Community News

Vision loss has many causes, comes in various forms and progresses at unique rates.

No matter the diagnosis, however, it is almost always met with some combination of fear and uncertainty.

That’s where Julie Nastasi ’01, Sc.D., OTD associate professor in occupational therapy, and the Leahy Low Vision Clinic enter with clinical experience; and perhaps, more importantly, a compassionate bedside manner to relieve clients and restore their hope and independence.

Having officially opened in spring 2016, the clinic’s 10-year anniversary is approaching. It has served upward of a dozen clients some years and a handful in others, but it has never turned anyone away.

“A lot of what we do in the clinic with the clients is explain to them their diagnosis,” Dr. Nastasi said.

For instance, macular degeneration is the most common age-related eye condition. It is serious and life-changing — but also manageable.

In explaining the condition, Dr. Nastasi balls up a fist and presses it against her forehead.

“Look through your fist. You can’t see where you’re directly looking, but everything on the outside? You’re still going to have that vision,” she says. “We’ll tell them, ‘Your whole world is not going to go to black.’ You can really alleviate their stress and anxiety just by explaining it.”

Dr. Nastasi, an instructor at the University since 2011, previously worked in hospitals as an occupational therapist. She understands the pace at which doctors work. Sometimes, they simply do not have the time to fully explain a diagnosis.

“We don’t bill here,” she said. “So, I can give good care the way care is supposed to be given because I don’t have the constraints of insurance or the demands of productivity and things like that.”

The clinic, which is located inside Leahy Hall, has never turned anyone away as referrals often come from Northeastern Eye Institute and Geisinger. Many clients are older and suffering from glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

After receiving the referral form, Dr. Nastasi performs an evaluation.

“She gave me an eye exam. Without any equipment, that was the best eye exam I think I’ve ever had,” said client Madeline Strong, of Scranton. “She picked up on something right away and said, ‘Call your doctor.’”

Dr. Nastasi and her occupational therapy students — five of them this term — take the time to truly understand their clients.

“We want to know: Is it affecting your reading? Is it affecting your writing? What are the activities you want to be able to do?” Dr. Nastasi said. “We can’t fix their vision because it is a central nervous system disorder. However, I could teach them how to use their vision more effectively.”

 

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The clinic treats clients with numerous pieces of specialized equipment, including closed caption televisions, digital and handheld magnifiers, screen readers and text-to-speech tools.

Even taking a few minutes to explain how to use accessibility tools on a smartphone can make a world of difference.

“I’m not a hugger,” Dr. Nastasi said. “But I get lots of hugs from the folks we help.”

Strong is one of those clients who repaid her clinician with an emotional embrace.

“She’s been an angel, she really has,” Strong said.

Facilities offering low-vision services are rare and the Vision Center reports financial and healthcare system barriers, as well as structural and social detriments, often prevent people from getting the services they need.

The Leahy Low Vision Clinic sees patients by appointment only. For more information, please call 570-941-6112.

Once upon a time, anthracite coal was the foundation of Scranton’s economy.

It spurred rapid economic and population growth. It transformed the city into a bustling industrial center. It gave rise to a powerful labor movement.

And, it served as inspiration for artwork that is still being shown and displayed today.

The region’s anthracite coal legacy will be presented this fall at The University of Scranton’s Hope Horn Gallery, where “The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Selected Paintings, Sculptures and Works on Paper from Public and Private Collections, 1829-1959” will be displayed Oct. 20 through Dec. 12. The exhibition will showcase the work of painters, illustrators, photographers, sculptors and printmakers who, over the course of 130 years, represented the anthracite industry as a subject that was scientific, mysterious, heroic, tragic and picturesque.

The first of two special events will be held Oct. 24 with a gallery lecture by Richard Stanislaus G’98, guest curator and former curator of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Anthracite Heritage Museum, followed by a public reception. Stanislaus will speak from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Pearn Auditorium inside Brennan Hall. The reception at the Hope Horn Gallery inside Hyland Hall will follow from 6 to 8 p.m.

A second event will follow on Nov. 7, when independent scholar David Lembeck presents, “New Deal Post Office Murals in the Anthracite Regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania.” Lembeck’s lecture from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Pearn Auditorium will also be followed by a public reception at the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. Tony Kearney, folksinger for the Folklore Society of NEPA, will perform music at both receptions.

“The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Selected Paintings, Sculptures and Works on Paper from Public and Private Collections, 1829-1959” exhibition provides a broad overview of private and public art in both the gallery and community. Examples include 19th-century landscape paintings and periodic illustrations, as well as 20th-century memorial sculptures and public murals. These works of art cover union labor activities, anthracite culture, tragic events, landscapes and more.

A second exhibition, “The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Selected Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Stanislaus Collection: 1933-1946,” will open Feb. 2, 2026, and remain on display through March 13, 2026.

The second show will also feature a special event with a panel discussion at Brennan Hall’s Pearn Auditorium from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6. Stanislaus will be on the “Depictions of the Anthracite Coal Industry in Prints of the 1930s” panel with Chester Kulesa, former director of the Anthracite Heritage Museum, and Peter Hoffer, printmaker and professor emeritus at Marywood University. A public reception will follow at Hyland Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. The second show examines a focused collection of works produced during the 1930s by artists associated with the Works Progress Administration.

For more information, visit the Hope Horn Gallery online.

On Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m., The University of Scranton will host an event titled “Jewish-Christian Relations in the Wake of Oct. 7 and the War in Gaza” in the Pearn Auditorium in Brennan Hall. This event features Hana Bendcowsky, Program Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, and John Munayer, Director of International Engagement at Jerusalem’s Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue. Munayer, a Palestinian-Christian, and Bendcowsky, an Israeli Jew, have worked together for many years engaging Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and elsewhere in dialogue and peace efforts.

More about the speakers:

Munayer, Director of International Engagement at the Rossing Center, was born and raised in Jerusalem and has been involved in peace-building and dialogue initiatives from a young age. He is completing an MSc in international relations of the Middle East from the University of Edinburgh and holds a Master of Arts in theology and religious studies from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and a Bachelor of Arts in religion, politics and society from King’s College London. Munayer also researches, writes and lectures on Palestinian Christian identity, Palestinian theology and interreligious dialogue.

Bendcowsky, Program Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations (JCJCR), holds a Master of Arts degree in comparative religion from the Hebrew University and has 27 years of practical experience in interfaith activities in Israel and abroad. She teaches in various institutions, colleges, academic programs and more. She is involved in many of the Center’s activities, including its dialogue programs, producing educational materials, consulting and advocacy work. Bendcowsky is a professional tour educator in Jerusalem, leading study tours in the Christian Quarter. She has particular expertise in the Christian Communities in Israel and Jewish-Christian relations in the Israeli context.

“I have worked with John and Hana during my many previous visits to the Holy Land with students from the University. They are both incredibly gracious people whose backgrounds and on-the-ground experiences allow them to offer perspectives that are as necessary as they are uncommon for audiences in the United States. We are truly thankful that they are able to visit us in Scranton,” Fr. Michael G. Azar, Ph.D., theology professor and event co-organizer, said about the featured speakers. Registration is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Jewish-Christian-Relations 

This event is co-sponsored by The University of Scranton’s Slattery Center, Office of Community Relations, Ellacuria Initiative, Judaic Studies and the Theology and Religious Studies Department together.

The University of Scranton recently hosted a successful 24th Annual U.S. Conference on Disability at the DeNaples Center.

Registration for the event had filled up with a week to spare, and every seat inside the McIlhenny Ballroom was filled for the event whose mission is to positively influence the quality of life and wellness of individuals and families living with disabilities.

This year’s conference focused on the theme of “Access, Advocacy and Employment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).”

“AI is taking charge, which is positive and negative. It’s a little dangerous. But, I think, with regard to people with disabilities, AI has a magnificent future,” Edward Leahy ’68 H’01, co-founder and organizer of the conference along with his wife, Patricia Leahy, told Fox 56. “There’s a new phenomenon called neuro-tech that can actually detect someone’s brain waves … if they think about something, someone can do something for them because it can detect what they’re thinking. Imagine the potential for that.”

The day’s highlights included the presentation of the Edward R. Leahy, Jr., Award for Excellence in Leadership and Advocacy to Keith Williams G’09. Williams has worked for more than 35 years in advocacy and outreach for people with disabilities. He is currently the manager of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Grant and Advocacy at My Center for Independent Living (MyCIL) in Scranton.

The Dr. Ralph N. Pacinelli Leadership Award was presented to Kathy West-Evans and John Evans. West-Evans for the past 20 years has served as director of business relations for the National Employment Team at the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. Evans recently retired as program administrator for employee relations for the State of Washington Department Social Health Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

 

Additionally, speakers and their topics included:

• Former U.S. Sen. and Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service Bob Casey, “Disability Policy in 2025-26: Major Challenges and Opportunities”

• Co-CEO of Cleanlogic Isaac Shapiro, “Three Entities, One Mission”

• University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Distinguished Professor Rory Cooper, “Creating Transformative Technology for and With People With Disabilities”

• Microsoft accessibility technology evangelist Lauren Allen, Sr., “AI for All: Advancing Disability Inclusion Through Technology”

• Author and creator Tiffany Yu, “AI Empowerment for People With Disabilities”

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The University of Scranton named four new members to its Board of Trustees: Jacqueline A. Cleary ’87, Elizabeth A. Madden ’96, Francis J. Pearn, CPA ’83 and Mark W. Santarsiero, CPA ’80.

Jacqueline A. Cleary ’87 

Jacqueline A. Cleary serves as founder, president and CEO of Atlas, a fully woman-owned global consulting firm that tackles intricate business hurdles for Fortune 100 giants and rising startups alike. With a sharp focus on life sciences, her guidance has elevated Atlas to a top-tier provider of program management services across the U.S. and Europe, with offices in the United States and the Czech Republic.

A passionate champion for women leaders, Cleary engages deeply with the Women Presidents’ Organization and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, where she participates as a forum member. In 2014, her efforts in nurturing fellow women entrepreneurs earned her the WBENC Star Award, the highest national honor for excellence in women-owned businesses.

Cleary channels much of her energy into philanthropy, volunteering and donating generously as an Advisory Board member for NPower — a nationwide nonprofit offering tech education and job training to underserved youth and veterans.

An avid golfer, she held board positions at the Garden State Women’s Golf Association and Canoe Brook Country Club.

Cleary holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The University of Scranton and is an alumna of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program (OPM 48), an elite training for visionary entrepreneurs. She completed the acclaimed Tuck-WBENC Executive Program and KPMG's renowned QuantumShift program at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Through the President’s Business Council, she stays connected to her alma mater, mentoring aspiring female students along the way.

Based in Westfield, New Jersey, Cleary is the proud mother to her number one joy: Grace, Brian and Gabby.

Elizabeth A. Madden ’96 

Elizabeth Madden is the founder and managing member of Compass Advisors & Coaching, where she combines executive coaching and human resources advisory services to support senior leaders and high-impact organizations. With more than 25 years of experience spanning Goldman Sachs, Davidson Kempner and her own consultancy, she brings deep expertise in leadership development, talent strategy, organizational transformation and employee engagement. During her 18 years at Goldman Sachs in New York and Hong Kong, she led the company’s Prime Brokerage HR Consulting Practice for almost a decade.

As a dedicated alumna, Madden has been engaged with The University of Scranton for over two decades. She is a founding member of the President’s Business Council (PBC), previously serving as vice chair, and currently serving as chair of the PBC. In these roles, she has helped shape the Council’s mission and programming, including renewed emphasis on mentorship, internships and philanthropy to open doors for Scranton students. While a student at Scranton, Madden was a Student Government officer during her senior year.

Madden earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from The University of Scranton and a Master of Arts in higher education administration from New York University. She is a Certified Executive Coach through Columbia University’s Teachers College and holds additional certifications in several coaching assessment tools.

She resides in New Jersey with her husband, Michael Madden ’95, and their two children. Beyond her professional work and service to the University, she remains committed to helping aspiring Royals grow and succeed.

Francis J. Pearn ’83 

Frank Pearn is a corporate board director and the former global chief compliance officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co, where he was responsible for the end-to-end risk management oversight of the financial institution’s compliance, conduct and operational risk management activities globally. He oversaw the company’s anti-money laundering, technology and cybersecurity risk management and market conduct programs.

After graduating from the University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Pearn began his career at Price Waterhouse as a certified public accountant. He joined J.P. Morgan in 1990, holding a number of financial and operational management positions in New York, Milan and London before retiring in 2024.

Pearn is former vice chair of the Board of Trustees, former chair and founding member of the President’s Business Council (PBC) and a member of the Pride, Passion Promise Campaign Executive Committee. He was awarded the President’s Medal at the PBC Award Dinner.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

He and his wife, Suzanne, reside in Garden City, New York. They have four children: Matthew, Stephen, Brian ’16 and Jordan.

Mark W. Santarsiero, CPA ’80  

Mark Santarsiero serves as president and chief executive officer of Marshall & Stevens, and executive managing director for MS Capital Investment Banking. Founded in 1932, Marshall & Stevens, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a recognized leader in valuation services and is one of the oldest and most respected independent multi-disciplinary valuation firms in the U.S. 

Santarsiero began his 39-year career with Marshall & Stevens as a corporate controller of the public company that originally owned it. He was a member of the team that led the employee buyout of Marshall & Stevens from its corporate parent in 1985, which transformed the business. He later served as chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and as national practice leader for the financial valuation and consulting practice. He was appointed to his current position at Marshall & Stevens in 2000. Santarsiero also serves on Marshall & Steven’s internal fairness opinion and solvency opinion committees and has led multiple buy/sell and recapitalization transactions for MS Capital, the investment banking’s sister company.

Marshall & Stevens recently took on a financial partner and through multiple acquisitions have grown the company substantially.

Santarsiero began his career as an accountant for two CPA firms where he worked in the area of audit, tax and management advisory services. 

He earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from The University of Scranton and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. He is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania and California and is an active member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and the New Jersey and California CPA societies. 

Santarsiero is a former member of the University’s Accounting Department Professional Council and has served as executive-in-residence for the Kania School of Management. 

He lives in Huntington Beach, California, and is the father of three sons: Jordan, Eric and Marcus.

The office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) announces the third cohort of its CBL Faculty Fellows Program. This program is aimed at recognizing, rewarding and supporting exemplary faculty who are eager to fully integrate CBL as an intentional pedagogical strategy into their courses and/or curricular-based projects. CBL is an immersive academic experience which invites students to work with individuals, groups, or local organizations to meet community-defined needs.

The Faculty Fellows program seeks to expand, strengthen, and institutionalize CBL at the University as a demonstration of its commitment to Jesuit values and the common good.

“The CBL program at the University of Scranton has 20-30 faculty engaged in CBL partnerships throughout the community each academic year.  This faculty cohort is focused on developing new or enhanced curricular opportunities that meet community needs in the areas of health and business. Engaging with community is central to the Jesuit mission at The University of Scranton. Engagement ensures students put into action their learning in meaningful ways,” said Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., CBL Faculty Coordinator, Professor and Department Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department.

The 2025-2026 academic year CBL faculty fellows are listed below, including their department, course, and/or their project of focus. 

Dr. Kristina Dorkoski, Physical Therapy

Kristina Dorkoski, PT, DPT, NCS, CEEAA, is a faculty specialist in the University’s Physical Therapy Department. Her project aims to expand her student’s community-based learning opportunities in order to better prepare them to effectively educate members of our Scranton community. Students will observe clinicians teaching community members in support groups and wellness programs to expand upon their knowledge to guide their instruction of patients, caregivers and colleagues.

Community collaborators will work with students who are completing a needs assessment to gauge a comprehensive understanding of each institution’s goals. Through this partnership, students and community partnership organizations will fulfill unmet needs while students achieve their course objectives. This collaboration cultivates future healthcare professionals who are both skilled and compassionate while strengthening ties between the university and broader Scranton community. By engaging in meaningful practice related to their fields of interest, students are empowered to make a lasting impact beyond the classroom.
 

Dr. Katherine Stefanelli, Counseling and Human Services

Katherine Stefanelli, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the University’s counseling and human services department. Her project, Where We Live: Supporting the Royal Campus Community Through Advocacy and Facilitation, aims to train students to act as facilitators in the Royal P.A.C.T. program on campus. P.A.C.T. (Promoting Awareness of the College Transition) is a required for all first-year students to attend and addresses issues such as healthy relationships, relationship violence, stalking, sexual assault, consent and the plethora of available campus resources.

It operates as a peer-to-peer program that encourages conversations between incoming students and upper-class students. Dr. Stefanelli is teaming with the Jane Kopas Women’s Center for this training. The specific students chosen to complete this training are undergraduate students, in her case management and interviewing course, who are solidifying their basic skills for counseling which enforce active listening, advocacy and action. By connecting skills learned in the classroom and meaningful campus involvement, the project allows students to create awareness in the environments in which they reside and interact. This collaboration will strengthen peer support networks and reinforce the university’s commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment.

 

Dr. Mehmet Yetim, Management and Marketing

Mehmet Yetim, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the University’s management and marketing department. Through his project, Aiding the Development and Competitiveness of Small Businesses in Scranton, students will contribute their foundational knowledge of management to the greater Scranton community. The project aims to foster growth and resilience in Scranton’s small business scene by enhancing their marketing presence.

Students will collaborate with community partners to create detailed business profiles that highlight each company’s history and mission. Students are also offered the opportunity to conduct market analyses to recommend actionable strategies for success with their partner organization. Through this project, classroom theory will intersect with real-world practice while supporting the economic ecosystem in our community. The goal is to promote sustainable and community-focused collaborations. By engaging directly with local entrepreneurs, students will gain hands-on experiential learning. This collaborative approach within our community reinforces the university’s commitment to community partnership while promoting student growth and professional development.

 

Dr. Aaron Ziegler, Communication Sciences and Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology

Aaron Ziegler, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the University’s health and human performance department. His project, Service, Advocacy, and Impact: Enhancing Community-Based Learning in SLP Distance Education, encourages master’s students to implement CBL projects in their own communities. The Master of Science (MS) in Speech-Language Pathology program is an online program with students from coast to coast. They will be encouraged to engage in their own communities by partnering with an organization to address a community-defined need.

Dr. Ziegler aims to analyze three years of their programs' CBL data, father stakeholder feedback, and refine the programs' summative assessment to enhance its impact on the students and community collaborators. By strengthening community partnerships across the various locations in which the students, the project highlights the manner in which distance education can foster real-world change. This initiative supports the students’ professional development while simultaneously amplifying the voices of community organizations they partner with. Ultimately, the project demonstrates the lasting impact of connecting higher education with meaningful community engagement.

The University of Scranton had a rare and incredible honor earlier this semester, when Gregory Boyle, S.J., spoke to students and University community members at the annual Ignatian Values in Action Lecture.

Father Boyle, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who founded the largest gang rehabilitation program in the world, spoke to a crowd of 1,000-plus attendees on Sept. 29 inside the Byron Recreation Complex.

In his address, titled, “Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times,” Father Boyle spoke about his experiences working with former gang members in Los Angeles. He helped them turn their lives around through his organization, Homeboy Industries, which assists those in a vicious cycle of violence escape that pattern.

 

Two members of the Homeboy community, Gerardo Ochoa and Jorge Baltazar, also addressed the crowd. Ochoa and Baltazar spoke about their life before Homeboy Industries and how the program has turned their lives around from a world of crime and despair to acceptance, hope and love.

Father Boyle’s decades of hard work in his native Los Angeles are a model of the values that Scranton strives to embody and instill in its students. Many professors incorporate the annual Ignatian Values lecture into their curricula.

Father Boyle and Homeboy Industries are no stranger to Scranton. He has previously appeared at the University and students have participated in service trips at the organization's headquarters in Los Angeles. Earlier this year during spring break, a group of students traveled to Homeboy Industries and one of the volunteers reflected on her experience in a Royal News article.

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William Easterly, Ph.D., professor of economics and co-director of the Development Research Institute at New York University, will take his place later this month among the great speakers to present at the Fall Henry George Lecture.

Dr. Easterly will deliver his lecture, “Violent Saviors: Development Lessons from the History of Colonialism,” at the 39th Fall Henry George Lecture. Dr. Easterly’s presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the McIlhenny Ballroom at The University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center. It is free and open to the public.

The Henry George Lecture Series, which hosts an event in the fall and another in the spring, is the premier series of its kind in Northeastern Pennsylvania. All speakers are decorated authorities in the field of economics and 13 of the speakers — 12 fall lecturers and one spring seminar speaker — have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

Dr. Easterly is the author of three books and his fourth book, “Violent Saviors: The West’s Conquest of the Rest,” will be released on Nov. 4.

Early reviews have called Dr. Easterly’s forthcoming book a “masterpiece,” in which he explores nearly 400 years of world history. He argues that global trade has given agency to billions of people and presents a new and urgent perspective on global economics that he says must lead the way in the fight against poverty.

Dr. Easterly, who received a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985, worked from 1985 to 2001 at the World Bank as an economist and senior adviser in the Macroeconomics and Growth Division. He then worked at the Institute for International Economics and the Center for Global Development until 2003, at which time he began teaching at NYU.

Dr. Easterly’s first book, “The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill,” won the FA Hayek Award from the Manhattan Institute. He’s also the author of “The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists’ Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics,” and “The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor.” He has also published more than 70 peer-reviewed academic articles and has written columns and reviews for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Review of Books and the Washington Post.

He has served as co-editor of the Journal of Development Economics and as director of the Aid Watch blog. He is a research associate of National Bureau of Economic Research and was named by research.com as one of the Best Scientists of 2023. He won the Julian L. Simon Memorial Award from the Competitive Enterprise Institute in 2021 and the Adam Smith Award from the Association of Private Enterprise Education in 2013.

Financial support for the Henry George Lecture Series is provided by a grant from the Progress and Poverty Institute (formerly the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation).

For more information about the Fall Henry George Lecture, which is organized and presented by the Economics, Finance and International Business Department of The University of Scranton’s Kania School of Management, call 570-941-4048 or email janice.mecadon@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s Edward R. Leahy Clinic for the Uninsured recently launched a vital initiative to provide patients with access to life-saving and sight-saving health screening at significantly reduced costs.

A new Early Detection and Screening program will allow the clinic to provide necessary health tests and screenings for uninsured patients at reduced and negotiated prices. Patients will receive services, such as life-saving colonoscopies, mammograms and sight-saving retinal eye exams for patients with diabetes, at testing centers where decreased prices were negotiated, ensuring patients will comply with physician-recommended tests and follow-up exams.

The program was made possible through a grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grant Cycle.

The Leahy Clinic on Kressler Court provides high-quality, non-emergency health care to uninsured Lackawanna County residents who may otherwise forego health care due to cost. The clinic also provides teaching, learning, researching and service opportunities to University and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine faculty, students and volunteers.

By Elizabeth Vander Neut, Student Correspondent

The University of Scranton will welcome prospective students and their families to campus for its annual Open House events on Sunday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the John Long, S.J., Center.

The day's schedule includes campus tours, academic program showcases, and sessions on student services, athletics and residence life. Guests can enjoy complimentary brunch and lunch with opportunities to connect with members of the University community.

Hugh Doyle '17, G'20, director of undergraduate admissions, and Antonelle Kern '14, G'19, assistant director of admissions events, say Open House offers a more immersive experience than a standard campus tour. They describe these events as a “one-stop shop” for families navigating the college search. In addition to meeting admissions and financial aid staff, visitors can engage directly with faculty, staff and students across the University.

“They’ll also have the chance to see both academic and extracurricular spaces firsthand,” said Doyle. “Whether it’s their first visit or a return trip, families will leave with their questions answered — and ideally, with a deeper understanding of what makes a Scranton education distinctive and meaningful.”

The event reflects the University’s mission to deliver a transformational learning experience in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition. For many prospective students, Open House serves as a first introduction to the University’s values of excellence, purpose, faith and service.

“Open House is a campus-wide tradition that embodies who we are as a community,” said Kern. “It’s not just about what we teach, but how we welcome, support and inspire students.”

Organizers hope visitors leave campus feeling both excited about their future and supported in their college search process.

“While we certainly hope students fall in love with Scranton, more importantly, we want them to know they are not alone in this journey,” said Doyle. “If Scranton is the right fit, they will be joining a community deeply invested in their success, both inside and outside the classroom.”

This year’s Open House schedule remains consistent with previous years, which organizers say is a testament to the strength of the program.

“Open House continues to be a comprehensive, community-supported event designed to give visitors a full picture of life at Scranton,” said Kern. “We’re proud of the collaborative effort that makes this day so meaningful for everyone involved.”

For more information or to register for Open House, visit scranton.edu/openhouse.

Patricia Leahy recently reflected upon a famous quote, often attributed to former U.S. President John Quincy Adams: If your actions inspire others to dream more, to do more, to learn more and become more, you are a leader.

Then there’s no doubt Edward R. Leahy, Jr., the late son of Patricia and Edward Leahy ’68 H’01, was a leader as reflected to this day in his parents’ and others’ actions.

The inspiring boy, born in 1984 with multiple disabilities who passed away just before his ninth birthday, initiated in his parents the drive to create the Annual U.S. Conference on Disability.

“In honor of Edward’s life and legacy, circa 2000, my husband generated the idea that we probably should look at having an annual disability conference,” Patricia Leahy said. “Over the years, this conference has attracted some of the many luminaries in the disability community from the U.S. House of Representatives, where I spent 18 years; the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Department of Education; and many pioneers in our community.”

This year’s conference on Wednesday, Oct. 8, which is free to attend, features several guest speakers, including the University’s Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service and former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and popular author Tiffany Yu.

“We are never turned away when we ask people to come to Scranton,” said Edward Leahy. “Unless it’s physically impossible for them to get there … they answer the call. I’ve been seriously impressed by that over the course of 24 years.”

The U.S. Conference on Disability has attracted as many as 1,500 attendees, back when it was held in an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s crowd is expected to feature guests from numerous states and occupations, including professionals in education, physical and occupational therapy and various healthcare fields.

“Also people in state and local government who are responsible for the education and the practical assistance of people with disabilities,” Edward Leahy added.

The Leahys feel they are forever indebted to the professionals who cared for their son.

“I remember during one PT session, they were working with Edward to try to get the peg in the hole,” Patricia Leahy recalled. “Now, that’s very difficult for a child with significant disabilities, including cortical blindness. After the PTs worked with him — and it took a little while — he did it. I have never seen such a celebration in my home — and we’ve entertained a lot.

“It made my day. It made my year. It made my life. We are just so grateful … to the disability community, the PTs, OTs, health science people and nurses who are just absolutely amazing and we want to continue to honor them.”

It continues with education, advocacy, innovation, networking and hands-on demonstrations — the type of programming that happens every year at the U.S. Conference on Disability.

“This shouldn’t be just an academic exercise,” Edward Leahy said. “This should be the kind of platform where people can see results of how people with disabilities can be assisted by whatever means. And this year, one of the things we’re going to highlight is how artificial intelligence might be able to assist in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities.”

For more information, please visit the U.S. Conference on Disability webpage.

The University of Scranton’s Department of Communication and Media is celebrating 50 years of producing multimedia standouts who have achieved success in their various fields.

Nine of the department’s best and brightest — and most generous with sharing tips and tricks that led to success — returned to campus this month for a Careers in Communication panel, moderated by Stacy Smulowitz, department chair.

The nearly two-hour program engaged a packed house inside the Loyola Science Center’s PNC Auditorium, where panelists exchanged stories, ideas and advice, particularly relevant to those who will soon enter the workforce.

Colleen Boyle ’20, multimedia designer at Leen Studios, recalled a few years ago entering the job market during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a stressful time, she said.

“I think the best cure for anxiety is always action,” Boyle said. “If you find yourself nervous about what’s next, start taking small steps: build a portfolio, build a website, create content, make a YouTube channel. …

“Be your own best advocate and do a little something every day, just to feel like there is momentum. Because, at the end of the day, momentum is everything early in your career.”

Mike Ondo ’97, director of professional scouting for MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies, spoke about the importance of going beyond the classroom.

“Try to build your resume with hands-on practical experience as much as you can, so, when it is time to go out there, you have a feel for what’s going on,” Ondo said. “It’s going to change and things will be more intense (once you start working), but at least you’ll have that prior experience. That experience will go a long way in helping you.”

Kyle Gittleson ’12, events coordinator at Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP, encouraged attendees to be flexible and open to opportunities.

"Work on your soft skills, be nice, work well on a team, be likable and friendly and polite, stick to the facts, have a firm handshake," Gittleson said. "All that basic stuff actually really helps to connect with recruiters and connect with your future boss who interviews you. And if they like you and bring you aboard, just work hard, be likable and you'll find yourself elevating up."

Stephanie Conserette ’08, vice president, imaging digital portfolio strategy global imaging at GE Healthcare, spoke from the perspective of a hiring manager.

Conserette highlighted the value of a well-written and well-crafted resume, saying facts, figures and anecdotes are the most valuable pieces of information one can share.

“When it comes to your resume, please don’t tell me what you did; tell me what impact you had,” Conserette said.

The event concluded with a special announcement that the University’s Department of Communication and Media has created a Hall of Fame. It plans to induct its first class in fall 2026. For more information and to submit a nominee, email Dr. Smulowitz at stacy.smulowitz@scranton.edu.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will host the Kyle Athayde Dance Party in double-header concerts and a masterclass as highlights of the University's Family Weekend events on campus.

All events are open to the public and will be held in the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center (Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue). Admission to all events is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

• The main evening concert, presented with funding support from Family Weekend, begins at 7:30 p.m. and will include an appearance by the University of Scranton Jazz Band.
• A children’s concert will be held at 1 p.m.
• Masterclasses with members of KADP will take place at 2 p.m. and are open to woodwind, brass and rhythm section musicians ranging from 16-year-old students to adult teachers and professionals. (Student musicians under age 16 are welcome to attend accompanied by a parent, guardian or music teacher.)

The San Francisco/New York-based big band is an 18-piece group of traditional big band instrumentation that is anything but traditional. Acclaimed for its versatility in the wide scope of styles it performs, KADP boasts an impressive roster of accomplished young jazz virtuosi and a genius composer and arranger in its leader and founder, Kyle Athayde, a San Francisco Bay Area-based composer, arranger, performer, teacher and bandleader. Athayde's writing and programming draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources, from video games and internet memes to jazz and classical masterworks. In addition to original music, Athayde also writes arrangements of well-known and popular songs of all kinds, while still retaining the unique sound and excitement for which the Dance Party is known. KADP comes together from the four corners of the U.S. to tour just a few times a year and has performed in a wide variety of venues ranging from Sitka and Juneau, Alaska, Jazz Festivals to Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

KADP’s one-of-a-kind children’s jazz concerts offer something for everyone. Built around imaginative, jazz-infused arrangements of beloved children's songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” and “Five Speckled Frogs,” the show is a celebration of music that is fun, thoughtful and accessible for audiences of all ages. Through thoughtful programming, Athayde strikes a rare balance — creating music that delights young audiences, educates newcomers to jazz and satisfies even the most seasoned listener. Each tune is treated with care and creativity, turning familiar melodies into vibrant, jazz experiences that introduce kids to rhythm, improvisation and musical storytelling. Whether you’re a toddler, a jazz-curious parent or a lifelong music lover, this is a show where everyone walks away with something — joy, discovery and a deeper appreciation for jazz.

For additional information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For more on the Kyle Athayde Dance Party, visit its website.

 

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If You Go:

EVENING CONCERT

• What: FAMILY WEEKEND CONCERT featuring Kyle Athayde Dance Party with an appearance by The University of Scranton Jazz Band (with support from Family Weekend)
• When: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
• Admission: Free

AFTERNOON CONCERT

• What: CHILDREN’S CONCERT featuring Kyle Athayde Dance Party!
• When: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 1 p.m.
• Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
• Admission: Free

MASTERCLASSES

• What: Woodwind, brass, and rhythm section masterclasses (ages 16 and older)
• When: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 2 p.m.
• Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
• Admission: Free

On Thursday, Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m., The University of Scranton offices and local community partners will host Jenny Gonzalez Monge, LSW, to speak on the topic of “The Migrant Workforce behind NEPA’s Agricultural Industry: Historical Realities and Current Implications.” This event will be held in the Pearn Auditorium in Brennan Hall, Room 228, and is part of events honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.

Gonzalez Monge is a Licensed Social Worker who works at Marywood University as the program director of S.T.A.R.S (Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success), an after-school program for first generation youth. Jenny has been working with and advocating for the civil and immigrants' rights of the growing immigrant and refugee populations in NEPA for more than a decade through her work and continued involvement at the Community Justice Project. She also serves as a member of WVIA's Community Advisory Board and WVIA's Education Bilingual Advisory Board and was a member of the Steering Committee of the "Scranton's Story, Our Nations' Story" project. She conducted this research as a volunteer at the Lackawanna Historical Society. 

Light Refreshments will be provided. Register for Migrant Workforce lecture. 

This event is co-sponsored by The University of Scranton Office of Community Relations and Multicultural Center, Marywood University, and the Lackawanna Historical Society. Questions can be directed to community@scranton.edu and 570-941-4419.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan ʼ09 paid a visit to Robert S. ʼ68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall on Friday to tour the IDEA Center, which opened as a part of the new building earlier this semester.

University authorities gave Gaughan and a couple other county officials a special tour of the Center and Weiss Hall, much to their approval.

“This really does make you want to go back to school,” Gaughan said upon seeing the building’s new educational facilities.

The IDEA (Innovation, Design, Education, Application) Center serves as a creative space for students and faculty alike, with plans to open it to the community at large in the near future.

The Center is home to various creative machines and spaces including but not limited to a woodworking station, a podcast studio, embroidery machines and a laser-engraver.

The engraver is so precise it can be used to engrave almost anything from wood to metal to glass.

“You could even engrave Fig Newtons,” Gerry Zaboski ʼ87 G'95, the senior vice president for the office of the president, said.

He isn’t lying either. Cookies were actually engraved with special designs using the machines for the dedication ceremony two weeks ago.

Perhaps the standout attraction of the IDEA Center is the industrial quality 3-D printing station.

These state-of-the-art resin printers use flashes of ultraviolet light to create highly detailed models that are of a higher quality than traditional filament printers.

According to Tom Bryan, the director of the IDEA Center, these 3-D printers are of special interest to the Occupational and Physical Therapy Departments.

“These machines can create really accurate assistive technologies, customized for an individual’s specific physical structure,” Bryan said. “It’s a huge draw for students and faculty.”

Other highlights of the tour included seeing the Cybercrime and Homeland Security Department and meditation garden.

Additionally, there are 10,000 feet of unused space in the top floor of Weiss Hall that have yet to be implemented.

“You don’t have to build more space, more already exists,” Kristin Magurette, the county director for economic development, said.

Weiss Hall’s location near the edge of campus also is an advantage, as members of the Greater Scranton community will be able to make use of the IDEA Center’s resources in the near future.

According to Zaboski, the building was intended to be a bridge with the community.

“When we were designing Weiss Hall, we thought about how it would encourage community engagement,” Zaboski said.

Gaughan praised the new IDEA Center, particularly, and Weiss Hall, in general, as another fine addition to the Scranton community.

He hopes the new facilities will help attract more people to Lackawanna County in the future and help improve the city economy.

“The University has a history of working with the county, and this is another great addition to that history,” Gaughan said.

Marcus Smith '27, Schuylkill Haven, is an English and theatre double major at Scranton.

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Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who migrated from El Salvador to the U.S. in 1990 and in 2023 became the first Salvadoran bishop in the country, will speak at an event at Brennan Hall.

Bishop Menjivar’s talk, “Current Immigration Policy and the Catholic Responsibility to Uphold Human Dignity,” will take place at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Pearn Auditorium (Room 228). It is free and open to the public.

Bishop Menjivar, who speaks English, Spanish and Italian, was ordained to the priesthood for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington (in the District of Columbia) on May 29, 2004. He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop of Washington on Feb. 21, 2023, by Cardinal Wilton Gregory at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C.

Born Aug. 14, 1970, in Chalatenango, El Salvador, Bishop Menjivar attended St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, Florida, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He attended the North American College in Rome and obtained a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 2002. He pursued licentiate studies at the Pontifical Scalabrinian Institute for Pastoral Theology for Human Mobility in Rome before his ordination.

Bishop Menjivar, who is a member of the Priest Personnel Board, Administrative Board, the College of Consultors, the Priest Council, has served numerous assignments in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and he is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services. He is also the Episcopal Moderator of the National Catholic Ecclesial Movements and a member of the USCCB Committee on Communications. He was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in 2024 from Georgetown University.

Throughout his ministry, Bishop Menjivar has actively supported workers and continues to promote social justice for immigrants.

Bishop Menjivar’s appearance is organized by Christians for the Common Good, a project of The University of Scranton’s Peace and Justice Studies Program. The event is supported by Ethics Across the Curriculum and co-sponsored by the Ellacuría Initiative and the Office of Community Relations.

The intersection of technology, accessibility and action will be examined at the 24th Annual U.S. Conference on Disability.

The event, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8, inside The University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center, will bring together thought leaders, advocates and professionals in support of disability rights, employment and services.

Registration is open for the conference, which is free to attend and will feature speakers, demonstrations, networking opportunities and other activities.

Tiffany Yu, an author and social media creator, will serve as the featured speaker. Yu, who earlier this year appeared on Forbes’ Accessibility 100 list, is a renowned disability advocate, entrepreneur and content creator with 134,000-plus TikTok followers. Yu’s book, “The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change and Building a Disability-Inclusive World,” is an Editors’ Pick at Amazon.

This year’s theme, “A.I. — Access — Action!” highlights the evolving role of artificial intelligence use for individuals with disabilities.

The conference, which is presented by the Leahy College of Health Sciences and the Edward R. Leahy, Jr., Endowment, will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the conference’s webpage.

 

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum World Affairs Luncheon Seminars series brings to campus a roster of distinguished speakers who will discuss baseball history, Egyptian archaeology and international relations.

The fall series will feature four seminars in total. All luncheon seminars take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the University’s campus. A remote viewing option is available for many of the luncheons. The Schemel Forum is sponsored by Munley Law.

The series opens Thursday, Oct. 2, with “Global Insights from Poland’s Consular General,” presented by Mateusz Sakowicz, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York. The luncheon presentation will be held in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center at the University.

Drawing on his extensive diplomatic experience, Consul General Sakowicz will share insights into Poland’s role in transatlantic relations, the value of cultural diplomacy and the importance of Polish-American partnerships in addressing today’s global challenges.

Sakowicz is a career diplomat and appointed civil service officer with extensive experience in international relations, peace and security and cultural diplomacy. He has represented Poland in key diplomatic posts across Dublin, the United Nations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, culminating in his appointment as Consul General in 2024.

Next, on Monday, Oct. 20, Tom Shieber, senior curator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, will present “Around the World with A.G. Spalding: The Mystery of an 1888-89 Tourist’s Diary.” His luncheon presentation will be held in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall on campus.

In 1888, baseball pitcher-turned-entrepreneur A.G. Spalding along with an entourage of ball players, sports writers and other adventurers embarked on a baseball tour around the world. Nearly 110 years later, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum received the donation of an unsigned diary kept by a member of the expedition. During the luncheon presentation, participants will relive the tour, visit exotic lands, view images of rare ephemera and artifacts from the journey and along the way solve the mystery of just who penned the diary.

It was a serendipitous series of events that led Shieber to his current role at America’s cherished baseball museum. During nearly a dozen years working in astrophysics at Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains, he drove to Dodger Stadium “more times than I care to admit,” he said.

“While I very much enjoyed my work at the Observatory, my passion had long been researching baseball history,” he said.

In 1998, Shieber traveled across the country for a job interview at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. While in Cooperstown, he was shown the very diary that plays a starring role in his Schemel Forum presentation.

“As luck would have it, I was well-acquainted with Spalding’s 1888-89 World Tour, and so when I returned to my hotel after the first day of my visit, I did much of the detective work that now, 27 years later, appears in my presentation,” he said. “In fact, I like to think that the work I did to help solve the mystery of who penned the diary is part of the reason I was hired.”

The diary, Shieber says, will never be mistaken as a great work of literature, but it does offer a glimpse into a world tour that took place just 16 years after the publication of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days.”

“While the baseball tourists took a lengthier six months to circumnavigate the globe, the trip (and the diary) still retained the spirit of adventurism, romanticism and even danger found in Verne’s classic novel,” he said.

For those attending Shieber’s presentation, he hopes “that with the combination of our national pastime with a long-ago trip to far-off lands both wrapped within a ‘whodunnit’ (or, in this case, a ‘whowroteit’) mystery, the presentation will have a little something for everyone.”

The fall luncheon series continues Thursday, Oct. 30, with a talk by Josef Wegner, Ph.D., professor of Egyptian Archaeology; chair, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures; and curator, Egyptian Section, Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Wegner will present “New Discoveries of the Penn Museum Excavations at Abydos, Egypt” at the luncheon being held in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall on campus.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum has been excavating in Egypt for more than a century. During a Schemel Forum luncheon last fall, Dr. Wegner discussed the role of fieldwork in the formation of the Egyptological collection at Penn, and the current project to reinstall this important collection of 50,000 artifacts.

In a much-anticipated second part of the Schemel Forum’s exploration into Egyptian archaeology, this talk will focus on ongoing excavations at the site of Abydos where Dr. Wegner has been working on an excavation that, he says, reveals a lot of material about Egypt from 2000 – 1000 BCE.

Work at Abydos has identified a royal necropolis at the site named “Anubis Mountain.” There, at least 13 kings who reigned between 1850 and 1650 BCE were buried. These include previously unknown pharaohs such as the King Seneb-Kay discovered in 2014, as well as the mysterious owner of new royal tomb just discovered in January 2025.

“This is the largest tomb we have discovered from the Abydos Dynasty, and we are still searching for the identity of this new-found king,” said Dr. Wegner.

At the lecture, Dr. Wegner will also present fresh-from-the-field findings from his excavation at the Abydos site this fall.

As Dr. Wegner points out, there’s more to these excavations than discovering tombs.

“We’re examining royal tombs for shreds of evidence that help patch together a window into life at a certain period of time – who these kings were, the nature of the kingdoms they ruled over and the social climate of that era,” he said, noting that many aspects of Ancient Egypt are similar to our lives today.

Then and now, we are all searching for the answer to the fundamental question of “who we are as humans in the cosmos,” said Dr. Wegner.

During the lecture, Dr. Wegner will also provide an update on Penn Museum’s reinstallation of its collection of Egyptian artifacts. The first phase is expected to open in 2026 and the second phase in 2028.

The fall luncheon series will conclude Thursday, Nov. 21, with Matthew Duss, executive director, Center for International Policy, and former visiting scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who will discuss “America is Ready for a Pro-Peace Foreign Policy. Is Washington?” The presentation will be held in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center at the University.

Washington’s post-Cold War foreign policy consensus has broken up, and the race is on to define a new one. Yet so many in Washington remain wedded to an ideology of American primacy undergirded by global military power. There are strong signs that voters are ready for something different. In every election since the end of the Cold War, with the exception of 2004, Americans have voted for the candidate who offered a less militaristic, more restrained vision of American foreign policy. Duss will discuss these trends and their implications for the next general election in the U.S.

Admission to the seminars 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 rose.merritt@scranton.edu.

To pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

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

Dean Aulisio spoke about the fall Schemel Forum schedule of events with WVIA’s Erika Funke on ArtScene.

As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, The University of Scranton’s Office of Community Relations, in collaboration with the Scranton Public Library and additional community partners, will host a “Constitution Day Dialogue: A Scranton Conversation” on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Albright Memorial Library, 500 Vine Street in downtown Scranton. The event is held on Constitution Day which also marks National Voter Registration Day.

The dialogue is an opportunity to listen to other’s perspectives and to share your own in a structured format. Come ready to engage with your neighbors – not debate or persuade – and build better understanding.

Participants will be asked introductory questions to help them get to know one another. They will also be invited to share an experience or story that explains what America means to them and will have an opportunity to reflect on the Preamble to the Constitution and how its main themes relate to their values and perspectives.

Light refreshments will be served. Those interested should register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ConstitutionDialogue 

This event is co-sponsored by The University of Scranton, Black Scranton Project, NeighborWorks NEPA, Scranton Public Library, Lackawanna Historical Society, Lackawanna County Immigrant Inclusion Committee, and Scranton Area Ministerium. University co-sponsors include the Office of Community Relations and student political clubs (College Democrats and College Republicans). Questions can be directed to community@scranton.edu and 570-941-4419.

 

 

About 800 University of Scranton students attended Tuesday’s Volunteer and Service Fair, which brought about 70 organizations to the McIlhenny Ballroom inside the DeNaples Center.

The annual event, hosted by the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice, connects students with opportunities to participate in programs that benefit various individuals and communities in need.

Tuesday’s two-hour fair featured organizations dedicated to addressing homelessness, food insecurity, civic engagement, education, health care, hospice, support for children and older adults, individuals with disabilities and a range of other community needs.

University of Scranton students volunteer tens of thousands of hours of service per year, participating in countless community service activities.

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Hundreds of students, employees and community members gathered Thursday at The University of Scranton's annual Mass of the Holy Spirit.

The Mass, which was held inside the Byron Recreation Complex, is a long-standing tradition at Scranton and Jesuit institutions of higher learning around the world. Its roots date back to the 16th century and its purpose includes reminding the community that education is a spiritual journey, as well as an intellectual pursuit.

All classes were canceled and offices were closed at the University during the Mass, which was followed by a picnic lunch along the Dionne Green and DeNaples Center Patio.

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The Center for Service and Social Justice at The University of Scranton will hold its annual Volunteer and Service Fair for local nonprofit organizations from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, on campus. Deadline to register is Monday, Sept. 8.

The fair offers University students and student-led clubs interested in service projects and community-based learning sites a chance to meet representatives from nonprofit organizations in need of volunteers.

Each year, more than 600 students attend the fair. Annually, more than 2,800 Scranton students volunteer for more than 175,000 hours of service.

There is no cost for a nonprofit organization to participate in the fair, however, registration is required. To register, email ellen.judge@scranton.edu or call 570-941-7429.

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 and Janelle Decker, conductors 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.

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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