco said. “The professors had eyes on you; you weren’t just a number.
“I felt like there was a personal touch.”
He also learned the value of trying new things and meeting new people.
“That shaped who I am today,” he said.
Grieco started his career in public relations at MFA Marketing and Public Relations, a small agency now known as Finn Partners in New York City. At MFA, he worked with clients like Burton Snowboards and Timex Watches. He then switched companies in 2003 and began to work for Octagon, a sports marketing agency, as a senior account executive in Public Relations and Marketing. At Octagon, he was exposed to the inner workings of the sports marketing industry. In 2007, he became senior brand manager of Mars, the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, where he learned “everything from brand positioning to how to market.”
“Who is the target consumer?” Grieco said. “What is our brand? What is our message? And how are we going to go out, make it relevant, stay top of mind and build loyalty?”
At Mars, Grieco directed multimillion-dollar NASCAR and NFL partnerships across multiple brands, including M&Ms, Snickers, Pedigree, Doublemint, JuicyFruit, Skittles and Starburst. He continued to utilize the line of questioning he developed at Mars when he began working for the National Basketball Association, where he drove sponsorship deals for NBA, WNBA and G League teams to maximize revenue growth. During his time with the NBA, he also worked directly with the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.
In 2016, Grieco moved across the country to the West Coast to work as the director of Global Marketing for GoPro, where he shaped the global marketing strategy of all GoPro brand partnerships, including Under Armour, BMW, Mattel, Toyota and Red Bull.
In his current position at Monster Energy, Grieco is responsible for overseeing strategic marketing and innovation initiatives.
“I get to work more closely with our leadership because I sit at the hub of our data,” he said. “They constantly want to know how we are doing, how are we performing, what’s up, what’s down, why is this retailer down, and why is this brand down.”
“Sometimes you can find it in the data; sometimes you need to find that information through a conversation with a stakeholder, or custom research, and that’s why data is so important.”
Throughout the creative process, Grieco says it’s imperative to listen to the wants and needs of the consumer in order to create a successful brand. One of the many projects that Grieco has been involved in at Monster Energy that exemplifies his ability to respond to the demands of his consumers was the launch of True North Energy seltzer, an organic, plant-based seltzer. The research into the target audience and goals of the launch began two years ago with the emerging popularity of regular and spiked seltzers. Starting with a research brief, Grieco and his teams discovered there was a growing interest in healthy seltzers, which eventually resulted in the creation of True North.
Grieco was also involved in the creation of Reign, a performance energy drink and one of Grieco’s most successful beverages at Monster Energy. The 300 mg caffeine-infused beverage was launched three years ago to compete against Bang Energy drink, and, within 18 months, it became a $300 million brand. Today, it generates $450 million in retail sales annually.
As demonstrated by the products he’s launched at Monster Energy, the key to Grieco’s success is simply listening to and understanding the people around him. By caring for the needs of his consumers and embracing a form of corporatized cura personalis, Grieco proves that paying attention to each individual can benefit both one’s personal and professional lives.
Alumni Spotlight: Phil Grieco '00
Alumnus turns passion for communicating into career in marketing.
The Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14 in The McIlhenney Ballroom. While the event is free for University staff members, registration is required. Seatings will take place from either 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Attendees are invited to bring donations for Community Intervention Center including packaged socks, underwear, small toiletries (soap, shampoo, oral care, feminine products). Raffle and 50/50 proceeds will benefit Scranton Alliance for Equality (SAFE).
Register here.
Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon Deadline Dec. 9
Staff Senate Christmas Luncheon set for Wednesday, Dec. 14 in The McIlhenney Ballroom. Attendees invited to bring packaged socks, small toiletries and more for collection for Community Intervention Center.
The Staff Senate would like to thank all staff members who took the time to recognize and share their colleague’s accomplishments, sense of community, and dedication to excellence. The Meg Cullen Brown Magis Award would not exist without our caring community!
THE MEG CULLEN-BROWN MAGIS AWARD WINNER FOR DECEMBER 2022 IS: LORI MORAN – Center for Career Development
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE UNIVERSITY?
13 yearsWHAT IS YOUR TITLE?
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I love working with a great team and helping students along their career journeys.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN?
Spending time with my family.We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the good work that Lori does on a daily basis. We hope you will join us in personally congratulating Lori and all our nominees.
Lori will receive a certificate for $50 worth of complimentary food at our fabulous University foodservice outlets, as well as a reserved parking space in the DeNaples Parking Pavilion for the month of December. Each monthly winner is also invited to the Senate Recognition event in May to receive a certificate of appreciation.
We congratulate our winner, Lori, and all nominees for being recognized as “Magis” employees!
DECEMBER 2022 NOMINEES:
Melinda Finnerty, Student Health Services
Donna Cochrane-Kalinoski, Nursing
Shannon Murphy Fennie, Assistant Dean of Students
Julie Brackeva-Phillips, IT
Thomas Cody, Infrastructure & Security Services
Erin Boughton, Facilities
Jim Piazza, Carpenter
Andy Adryan, Facilities
Michael Ritterbeck, Center for Student Engagement
Anthony Amato, Facilities
John Garzarella, Athletic - Long/Byron Maintanence
Cathy Seymour, Campus Ministry
Salisa Brown, Faculty Secretary PHY/EE/CHEM
Jason Oakey, IT
Casey Steiner, Center for Student Engagement
Joel Krisanda, Weinberg Memorial Library
Kevin Rude, University Police
Lori Moran, Career Development
Melissa Abda, Human Resources
Brenda Clark, External Affairs
John Garzarella, Facilities
Cindy Meo, Facilities
Hugh Doyle, Admissions
Melissa Afshari, Graduate & International Admissions
Deanna Beyrent, IT
Mary Beth Watson, PCPS Advising Center
Jane Johnson, Rec Sports
Ann Keeler, Counseling and Human Services
Rose Striefsky, Advancement
Karyn Salitsky, Information Technology
Diane Kennedy, IT
Robert Liskowicz, Counseling Center
Jillian Wall, Office of Admissions
Stephanie Adamec, CHEW
Brad Troy, Residence Life
Amy Hoegen, Campus Ministries
Frank Cardamone, Grounds
John Garzarella, Athletics/Maintenance
Thomas Kern, IT
Margaret Mazzino, Facilities
Starr Lairf, Facilities
Jillian Wall, Admissions
Daniela Teneva, Facilities
Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner, December
Receiving The Meg Cullen-Brown Magis Award Winner for December is Lori Moran, Center for Career Development.
Many of the donations were designated for the Center for Service and Social Justice, a University organization that offers opportunities for students to express their faith in reflective service and work toward the transformation of unjust societal structures while responding to local and national needs. To view the donor honor roll, visit this link.
University Community Celebrates Giving Tuesday 2022
Nearly 400 alumni, parents and friends of the University donate more than $65,000 to Scranton causes.
The University of Scranton Women's Basketball team will battle Susquehanna on Sunday, Jan. 15, as part of a full day of Landmark Conference men's and women's hoops action at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Game time for the Lady Royals will begin at 2:30 p.m. The University will hold a post-game reception at New Deck Tavern, 3408 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, at 5 p.m. The $20 reception fee includes appetizers and two drink tickets (game ticket not included). To register for the reception, visit this link.
University To Host Lady Royals Post-Game Reception Jan. 15
Join your fellow Royals for a post-game reception in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Scranton Club of NEPA will gather to cheer on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza Friday, Jan. 20, at 7:05 p.m.
The $20 price of admission will include a $4 food voucher. To register, visit this link.
Scranton Club of NEPA To Gather At Penguins Game Jan. 20
Watch the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with your Royal Family.
The University will hold its annual Day of Service on Earth Day 2023, which will fall on Saturday, April 22.
In honor of Earth Day, the University is seeking environmentally-focused regional service projects such as cleaning up a park, schoolyard or church; it is also seeking to serve your communities in other ways, such as food and clothing drives. Contact alumni@scranton.edu by January 31 to propose a service project in your region.
Save The Date For The Day Of Service, April 22
Show your community the meaning of #Royals4Others.
The University will celebrate Reunion Weekend 2023 from June 9-11. Registration for the event will open in March. For more information, visit scranton.edu/reunion or email alumni@scranton.edu.
The “Planning to Attend” list for Reunion Weekend 2023 has officially opened. Visit this link to add your name to the Planning to Attend list, and visit the Planning to Attend page to see which of your classmates is planning to attend the festivities.
Reminder: Save The Date For Reunion 2023 June 9-11
Return, reminisce and reconnect with your Royal Family.
There is still time to register for the Jesuit Center's Advent Daily Devotional emails.
Each day of the season of Advent, enjoy a few moments of reflection, learning, prayer and inspiration by registering to receive this collection of daily essays written by our Jesuits, alumni, students, faculty and staff.
The holidays can often be a busy, stressful time, and the Advent Daily Devotional emails offer a great opportunity to intentionally take a few moments each day for spiritual renewal. To register, visit this link.
Reminder: Register Today For The Advent Daily Devotional Emails
Daily emails offer inspiration throughout holiday season.
What's new with you? To submit a Class Note, visit the Class Notes Submission Page.
Patricia McCormack, M.D. ’76, Scranton, recently published her first book, “Life After Martin.” Inspired by one of the staples of flute repertoire, it chronicles an adult amateur musician’s quest to master this work. “Life After Martin” is available in paperback on Amazon and as an ebook on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple books.
William (Bill) Savage ’79, Lemoyne, has spent the fall semester teaching writing and rhetoric as an adjunct faculty member at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia and Alvernia University in Reading. Savage previously taught at Towson University, York College of Pennsylvania, and Harrisburg Area Community College. Savage has spent nearly 40 years in journalism, most recently at The Morning Call in Allentown, as well as several years at The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre and The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, among other newspapers. A member of the Dramatists Guild, Philadelphia, Savage has had some of his plays read or performed publicly in Philadelphia, London and Mount Gretna. He has also written two novels: “To the Mill and Back,” based on his teen years working in the textile industry in Scranton, and “Redemption by the Bay.”
Gary Jones G’84, South Abington Township, Eastern Division Vendor Relations manager at Hajoca Corporation, received the Fred V. Keenan Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the American Supply Association, for a long history of service and dedication to the association and the PHCP-PVF industry.
Charlie Flint '89, Smyrna, Georgia, launched Filmland Spirits, a new business, in September 2022. Filmland Spirits (www.filmlandspirits.com) is an award-winning spirits brand bringing people together through captivating stories and great-tasting spirits. Their current lineup includes two bourbons and a rye, which are available online and in fine retail shops in California and Kentucky.
Glynnis Jones '02, G '03, Lansdale, recently accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Master's Degree Level Occupational Therapy program at Moravian University in Bethlehem.
Jude Krushnowski ’10, Champaign, Illinois, was hired as director of the Foreign Language Teacher Education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Krushnowski was also elected as incoming director of Region 4 of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Ashley Hill ’17, Aurora, Colorado, is a new lead of the competency restoration program at Denver Health on their forensic psychiatric unit, working toward stabilizing and educating inmates with acute psychosis in preparation to defend themselves in court.
MARRIAGES
Patrick Eiben ’11 to Alexis Constantinopoulos ’11
Nicole Lasota ’16 to Ryan Strelec
Kat Fletcher ’20 to Charlie Nugent ’20
DEATHS
Selig S. Strassman, M.D. ’48, Bainbridge, Ohio
Robert W. Weibel, M.D. ’51, Lansdale
William G. Lowry ’54, Louisville, Kentucky
Joseph T. Valonis ’62, Annapolis, Maryland
Michael M. Echan ’64, Vestal, New York
Joseph A. Gentile ’69, Scranton
Paul M. Swift ’75, Sea Isle City, New Jersey
J. Timothy Cannon, Ph.D. ’71, Scranton
Christopher J. Hunt ’82, Howell, New Jersey
Ryan J. Martin ’01, Danielsville
Timothy R. Kapp ’06, Dunmore
FRIENDS' DEATHS
Cheryl L Augustine, sister of John Major '10.
Alumni Class Notes, December 2022
Share your story with your Royal Family.
The Jesuit Center invites you to enjoy daily inspiration and reflection this holiday season by registering for its Advent Daily Devotional emails.
Each day of the season of Advent, enjoy a few moments of reflection, learning, prayer and inspiration by registering to receive this collection of daily essays written by our Jesuits, alumni, students, faculty and staff.
The holidays can often be a busy, stressful time. The Advent Daily Devotional emails offer a great opportunity to intentionally take a few moments each day for spiritual renewal. Click here to sign up to receive the Advent Daily Devotional emails.
Sign Up to Receive Advent Daily Devotional Emails
The Jesuit Center invites you to enjoy daily inspiration and reflection this holiday season by registering for its Advent Daily Devotional emails.
The Sursum Corda Award recognizes those members of the University’s staff who have made outstanding contributions to the life and mission of the University.
The nominees for the Sursum Corda Awards should have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following ways:
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Shown exceptional dedication and/or creativity in performing his or her duties, and
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Built, contributed, or nurtured the sense of community that has always been the hallmark of our campus community, and
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Contributed in a significant way to helping members of our community “grow to become the living presence of God in the world” (Father General Nicolas, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus).
Each year, a Sursum Corda Award is presented to three, or four members, of the University community:
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A member of the Professional/Paraprofessional staff;
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A member of the Clerical/Technical staff; and
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A member of the Maintenance/University Police staff
The Staff Senate has been asked to gather nominations for the Sursum Corda Award. The Staff Recognition and Excellence Awards Committee will be accepting nominations. Co-Chairs of the Staff Recognition Excellence Committee are Bernard Krzan and Andrea Malia.
Ready to nominate a person who has made outstanding contributions to the life and mission of the University? Find the award information sheet, a list of past recipients, and the award nomination form on the Staff Senate Yammer page.
Please fill out the nomination forms as thoroughly as possible (it does not have to be 100 percent complete) and send it to staffsenaterecognition@scranton.edu by Thursday, Dec. 22.
Call For Sursum Corda Award Nominations
The Staff Recognition and Excellence Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the 2022 Sursum Corda (Lift Up Your Hearts) Awards.
The University of Scranton hosted a Fail Forward Panel discussion for students in November in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center as part of the University’s Resilient Royals initiatives. The panelists shared stories of some of their past struggles and failure, as well as how these challenges have shaped their lives.
Last year, the University’s Resilient Royals initiative earned the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ 2021 Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Academic Partnership.
Fail Forward Panel Held on Nov. 9
Students learned to “fail forward” from the real-life stories of four members of the University community.
The No. 8 University of Scranton women's basketball team (6-0) limited No. 14 Ithaca to just 32.1 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers en route to a 74-53 victory over the Bombers in a Top 15 non-conference matchup on Tuesday night, Nov. 29, at the John Long Center in Scranton.
The Lady Royals led for the final 38:56 of the game after taking a 4-2 lead just over a minute into the contest and never looked back.
Senior Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) hit a layup to give Scranton the afore-mentioned 4-2 lead and freshman Kaci Kranson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) later buried a three for an 11-5 edge with 5:36 left in the first quarter. After the Bombers battled back to cut the lead to 15-13, Scranton closed the stanza on an 11-4 run and Kranson sank a free throw in the waning seconds for a 26-17 lead. Another Kranson layup stretched the lead into double digits at 34-23 with 4:24 left in the second quarter and the Scranton native helped the Lady Royals take a 40-30 lead into the locker room.
Kranson scored 19 of her career-high 24 points in the first half.
After Ithaca scored the first five points of the third quarter to slice the lead to 40-35, Monaghan sank a jumper and hit a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions to stretch the lead back to nine at 44-35 at the 6:20 mark. Just over a minute later, senior Hannah Angelini (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) converted a three-point play that made it 47-35 and the Lady Royals held the lead in double digits at 52-41 after three. Angelini then hit a layup to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and ignite a 9-2 run as a Monaghan jumper capped things off to extend the lead to 61-43 with 6:53 to play. Graduate student Sam Rajza (Plains, Pa./Holy Redeemer) scored eight straight points for the hosts down the stretch to preserve the 74-53 win.
Kranson tallied her career-high 24 on 9-of-14 shooting and Monaghan added a season-high 20, while Rajza contributed 14 of her own behind a trio of three-pointers. Junior Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) came through with six points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight steals for the Lady Royals.
Ryan's eight steals are the most by a Scranton player since Megan Kopecki recorded eight thefts versus Merchant Marine on Jan. 29, 2010.
Lindsey Albertelli paced Ithaca with 12 points in the setback.
Scranton shot 40.3% (25-of-62) from the field, 41.2% (7-of-17) from three-point range and 17-of-23 (73.9%) from the charity stripe in the contest. The Bombers were just 18-of-56 (32.1%) from the floor and 3-of-17 (17.6%) from beyond the arc.
Head coach Ben O'Brien's team forced the 20 Ithaca turnovers, which led to 21 points.
Ithaca held a 43-37 edge in the rebounding battle and Kranson and Ryan grabbed seven rebounds apiece to lead Scranton.
The Lady Royals will host Goucher in the Landmark Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at the John Long Center with action slated to get underway at 2 p.m.
Kranson's Career Night Helps No. 8 Women's Hoops Cruise Past No. 14 Ithaca, 74-53
The No. 8 University of Scranton women's basketball team (6-0) limited No. 14 Ithaca to just 32.1 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers en route to a 74-53 victory over the Bombers in a Top 15 non-conference matchup.
On Monday, Dec. 5, The University of Scranton community is invited to experience a German Christmas Market. This German cultural event is being led by Celine Seeger, the German Fulbright Teaching Assistant, who is teaching German at the University for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The event will take place in the Kane Forum of Leahy Hall, room 235, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Various cultural activities will take place including sampling Children’s Punch and Christmas cookies, engaging in German Christmas songs, and learning a bit of history.
Everyone is encouraged to attend and experience a German Christmas market.
Experience a German Christmas Market Dec. 5
Sample Children’s Punch and Christmas cookies, engage in German Christmas songs, and learn a bit of history on Dec. 5 at a German Christmas Market event led by Celine Seeger, German Fulbright Teaching Assistant.
In collaboration with The Schemel Forum, The “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project, a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded initiative of The University of Scranton and community partner organizations, is hosting “The Journey from ‘Immigrant’ to Citizen”. The roundtable discussion with local resource speakers will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5:30 - 7 p.m. in The Kane Forum, Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Hall, The University of Scranton. This event is a part of the Scranton’s Story project’s “From ‘Immigrant’ to Citizen” theme and will feature four speakers: Jenny Gonzalez Monge, STARS Program Director, Marywood University; Stephanie Longo, author of regional Italian American history; Jack McGuigan, retired English teacher and poet; and Ushu Mukelo, Congolese Community of Scranton.
The roundtable discussion will highlight myriad ways in which people have come to be members of the Scranton community and “citizens” of the larger United States, and will include sharing from those who trace their ancestry to the European immigration of the industrial era to more recent migration from across Latin America and global refugee resettlement. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in discussion and conversations around commonalities as well as differences. Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited and registration is required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/22Roundtable
“This roundtable will be an opportunity to consider the migration journey of different Scrantonians, their families and communities – in the past and in more recent years – and discuss how immigrants and refugees may be welcomed today,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for Community Engagement and Government Affairs and project director.
To further highlight the many journeys to Scranton, project media partner WVIA has created a special website, wvia.org/extraordinaryjourney, which houses the three feature documentaries produced by WVIA, available for public access for the duration of this project. WVIA's "The Extraordinary Journey" Migration Documentary Series series includes:
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"The Extraordinary Journey," a three-episode series on the Eastern Europeans of Northeastern Pennsylvania,
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"The Irish: Two Nations - One Heart," and
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"Paesani: Italian Culture in Northeast Pennsylvania."
"The Extraordinary Journey" series celebrates and preserves Northeast Pennsylvania's European heritage through a poignant blend of first-person storytelling, never-before-seen images, and insightful humanist commentary. The film contributes to WVIA's mission to make distinguished local programming and honors the courageous character our ancestors possessed to create a finer life for us today.
Previous theme events included “All the Places We Come From: Stories, Food, & Community,” a special community story exchange with international writers panel with appetizers and sweets from Scranton's multi-ethnic restaurants hosted on Oct. 25, with130 community members joining at the Scranton Cultural Center, a story exchange facilitated with national partner Narrative 4 at Scranton High School, and a connected Hope Horn Gallery Exhibition, "Mayan Narratives: San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala. Photographs by Byron Maldonado," which will remain on display until mid-December.
Upcoming Scranton Story Winter and Spring 2023 events will focus on Black history and experience, and discuss the religious and ethnic tapestry of Scranton.
For more information and to view upcoming events and recordings of past events, please visit www.scranton.edu/scrantonstory.
Questions? Contact community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.
Follow the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project on social media at: Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter at @scrantonstory
Dec. 7 Roundtable to Highlight Migration Journeys to Scranton
Local resource speakers to share experiences and foster discussion at upcoming Scranton Story/Schemel Event.
By: Kelly Nee '23, student correspondent
Using products patented by NASA, University of Scranton students put into practice the principles they learn in Dr. Peter Andersen’s marketing and consumer behavior courses.
Dr. Andersen said more than 100 of his students have participated in NASA's Technology Transfer University (T2U) since spring 2021 when Scranton became the second school in Pennsylvania to engage in the project. Prior to that Lehigh University took part and in 2022, the University of Pennsylvania joined.
“…most universities use it for engineering students, while we are among very few business schools engaged in the program,” said Andersen, assistant professor of marketing in the department of Management and Marketing.
NASA's Technology Transfer University (T2U) encourages students to review its extensive patent portfolio and identify potential real-world applications for the technologies. Students can perform market research and gather consumer behavior data to formulate viable economic models, utilizing NASA-developed technology as the basis for a sustainable business case, according to technology.nasa.gov.
In Dr. Andersen’s spring 2021 Consumer Behavior courses, students developed business cases centered on NASA's inventions with patents that ranged from Freeze-Resistant Hydration Systems to Ammonia Recycling Techniques and Manufacturing Robots.
“Each team has the opportunity to choose the patent they are interested in ... some specialize in aviation and aerospace while others engage in power generation, robotics, electronics, healthcare, and environmental sciences," said Dr. Andersen.
That semester, one student chose to explore the potential of using NASA's Portable Wireless Signal Booster as a means for improving wireless connection to those in regions with poor connectivity. They also considered a secondary market for outdoor recreation enthusiasts who enjoy remote outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing.
In fall 2021, Andersen incorporated the NASA project into the Introduction to Marketing course.
"In Consumer Behavior courses, the group project focuses on identifying consumer segments to which entrepreneurs may target the NASA patented products. Students practice the knowledge they gained during the course to analyze the characteristics of consumer segments and the strategies that marketers can apply to run a profitable and sustainable business.
“In Introduction to Marketing courses, the group project is a semester-long effort to prepare a marketing plan for a firm that decides to produce and market one of the NASA patented products. They must follow a detailed outline with specific sections on situation analysis, resource analysis, targeting, brand positioning, and marketing mix strategies.”
Dr. Andersen, shown, said that in spring 2022, students in each class began having Zoom meetings with NASA managers before starting their project to get the information they need, and after they submit their written project to present their main findings. Currently, 20 students in his Introduction to Marketing class are grouped into seven teams that each work on a separate patent.
“The results of each group project are sent directly to NASA Technology Transfer Program managers who review them, analyze the progress and provide feedback or required changes, if needed. Students are not only graded for their team projects, but beginning in spring 2022, NASA began issuing certificates for each student who participated in the projects, making it more appealing,” said Dr. Andersen.
“This will be a great opportunity for students to build stronger resumes while joining job markets and sharing their experience with hiring managers during job interviews. NASA has also provided opportunities for virtual internships and support for patent applications to encourage students."
View a complete list of schools collaborating in NASA’s T2U program.
Dr. Andersen credited Dr. Satya P. Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., the department chair of Management and Marketing and the Dean’s Office of The Kania School of Management for their support during the project. He also expressed gratitude to Katrina Young and her NASA Technology Transfer Team at Langley Research Center in Virginia.
He’s already looking to the future:
"My goal is to engage more students and improve the quality of students’ work. ... I have already conducted some research on the aviation industry and customer satisfaction with airline services.”"After completing the first projects in two Consumer Behavior classes in spring 2021, NASA placed the name of our university among the universities that collaborate with NASA on the Technology to University project (T2U)."
Business Students Discover Real-world Uses for NASA Tech
Scranton is one of three schools in Pennsylvania to collaborate on NASA’s Technology Transfer University (T2U) project.
The University of Scranton World Languages and Cultures Department is excited to introduce the Fulbright Teaching Assistants and Visiting Instructor for the 2022-2023 academic year:
* P. Magalí Ferrer, Argentinian Fulbright Teaching Assistant (FLTA) from San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina
* Celine Victoria Seeger, German FLTA, from the northern Black Forest of Germany,
* Badoor Albuloushi, Arabic FLTA, from Kuwait,
* Audrey LeCerf, French FLTA, from the north of France near the city of Lille
* Chiang Yun, visiting instructor teaching Mandarin, from Taipei, Taiwan.
For anyone looking for advice on learning another language, these five educators offer helpful information. Learn why they chose The University of Scranton, what they enjoy most about teaching, why they believe learning a new language is important, and more.
Meet World Languages Fulbright Teaching Assistants and Visiting Instructor
A video interview introduces The University of Scranton World Languages and Cultures Department Fulbright Teaching Assistants and Visiting Instructors for the 2022-2023 academic year.
All faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to attend the release of the 2022 Living Wage Report on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Kane Forum, Leahy Hall, rm. 235, The University of Scranton. Lunch will be served. Seating is limited. Registration is required.
The event will include a presentation of the study’s findings, highlight agency leader and community input and provide a space for facilitated discussion around the challenges the study raises and potential solutions. Printed reports will be provided to participants and the digital version of the report will be posted online that day at: www.scranton.edu/livingwage.
The Living Wage Study 2022, a project of The Institute and The University of Scranton (Community Relations, CEEPS, and the Ellacuria Initiative), seeks to understand better what constitutes a living wage in Northeastern Pennsylvania using the MIT Living Wage calculator, other national and regional data, and connecting this data with input from community agencies and insights from Catholic Social Teaching.
A living wage, and the broader concept of family economic security, is defined as the wage rate at which a worker, employed on a full-time basis, can reach a standard of living that meets essential basic needs and allows the individual or family to live a modest but dignified life.
The 2022 Report outlines the living wage threshold for various family compositions in NEPA and compares it to previous data, details the increases in costs of living, explains some of the major challenges facing those who fall below the living wage threshold, and especially highlights mitigating factors – in particular, racial disparities and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related policies on economic security.
Please join us on Nov. 29 by registering here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2022Wage.
2022 Living Wage Report Discussion takes place Nov. 29
The 2022 Living Wage Report to be discussed Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m., in the Kane Forum, Leahy Hall, Rm 235, at The University of Scranton. Lunch will be served.
Research on chemometrics by MS in Chemistry graduate student, Elizabeth Cobbinah, and Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Gerard Dumancas, was published in a peer-reviewed journal. The article titled “Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Stacked Regression for the Simultaneous Determination of Fresh Cattle and Poultry Manure Chemical Properties” was published in Chemosensors. Dr. Dumancas, who leads a research group of one graduate and three undergraduate students, focuses his research on the development and application of chemometrics and spectroscopy for agricultural and biological analyses.
Chemometrics is an advanced statistics and computer application technique that is primarily used in analytical chemistry. Using chemometrics, the research group was able to simultaneously predict the concentrations of various chemical properties present in fresh cattle and poultry manure in only one minute, and without any need for complex chemical analysis.
In their latest study, the research team utilized a stacked regression ensemble approach, which collated the performance of the best-performing machine learning techniques.
The method coupled with a near infrared spectrometer, an instrument that uses a near infrared light, can be an alternative to the traditionally used partial least squares algorithm for a more accurate way of quantifying very important chemical properties in cattle and poultry manure. This method could offer an affordable, rapid, and more accurate means of quantifying chemical properties of manure samples – a very important approach for farmers in managing soil and mitigating water pollution.
Dr. Dumancas also published a research article titled “Comprehensive Examination of Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cd in Lackawanna County Waters, Northeastern Pennsylvania” in Analytica in 2022. Dr. Dumancas with his undergraduate students in Instrumental Analysis laboratory course, Jake Butka and Adam Mehall, were able to perform a preliminary quantitative determination of the concentration of various metals found in Lackawanna County water sources.
Since coming to The University of Scranton this past spring, Dr. Dumancas published a total of 15 peer-reviewed manuscripts in several peer-reviewed journals, such as Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, Analytical Letters, Trends in Genetics, Current Epidemiology Reports, Analytica, and Chemosensors. He currently holds more than $2 million in research grants.
Cobbinah-Dumancas Work Published in Peer-Reviewed Journal
Research on chemometrics by MS in Chemistry graduate student, Elizabeth Cobbinah, and Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Gerard Dumancas, was published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The PILLAR program is still accepting applications from faculty members and students for the Spring 2023 semester. Partners in learning, leadership, and reflection (PILLAR) is a pedagogical partnership program that pairs faculty and students in one-on-one relationships to create, support, and enhance inclusive learning environments that encourage and value all learners at The University of Scranton. The deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 2.
Who should apply for the PILLAR program?
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Faculty wishing to make their classrooms and teaching more inclusive who are interested in learning from the student perspective
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Students with a vested interest in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion who are interested in being paid to share their expertise and experience as a student with faculty
All participants will be provided training, resources, and a stipend to support this important work.
Reflections from past PILLAR participants
Here are a few reflections from past PILLAR participants.
“Personally, this partnership has inspired me to engage in a continuous process of self-reflection that has resulted in increasing my knowledge about DEI and improving my teaching pedagogy. In addition to improving my teaching, I am more confident in engaging in the ‘difficult’ discussions or making microaggressions visible within my academic community and in my home life.” – PILLAR faculty partner
"The PILLAR Program has created an avenue through which we can begin to re-imagine pedagogy and begin to move past what has been established as ‘traditional’ ways of teaching. By breaking down the power dynamics of the classroom and the student-teacher relationship, this program has created a space where the experiences, ideas and concerns [of students] are validated. As a student at the university, the program has given me a platform to speak on my perspective as a student and try to cultivate an academic setting that is inclusive, diverse, equitable, and comfortable (for marginalized students).” – PILLAR student partner
Want to participate? Find details here.
For more information, please read the Spring 2023 PILLAR Calendar and the PILLAR Program Guidelines for Student and Faculty Partners (the Student Partner Job Description is on page 5 of the Guidelines and the Faculty Partner Expectations can be found on page 6 of the Guidelines).
* Faculty application: PILLAR faculty partner application
* Student application: PILLAR student partner application
Questions? Contact Jenny Whittaker, PILLAR Program Coordinator, at jennifer.whittaker@scranton.edu, Amelia Randich, PILLAR Program Faculty Coordinator, at amelia.randich@scranton.edu, or Ayana McCalla, PILLAR Program Student Coordinator, at ayana.mccalla@scranton.edu.
Faculty-Student PILLAR Program Deadline Dec. 2
The PILLAR Program is still accepting applications from faculty members and students for the Spring 2023 semester.
Junior Niamh Healy (Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee) opened the scoring just under three minutes into the game and The University of Scranton women's soccer (17-2-2) never looked back en route to a 3-0 victory over the Westfield State Owls (16-4-1) in NCAA Tournament Second Round action on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 13, at Weiss Field in Scranton.
With the win, the Royals are headed back to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year and have advanced past the second round for the fourth time in program history.
Scranton will take on the winner of Misericordia/Western New England next weekend at a place and time yet to be determined.
In the third minute, senior Teresa Hegarty (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) played a ball down the wing to Healy who sent a shot over the head of Owls' goalie Lauryn Davis for her team-leading 11th goal of the season and the early 1-0 lead. Davis was forced to make a save on a shot from sophomore Emily Bannon (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) just over a minute later as the Royals continued to put the pressure on offensively. With just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, sophomore Samantha Goffice (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) slotted a shot past a diving Davis to give Scranton a 2-0 edge with her third goal of the year.
Head coach Colleen Pivirotto's team held a 10-3 shot advantage through the opening 45 minutes and took the 2-0 lead into the locker room.
Royals' sophomore goalie Nicole Olson (Stoughton, Mass./Ursuline Academy) made a save on Westfield State's Kylee Murphy in the 62nd minute to keep it a two goal game. Then, in the 66th minute, junior Mary Haggerty (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) delivered a beauty of a free kick into the box and Hegarty headed it home for the 3-0 lead.
The goal was Hegarty's fourth of the season and she also leads the team with eight assists.
Scranton managed a series of quality chances over the final 20 plus minutes and senior Evelyn Bruggeman's (Coatesville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) nearly made it 4-0 when her shot hit the post in the 78th minute. Olson added one more save in the 85th minute to preserve the shutout victory.
On the day, the Royals held a 25-8 advantage in shots led by seven from Healy.
Olson made two saves to post her 11th shutout of the season, while Davis tallied three saves in 62 plus minutes of action for the Owls.
More information on next weekend's Sweet 16 matchup will be posted at athletics.scranton.edu in the coming days.
Women's Soccer Rolls Past Westfield State in 3-0 Victory; Advances to Sweet 16 for Second Straight Year
With the win, the Royals have advanced past the second round for the fourth time in program history. Scranton will take on the winner of Misericordia/Western New England next weekend at a place and time yet to be determined.
The No. 10 University of Scranton women's basketball team (3-0) used a big third quarter to break the game open en route to a 67-51 victory over the Marywood Pacers (1-1) in the Lady Royals' home opener on Tuesday night, Nov. 15, at the John Long Center in Scranton.
With the victory, Scranton remains unbeaten in 40 all-time meetings against the Pacers.
The game also marked the first home win for head coach Ben O'Brien.
Things were even at 10 apiece with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter when senior Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) buried a three and junior Allie Lynch (Villanova, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame de Namur) sank a jumper of her own for five straight points as the Lady Royals took a 15-12 lead. After Marywood's Kate Baylor hit a jumper to bring Marywood within four at 24-20 with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter, junior Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) responded with a basket of her own that ignited a 7-0 run for a 31-20 Scranton lead. A layup from Ryan in the final minute of the quarter gave the hosts a 38-28 advantage at the half.
The lead remained at 10 through the first few minutes of the third quarter before three straight three-pointers from the Lady Royals with two by graduate student Sam Rajza (Plains, Pa./Holy Redeemer) and one by senior Hannah Angelini (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) extended the lead to 51-32 at the 4:37 mark. Angelini later connected on a jumper in the waning seconds for a 55-35 lead after three. Marywood was unable to get any closer than 16 in the fourth quarter and Scranton cruised to a third straight victory on the young season.
Four players reached double figures for the Lady Royals with 20 from Rajza on 8-of-14 shooting (4-of-7 3PT), Ryan with 16, Monaghan with 11 and Angelini with 10.
Angelini added a career-high 10 rebounds, surpassing her previous career-best of nine that was set against Catholic on Feb. 21, 2021.
Monaghan also contributed six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Savannah Purdy paced Marywood with 14 points on the evening.
O'Brien's team shot 39.4% (28-of-71) from the field and 40.9% (9-of-22) from three-point range, while the Pacers were 20-of-51 (39.2%) from the floor and just 2-of-13 (15.4%) from deep.
Scranton held a 43-33 edge on the glass led by Angelini's 10 boards, eight from Ryan and seven from Rajza.
The Lady Royals are back in action on Saturday against King's College, as part of the annual Cross-County Challenge that will be hosted by Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Opening tip is slated for 1 p.m.
No. 10 Women's Basketball Topples Marywood in Home Opener, 67-51
With the victory, Scranton remains unbeaten in 40 all-time meetings against the Pacers. The game also marked the first home win for head coach Ben O'Brien. On Saturday, the Lady Royals will play King's College, as part of the annual Cross-County Challenge hosted by Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Opening tip is slated for 1 p.m.
The Alpha Mu Gamma Language Honors Society is currently accepting applications until Feb. 1. To apply, students must have received two consecutive grades of A or A- in language courses at the 200 level or higher and have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Once accepted, students will receive a pin at the induction ceremony in the spring and a gold cord upon graduation. Being a member of Alpha Mu Gamma is a lifetime membership. The link to the application is below, and has a $70 fee that must be paid to the World Languages Department by the deadline.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to Dr. Marzia Caporale at marzia.caporale@scranton.edu.
Click to view the application here.
Alpha Mu Gamma Language Honors Society is currently accepting applications
The Alpha Mu Gamma Language Honors Society is currently accepting applications until Feb. 1. To apply, students must have received two consecutive grades of A or A- in language courses at the 200 level or higher and have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring The University of Scranton String Orchestra on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.
The concert begins 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.
(As of this writing masks are optional, but please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season.)
At the concert, the String Orchestra will perform arrangements of music by Bruckner, Handel, and Shostakovich, as well as works by contemporary composers Yukiko Nishimura, Soon Hee Newbold, Brian Balmages and William Hofeldt, according to Performance Music Conductor and Co-Director Philip Kuehn.
“The String Orchestra’s repertoire for this concert spans a few centuries and styles, and is sure to include something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you like the classics or the contemporary, you’ll hear it on Nov. 18th,” stated Kuehn.
The University of Scranton String Orchestra is a 30-member string ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the curriculum. 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. Neither an audition nor enrollment fee is required for membership.
Other programs within the department, including small ensemble and chamber ensemble music-making opportunities, guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, the Nelhybel Collection, and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact, and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers. A number of members of the faculty and staff, as well as 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 scranton.edu/music.
Want to go?
What: In Concert: The University of Scranton String Orchestra, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton
When: Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
Admission: Free
University String Orchestra performs Nov. 18
At the free concert on Friday at 7:30 p.m., the String Orchestra will perform arrangements of music by Bruckner, Handel, and Shostakovich, as well as works by contemporary composers Yukiko Nishimura, Soon Hee Newbold, Brian Balmages and William Hofeldt.
Team and club members, classmates and co-workers, family and friends: Gather Sunday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. in the Byron Center for The University of Scranton Advent Mass.
After mass, stroll down the commons with your candles lit and get ready for the Tree Lighting on the Dionne Green, followed by Christmas on the Commons. Be the light that reignites an over-40 year tradition!!
Reignite a Royal Advent Tradition
Gather Sunday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. in the Byron Center for The University of Scranton Advent Mass, followed by Tree Lighting on the Dionne Green, then Christmas on the Commons.
The University of Scranton will host a State of Scranton presentation of the 2022 update of the Living Wage Report and a discussion on what it costs to live a modest but dignified life in Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2022. Members of The University of Scranton and greater Scranton area communities are invited to join for this event on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Kane Forum, Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Hall, at The University of Scranton. Lunch will be provided. Registration at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2022Wage
Beginning in 2016, The University of Scranton and The Institute set out to understand better what constitutes a living wage in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) and to produce a report that went beyond the poverty rate to analyze what is required for economic security in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The initial 2016 Living Wage report found that the federal minimum wage of $7.25 proved inadequate to enable families in the region to reach a living wage threshold where they can meet their “essential basic needs and live a modest but dignified life.”
This initial report was updated three years later in 2019 and now again in 2022. In addition to up-to-date data, the updated reports also identify key changes in the costs associated with meeting basic needs. Each iteration of the report also includes perspectives from community leaders and new policy recommendations rooted in Catholic Social Teaching on economic justice. The previous report can be found online at: scranton.edu/livingwage.
Presenters at the upcoming State of Scranton will include Andrew Chew, director of research, The Institute; Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of Community Engagement & Government Affairs, The University of Scranton; and JoyAnna Hopper, Ph.D., director, Center for Ethics & Excellence in Public Service, The University of Scranton.
"The Living Wage Report has become a socioeconomic gauge for our city and our region. It not only highlights challenges facing our community members in relation to jobs, housing, and food insecurity but also offers potential solutions and action steps for policy makers, community organizations, and all of us as neighbors in Northeastern Pennsylvania," said Schumacher Cohen.
The 2022 Living Wage Report is a collaboration of The Institute and The University of Scranton Office of Community & Government Relations, the Ellacuría Initiative, the Center for Ethics & Excellence in Public Service, and the Department of Political Science.
Upcoming State of Scranton to Share Living Wage Report 2022 Update
State of Scranton seminar to share Living Wage Report 2022 Update findings and facilitate community discussion around wages, quality of life, and report recommendations
Each year, The University of Scranton supports the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties as they sponsor critical programs to improve the lives of all people in our communities through education, economic mobility and health programs.This year is no exception, and therefore, we are pleased to announce The University of Scranton’s annual United Way fundraising campaign, which will be held through Dec. 9, 2022.
Please join us as we support the United Way as they advocate to meet the needs within our communities:
Helping families and individuals achieve greater self-sufficiency by empowering them with skills and knowledge, providing children and teens with opportunities for quality learning and skill development, and providing all residents the opportunity to achieve optimal physical and mental health while promoting healthy lifestyles and communities.
This year, we again ask you to join us in making the decision to donate to the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties. Donation information, including convenient payroll deduction will be available on the “my.scranton" portal “Employee Tab” under “University Giving,” or by contacting the Office of Human Resources at (570) 941-7767. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 9.
Together, we can support United Way as they fund 42 programs at 21 local non-profit organizations who take the lead in meeting evolving community needs. We appreciate whatever you can do to help!
To learn more about the programs that the University of Scranton and the United Way have worked to mobilize together, please follow the links below:
United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties VITA Program: click here.
United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties TIPS Program: click here.
University announces annual United Way Campaign
The University of Scranton’s annual United Way fundraising campaign will be held through Dec. 9, 2022. The campaign supports the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties as they sponsor critical programs to improve the lives of all people in our communities through education, economic mobility and health programs.
Liva Arts Company is excited to share "Rent" with audiences on Nov. 17 and 18 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 19 at 2 and 8 p.m. The University of Scranton’s student-run musical theatre group, the Liva Arts Company, will present Jonathan Larson’s musical “Rent” at The Royal Theater, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts.
“Rent” is a Tony Award-winning rock opera based on Larson’s own life and tells the story of young artists and musicians living in New York’s Lower East Side during the 1980s.
Tickets are free for all Scranton undergraduate students (with Royal ID to be presented at the door) and $5 for all others. Tickets can be reserved for will-call at this link: https://livaartscompany.ludus.com. Tickets are only available for reservation at this link, not for immediate purchase. Liva strongly recommends reserving in advance. Please choose "Will Call" at checkout.
Please bring payment (cash or check) to the show date 20 minutes before show time. Tickets that are not claimed 20 minutes before showtime will be sold to the public.
Students and faculty can also pick up and reserve tickets at Liva table-sits on second floor of the DeNaples Center Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 12 to 6 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 18 from 12 to 4 p.m.
Tickets will also be sold at the door.
The Liva Arts Company has been providing musical theatre to the Scranton community since 1990. Questions can be directed to livaartscompany@gmail.com.
Liva Arts Company Presents 'Rent' Nov. 17-19
The University of Scranton’s student-run musical theatre group will present Jonathan Larson’s musical “Rent” Nov. 17-19 at The Royal Theater, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts.
* Register today: https://forms.office.com/r/0CKKn0t0Xz
* View the Microsoft sessions and resources: https://scranton.edu/microsoft
* Preview Yammer: https://yammer.scranton.edu/
Microsoft Solutions Day for faculty, staff is Nov. 16
Microsoft Solutions Day for The University of Scranton faculty and staff is Nov. 16.
Junior Emily Tantala (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) scored the game-winner with just 0:13 left in regulation and The top seeded University of Scranton women's soccer team (16-2-1) captured a third straight Landmark Conference title with a 1-0 victory over the No. 3 seed Drew Rangers (11-6-2) in the conference championship match on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 5, at Weiss Field in Scranton.
This marks the Royals' third straight title, fifth in sixth seasons and the program's ninth Landmark championship overall.
Head coach Colleen Pivirotto's team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for a sixth straight year and has won a first round game in each of the last four seasons.
In the waning seconds of regulation, senior Teresa Hegarty (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) fought hard to keep the play alive around a trio of Drew defenders and fed an open Tantala who sent a shot into the upper left corner of the net to seal the victory.
The goal was Tantala's second of the year with both having been game-winners.
Drew nearly took an early lead in the seventh minute, but Royals' sophomore goalie Nicole Olson (Stoughton, Mass./Ursuline Academy) denied Alexa Krause to keep the game scoreless. Just a few minutes later, junior Mary Haggerty (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) saw her shot saved and the two teams continued to battle through a scoreless first half. Olson once again turned away Krause's attempt from point blank range with a save in the 26th minute and things remained scoreless headed into halftime.
Scranton held a 5-3 shot advantage through the opening 45 minutes.
As the second half began, the Royals mounted the pressure offensively and nearly took the lead in the 63rd minute, but Rangers' goalie Amina Cirkiel recorded consecutive saves on Tantala and fellow junior Niamh Healy (Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee). Cirkiel later added three more saves in a five minute plus span and the game was still deadlocked at zero as the clock ticked under 15 minutes to play. Scranton continued to threaten and Healy's shot with 1:13 left was denied by Cirkiel. Things looked to be headed to overtime before Tantala struck for the game-winner in the final seconds.
The Royals had a 17-3 shot advantage for the game as the defense remained strong en route to a 14th shutout. The hosts also had 10 corner kicks in the second half and 12 for the game.
Olson tallied two saves in the victory, while Cirkiel recorded six saves for the Rangers in 45 minutes of action.
The 2022 NCAA Division III Field of 64 will be announced in a live selection show on Monday afternoon on NCAA.com with air time slated for 2 p.m.
THREE PEAT! Tantala's Heroics Lead Women's Soccer to Third Straight Landmark Title
This marks the Royals' third straight title, fifth in sixth seasons and the program's ninth Landmark championship overall.
The No. 4 seed University of Scranton men's soccer team limited No. 2 seed Elizabethtown to just three shots and used a first half goal from freshman Gavin Scavino (Succasunna, N.J./Gill St. Bernard's) to notch a 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays in Saturday's Landmark Conference title game at Ira R. Herr Field.
This marks the Royals' third Landmark title and the first since 2016. In fact, each of Scranton's previous two titles have also won been at ETown.
Head coach Matt Pivirotto's program is also the second No. 4 seed to win the conference championship and the first since Catholic did so in 2010.
Scranton is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the 17th time in program history.
Senior center back Brendan King (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) helped lead the Royals to a pair of 1-0 shutout victories in the Landmark Tournament and earned MVP honors.
The two teams battled to a defensive stalemate in the early stages of the first half as neither side was able to register a shot until junior Anthony Rizzi (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) sent one just wide for the Royals in the 10th minute. Rizzi's shot in the 18thminute was turned away by Blue Jays' goalie Kelvin Del Cid and Royals' senior keeper Aidan Hartey (Elkins Park, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) made a save of his own in the 30thminute when he denied Pedro Guizardi. Following another save by Del Cid in the 35thminute, the Royals struck just over a minute later for a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Seamus O'Keefe (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) gained possession of the ball near midfield, sent a pass to freshman Justin Curran (Media, Pa./The Shipley School) who gave it right back to O'Keefe and the latter found Scavino who slotted it home past a charging Del Cid with a tick over 10 minutes to play in the first half. The goal was Scavino's third of the season with two having come in his last four games.
Holding on to a 1-0 advantage, the Royals were able to limit the Blue Jays to just one shot over the final 45 minutes which came on an attempt from Ryan Hepler that was wide of the target in the 53rd minute.
The game was a physical affair throughout as there were a combined four yellow cards and 38 fouls.
Scranton held an 8-3 shot advantage and Hartey made one save to notch his seventh shutout of the season, which is tops in the Landmark Conference.
Rizzi paced the Royals with three shots on the day.
The 2022 NCAA Division III Field of 64 will be announced in a live selection show on Monday afternoon on NCAA.com with air time slated for 1:30 p.m.
CHAMPS! Strong Defensive Effort Carries Men's Soccer Past ETown in Landmark Title Game, 1-0
This marks the Royals' third Landmark title and the first since 2016.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s Symphonic Band. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton.
The concert begins 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. (As of this writing masks are optional, but please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season.)
The program will include works by Randol Alan Bass, Samuel Hazo, Arturo Marquez, J. Rex Mitchell, Vaclav Nelhybel, Richard Saucedo, Joseph Turrin, and Jack Wilds.
The University of Scranton Symphonic Band is a 70+ member ensemble comprised of members of the university community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum – the vast majority of them undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students and members of the faculty, staff, and alumni/SBO – none of whom are music majors, who are all brought together by their mutual love of music-making.
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 & Ensembles, and Steel Drum Ensemble. 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 scranton.edu/music.
Want to attend?
What: In Concert: The University of Scranton Symphonic Band, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton
When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
Admission: Free
Performance Music Presents University’s Symphonic Band Nov. 12
The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton.
On Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The University of Scranton's Commuter Student Association (CSA) in partnership with the Office of Community and Government Relations will host the 2nd annual Java Journey event. This year’s event will expand to offer 70 University students the opportunity to explore seven of the many cafes in Scranton. Each participating student will be assigned to one of the participating Scranton cafes and receive a voucher worth up to $8. This event is open to all University of Scranton students, and registration can be found in Royal Sync or at https://tinyurl.com/27rd7k4n
CSA’s Java Journey is a part of the club’s larger efforts to engage Scranton students with the greater Scranton community and to support local businesses.
“Java Journey is a fun way to get the Scranton community together and support local coffee shops,” said Makenzie Bell ‘23, biology major and CSA president. Other CSA programming events include an annual Restaurant Fest that takes place each spring and will celebrate its third offering this year.
At the core of the CSA mission: Promoting the many businesses in and around the city of Scranton to residents and commuters students at the University. CSA members created this event in the knowledge that local cafes present ideal spots for college students with offerings of free Wi-Fi, specialty coffee and tea drinks, snacks, and in some cases, free parking.
“Java Journey is a way to explore downtown cafes and support small businesses within our community,” said Disha Patel ’24, biology major and CSA community outreach co-chair.
She noted that members love the city and hope to share this concept with students new to Scranton who call the city home during their time at the University. The participating cafes are equally excited to welcome Scranton students. During last year’s inaugural event, they greeted students with balloons, University of Scranton-themed cookies, signs, and more to inspire the students to visit again.
"CSA loves being able to support the local downtown businesses and create a fun way to interact with friends,” said Himani Patel ’24, biology major and CSA community outreach co-chair.
Participating cafes this year will include: Adezzo, the Blackwatch Café, Commonwealth Coffeehouse, Downtown Deli Café, Heaven and Earth Gift Shop and Café, Northern Light Espresso Bar and Café, and Zummo's Café.
Many cafes offer college student discounts. For a listing of Royal ID discounts, The University of Scranton students can visit the Office of Community and Government Relations Royal Card Downtown website at https://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/downtown-engagement/downtown-info-discounts.shtml
2nd Annual CSA Java Journey Event Invites Students to Explore Local Cafes
Seven Scranton cafes to host University students during the Commuter Student Association’s upcoming Java Journey event.
In an occasional series, Royal News spotlights clubs from the university’s 80+ student organizations on campus, speaks to members, and offers information on how to connect with the clubs.
To suggest suggest a club for a future Royal News article, share ideas, or to inform us of any upcoming club events, please email RoyalNews@scranton.edu or Gabriella.petti@scranton.edu
GET INVOLVED
Club: Counseling and Human Services Association
Meet: Anne Murphy ‘23, shown, a senior counseling and human services major from Flemington, New Jersey, and president of the Counseling and Human Services Association.
Connect: @chsa_uofs on Instagram
By: Gabriella Petti ’24, student correspondent
Q: What is the Counseling and Human Services Association mission?
"The Counseling and Human Services Association (CHSA) is a student-run organization associated with the Counseling and Human Services undergraduate program. It aims to further the mission of the university as well as human service professions in general. In the spirit of being "men and women for others," this club is committed to counseling, human service, social justice, and related educational and service initiatives across campus and within the local Scranton community."
Q: Please explain more about counseling and human services.
"Counseling is a profession that involves building good rapport and forming a therapeutic relationship between a counselor and client(s). This profession provides individuals with mental health services, which involves guiding clients through personal and social issues that they are experiencing, or have experienced, by providing them with coping skills and psychoeducation.
The human services field involves providing services, such as food, shelter, mental health, healthcare, and more, to local individuals, families, and communities through government and nonprofit agencies.
Counseling and human services professionals strive to provide services to individuals, families, and groups who are in need of assistance. Their goal is to improve the quality of life and maximize the potential of their clients. The roles of these professionals involve supporting individuals, providing mental health services to clients, advocating for those who are unable to do so for themselves, connecting individuals with local community resources. Individuals within this field have the ability to become licensed professional counselors (LPC), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), case workers, crisis workers, child abuse workers, community action workers, and more."
Q: What topics do you discuss within the association?
"Some of the topics we discuss in CHSA include mental health, counseling, human services, social justice, self-care, local internship and volunteer opportunities, potential career paths, relevant problems and initiatives within the CHS field and current events."
Q: What does a typical meeting involve?
"Our meetings typically run 30 to 45 minutes. Our members express any questions, concerns, or recommendations that they may have, which usually foster brainstorming and meaningful conversation. Club members then participate in activities such as making cards for Veterans, painting canvas bags for the Catherine McAuley Center’s Period Project initiative, playing a Kahoot about mental health facts, or self-care activities. ... Our members love to participate in the activities and utilize the time to chat with one another and to have fun!"
Q: What, in your opinion, is the club's most exciting event or activity?
"CHSA hosts several significant events and activities, so it is difficult for me to choose a favorite!
CHSA’s most significant event is our annual internship fair. The CHSA Internship Fair allows our club members and other Counseling and Human Services students at The U to connect with human service agencies from the NEPA area and inquire about possible internship and/or volunteer experiences. Each year, this event affords countless students the opportunity to secure internship positions and some students even get offers on the spot.
I think that CHSA self-care night offers a great way for overwhelmed college students, such as myself, to carve time out of their busy schedules to be kind to their minds. This activity involves eating lots of pizza, coloring, drawing, making friendship bracelets, participating in a guided meditation, listening to music, doing face masks, and connecting with other members."
Q: Why would you encourage someone to join?
"It is a great way for those who are interested in counseling and human services issues and initiatives to fuel their passion and help make a positive difference in the lives of others and the local community. Also, CHSA welcomes all students, regardless of their major(s) or minor(s), so it is a great way to connect."
Q: Why did you join?
"I was originally drawn to the club based on the diverse volunteer opportunities and fun events that it organizes, because being involved on campus is very important to me. It has been a great way for me to meet new people, make great friends, and to form meaningful connections with the Counseling and Human Services faculty, especially our club advisor, Dr. [Paul A.] Datti."
Q: When and where does the Association meet?
"CHSA meets once or twice each month on Mondays at 8 p.m. in St. Thomas Hall, Room 312. We also host several events and activities that take place throughout each month for our members to attend."
Shown, association member Fiori Tannenbaum '23, makes a special delivery to Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center residents. Thank you notes for Veterans were created by the University's Counseling & Human Services Association volunteers.
Club Spotlight: Counseling and Human Services Association assists in the community
CHSA President Anne Murphy '23 discusses club initiatives across campus and within the local Scranton community, including a recent Veterans Day delivery to Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center residents.
Students attending the cultural event “Celebrate Argentina” experienced traditional food and beverages, games, art and trivia. The cultural event on October 26 was led by Fulbright Teaching Assistant, Magalí Ferrer.
Various stations were set up with the goal of informing students about Argentina through an engaging process.
At the first station students could prepare a traditional Argentinian beverage known as mate. A hot drink, like tea, mate is sipped through a shared metal straw from a specific type of cup filled with yerba. Posters placed around the station explained how to prepare the drink, and a memory game involved vocabulary about mate.
The second station involved the preparation of a symbol recognized throughout the country: a gaucho, an Argentinian cowboy hat.
“Making the hats was everyone's favorite,” Carmen Acosta, a Spanish tutor, said.
The third station focused on making rosettes, a national symbol usually worn by all Argentinians on important dates like Independence Day. Students were able to create them with paper.
At the fourth station, students played traditional Argentinian card games “Chancho Va” or “La Casita Robada” and recited challenging tongue twisters.
The last station included games such as popping balloons in pairs, searching for candy in plates full of flour, and tug of war.
To end the night, a trivia game tested participants on their knowledge about Argentina.
"It was so much fun! The activities Magali chose for the event really kept everyone engaged," said Claudia Campo Mirabent, a Spanish and French tutor at the Language Learning Center.
“I believe these events are important for the whole university community since they can experience other cultures from a native's perspective and interact with them," Ferrer said. "Not only are these events culturally rich, but they promote the attendees' empathy and understanding toward other nations and cultures.”
Students attend event that celebrates Argentinian culture
Students created gaucho hats and rosettes, played Argentinian card games and sampled traditional beverages.
Author, educator and Association of Marquette University Women (AMUW) Chair of Humanistic Studies Mariana Ortega will present a guest lecture on Thursday, Dec. 1 at The University of Scranton. Her topic, "Listening to Sorrow in Border Cantos," engages the exhibit "Border Cantos" by Richard Misrach and Guillermo Galindo, which illustrates the process of honoring and mourning those who perish crossing the Mexico-U.S. border in search for better lives.
On Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall 228, Ortega will discuss the importance of both visuality and sound in the mourning process. All are welcome to attend, and light refreshments will be available.
The Latin American and Latinx Studies Program and the Department of English and Theatre at the University have made this event possible, with support from the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office and a Diversity Initiatives Grant from the Office of Equity and Diversity and The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities.
What can attendees expect to learn?
"Listening to Sorrow in Border Cantos" explores how the aesthetic may serve as a response to abjection, violence and marginalization, and how photographic practices open the possibility for re-orienting our cognitive, sensory, and affective ways of being in the world.
In addition to her role at Marquette University, Ortega has authored "In-Between: Latina Feminist Phenomenology, Multiplicity, and the Self" (SUNY, 2016), and serves as Associate Professor of Philosophy; Women’s Gender, and Sexualities Studies; and Latino/a Studies at Penn State University. She works on Latina/x Feminisms, Phenomenology, Critical Philosophy of Race, and Aesthetics.
Ortega serves as co-editor with Andrea Pitts and José Medina of "Theories of the Flesh: Latinx and Latin American Feminisms, Transformation and Resistance" (Oxford University Press, 2020); and co-editor with Linda Martín-Alcoff of "Constructing the Nation: A Race and Nationalism Reader" (SUNY, 2009). She is the founder and director of the Latina/x Feminisms Roundtable.
For additional detail, visit: "Listening to Sorrow in Border Cantos".
Guest Lecturer Mariana Ortega Presents 'Listening to Sorrow in Border Cantos'
The exhibit 'Border Cantos' by Richard Misrach and Guillermo Galindo illustrates the importance of both visuality and sound in the process of honoring and mourning those who perish crossing the Mexico-U.S. border.
By: Kelly Nee '23, student correspondent
Professor John Wiercinski, MHA, FACHE, is a full-time Faculty Specialist in the graduate and undergraduate programs for Health Administration and Human Resources in the J. A. Panuska College of Professional Studies. Wiercinski '83 earned a Master of Hospital and Health Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Bachelor of Science at The University of Scranton. Prior to joining the University full time in 2016, Wiercinski worked as a healthcare administrator for more than 30 years.
Here, he discusses the importance of a degree in healthcare administration, what it means to receive a Jesuit education, and the benefits of the accredited healthcare administration program here at the university.
How do you think the university's Jesuit mission has impacted your time as a professor?
"I am a product of a Jesuit high school and Jesuit universities for both for my undergrad and graduate degrees, so I clearly believe in the Jesuit focus on education and making a difference in the lives of others. I believe that a Jesuit education comes with a unique identity in focusing on a transformative educational experience. The focus of the Ignatian tradition is essential to developing individuals who are committed to the betterment of humanity.
In our pursuit of educational excellence, we hope to reinforce the characteristics of truth, ethics, and that decency toward others is not mutually exclusive of our selected professional work. A Jesuit education brings with it a responsibility of helping students connect with a commitment to a higher power through being servant leaders and having a positive impact on the world in which we live."
What is your favorite comment ever received on a course evaluation?
"I appreciate all the comments but one that stuck with me was: "Your course was life changing, not only for what I learned, but also for how I should embrace life."
Why should students consider a major in HEalthcare administration?
"Healthcare affects everyone, and it should be viewed as a basic right for everyone. I feel that our program teaches the importance of providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare through managing the delivery of the continuum of services that we call the healthcare system. Throughout society, healthcare is at the core of a healthy, productive, and progressive population.
The program at The University of Scranton is one of the most recognized in the country, CAHME accredited, and staffed by a group of professors and adjuncts who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in the delivery of these services. A degree in healthcare administration exposes students to managerial principles, varied delivery platforms, medical ethics, financial analysis, human resources, strategic planning, healthcare law, marketing, and most importantly, being involved in a career that positively affects the lives of others."
What do you specifically bring to your department?
"Probably a question better answered by my students and colleagues. Having a fair amount of experience over a 30-plus year career as a healthcare administrator, I feel that I bring a level of expertise and understanding to the classroom through my teaching style."
How would you describe your personal teaching philosophy?
"My teaching philosophy involves so much more than the course content and what students find in their assigned textbooks. I also believe in teaching life lessons. I like to let students know (through my personal experience) that at times the world will not be perfect, and that one bad experience or chapter in their life does not necessarily represent the rest of the book.
I like to teach students that we can't control everything, but we can control how we respond to those situations. It's more important how we mend ourselves during those times of brokenness that matter. I am blessed to be able to pass on my healthcare expertise as well as the trial, tribulations, and survival of the human spirit. In essence, the Japanese definition of Kintsugi: That we can be more beautiful for having been broken."
What has been the biggest accomplishment of your career?
"I never accept sole credit for any accomplishments I achieved as a hospital administrator. Employees never worked for me, they worked with me. It was that collective approach in providing healthcare services to communities, improving the viability of financially-stressed healthcare facilities, and providing much needed healthcare services to underserved communities that were accomplishments. With that said, I think my biggest accomplishment is now, through the ability to connect with my students. As an instructor, I believe that my responsibility does not end in the classroom. Being present for others is an accomplishment."
Meet Professor John Wiercinski
A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, John Wiercinski also was past Regional Pennsylvania Delegate to the American Hospital Association. Currently he serves on the boards of the St. Joseph Center Foundation, Lackawanna/Susquehanna Behavioral Health Intellectual Disabilities Early Intervention Program, and The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. He was past board chairperson for both The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Lackawanna College.
Prior to joining the University full time in 2016, Wiercinski worked as a healthcare administrator for more than 30 years, most recently as Regional Vice President for Geisinger Northeast. Previously, he was President/CEO for Shamokin Area Community Hospital, and COO for Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Wiercinski also served as Director of the Bureau of Health Planning for Governor Robert Casey, and as an Assistant Administrator/Captain at U.S. Air Force Hospital, Dover, Delaware.
On the Lighter Side
Wiercinski was recently asked to be the Faculty Mentor to the University's women's volleyball team. He described this role as "an incredibly rewarding experience."
Who is your favorite musician?
"Bob Dylan. An individual whose lyrics and writings influenced so many in this world, that he was awarded the Noble Prize in literature. His contribution to music, moral issues, and conscience is unparalleled in history. The poet of a generation."
FACULTY PROFILE: A Conversation with Professor John Wiercinski
Professor John Wiercinski, a Faculty Specialist in Health Administration and Human Resources, talks about how the University's Jesuit mission has affected his time here, his personal teaching philosophy and the greatest points of his career.
Sophomore Emily Bannon (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) scored the eventual game-winner in the 95th minute in the first overtime period and The University of Scranton top-seeded women's soccer team (15-2-1) held on for a 1-0 victory over the No. 4 seed Catholic University Cardinals (3-10-5) in the Landmark Conference semifinals on Tuesday night, Nov. 1, at Weiss Field in Scranton.
The Royals advance to Saturday's Landmark title game versus No. 3 Drew at Weiss Field with start time yet to be determined. The Rangers advanced with a 1-0 overtime victory as Alexa Krause scored the game winner in the 105th minute.
Bannon was able to tap one home in front of goal after an impressive pass from the corner by senior Teresa Hegarty (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) found its way to the sophomore and Catholic goalie Ava Rieger was caught out of position. Prior to the pass, Hegarty did well to beat a pair of Cardinal defenders with some nifty footwork.
The goal was Bannon's fifth of the season, while Hegarty registered her team-leading sixth assist.
New overtime rules were implemented in NCAA soccer this year as teams must now play through both 10 minute overtime periods as opposed to the previous golden goal format.
The Royals threatened from the get-go in this one as Rieger made a pair of saves in the fourth minute on juniors Mary Haggerty (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) and Claire Mulholland (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee). On the other side, Scranton's sophomore goalie Nicole Olson (Stoughton, Mass./Ursuline Academy) made a pair of saves in the 22nd and 26th minutes to keep the game scoreless for the time being. In the 31st minute, Scranton nearly took the lead in a sequence where Rieger turned away an initial shot by junior Niamh Healy (Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee), Haggerty saw a shot cleared off the goal line by a Cardinals defender and the goalie added a second save on Healy.
Scranton held a 13-4 shot advantage, but things remained scoreless through the opening 45 minutes.
In the first 15 plus minutes of the second half, Rieger tallied three more saves and Olson added a save of her own on Catholic's Jordan Siok in the 58th minute. Head coach Colleen Pivirotto's team continued to mount the pressure offensively, but it was the Cardinals that nearly took the lead in the 81st minute as Sara Placide's header trickled just wide of the target. From there, Hegarty saw her shot ring off the crossbar in the 86th minute and the two teams headed for overtime.
In the first overtime period, Bannon provided the afore-mentioned heroics in the 95th minute and the Royals' defense put forth a strong effort to hold Catholic without a shot over the final 20 minutes of the match to seal a berth in Saturday's title game.
The Royals held a 29-6 shot advantage in the contest led by nine from Healy and four from Hegarty.
Olson recorded three saves to notch her eighth shutout of the season, while Rieger made 15 saves in the setback for Catholic.
A full preview of this weekend's Landmark Championship game will be posted on Friday at athletics.scranton.edu.
Bannon's Overtime Heroics Send Women's Soccer Past Catholic in Landmark Semis, 1-0
Sophomore Emily Bannon scored the eventual game-winner in the first overtime period and The University of Scranton top-seeded women's soccer team held on for a 1-0 victory.
