Community News

The University of Scranton on Wednesday dedicated and blessed Robert S. ’68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall at a ceremony inside the grand lobby at the University’s newest building.

“Two years ago, this magnificent space was just an idea,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president. “And now, that idea has come to fulfillment: four stories, 90,000 square-feet of Jesuit education at its finest.

“I am filled with gratitude as the dedication of this building represents a new chapter in both the history — and more importantly, the future — of our beloved University.”

The stunning building has large, glass walls and was constructed with steel, stone and natural wood, adding a sense of craftsmanship and timeless quality to a campus whose roots and some buildings date back to the 19th century.

Other buildings, Bob Weiss noted, have just cropped up in recent years and follow a theme.

“When I walk the campus and look at all the great buildings we have here, I see Brennan Hall — Jack Brennan, Class of 1968. When I look a little around the corner, I see Leahy Hall — Ed Leahy, Class of 1968,” Bob Weiss said. “And now, when I look here, I see Weiss Hall — Bob Weiss, Class of 1968.

“So, no pressure on future classes, but we are a class that came back and remembered our roots and gave back what we took away so many years ago.”

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Weiss Hall has more than 30 offices/research spaces, as well as 12 study rooms, 11 classrooms, six exam rooms, two large seminar rooms and two rooftop terraces. The building also includes a 10,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art IDEA Center — equipped with wood making, 3D printing, laser-cutting, sewing and audio recording capabilities — and other specialized areas.

Honoring its mission as a Jesuit institution of higher learning, the University will use Weiss Hall to not only serve the campus, but the city and surrounding community, as well.

Among the programs that have moved to Weiss Hall are the University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which since 1980 has provided resources, support and funding to countless local startups and small businesses; and the University of Success, which since 1996 has helped hundreds of local high school students gain entry to colleges and universities.

Paige Cognetti, Scranton mayor, was among the local and University officials who spoke at Wednesday’s event. She referenced the Weisses’ roots, saying “all roads lead back to Scranton.”

“We’re so glad that you met at that dance — a Lake Ariel boy, a South Scranton girl. What a gift that you guys found each other,” Cognetti said. “And you have given this gift — and so many others — to ‘The U’ and to the city.

“Without The University of Scranton, the city could not be what it is today and throughout generations. It is an anchor for our economy. It’s an anchor for our culture. It’s an anchor for what people aspire to be and how they get educated and go out into the world and bring those gifts back here. Thank you so much on behalf of the city.”

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Fostering community outreach is one of Weiss Hall’s three main functions, along with supporting workforce development and applied research.

The Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology and the Department of Psychology are the two academic departments headquartered at Weiss Hall.

Additionally, the University’s Student Health Services and the Center for Health, Education and Wellness (CHEW) have moved to Weiss Hall.

Buse Onat ’26, a triple major in cybercrime and homeland security, philosophy and criminal justice from South Abington Township, spoke Wednesday about the buzz Weiss Hall has created among the student body and how the added resources will benefit them.

“This experience gave me a new appreciation for how much work really goes into making this campus better for all of us,” Onat said. “When I moved back to campus a couple weeks ago for R.A. training, there was this one question that I kept hearing from everyone: ‘Have you seen Weiss Hall yet?’ Honestly, the excitement among students is contagious. The professors are talking about it, the students are talking about it and even students in my classes that aren’t in my major are talking about it.”

Bob Weiss, whose career included serving as president and CEO of The Cooper Companies, Inc., the global leader in contact lenses, and Marilyn Weiss, a longtime nurse, have resided for the past several decades in California. However, they said, Scranton is never far from mind.

“I’m thrilled for all the students that are going to pass through these doors and get the education that Bob had for four years; I had about a year of it with the Scranton State Hospital … as part of our nursing school programming,” Marilyn Weiss said. “It was the foundation for the rest of our lives.”

The final steel beam was placed atop the structure’s skeleton in September of 2024, as crews were hard at work for the past year constructing the walls, windows, roofing, electrical, plumbing and more.

“We’re grateful for the love and generosity our benefactors, champions and laborers have poured into this building,” said Michael Jenkins, Ph.D. ’06, Weiss Hall faculty liaison and a professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology. “And with the support of the University administration, we look forward to taking up the honor and reflecting those values back to our community.”

More than 200 individuals attended Wednesday’s program, which, after brief remarks and Father Marina’s blessing, included tours of the building. Attendees were treated to an up-close look at the cybersecurity/cyber forensics classroom, the crime scene lab, a self-care room, meditation chapel, rooftop prayer garden and much more.

“There are many people and organizations who made this day possible, whether you worked from behind a desk to secure funding for the project or worked atop an aerial lift to install the solar panels on the roof,” Father Marina said. “Thank you. None of this could have happened without you. Of course, my deepest thanks to Bob and Marilyn, two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met.”

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The unmistakable sounds of rolling suitcases, echoing laughter and cheering orientation leaders mark the return of college students nationwide.

The University of Scranton’s soundtrack is a bit more musical with the inclusion of drumbeats, instrumental solos and more courtesy of its Jazz Band.

Under the direction of Cheryl Boga, conductor and director of performance music, the University’s Jazz Band performed numerous melodies during the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 23, at First-Year Move-In. The concert was held along the walkway between the DeNaples Center and the Dionne Green, where thousands of students and their families saw and heard them playing.

“Every year, we prep for move in and come in a few days early,” said Liam Gronwall ’26, a finance major from Sidney, New York. “We rehearse and pull together about 30 songs. Then, we play them for all the new kids moving in. It’s a good time to get our chops back and show everybody what we’re all about.”

The performance also serves as a recruitment tool for the Jazz Band, which has an upcoming concert Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Houlihan McLean Center. The show will feature guest soloist Marion Felder, who recently toured with Michael Buble.

The 15th Annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt is set for Welcome Weekend 2025. This year’s Hunt begins on Friday, Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. on the DeNaples Patio. The first 100 Hunt participants to attend the event kickoff will receive a free Scavenger Hunt T-shirt. The fun continues at Doherty Park, 248 Wyoming Avenue, for the Awards Reception, which starts at 5 p.m. Refreshments and additional prizes will be available at the event; all participants are encouraged to attend for a chance at winning additional prizes!

The 15th Annual event features 33 participating downtown partners. Attendees are invited to learn more about the University's neighboring small businesses, cultural venues and murals.  The annual Scavenger Hunt is offered in partnership with The Center for Student Engagement, The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, and The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Metro Action and Scranton Tomorrow.

HOW TO WIN SCAVENGER HUNT PRIZES

The first team to visit 20 participating businesses and all seven downtown murals in 90 minutes or less will win two University hooded sweatshirts, a $25 gift card to Downtown Deli and a $25 gift card to Northern Light Espresso Bar and Cafe. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded. Scavenger Hunt posters will be displayed in participating business windows that feature our University’s “Iggy” mascot. Participants are invited to snap a team photo in front of each location to show they visited! All participants will receive a map featuring directions to locations.

Participants can compete in additional photo contests by visiting seven downtown murals and landmarks listed. To enter to win a grand prize, students must find the seven murals and landmarks, take photos, and tag the Office of Community Relations @ufoscommunity on Instagram.

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCAVENGER HUNT

* Registration with a waiver is required in Royal Sync. Students can also register by scanning the QR codes on Scavenger Hunt posters located around campus.

* Registered students will receive an email on Wednesday, Aug. 27 with a rules sheet that will detail how the Scavenger Hunt will proceed. A smartphone will be necessary to follow our map, which will be posted online, and to take pictures of you and your team member in front of key locations.

To our new students, Class of 2029, welcome! To our returning students, welcome back! We hope to see you at this year’s Downtown Scavenger Hunt!

For more information about the annual Scavenger Hunt and the greater Scranton area, follow The Office of Community Relations on Facebook @uscrantoncommunityrelations and on Instagram and Twitter @uofscommunity, or contact by email at community@scranton.edu.

 

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum fall courses feature two evening series exploring timely topics in women’s history and criminal justice.

The first course will be held on Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 2. The second course will be held on Mondays, beginning Oct. 20. Both courses will be taught by University of Scranton professors in six weekly sessions in the Weinberg Memorial Library, Room 305.

Susan Poulson, Ph.D., professor of history, will present “American Mothers: Society, Science and Maternity after the Civil War.” Classes will be held Tuesdays, Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and Oct. 7 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

This course will explore the public perception of maternity as reflected in the half-century campaign for a federal Mother’s Day holiday. With guided discussions, participants will review the social biology of 19th-century maternity, the use of motherhood by women's rights campaigners to claim political power, Gilded Age conflicts over birth control and abortion and the 1914 adoption of a Mother’s Day holiday that celebrates women’s domesticity.

The course topic is connected to Dr. Poulson’s research into the history of American motherhood in preparation for a presentation of that topic at a conference in November.

“I look forward to seeing which material prompts the greatest response, which will affect how I approach the topic in my research,” she said.

By the end of the course, Dr. Poulson hopes participants will have a much better understanding of the historical struggles over motherhood, in defining its value to society and in who can control the conditions of motherhood.

A longtime faculty member at Scranton, Dr. Poulson’s teaching specializes in the history of American women and 20th-century United States history with strong interests in political, social and foreign relation issues. Her past research has been on the history of women in higher education and women’s rights. She is currently working on research projects exploring mental health and criminal law in the late-19th century. She received a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Georgetown University.

For the second course for the fall semester, Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., professor of criminal justice and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology at The University of Scranton, will present “Criminal Street Gangs: Causes, Consequences and Controls.” Classes will be held Mondays, Oct. 20, 27 and Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

According to Dr. Jenkins, it’s evident from speaking to criminal justice practitioners that many local crime problems are associated with gangs. But, he says, people’s common conceptions of a “gang” don’t always align with how the effects of gangs really play out in our communities.

“I believe that to have a real effect on the kinds of crimes that concern us, we need to have a clear understanding of what the causes and structures of the problem really are,” said Dr. Jenkins, who has worked with multiple gang violence intervention strategies in various cities and has studied the many ways to reduce gang-related violence.

This course will discuss criminological theories related to an understanding of gang involvement and crime, distinguish the characteristics of criminal street gangs, and review the literature on and practice of gang prevention, intervention and suppression methods.

“I hope participants walk away with a better understanding of gangs, their effects on communities, and the outcomes of our approaches to preventing gang crime, to encourage support for those strategies that prevent gang problems and to be critical of those approaches that unjustly bring people into the criminal justice system,” said Dr. Jenkins.

In addition to serving as professor and department chair, Dr. Jenkins is the founding executive director of the University’s Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime. He recently served as the director of academics on the creation of a Bachelor of Security Sciences program for a foreign ministry of interior. He earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He has served as a Fulbright Scholar with the London Metropolitan Police and University College London and has published work on police-community relations and police organization.

The Schemel Forum is sponsored by Munley Law. To register for courses or for more information on the Schemel Forum, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

Registration is free for University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members; and $100 per person and $175 per couple for non-members.

To pay for courses online and see additional events, visit the Schemel Forum webpage.

 

The University of Scranton is a proud sponsor and partner with the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department, Scranton Tomorrow and the mural artists who spearheaded the mural project, "Remembrance and Continuance: The Lenape Story in Scranton," which was dedicated on Friday, Aug. 1. The mural grew, in part, out of the University’s Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story initiative, which brought attention to the Indigenous history and heritage of the city amid other under-told local stories. The Lenape are among the original inhabitants of the City of Scranton and Lackawanna County and the modern-day descendants of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, which comprises eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and parts of New York and Delaware.  

The mural, located at 130 N. Washington Ave. in downtown Scranton, was designed and created by Lenape artist Ben Scott Miller, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, together with renowned Spanish artist Miguel Angel Belinchón, known professionally as BELIN.

The mural dedication included speakers and representatives from the county, city, Scranton Tomorrow, the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau, and The University of Scranton, as well as artist Ben Miller, Delaware Tribe of Indians Chief Brad KillsCrow, and co-founder of the Lenape Center and Delaware Tribe member Curtis Zunigha. Traditional Lenape songs and dances were performed. Altogether, members from four tribes were present for the dedication: the Delaware Tribe of Indians, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Anadarko, Oklahoma; Delaware Nation at Moravian Town, Ontario, Canada; and Munsee-Delaware Nation, Ontario, Canada.

More About the Mural and Lenape History

For more background on Lenape history, watch the 2022 keynote lecture of Curtis Zunigha, ”Forced Removal of the Lenape People: History and Homecoming.” 

For more background on the mural, including the story it shares and the symbolism it includes, visit the Scranton Tomorrow website. 

Watch a brief video narrated by Curtis Zunigha providing an overview of the mural’s story on the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau website. 

The "Be a Neighbor" podcast of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania recently hosted the staff of The University of Scranton Community Relations office. Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs, and Daysi Carreto, assistant director for community and civic engagement, discussed the work of the office with community partners, including community-based learning activities, collaboration with immigrant and refugee communities, support of downtown businesses and more. They also shared their career and professional backgrounds, highlights from initiatives they have organized and additional ways the office connects the University and the greater Scranton community. 

An excerpted clip from the podcast, episode No. 18, focuses on how catholic social teaching and the Jesuit tradition animates The University of Scranton's local engagement. The podcast is coordinated by Neighborworks’ staff Gerard Hetman and Parker Dorsey.

Listen to the full episode directly -- or find the podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or various other podcast streaming services. 

Other episodes have featured University of Scranton-related initiatives and persons, including episode No.11 with Kimberly Crafton, oral histories coordinator of the Scranton Stories initiative, together with Doreen Fazzi, Scranton Stories interviewee and lifelong West Sider. Episode No. 10 included Dr. Doug Boyle, department chair and professor of the University’s accounting program, speaking about his work to develop a youth center in West Scranton which was highlighted in a recent issue of the University's alumni magazine, The Scranton Journal.

The "Be a Neighbor" podcast is coordinated by NeighborWorks’ staff Gerard Hetman and Parker Dorsey. They recently interviewed Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs, and Daysi Carreto, assistant director for community and civic engagement speak with  on the podcast of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania. Shown from left, are: Hetman, Dorsey, Schumacher Cohen and Carreto. 

Fifteen aspiring entrepreneurs recently completed The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center (WEC) StartUP Spring Program, sponsored by Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance Business Finance Corporation.

This six-week certificate series offers attendees support and guidance in determining if entrepreneurship is an option for them. The program also encompasses teaching business startup basics, legal and insurance considerations, marketing and social media essentials, business plan development, accounting and budget skills, financing options and goal setting.

Participants who completed this year’s program include Sunita Samad, Kirsy Vargas, Kristin Brunori, Amber Sandy, Breanna Taylor-Collins, Nicole Williamson, Dynasty Vazquez, Natalie Zadrozna, Luzerne August, Kristin Brunori, Adamaris Colon, Holly Dryden, Laura Frank, Danielle Langley and one other participant.

The spring StartUP series was sponsored by NEPA Alliance Business Finance Corporation. Representatives from The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center and various local entrepreneurs also played a role in the program, sharing information and resources with participants.

Housed in the Kania School of Management, the University’s WEC is a program offering business startup information, guidance and encouragement with help from student interns.

For more information, visit the University’s website.

Twenty-two rising high school freshmen, spanning numerous schools in Lackawanna County, recently entered The University of Scranton’s University of Success.

The University of Success is a four-year, pre-college mentorship and developmental enrichment program with the ultimate goal of producing high school graduates who gain entrance into a college or university. The four-year journey for the class of 2029 began earlier this month with a two-week Summer Institute.

Held from July 6-18, the Summer Institute featured 13 days of classroom lectures, discussions, presentations and games at the University. The group also took a handful of education fields trips to Philadelphia, Dorney Park, the Pocono Environmental Education Center, the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour, the Lackawanna County Recycling Office and the Scranton Cultural Center.

The University of Success is funded entirely by corporate and foundation grants, ensuring it is offered free of charge to the participants who are first-generation, college-bound students. The University of Success was created in 1996 and graduated its first full class in 2001. The class of 2025 produced 15 soon-to-be college freshmen, including five headed to The University of Scranton, and two members who will enlist in the military.

Margaret Loughney is the program director for the University of Success, whose sponsors include AT&T, The Dime Bank, Fidelity Bank, Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, Carl J. & JoAnne M. Kuehner, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, Inc., The Overlook Estate Foundation, Peoples Security Bank & Trust, Dr. Lisa A. Thomas, MD, PPL and Waste Management.

The University of Success class of 2029 members, and the school from which they graduated eighth grade, include:

• Jacob Alers, All Saints Academy
• Ranferi Amador, Northeast Intermediate School
• Ava Marie Baines, North Pocono Intermediate School
• Ashley Batista, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Keiyona Bennett, South Scranton Intermediate School
• Avani Crawford, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Nicolle Carvalho, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Aaliyah Harris, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Marvin Hughes, Riverside Junior High School
• Tiana Jeter, South Scranton Intermediate School
• Analy Juarez Jimenez, Northeast Intermediate School
• Dylan Kavulich, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Livya Kwee, Northeast Intermediate School
• Jacob Ortiz, Carbondale Area Junior High School
• Cristina Pomaguiza, Northeast Intermediate School
• Isabella Quintilliano, Abington Heights Middle School
• Emmanuel Rivera-Rojas, South Scranton Intermediate School
• Gabriella Sanchez, North Pocono Intermediate School
• Raul Eduard Sosa, West Scranton Intermediate School
• Richard Soto Reyes, Northeast Intermediate School
• Zuriah Urena, Dunmore Junior High School
• Amir Noah Wright, Northeast Intermediate School

The University of Scranton’s Office of Community Relations is supporting two community events this week in the City of Scranton to celebrate the federal holiday of Juneteenth and the global commemoration of World Refugee Day.

Juneteenth Jubilee with the Black Scranton Project

On Thursday, June 19, the country celebrates the federal holiday of Juneteenth, which commemorates the day (June 19, 1865) that the Emancipation Proclamation’s news of freedom from slavery finally reached Black Americans in Texas.

The University is proud to serve as a sponsor of community partner Black Scranton’s Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party which takes place from 2-8 p.m. on Thursday at their Center for Arts and Culture on 1902 North Main Avenue in North Scranton. The event is a celebration of Black freedom, history, resilience and culture in NEPA and includes free roller-skating, lively games, soulful music, cultural performances, local vendors and more.

Scranton’s World Refugee Day

On Sunday, June 22, Scranton’s celebration of World Refugee Day takes place in Nay Aug Park from 2-5 p.m. This global commemoration marked officially on June 20 each year honors the strength and resilience of refugees and displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and violence. It is also a moment to reaffirm our shared responsibility to support and welcome displaced individuals seeking safety and a new beginning.

The University is proud to serve as a co-host of this annual local event together with Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton and many other community agencies.  (The event will be held near the Mulberry Street entrance, across from GCMC and the Everhart Museum).

The free, family-friendly event is open to all and offers a number of festivities, including a mix of cultural music, dance performances, international food, refreshments, games, giveaways, and engaging activities for children.

For more information about either event or to get involved as a volunteer, contact Daysi Carreto in the Office of Community Relations at daysi.carreto@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton this summer will host a three-day Cyber-AI Investigation Camp, engaging participants in games, interactive lectures and hands-on exercises that explore and educate on the topic of cybersecurity.

Rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to attend the camp at the University’s O’Hara Hall. Sessions will be held July 8, 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost to attend the camp is $399. Additional services, including on-campus dormitories and meals, are available for an additional fee.

The need for trained law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges with the skills to understand and investigate cybercrime is higher than ever due to the rise in online data breaches, fraud and malicious software. Camp instructors will promote safe online behavior, teach cybersecurity essentials and will end the third day with a team investigation competition at the University’s Cyber-Forensics and Cybersecurity Lab. The topics of cybersecurity, robotic investigation and artificial intelligence (AI) will be discussed.

This is the fifth year in which the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology is offering this summer program. The University offers undergraduate programs in criminal justice and cybercrime and homeland security, as well as a graduate program in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity.

To register and for more information, please visit the registration page.

University of Scranton students, faculty and staff participated in annual Christmas gift-giving programs organized by the Center for Service and Social Justice. Toys donated through the Giving Tree from students, staff and faculty, as well as Scranton Baseball, the Psychology Club and Performance Music’s Empty Stocking Concert, were collected and sorted by the Center for Service and Social Justice. The toys will be donated to the Gifts for Kids giveaway, a program with the Catherine McAuley Center, Friends of the Poor, the Salvation Army and Catholic Social Services. The event will be hosted at the University’s Byron Recreation Complex on Dec. 15 and 16.

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Less than a week after its beloved Noel Night, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will continue in the holiday spirit at its 23rd Annual Empty Stocking Fund Benefit Concert, this year featuring the Scranton Brass Orchestra, on Wednesday, Dec. 11. 

This year’s concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The event is open to the public, with attendees asked to bring either a new unwrapped toy, new piece of child’s clothing, new toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, comb/brush, etc.), or a cash donation. All donated items will directly benefit local families in need this holiday season.

Founded by Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga and University Professor Emeritus Hal Baillie, Ph.D., and now in its 12^th season, Scranton Brass Orchestra is a fully professional 28-member ensemble comprised of brass and percussion players/teachers from across the region. Since its founding in June 2011, the group’s performances have been free and open to the public, and have featured nationally and internationally acclaimed guests, among them some of the most acclaimed brass players of our time. Some of the goals of the group include to provide high-level, large brass ensemble performance and listening opportunities, serve as an aural and visual model to aid in the tonal and technical development of student brass players and as a professional development resource for brass performers and teachers in the region, and give participating regional brass musicians and teachers opportunities to work with and observe masters of the art of brass playing.

The Empty Stocking Fund concert traces its origins back to 1999, when Boga’s friend, Alan Drake, the former chairman of the music department at Georgia’s Augusta University, told her about a benefit Christmas concert held there. Boga was intrigued, and Drake gave his blessing for her to bring the concept back to Scranton for the following year.

For the inaugural year, she and Drake waged a friendly competition to see which concert could raise the most money. Scranton won, and an annual tradition was born.

The concert’s charitable mission makes it particularly special, and Decker and Boga and their students are always moved when they see the donated items out on display the night of the show. Meanwhile, the performance itself never fails to produce an abundance of yuletide cheer – by the end of it, “you can really see people starting to feel the Christmas spirit,” Decker said. Audience members are encouraged to wear their Santa hats, reindeer antlers and other accessories of the season.

For those who are unable to attend the concert but would still like to drop off a toy or other donation, they will be accepted at the Houlihan McLean Center from now up to and including the day of the concert from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (before the day of the concert, please use the Jefferson Ave. entrance. For additional daytime hours, please call first: 570-941–7624.

For more information on the Empty Stocking Fund Benefit Concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.

Continuing a beloved holiday season tradition, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present its 57^th Annual Noel Night concert on Saturday, Dec. 7.  The concert will begin at 8 p.m. in the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with a prelude beginning at 7:05 p.m. Admission is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Considered the University’s Christmas gift to the community, Noel Night has been a must-attend event for many Scranton-area residents since its founding almost 60 years ago by the Rev. Edward Gannon, S.J.

Noel Night features The University of Scranton Singers, with preludes this year performed by the String Orchestra and organ. Outdoor instrumental caroling by members of the University Bands will greet audience members as they arrive.

According to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga, the program will include a variety of sacred selections interspersed with readings of Nativity texts. Included in the program are musical works by John Leavitt, Felix Mendelssohn, Vaclav Nelhybel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Mark Sirett and others. Pianist for the evening is Ron Stabinsky, and Christopher Johnson is organist.

The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled University of Scranton students are eligible for membership in the bands, choirs, and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year.

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

High school students from Carbondale Area, Mid Valley, Scranton Prep and Valley View participated in The University of Scranton’s inaugural Data Science Day Competition. Supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to University mathematics professor Joseph Klobusicky, Ph.D., the interactive competition included a tutorial introduction to data science and the computer software that would be used during the competition. The day also included a luncheon keynote address by Melinda Kleczynski, Ph.D., a post-doctoral scholar at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and remarks from Carolyn Barry, Ph.D., dean of Scranton’s College of Arts and Sciences. University students majoring in mathematics and other fields assisted with the competition.

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University students majoring in mathematics and other fields assisted with the competition.

The high school students competed in an individual and a doubles division.

 In the individual division, Scranton Prep seniors Ethan Fenner from Forty Fort came in first place; Vincent You from Jessup placed second and Ryan Flaim from Wilkes-Barre placed third.

In the doubles division, sophomores from Mid Valley Secondary Center Giada Vagni, Olyphant, and Zackary Buza, Throop, came in first place. Seniors from Scranton Prep Logan Dixon, Factoryville, and Sam DeNaples, Moscow, placed second.

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Data Science is a growing, much-in-demand field. A knowledge of probability and statistics is crucial, as they are considered the “mathematical back bone” of data analysis, according to Dr. Klobusicky.

For graduates of Scranton’s class of 2023, those majoring in data analysis had one of the highest salaries reported ($70,800) in its post-graduate survey.

Additional information about undergraduate programs in mathematics at The University of Scranton can be found on the department’s webpage.

Pictured below, from left, are the winners of the doubles division of The University of Scranton’s Data Science Day Competition: placing second, from Scranton Preparatory School, seniors Logan Dixon and Sam DeNaples; and placing first from Mid Valley Secondary Center, sophomores Giada Vagni and Zackary Buza; and Dr. Klobusicky.

University of Scranton students volunteered to pack and deliver 150 food baskets to area families in need as part of its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive organized by the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice. The food baskets included turkeys as well as other food items needed to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

University students gathered at the Friends of the Poor warehouse in South Scranton on Nov. 24 to prepare the food baskets, which they later delivered to families at Hilltop Manor and Valley View Terrace in Scranton.

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Future entrepreneurs Maria Bonacci, Waverly; Geneen Brown, Scranton; Brigid Lawrence, Jermyn; Nesha Parker, Kunkletown; Cheyanne Peaten-Holder, Jessup; Claudette Polidoro, Clarks Summit; Megan Poremba, Dunmore; Melanie Van Ommeren, Cresco; and Jill White, Jefferson Township, completed The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Women’s Entrepreneurship Center StartUP Fall Program sponsored by Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance Business Finance Corporation.

Facilitated by experienced business consultants from The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC), this six-week certificate series is designed for women with lower incomes, women experiencing a life transition or women trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. The StartUP program offers women support and guidance in determining if entrepreneurship is an option for them. The program also encompasses teaching business startup basics, legal and insurance considerations, marketing and social media essentials, business plan development, accounting and budget skills, financing options and goal setting.

The fall StartUP series was sponsored by Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance Business Finance Corporation. Representatives from NEPA Alliance and University student interns of the SBDC’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Center also played a role in the program, sharing information and resources with participants.

Housed in the Kania School of Management, The University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center (WEC) is a program of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). WEC student interns and SBDC staff offer business startup information, guidance and encouragement. For more information, visit www.scrantonsbdc.com.

Scranton’s SBDC serves eight counties in Northeastern and Northern Tier Pennsylvania.

Election Day is approaching quickly, Royals! With just a few days to go, the Royals Vote coalition would like to ensure the University community is prepared to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5. On the evening before Election Day, Monday Nov. 4, you are also invited to join for campus prayer and reflection at 4 p.m. in the Dionne Green Amphitheater.

Information To Help You Plan for Election Day

Events: Start off Election Day with a cup of coffee and donuts in Hyland Hall as the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS) is hosting “Democracy and Donuts” from 9 a.m. - noon. The event will take place in the courtyard outside of Hyland Hall (weather permitting) or in the lobby of Hyland Hall. If you have any voting or election questions, stop by to speak with a member of the CEEPS team.

On Election Day, be sure to check out the Royals Vote Celebration on DeNaples first floor (across from the University’s bookstore) and/or outside DeNaples on the patio, weather permitting. A Royals Vote backdrop will be displayed throughout the day, so stop by to take photos and get your own “I Voted!” Royals Vote sticker.

Election Day Transportation: The Royals Vote Coalition will be providing transportation to Scranton High School (63 Mike Munchak Way). The Iggy Shuttle will be making rounds every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 to Scranton High School. If you are registered to vote at Scranton High School, please meet at the Linden Circle by the flagpoles.

It is encouraged that voters double check their voter registration status and confirm their polling place prior to Election Day to avoid any delays or issues. Pennsylvania voters can confirm their voter registration status and locate their polling place.  

Identification is required for first-time voters in an Election District in Pennsylvania. Approved forms of photo ID in Pennsylvania include a Pennsylvania Driver’s license or ID card issued by PennDot, Student ID (such as your Royal ID), and a U.S. passport. Approved forms of non-photo ID include a voter’s identification card issued by the voter registration commission. Returning voters do not need to show identification (unless otherwise noted). For more information, please visit PA.Gov   

Mail-in Ballots: If you have requested a mail-in ballot, be sure to complete the ballot according to the instructions. In Pennsylvania, completed mail ballots must be received by (mail or by dropping to a designated drop box) at your county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarked by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 is not sufficient. For other states, be sure to check out your state’s deadlines and requirements by scrolling to links for individual states, which are found at the bottom of the page at this link.

The campus-wide non-partisan Royals Vote initiative is here to help ensure that everyone on campus is ready to vote. Email community@scranton.edu  or call 570-941-4419 with any questions.

Rabbi Sholomo Ben Levy, professor of history at Northampton Community College, will present “Black Jews in America: Diversity and Identity” at The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute Lecture on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center. The lecture, co-sponsored by the University’s Black Studies Concentration, is presented free of charge and open to the public.

Rabbi Levy serves as president of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis, Inc., an organization of black rabbis representing congregations throughout the United States, Caribbean, and Africa. He is Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of the Beth Elohim Hebrew Congregation, Saint Albans, New York.

Rabbi Levy has participated on academic panels at Chapel Hill University, Harvard Divinity School, DuDable Museum of African American History, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the annual conference of the American Academy of Religion. Articles about him and his work have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Root, and Jewish Forward. He has been referenced in numerous books and collections at the Jewish Museum of New York and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian. Many of his sermons and lectures can be found on YouTube.

Earlier in his career, Rabbi Levy worked at Harvard University in the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute of the Department of Afro-American Studies as an associate editor of African American Lives (2004) and the African American National Biography, a ten-volume reference work. He published over thirty biographical entries for these books including the entries for Rabbi W.A. Matthew, Rabbi Arnold J. Ford, Father Divine, Maya Angelou, Louis Farrakhan, Tiger Woods and Amy E.J. Garvey. Rabbi Levy served as the editor and was a frequent contributor to the Hakol newsletter and was editor of the website www.blackjews.org.

Prior to joining the faculty of Northampton Community College in 2005, Rabbi Levy taught college courses on various aspects of American and African American history at LaGuardia Community College, at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University, Medgar Evers College, and Middlebury College.

Rabbi Levy has received many awards and citations. Most significantly, he has received proclamations from the New York City Council (2002) and the New York State Senate (2019) honoring him for his humanitarian work, commitment to social justice, and for promoting peace and brotherhood among all people.

Rabbi Levy earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College, a master’s degree in African-American Studies from Yale University, and a master’s degree in American history from Columbia University. He graduated from the Israelite Rabbinical Academy in 1985 and was ordained a rabbi. Part of his rabbinic and secular studies were completed at Tel Aviv University in Israel.

The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute was created in 1979 through an endowment funded by the local Jewish community. The Institute fosters a better understanding and appreciation of Judaism, Israel, and their histories. It supports visits to the University by Jewish scholars and writers and supports library acquisitions, publications, faculty research, travel and other scholarly endeavors. The work of the Institute was further enhanced by a $1 million gift from Harry Weinberg in 1990.

For further information, contact Marc Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies and the Weinberg Chair of Judaic Studies at The University of Scranton, at 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu.

The Princeton Review listed The University of Scranton among just 511 colleges in the world “selected for their exceptional programs, policies and practices related to sustainability and the environment” for inclusion in its 2025 edition of its “Guide to Green Colleges,” which was published online in October. This is the sixth year that Scranton has made this listing.

The Princeton Review analyzed more than 25 data points to choose the colleges for this year’s guide based on its 2023–2024 survey of administrators about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices and programs, as well as surveys of students attending those colleges about their “green” campus experiences.

“We are seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. According to the Princeton Review, 61 percent of the high school students participating in their 2024 “College Hopes and Worries Survey” indicated that “having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend the school.”

The Princeton Review also noted that, as a group, “the schools in the 2025 Edition of the Guide to Green Colleges have impressive sustainability-related statistics: 28 percent of their energy comes from clean and renewable sources; 46 percent of their waste is diverted from incinerators or solid-waste landfills; 98 percent offer a sustainability focused undergraduate major or degree; and 100 percent have a sustainability officer.”

Scranton’s long-established sustainability efforts include academics, facilities and community education and outreach. Scranton has infused issues of sustainability in courses across the curriculum, ranging from theology, to business, to the natural sciences, to education, as well as other disciplines. Scranton uses numerous “green” procedures in building maintenance practices, as well as in building design and construction. Scranton currently has three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings: Leahy Hall, the Loyola Science Center and the DeNaples Center, which became the city’s first LEED certified structure in 2008. Robert S. and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, currently under construction, is design intended to meet silver LEED certification requirements.

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In addition, inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical titled “On Care for Our Common Home,” the University is participating in a seven-year initiative to be recognized by the Vatican as a Laudato Si’ University.

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To be designated as a Laudato Si University, colleges must evaluate comprehensively current environmental and sustainability programs, then improve and develop further initiatives to address seven goals outlined by the Pope. The goals to be addressed are: to respond to the cries of the Earth; to respond to the call of the poor; to apply ecological economics; to adopt sustainable lifestyles; to implement ecological education programs; to develop ecological spirituality efforts; and to develop of programs to address community resilience and empowerment.

In addition to its “Guide to Green Colleges,” The Princeton Review has listed Scranton in its “Best Colleges” guidebooks for 23 consecutive years, also ranking Scranton among the nation’s “Best Science Lab Facilities” (No. 17) for the eighth year.

Award-winning author Stephanie Saldaña discussed her book “What We Remember Will Be Saved” at The University of Scranton’s 2024 Ignatian Values in Action Lecture, which took place on campus on Oct. 10.

Saldaña’s book, “What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry,” was selected for the University’s “Royal Reads” program for the incoming class of 2028.

The Royal Reads program encourages all incoming students to read a designated book during the summer and to attend the lecture in order to create a shared experience among the students and expose them to the Ignatian values at the core of the University’s mission. Throughout their first-year students will encounter themes of the “Royals Read” selection repeated in classes, extracurricular opportunities and other special events.

A recording of the 2024 Ignatian Values in Action Lecture can be seen here.

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The University of Scranton Jazz Band will take the stage Saturday, Oct. 26, with acclaimed drummer Alvin Atkinson joining them as the evening’s guest soloist. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Atkinson will also offer a free drumset masterclass for set drummers ranging from students (ages 16 and older) to professionals on Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the Houlihan McLean Center. Drummers wishing to attend should email music@scranton.edu or call 570-941-7624 for more information. (Younger drummers may attend accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.)

At the concert, the University’s student jazz ensemble will perform a variety of works that prominently feature Atkinson on drums. According to Performance Music Conductor and Co-Director Janelle Decker, “the program will feature music representing the work of numerous jazz giants in a variety of styles, all selected to showcase the versatility of our guest artist and maximize the musical and educational experience of our student musicians.”

Performance Music Conductor and Director, Cheryl Y. Boga first met Atkinson through his association with Wycliffe Gordon H ’06. She explains that “not only is Alvin’s mastery of musically and rhythmically ‘driving’ a jazz band always evident, but he is also a committed teacher who is experienced at conveying complex concepts in a straightforward yet enthusiastic manner.”

A member of Wycliffe Gordon’s International All-Stars, Atkinson is a six-time U.S. Jazz Ambassador and has traveled the globe performing America’s classical music. His own group, Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants, has appeared in South America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Russia. Known for his dynamic playing style and versatility across various genres, he has recorded and performed with jazz legends Wycliffe Gordon, Vanessa Ruben, Paquito D’Rivera, Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Cecil Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman, Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut, Gerri Allen, Eddie Henderson, ELEW, Maceo Parker, Shirley Scott and many others.

As an educator, Atkinson has conducted classes, clinics and workshops worldwide through the U.S. State Department, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Midori and Friends and many others. He is also an artist-teacher at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy and is assistant director of Arts at Harlem Children Zone Promise Academies.

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

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Atkinson, visit alvinatkinson.com.

The Pennsylvania Library Association presented The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library with the 2024 Library of the Year Award at a virtual ceremony on Oct. 15.

The annual award recognizes an individual library in Pennsylvania that has, in the previous 18-month period, exhibited excellence in: service to public or academic community; advancing staff development; innovation in a special project, partnership, or solution to a challenge; and leadership in and support of the PA Library Association activities.

“It’s an incredible honor for us to be selected for this award, especially considering the many outstanding libraries across Pennsylvania, from colleges and universities to public libraries in large cities and small communities,” said George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our library’s staff and faculty. We’re committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment while meeting the needs of our entire community—students, faculty, staff, and area residents who utilize our library’s public resources.”

In presenting the award, the Pennsylvania Library Association noted the vision of the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library to promote “an accessible, inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where everyone can learn and grow creatively, intellectually, and spiritually.” The association said that the Weinberg Library’s “staff embodies this vision in their day-to-day operations, and prides themselves on service to the community, professional development and service to the Pennsylvania Library Association.”

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Dean Aulisio said that the Weinberg Library’s success “is rooted in the University’s Jesuit identity and its longstanding investment in its library.”

“We are guided by the principle of magis—striving to do more and be greater. This drives our commitment to the professional development of our staff and faculty, ensuring that our team remains at the forefront of best practices in librarianship. We are also deeply committed to advancing social justice by ensuring our library meets the needs of all who come through our doors, adapting to the unique learning styles and needs of each member of our community. This award reflects our dedication to inclusivity and excellence,” said Dean Aulisio.

The PA Library Association noted the Weinberg Library’s DEI efforts and the collaborative programming offered with campus groups that included host a series of films to celebrate Black History, Arab American Heritage, and Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander months for both students and the Scranton community at large. The association also noted the new research guides for gender and sexuality and accessibility developed by Weinberg Library staff, and a an Accessibility/Sensory Map to highlight the spaces and features with general accessibility, types of lighting, and noise level of the University’s library.

“Service is also a cornerstone of a Jesuit education, and we lead by example. Many of our staff and faculty volunteer in the community, on campus, and with professional organizations such as the Pennsylvania Library Association,” said Dean Aulisio. “This allows us to support the library profession and  continue learning about successful innovations in library practices.”

Multiple members of the Weinberg Memorial Library staff and faculty have been actively involved with the PA Library Association. Sylvia Orner, assistant professor and the University’s collections and resource management librarian, served as the conference chair in 2020 and is currently president. Kate Cummings, assistant professor and the University’s research and instruction librarian for business, was previously treasurer on the statewide board of directors and is now serving as chair of its Intellectual Freedom Committee. Rebecca Dzikowski, cataloging assistant at the University, is the current chair of the Mentorship Subcommittee. Ian O’Hara, associate professor and the University’s research and instruction librarian for health sciences, serves as the College and Research Division grant funds manager and is on the EDI Committee. Sheli Pratt-McHugh, associate professor, department chair, learning commons coordinator and research and instruction librarian for technology and outreach at the University, was third vice-president, Membership Committee chair, and is currently on the Conference Committee and EDI Committee. Marleen Cloutier, associate professor and the University’s cataloging and metadata librarian, was the 2023 Conference chair for technical arrangements and is now the vice-chair elect for the Technical Services Round Table.  Melisa Gallo, the University’s interlibrary loan and collections assistant, is the treasurer for the Northeast Chapter.

The Pennsylvania Library Association is the state’s oldest professional library organization, representing more than 1,200 personal, institutional and commercial members affiliated with public, academic, special and school libraries throughout the Commonwealth.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded a $1,321,980 grant to The University of Scranton to support its Technology-Driven Transformation in Workforce Development and Innovation project. The grant leverages opportunities for outreach and collaboration, including with area small businesses, that will be created by the August 2025 opening of the nearly 90,000-square-foot Robert S. and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall now under construction.

ARC announced awards of $68.2 million for 65 projects through its Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. POWER directs federal resources to economic diversification and revitalization projects in Appalachian communities affected by the downturn of the coal industry. The awards, announced on Oct. 16, amount to ARC’s largest POWER investment since the initiative was launched in 2015. The projects funded impact 188 counties in 10 Appalachian states: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Scranton is one of just 20 projects in Pennsylvania selected to receive ARC awards. Scranton received the seventh largest award in the Commonwealth.

The ARC grant funding leverages the workforce development, applied research and community outreach opportunities that will be created in the four-story Weiss Hall, including the expanded and dedicated space for the University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The new space furthers the development of SBDC programming and encourage new collaborations with academic departments housed in the new building.

The ARC grant will support the development of the Small Business Ready program that builds on the success of the existing Small Business Development Center’s Internship Program. 

Small Business Ready involves the development of a specialized training program tailored to the unique needs of small business for student interns. The training program will address the development of soft skills, such as interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, leadership and written and oral communication, which were identified by employers as often lacking in new hires. The program will also seek to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and nurture creativity and innovation among University students and provide practical training on business planning, management fundamentals, cybersecurity basics, marketing and social media strategies, accounting, and finance principles. SBDC consultants will develop the training program in collaboration with local small business owners, and the University’s career development staff and faculty. The program will leverage specialized equipment and technology that will be available in a 10,000-square-foot innovation hub on the first floor of Weiss Hall, which includes a virtual reality/augmented reality training laboratory.

The ARC grant will also establish a networking program to facilitate more meaningful connections between students and small business owners and representatives. University students will take the lead in organizing and coordinating events and activities related to this initiative. In addition, the grant supports the development of initiatives for two of the University’s academic programs housed in Weiss Hall: the Psychology Department Experiential Learning and Outreach; and the Cybersecurity, Crime Analysis, Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Education, Training and Outreach.

The University anticipates 159 students, 10 businesses and 137 participants will be impacted through the ARC grant.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. Since 2015, ARC has invested $484.7 million in 564 projects impacting 365 coal-impacted counties. Collectively, these investments are projected to support nearly 54,000 jobs and prepare nearly 170,000 workers and students for new opportunities in growing industries.

Jonathan Conyers, author of “I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here,” spoke at the Oct. 8 University of Scranton Schemel Forum World Affairs Luncheon Seminar.

Founder of Conyers Media, host of The Professional Winner Podcast, and co-founder of the Brooklyn Debate League, Conyers discussed “The Power of Storytelling” at the luncheon.

Born to two parents addicted to crack cocaine, Conyers’ childhood was defined by both tragedy and triumph.

“Writing has taught me so much about my life and journey,” Conyers said. “Things that happen to you don’t define you. You always have a chance to rewrite your story, and you can decide which chapter it will start with.”

The luncheon series features distinguished speakers that include authors, scholars and artists discussing a variety of timely topics. The luncheon series is sponsored by Munley Law. The seminars take place on campus. Admission is free for University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the seminars are $30 in-person (buffet lunch included) and $15 for remote access.

To register for the seminars, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

Additional Schemel Forum events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.

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On Friday, Oct. 18, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will host Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks in an exciting mid-season concert as part of its fall 2024 schedule. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free. The concert is open to the public, and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

“We are deeply honored that Mr. Giordano and the Nighthawks will be performing in our concert hall,” according to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga, whose son, Joseph, is a trumpeter with the group. “Mr. Giordano and his band have for decades enthralled legions of fans throughout the nation - many of them here in our region - who normally must travel to NYC to hear them perform live.”

For over 50 years, Grammy-winner, New York native, and multi-instrumentalist Vince Giordano has almost single-handedly kept alive a wonderful genre of American music that continues to spread the joy and pathos of an era that shaped our nation. Giordano’s passion, commitment to authenticity, and knowledge led him to create a sensational band of like-minded players, the Nighthawks. Each member of the ensemble is a virtuosic player on their instrument and an expert historical performer.

Giordano and his band have performed in top New York nightclubs and concert halls including Birdland, The Town Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival, 92nd Street Y, and many others for the past five decades. They have recorded soundtracks for numerous filmmakers, including Martin Scorcese, Robert DeNiro, Tamara Jenkins and Woody Allen, and have performed and/or recorded with singers from a wide variety of genres, such as Elvis Costello, Michael Feinstein, Patti Smith, Leon Redbone, Liza Minelli and too many more to list. Their extensive filmography includes “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Cotton Club,” “The Aviator,” “Revolutionary Road,” “Café Society,” “The Joker,” “The Irishman,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and a long list of others.

A Hudson West Productions feature documentary, “Vince Giordano – There’s a Future in the Past,” opened in theaters in 2017. Giordano’s passion for music from the 1920s and 30s and the people that made it led him to amass an amazing collection of over 64,000 band arrangements and sheet music, 1920s and 30s films, 78 rpm recordings, and jazz-age memorabilia. In addition to their extensive recording discography, several tunes recorded by Giordano and the Nighthawks are used in video games: BioShock, Fallout 3, and Fallout 4.

Also on Oct. 18, Giordano will present a lecture entitled “There’s A Future In The Past” as part of the Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminars at the University. For more information on that event, visit www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

For additional information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more on Giordano and his Nighthawks, visit vincegiordano.com. 

Vince Giordano speak about Scranton Sirens and other musical legacies with WVIA’s Erika Funke.

Brandy Schillace, Ph.D., author, historian and medical humanities scholar, will be presented with the 2024 Royden B. Davis, S.J., Distinguished Author Award by The University of Scranton’s Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library on Saturday, Nov. 16. Proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund, which supports special gifts for the Weinberg Memorial Library collections and services.

Dr. Schillace’s work has been widely recognized for its interdisciplinary approach, blending science, history and storytelling to explore the human experience of medicine and mortality. Her recent novel, “The Framed Women of Ardemore House” (Hanover Square Press), has gained critical acclaim. She is the author of several other acclaimed non-fiction books, including “Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher” (Simon & Schuster), “Death’s Summer Coat” (Pegasus Books) and “Clockwork Futures” (Pegasus Books).

As a medical historian, Dr. Schillace has made significant contributions to the field, shedding light on the social, cultural and political aspects of medicine throughout history. Her work has been supported by grants from prestigious institutions such as the Arthur P. Sloan Foundation for Science Communication and the Ohio Arts Council.

The Distinguished Author Award event will take place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center on the University’s campus beginning at 5 p.m. and includes a cocktail reception, dinner, award presentation and Distinguished Author keynote. University of Scranton alumnus Christopher Banks ’86, president and chief executive officer of the Autism Society of America, will serve as Toastmaster for the event.

Tickets for the Distinguished Author event are $100 per person. Special pricing is available for Friends of the Library, Schemel Forum members and students. Schemel Forum Archangels may attend for free.

In addition to the award event, there will be a book signing open to the public from 4 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 16 in the DeNaples Center second floor lobby.

Named in honor of the late Rev. Royden B. Davis, S.J., who served in many roles at the University and as rector of the Jesuit Community, the Distinguished Author Award was established in 1997 as a way to honor notable fiction and non-fiction authors, and to give them the opportunity to share their literary pursuits and impressions with Northeastern Pennsylvanians.

For additional information or registration information, visit the Distinguished Author webpage or contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816 or kym.fetsko@scranton.edu.

Throughout multiple community-based learning projects offered in courses during the spring semester, many University of Scranton faculty and students partnered with area organizations to apply and practice the skills they learned within the classroom for the greater good. In the spring of 2024, some of the partnerships included Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Sustainability, Friends of Lackawanna, the Ecological Economics subcommittee for the University’s Laudato Si’ program, Scranton Tomorrow, United Neighborhood Centers, and the Catherine McCauley Center. This article highlights a few of the many Community-Based Learning projects students and faculty were a part of last spring.

"Each semester, several faculty and over hundreds of students engage in community-based learning partnerships addressing community identified needs.  Faculty, students and community organizations learn and grow alongside each other. They are making a difference in our community," said Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department and the Community-Based Learning Faculty Coordinator at the University.

Students in PSYC 239 - "Environmental and Conservation Psychology,” taught by Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., professor of psychology, collaborated with three community partners to apply their acquired knowledge of the tools and principles of community-based social marketing regarding environmental issues. Students working with the Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Sustainability engaged attendees at the County’s Earth Day Fair at McDade Park with a recycling game that was designed to educate residents about what can and cannot be recycled in Lackawanna County.

Students working with Friends of Lackawanna designed social media posts designed to increase awareness and solicit donations to support the organization, a nonprofit that represents citizens concerned with environmental matters, including Keystone Sanitary Landfill. According to data collected by the students, one of their posts on Facebook received 83 likes, 11 comments, and 137 shares, which is a 324 percent increase in likes, 281 percent increase in comments, and a 2034 percent increase in shares compared to previous posts. 

Finally, students working with the Ecological Economics subcommittee for the University's Laudato Si’ program created a prompt designed to reduce student printing, shown below, and worked with Weinberg Memorial Library staff to post it on library computers. Dr. Nolan says she is most proud of how students applied the psychological concepts they learned about in class: “They harnessed the tools of community-based social marketing to make changes in human behavior that will benefit our local environment.”

 

Students in ECO 154 - "Principles of Macroeconomics,” taught by Aram R. Balagyozyan, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, collaborated with the economic development non-profit Scranton Tomorrow to update their map of businesses in downtown. According to Dr. Balagyozyan, this project not only enhanced students’ understanding of macroeconomic principles from the ground up but also provided them with valuable real-world insights and hands-on experience in data collection and analysis which benefited Scranton Tomorrow. Additionally, they developed personal connections with local business owners and gained a better appreciation of the economic dynamics within the community. This map will then be used as a handout that will promote our community’s local businesses and inform local Scranton residents, our University community, and visitors alike.  

Students in the Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program section of STAT 252 - “Statistics for Business II,” taught by Dr. David M. Mahalak, Ph.D., assistant professor of operations and analytics, collaborated with United Neighborhood Centers to analyze client data, in order to help them better understand their consumers’ needs. A variety of data visualization, data analysis, and machine learning techniques were applied to uncover patterns and relationships among features such as service programs, income, geographical region, family size, and demographics. Collectively, the students analyzed multiple perspectives and provided the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania with a robust analysis to better understand current needs and future trends.

Students in NURS 140 – “Foundations of Professional Nursing,” taught by Dona Rinaldi Carpenter, Ed.D., professor of nursing, collaborated with the Catherine McCauley Center to help provide menstrual products to the agency’s clients through their “Period Project.” The Period Project helps to combat, and to raise awareness of the growing issue of period poverty, which refers to the plight of not being able to afford menstrual products, and the tough choices that many families must make within their budget.

Four nursing students, Sophia Greco, Chrismonde Napoleon, Mia Livezey, Kaitlyn Shelton, and Elizabeth Connolly, all Class of 2027, gathered over 30 gift bags which contained a week’s worth of donated menstrual supplies. They also included a teaching card in each bag which provided information about the menstrual cycle, how to use the period supplies safely, and other self-care information. Additional guidance for this grassroots project was given by the Director of the Catherine McCauley Center, Mary-Pat Ward, and Daysi Carreto, Assistant Director of Community and Civic Engagement at the University. Dr. Rinaldi Carpenter plans to develop and grow the project into the future.

Students in OT 231 - “Neuroanatomy of Function,” taught by Chandra Nealon, D.P.T., faculty specialist of occupational therapy, collaborated with United Neighborhood Centers to develop an activity for children to do at UNC's 3rd Annual Pine Brook Family Arts Festival, which took place on April 27 at John Adams Elementary School. The festival was part of UNC’s Pine Brook Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, and it included various family-friendly art, music, and educational activities, games, and food, all of which were sponsored by local organizations and agencies including the University; they also promoted community resources.

The sophomore-level OT students split into groups to create activities which applied what they have learned about children’s neuroanatomy, specifically focusing on topics such as sensory processing, language, mood and emotions, motor control and coordination, and memory. Students who worked on this project said that it allowed them to practice the development of engaging activities, and practice adjusting and modifying activities to meet the abilities and needs of each child on an individual basis. Students also said that they will take what they have learned in this project throughout their clinicals and overall career.

The Office of Community-Based Learning, founded in 2017, aims at further supporting faculty conducting community-based learning courses and strengthening the ways in which the campus engages with the hopes, concerns, challenges and opportunities facing Northeastern Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Community-Based Learning at The University of Scranton, visit www.scranton.edu/cbl.

The University of Scranton will dedicate a state-of-the-art amateur radio station that serves students in the University’s W3USR Amateur Radio Club and is also used for physics courses and research by students and faculty participating with the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) project led by Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering at Scranton. Research conducted using the facility has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) foundation and other organizations.

Located on the fifth floor of the Loyola Science Center, the main station has floor to ceiling glass walls with sweeping views of the city of Scranton. Last academic year, a 40-foot tower with a Skyhawk High Frequency antenna for 14, 21, and 28 MHz, as well as VHF/UHF satellite and microwave antennas, some with rotating mounts were installed, in addition to heavy-duty controllers, all-mode transceivers, speakers, desktop microphones and other components.

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In April of 2024, Dr. Frissell, University students and community volunteers used the capabilities of the station to participate in NASA’s Citizen Science Investigations to study the effects of the total solar eclipse on the earth’s ionosphere. Dr. Frissell, University students and faculty have already presented research supported by use of the facility at conferences including, most recently, at the National Science Foundation CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Workshop.

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W3USR is part of the University of Scranton Physics and Engineering Department. Major support for the amateur radio station was made possible through a generous grant from the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) foundation, with additional support from Mary Lou West, Ph.D., (KC2NMC), Edward Hayes (N6XEM), Jeffrey DePolo (WN3A), DXEngineering, and the National Science Foundation.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 3:10 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center with a presentation about the station by Dr. Frissell (W2NAF) and student members of the W3USR Amateur Radio Club, followed an open house for the station on the fifth floor of Loyola Science Center and a reception with light refreshments and student poster presentations in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The dedication presentation, station open house and reception are free of charge and open to the public.

A ticketed buffet dinner that begins at 6:15 p.m. will conclude the dedication events planned for Oct. 25. Tickets for the buffet dinner are $30 and are available scranton.edu/w3usr-dedication. For additional information, call 570-941-7509 or email w3usr@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum will feature two noted authors during the Collaborative Programs planned for the fall semester.

On Monday, Oct. 21, the Schemel Forum will partner with the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities for a presentation on “What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World” by Sara Hendren, associate professor in Art and Design with a joint appointment in the School of Architecture, at Northeastern University.

Hendren’s art and design works have been exhibited on the White House lawn and at the Seoul Museum of Art, along with many other museums. Her work is held in the permanent collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt Museum. She is the co-founder of the Accessible Icon Project, a free icon in the public domain that redesigned the International Symbol of Access.

Her book “What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World”(Riverhead/Penguin Random House) explores the places where disability shows up in design at all scales: assistive technology, furniture, architecture, urban planning and more. It was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by NPR, a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award, and won the 2021 Science in Society Journalism book prize.

The event, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, will include a reception and is free and open to the public.

Then, on Saturday, Nov. 16, the Schemel Forum and Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library will honor celebrated author, historian and medical humanities scholar Brandy Schillace, Ph.D. with the 2024 Royden B. Davis, S.J., Distinguished Author Award.

Her recent novel, “The Framed Women of Ardemore House”(Hanover Square Press), has gained critical acclaim. Library Journal has named it a Recommended Read for Autism Acceptance Month, while The Washington Post notes that “The book is more than just a mystery: It’s an autistic woman’s journey of self-discovery.” Publisher’s Weekly writes that that “Schillace, who’s autistic herself, draws a marvelously believable heroine in Jo, and sets her up with an expertly constructed mystery. Readers will be hungry for a sequel.”

Dr. Schillace is also the author of several acclaimed non-fiction books, including “Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher” (Simon & Schuster), both of which received glowing reviews from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She is also the author of “Death's Summer Coat” (Pegasus Books) and “Clockwork Futures” (Pegasus Books).

The event will take place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center on the University’s campus beginning at 5 p.m. and includes a cocktail reception, dinner, award presentation and Distinguished Author keynote. Toastmaster will be University of Scranton alumnus Christopher Banks ’86, president and chief executive officer of the Autism Society of America.

Tickets are $100 per person. Special pricing is available for several groups: $80 for Friends of the Library, $60 for Schemel Forum members, $30 for Schemel Forum Angel Members and $40 for students. Schemel Forum Archangels may attend for free. Proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund, which supports special gifts for the Weinberg Library collections and services.

In addition, there will be a book signing open to the public from 4 to 5 p.m. in the DeNaples Center second floor lobby.

For additional information or registration information, contact Kym Fetsko at 570-941-7816 or kym.fetsko@scranton.edu

Additional Schemel Forum events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.

Award-winning author Stephanie Saldaña will discuss her book “What We Remember Will Be Saved” at The University of Scranton’s 2024 Ignatian Values in Action Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Byron Recreation Complex on campus.

The lecture is free of charge and open to the public.

Saldaña’s book, “What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry,” narrates the experiences of Syrian and Iraqi refugees through their stories and the belongings they carry.

“What We Remember Will Be Saved” was the 2023 Christopher Award Winner and 2024 Excellence in Religion Reporting Award Winner for Nonfiction. A journalist and scholar, Saldaña other books are “The Bread of Angels: A Journey to Love and Faith” and “A Country Between: Making a Home Where Both Sides of Jerusalem Collide.”

For information about the event, call 570-941-7520.