Faculty News

It is one of the highest honors at The University of Scranton.

And, this year, it was presented to two individuals.

The University’s graduating senior Class of 2026 awarded this year’s Teacher of the Year to Sinchul Back, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the cybercrime and homeland security program; and Andrew Venezia, Ph.D., associate professor of health and human performance.

Created in 1997 by the University’s Faculty Senate, the Teacher of the Year award recognizes faculty members who exemplify excellence across multiple dimensions of teaching and student engagement. Honorees must be committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and fairness, ensuring an enlightening, rigorous and equitable learning environment for all students. Voting was conducted in April. Dr. Back and Dr. Venezia accepted their awards on Friday, May 22, at Class Night, held inside the DeNaples Center’s McIlhenny Ballroom.

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Dr. Back, who has worked at Scranton since 2019, is a retired Marine captain who served as an instructor in counter-terrorism tactics and counter-intelligence operations for the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. He previously served as a legislative aide for the South Korea Senate and the Massachusetts State House.

Dr. Back holds a Ph.D. in International Crime from Florida International University, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State University and a Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Political Science from Northeastern University. He teaches courses on cybercrime, cyber intelligence, mobile forensics, digital forensics investigation and introduction to homeland security.

Dr. Venezia, who has worked at Scranton since 2016, teaches in the kinesiology program and nutrition concentration and serves on the advisory committee for the neuroscience program. Among his courses is Advanced Physiology of Sport and Exercise, which he’s taught to every graduating kinesiology senior since 2016. He has also mentored several students in the University Honors Program.

Dr. Venezia earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise science from Bloomsburg University. He earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science from the University of Maryland.

Faculty members may earn the Teacher of the Year award no more than once.

The world’s largest professional organization dedicated to the study of Latin America will benefit in the coming years from a University of Scranton faculty member as she joins its leadership team. 

Yamile Silva, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures, was elected as Representative of the Sections for the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Dr. Silva’s three-year term with the organization’s Executive Council begins in June, following LASA2026, the Association’s International Congress, which will be held in Paris, France.

“In this role, I will represent the 42 sections of LASA, whose mission is to promote the common interests of Association members in specific areas of Latin American studies; foster communication among scholars with shared research interests; and make the Association more participatory and responsive to its constituencies,” Dr. Silva said. “As a voting member of the Executive Council, I will participate in monthly meetings and contribute to initiatives and projects that advance the Association’s goals.

“I am honored to serve in this capacity and look forward to representing the sections and their members on the Council.”

LASA has more than 13,000 members spanning 60 countries, bringing together scholars from all disciplines and professional backgrounds.

Dr. Silva has worked at the University since 2009. She received her undergraduate degree from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá-Columbia, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

Len Gougeon, Ph.D., had a long and storied career in the Department of English and Theatre at The University of Scranton, where he taught for over 40 years until his retirement in 2021.

Since retiring, he has been far from idle, as he has recently completed his fifth book, which, he says, was “by far the most challenging project of them all.”

The book, “Old England, New England and the Civil War: How a Clash of Cultures Ignited a Global Campaign for Racial Equality and Civil Rights,” is available to purchase on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and digital formats.

It tells the story of the divide and conflict between English and American intellectual elites during the Civil War.

While the Civil War brewed in the United States, major thinkers from both New England and across the pond came into conflict over their ideas about equality. Many leading English thinkers sided with the Confederacy because of their ideas regarding equality and race.

“The British empire stood on a foundation of white supremacy as did the Confederacy. Both maintained a social hierarchy based on class, caste and race,” Dr. Gougeon explained. “The South was essentially an oligarchy ruled by aristocratic gentlemen who resembled their British counterparts.”

Those ideas caused thinkers such as Thomas Carlyle, Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin to clash with their New England counterparts such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

That is where Dr. Gougeon’s specialties come into play, as he specializes in studies of Emerson, one of America’s most prominent literary figures and a leader of the Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century.

He served as president of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society and received the society’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008.

Writing this book was no small undertaking for Dr. Gougeon, as over 10 years of research resulted in an initial draft that was well over half a million words, but he eventually managed to shave it down to a book of approximately 400 pages with 1,200 footnotes.

“The original manuscript was basically a Gutenberg Bible,” he said.

In writing “Old England, New England, and the Civil War,” Dr. Gougeon shows that certain ideas considered radical by some today can actually be traced back to the nation’s origins and the declaration that “all men are created equal.”

“I hope they will see that what today is referred to as D.E.I. (diversity, equality, inclusion) is not a new idea. It was ingrained in the nation’s DNA from the beginning. Bringing it forth in our society has always involved struggle,” Dr. Gougeon said.

Dr. Gougeon is the author of “Virtue’s Hero: Emerson, Antislavery and Reform;” “Emerson and Eros: The Making of a Cultural Hero;” and “Emerson’s Truth, Emerson’s Wisdom: Transcendental Advice for Everyday Life,” among numerous other publications including journals such as The New England Quarterly, American Literature, Walt Whitman Quarterly Review, Studies in the American Renaissance, Modern Language Studies and others. His essays have appeared in various collections, including The Oxford Handbook to Transcendentalism, Emerson Bicentennial Essays, The Cambridge Companion to Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau at 200: Essays and Reassessments, A Political Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson in Context, Teaching Emerson and others. In 2015, he received the University’s Excellence in Scholarly Publication Award.

During his distinguished career at Scranton, Dr. Gougeon served as a member of the Faculty Senate for 31 years, including as a member of the Senate Committee on Shared Governance and Leadership. He also served as chair of the University Senate and as a member of the Board on Rank and Tenure and the University Handbook Committee.

Dr. Gougeon earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University Halifax, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

David Dzurec, Ph.D., associate provost for academic affairs and professor of history at The University of Scranton, earned selection to the competitive Lilly Network Leadership Institute, which brings together administrators to explore leadership perspectives, practices and principles.

Through the institute, Dr. Dzurec will participate in a two-year program that includes paired mentorship and conferences held in conjunction with the Lilly Network Workshop for Senior Administrators.

Founded in 1991, the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities (formerly the Lilly Fellows Program) presents fellowships. The network is based at Christ College, the interdisciplinary honors college of Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, and is sustained by the support of Lilly Endowment Inc.

In September, Dr. Dzurec participated as a speaker in The Schemel Forum’s University for a Day, which featured a series of talks and discussions about topics related to health, economics, history and spirituality. His publications include a book, “Our Suffering Brethren: Foreign Captivity and Nationalism in the Early United States,” and numerous articles in scholarly publications that include The Historian, War in History, The Journal of New York History, Catholic Historical Review, and The Journal of the Early Republic. In 2015, he served as a Fulbright Core Scholar, teaching American history and politics at Trnava University in Slovakia.

During his time at Scranton, Dr. Dzurec has served as interim associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, interim executive director of the Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities, and was chair of the History Department from 2015 to 2021. He also served as vice president of the Faculty Senate, co-chair of the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee, chair of the Conference Committee on Curriculum, faculty advisor, and held several leadership positions within the Faculty Affairs Council Executive Committee, including chair. He served as the University’s faculty athletics representative to the NCAA and as the faculty mentor for the University’s cross-country and track teams. In 2018, he received The University of Scranton Provost’s Award for Service and Leadership. 

Dr. Dzurec earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University, his master’s degree from the University of Connecticut and his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

The University of Scranton’s professors are renowned for their ability to connect with their students on both an academic and personal level, a quality exemplified by Kim Pavlick, Ph.D., whose efforts won her recognition from her students.

Student members of the University’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national honor society for students in Jesuit colleges and universities, selected Dr. Pavlick as their Teacher of the Year. Formally known as the Gannon Award for Teaching, the award is named for Edward Gannon, S.J., a 22-year employee of the University who taught philosophy until his death in 1986.

Dr. Pavlick, who was hired at Scranton in 2005 and is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Media, was presented the award at a ceremony on Sunday, March 8, at the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society Induction Ceremony. There, she was praised as “committed to helping her students grow both inside and outside the classroom” by one student nominator.

When she learned that she had been chosen to receive the Teacher of the Year award, Dr. Pavlick said she was “absolutely gobsmacked.”

“I see who gets it every year and they're smart, fabulous human beings and I think that's so well-deserved. I've always admired everyone who's been selected,” Dr. Pavlick said.

She also said that it is “the honor of my career that students would give me this type of award, and a lot of them said it was because I encourage critical thinking in my classes.”

In her classes, Dr. Pavlick tries to be up-to-date with current trends in education and pop culture, something that she always finds herself working to stay on top of.

“It's exciting to me to learn new material to teach students. I always try to be on the cutting edge. I'm always taking classes and webinars and getting certificates so that I can always bring something new into classes,” she said. “Right now, I've been working the last two years on ethical AI use, particularly in the field of communications … and I have now added ethics into all of my classes.”

She also serves as the NCAA faculty representative for Scranton’s student-athletes and faculty mentor for the University’s field hockey team, making her presence outside the classroom just as impactful as her teaching.

She describes herself as a mediator between the student-athletes and their professors in her capacity as the NCAA faculty representative.

“I love working with all students, and I love supporting all the student-athletes. I try to support them on the field, track or court, but particularly in the classroom. For example, I proctor exams for them remotely when they are playing away games,” she explained.

Dr. Pavlick’s abilities to care for her students were also praised by Grace DiCarlo ’27, a marketing and public relations major from Boonton, New Jersey.

DiCarlo said Dr. Pavlick’s involvement with students stood out the most during the classes she has taken under Dr. Pavlick.

“She really wants all of her students to succeed and she does that by going around the room, giving active feedback as we are doing work," DiCarlo said. "She's easily accessible. You can find her anytime and you can talk about whatever you want with her."

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She also said that Dr. Pavlick is “a lovely human being and I can't think of a professor who would deserve the award more than her.”

Dr. Pavlick received her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, master’s degree from The University of Scranton and her doctorate from Marywood University.

The Gannon Award for Teaching was established in 1969. Dr. Pavlick is the 57th recipient of the award, which recognizes outstanding efforts in educating students. 

The Scranton chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu was founded in 1943 and is the oldest honor society at the University. Juniors, seniors and graduate students at the University who have distinguished themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service are eligible for membership.

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

University of Scranton professors are influencing financial professionals worldwide, while their work earns top national honors.

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) recently recognized the distinguished contributions of Douglas M. Boyle, DBA ’88, professor and chair of accounting, and Daniel P. Haggerty, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, two of three authors of the article that earned the 2026 Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year Award.

Building on their previous article, “Aristotle and Accounting: Building Virtue to Fight Fraud,” which won the 2025 Verschoor award, Dr. Boyle and Dr. Haggerty retained their top billing with “Fraud and the Capital Vices: Pride, Envy and Greed.” Published in Strategic Finance, their latest article examines how the vices of pride, envy and greed contribute to fraud risk. It also provides organizations with practical strategies to strengthen ethical culture and prevent fraud by addressing these behavioral drivers.

The award-winning scholarship is especially notable in that it represents collaboration between faculty from two different colleges — Dr. Boyle of the Kania School of Management, Dr. Haggerty of the College of Arts and Sciences — highlighting the University’s interdisciplinary excellence.

“Kudos to Drs. Boyle and Haggerty for achieving this great honor, once again,” said Carolyn Berry, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their ongoing scholarly collaboration utilizes their Catholic, Jesuit-grounded expertise to create new and synergistic scholarly works that strives to improve the world around them.”

“Drs. Haggerty and Boyle’s recognition for their publication in a top practice journal demonstrates that the intersection between business and the humanities continues to resonate with the business community,” added Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School of Management.

Strategic Finance is the IMA’s flagship publication, reaching a global audience of about 140,000 finance leaders, practitioners and scholars from more than 105 countries. The Verschoor award honors the most outstanding ethics-focused article published annually in Strategic Finance. The award is named for Curt Verschoor, a distinguished accounting scholar and ethicist recognized for his contributions to promoting ethical standards and integrity in the accounting profession. Submissions are evaluated for quality, originality, relevance and practical impact in promoting ethical awareness.

University of Scranton professors have set a new benchmark in business ethics scholarship, earning the Verschoor award three consecutive years (2024-2026) and five times overall. Dr. Boyle has won the Verschoor award four times (2020, 2024-2026), an unparalleled distinction for any scholar, and Dr. Haggerty has now won the award twice (2025-2026). The article’s third author, Dana R. Hermanson, Ph.D., is an accounting professor at Kennesaw State University.

In addition to serving as professor and chair in the Department of Accounting, Dr. Boyle is the director of the University’s Ph.D. program in accounting. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant, he brings 30-plus years of executive experience, having held positions as CEO, CFO and COO. He currently serves as board chair for Allied Services Healthcare System and is ranked No. 1 worldwide for publication productivity in top accounting education journals and No. 1 nationally in practice-focused accounting journals. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Scranton, an MBA from Columbia University and a doctorate from Kennesaw State.

Beyond serving as professor in the Department of Philosophy, Dr. Haggerty directs the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. Dr. Haggerty’s research focuses on moral psychology, ethics and epistemology, examining how virtue, reasoning and emotions influence decision-making and ethical behaviors. He has published extensively on classical and contemporary philosophy and has received University awards including Teacher of the Year — from Scranton’s graduating class in 2018 and also from Alpha Sigma Nu in 2011 — and the 2016 Magis Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University and a doctorate from Syracuse University.

Founded in 1888, The University of Scranton offers 70 majors and has been recognized in recent national rankings by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Princeton Review and Forbes.

Global Insights invites all faculty, staff and students to join the final spring program on April 15, beginning at 11:30 a.m., featuring Eva Grohs, Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) for German, who will present "Bavaria." The program will be hosted in the Rose Room, Brennan Hall rm. 509. Registration is required. 

Grohs currently teaches three German courses for the University: Beginning German II, Contemporary German Narratives (a course focusing on German culture), and an Individual Study course about German literature and film. 

Grohs offered a preview of her presentation. 

Share some interesting aspects of Bavaria that you find unique to the state.

I think Bavaria is mostly known internationally for some world-famous celebrations like the Oktoberfest. But there is more to the state than just this, so I want to introduce the audience to some lesser-known, perhaps more localised, celebrations and traditions as well — there are some very interesting ones!

What is an activity you enjoy in Bavaria that you will discuss more in the presentation?

Exploring the landscapes and nature. You can go hiking, swimming, biking and much more in so many nice spots in the state.

What do you miss/enjoy most about being in Bavaria? 

Bavaria is really well-connected with public transport, which means that you can get from Munich to the mountains and beautiful lakes or to many different cities in a matter of a few hours at most. I also do find myself longing for some of the food, especially the bakeries and baked goods. The bakeries have so much variety and a German pretzel is just different to the ones here. 

What is your favorite location to visit?

There are many wonderful places to see, but I think one of my favorites is the Ammersee, shown below, a pretty big lake close to my hometown. It's a beautiful place to enjoy the sun in the summer and swim, to take in nature, to go on walks year round, or to just sit and relax with friends. 

Briefly describe the people and culture. What values or traditions help to shape both?

I think people from Bavaria can be described as very friendly and diverse. Regional identity and tradition shape daily life. It is also a place that I find to be welcoming and open to new things and people. 

Join Eva Grohs for the free luncheon getaway and cultural tour of Bavaria on April 15. Cultural cuisine will be offered.

Register for Global Insights Bavaria.

This program is sponsored by The Office of Global Education, and co-hosted with the Office of Institutional Compliance and Title IX, the Cultural Centers and Office of Residence Life.

For more information, please contact international@scranton.edu or 570-941-4841.

Fourteen faculty members at The University of Scranton received faculty development intersession grants for 2026.

Joe Brague, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, received a grant to research “From Bench to Manuscript: Critical Period Loss of Gonadal Hormones Differentially Regulates Dopamine-1 and Dopamine-2 Spiny Projections neuron Dendritic Spine Morphology and Motor Behavior Via Regulation of neurotrophic Mechanisms.” Dr. Brague received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and a doctoral degree from Lehigh University. He joined the Scranton faculty in 2022.

Michael Catalano, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, received a grant to research “Court Curbing and Judicial Review: State Supreme Courts with Mandatory Jurisdiction.” Dr. Catalano received a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and both a master’s and doctoral degree from Binghamton University. Catalano joined the Scranton faculty in 2024.

Vincent Farallo, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, received a grant to research “Physiological Costs of Poison Sequestration by Dendrobatid Frogs.” Dr. Farallo received a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University, a master’s degree from Texas State University-San Marco and a doctoral degree from Ohio University. He joined the Scranton faculty in 2020.

Beatriz Fontoura, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, received a grant to research “Beyond Earth’s soil: assessing crip nutrients and toxic metals in off-world agriculture.” Dr. Fontoura received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Federal University of Viçosa and a doctoral degree from Federal University of São Carlos. She joined the Scranton faculty in 2025.

Christopher Hauser, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, received a grant to research “Is Significant Free Will Compatible with Moral Perfection?” Dr. Hauser received a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a doctoral degree from Rutgers University. He joined the Scranton faculty in 2020.

Christopher Haw, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies, received a grant to research “Curricular Improvements in Orientation Sessions for Newly Matriculated Incarcerated Students at SCI Dallas.” Dr. Haw received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern University, a master’s degree from Villanova University and a doctoral degree from the University of Notre Dame. Haw joined the Scranton faculty in 2018.

Megan Heeder, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology and religious studies, received a grant to research “Initiating Communities of Generosity: A Christian response to Food and Social Inequality” for submission to Villanova’s Journal of Catholic Social Thought. Dr. Heeder received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from University of Notre Dame and a doctoral degree from Marquette University. Heeder joined the Scranton faculty in 2024.

Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., professor and chair of criminal justice, cybersecurity and sociology, received a grant to research “Police and Society: An Applied and Evidence-Based Approach.” Dr. Jenkins received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and both a master’s and doctoral degree from Rutgers University. Jenkins joined the Scranton faculty in 2013.

Vanessa Jensen, Ed.D., associate professor of counseling and human services, received a grant to research “Development of Research Environments in the Applied Behavior Analysis Curriculum to Meet Accreditation Standards.” Dr. Jensen received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from The University of Scranton and a doctoral degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She joined the Scranton faculty in 2005. 

Bibi Rafeiza Khan, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, received a grant to research “Cytoskeletal Mutations and Plant Stress Resilience: A Follow-up to Recent Discoveries in Arabidopsis thaliana.” Dr. Khan received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Guyana, a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas and a doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She joined the Scranton faculty in 2021.

Yibai Li, Ph.D., associate professor of operations and analytics, received a grant to research “Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with Large Language Models for Mining Large-Scale Blockchain Literature.” Dr. Li received a bachelor’s degree from Jilin University, a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a doctoral degree from Washington State University. Li joined the Scranton faculty in 2013.

Rose Sebastianelli, Ph.D., professor of operations and analytics, received a grant to research “The Role of Corporate Governance in Value Chain Carbon Management.” Dr. Sebastianelli received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University. She joined the Scranton faculty in 2003.

Mehmet Yetim, Ph.D., assistant professor of management and marketing, received a grant to research “The Simulated C-Suite: Methodological And Ethical Implications Of Using Artificial Intelligence To Impersonate Top Managers In Qualitative Studies.” Dr. Yetim received a bachelor’s degree from Celal Bayar University, a master’s degree from New York University and a doctoral degree from Louisiana State University. He joined the Scranton faculty in 2024.

Xinyu Zhou, Ph.D., assistant professor of management and marketing, received a grant to research “Balancing Empathy and Exploitation: The role of FLE Effort Narratives in Shaping Consumer Judgements.” Dr. Zhou received a bachelor’s degree from China University of Geosciences, a master’s degree from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and a doctoral degree from New Mexico State University. Zhou joined the Scranton faculty in 2024.

Michael Jenkins, Ph.D. ’06, professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology, served as project liaison for Robert S. '68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, The University of Scranton's newest architectural gem.

“It’s a space that taps into the rich history of the work the University has done on campus and in the community,” Dr. Jenkins said in a Scranton Journal feature article about Weiss Hall. “It also addresses the future of higher education and the need for educational programs to be outward-facing and to serve their regions.”

In a video interview, Dr. Jenkins offers insight on the project, from groundbreaking to dedication, and shares a guided tour.

View a photo gallery of progress from the ground up at Weiss Hall and read the complete article in The Scranton Journal's fall issue.

While you're there, don't miss a new addition to the alumni magazine: a time capsule that celebrates the 50th reunion of the Class of 1976, including notable visitors, and events on campus that occurred during that academic year.

The University of Scranton has received a Professional Development Award for $20,000 from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). Scranton is one of 43 institutions to receive a total of $889,000 in funding from the Council of Independent Colleges through NetVUE.

Grant funding will be used to support the implementation of the new Ignatian Core Curriculum, a revision of the general education program to be launched in the fall of 2027.

Teresa Grettano, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of English and Theatre and Faculty Senate president, applied for the grant to develop an Ignatian pedagogy workshop for faculty from across the curriculum to design new or revise existing courses.

At the heart of the new curriculum is the Core Capstone, which is intended to guide students nearing the end of their programs toward vocational exploration and discernment as they reflect on their transformation throughout their Catholic, Jesuit education at Scranton.

In August 2025, 13 faculty members from across all three colleges met for two days to discuss Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy, workshop course design and assignments and build a supportive and collaborative community of instructors.

“The real measure of our Jesuit universities lies in who our students become,” Dr. Grettano said, quoting former Jesuit Superior General Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. “We want students to be aware of and active participants in this transformation process. The Core Capstone is our opportunity to accompany them through reflecting back on their time at Scranton and projecting forward how to bring what they have learned and who they have become here into their future professional, personal and civic lives.”

Dr. Grettano is a national NetVUE Faculty Fellow and was a selected participant in the NetVUE Leading Vocational Exploration on-campus 2024 summer seminar where she received training to "teach the teachers" about vocational education. She will mentor workshop participants through course design and development, the curricular proposal process and course delivery and assessment.

The University values its long-standing relationship with NetVUE. A program of the Council of Independent Colleges, NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and the generosity of Lilly Endowment, Inc. This is the third NetVUE grant Scranton has received to develop curriculum, totaling over $100,000 to date.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

The University of Scranton works extensively with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison system, and one of the University’s professors received an award for his service at the State Correctional Institution at Waymart.

Christopher Haw, Ph.D., director of the University’s Prison Education Program, was recently named SCI Waymart’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year for his work educating incarcerated individuals. While the Prison Education Program teaches many college-level courses at SCI Dallas, Dr. Haw has also arranged, over the last few years, for many faculty members from The University of Scranton to give lectures at SCI Waymart on their various topics of specialty.

Some of these professors have included Carolyn Barry, Ph.D., the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who lectured on child development and psychology, and Brian Conniff, Ph.D., a professor of English, who taught about literature and poetry.

All of the professors who took part in the program did so voluntarily to help serve undereducated populations.

Dr. Haw will join other volunteers of the year from SCIs for a statewide award ceremony later this fall at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections headquarters.

During his remarks at Waymart’s award ceremony, he said that he was pleased to proliferate a quote from Saint John of the Cross: “Where you see no love, put love, and you will draw out love.”

Dr. Haw’s work brilliantly reflects the Jesuit ideals of The University of Scranton, being a person for and with others by spreading education widely.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

While The University of Scranton community celebrates the opening of the new Robert S. ʼ68 and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall this semester, the students and faculty of the Psychology Department face a bittersweet farewell to their old facilities in Alumni Memorial Hall (AMH).

John C. Norcross, Ph.D, distinguished professor of psychology, praised the new facility, calling it a “major upgrade for students, faculty and education at The University of Scranton.”

AMH still has a purpose at the University, including serving as the headquarters for Technology Support, although the Psychology Department bid the facility a sentimental goodbye.

“It’s home,” Dr. Norcross, who was the interim chair of the department when it relocated from AMH, said. “It’s like when people return to smaller homes that are a little more modest than what they have now. You look at it and you whistle and say, ‘How do we all fit in here?’ We go back and say, ‘How do we ever do it?’”

According to Dr. Norcross, AMH is where the Psychology Department began to grow.

“Alumni Memorial Hall is where our faculty began to diversify in terms of adding specialties,” Dr. Norcross said.

Not only that, it also produced remarkable students.

“We were still able to regularly get our majors up into the 80th percentile compared to other psychology graduates on the standardized metrics,” he said.

Jill Warker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, relocated into Weiss Hall at the beginning of the school year alongside the rest of the Psychology Department. But Dr. Warker still holds fond memories of seeing students daily in AMH.

“We would see students all the time. They would hang out and I regularly interacted with them. We were very cozy,” Dr. Warker said.

At the end of the spring semester of 2025, the Psychology Department held a gathering to say goodbye to its old facilities in AMH. Numerous alumni and retired professors returned to say goodbye and leave messages.

“We said we should have a reception inviting people to record their memories, take some photos and thus we started the memory wall,” Dr. Norcross said.

Dr. Norcross was the first to write on the wall.

“I was told I should be leading the charge,” he said.

The memory wall stands directly across from the stairs on the third floor of AMH where students and faculty wrote on it in colored markers.

“It is really nice when you go up the stairs, you see other people’s experiences of being in AMH and how fond they were of it,” Dr. Warker said.

While most of the messages are sentimental, some of them are humorous, as well, such as one note saying, “I’m NOT leaving. Come arrest me.”

The department left markers out for the rest of the semester, allowing people to add on to the wall.

The building opened in 1960 as the school library, according to records kept by the Weinberg Memorial Library, but later housed the Technology Support Center and Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness in addition to the Psychology Department.

AMH remains the home of Technology Support and also contains many offices and meeting spaces. The associate vice president of facilities management, James Caffrey, DBA, said the University is "currently evaluating the important role that Alumni Memorial Hall will play in the future for offices and departments."

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

Scranton students study abroad to experience personal growth and development, among other reasons, according to the University's Office of Global Education.

Royals who spent time in Europe on faculty-led travel courses to Greece and Germany this past June encountered numerous opportunities to satisfy those goals.

For the third consecutive year, Joan Grossman, Ph.D. and Andrew Venezia, Ph.D., Department of Health and Human Performance, took 12 students on a 10-day study abroad course to Greece, KNES 296 – Sport and Physical Culture in Ancient Greece. This travel course, from June 22 to July 2, explored athletic competition and physical culture in ancient Greece, with trips to: Athens, Marathon, Sparta, Nemia, Thermopylae, Delphi and Olympia.

"Students learned about the beginnings and importance of athletic competition within the Greek society and how athletic competition in ancient Greece has influenced the kinesiology discipline from the perspective of ancient Greek civilization to the modern day," said Dr. Grossman, professor, Department of Health and Human Performance.

The Panathenaic Stadium — the venue for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 — was the first stop of the first full day in Athens for students who studied abroad this past June in the KNES 296 Sport and Physical Culture in Ancient Greece course led by Drs. Joan Grossman and Andrew Venezia. Shown, from left, are: Dr. Venezia, Amelia Kearns '27, Gavin Grogan '27, Roman Cutrufello '27, Elizabeth D'Antonio '27, Christopher Monda '27, Conor Doogan '27, Cole Malone '27, Madison Markiewicz '26, Grace Castellano '27, Julia Kile '27, Anneliese Burg '27, Ariana Sioutopoulos '28 and Dr. Grossman.

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Personal experience inspired Dr. Grossman to begin leading the travel course.

"I had the opportunity to study abroad while a doctoral student at Colorado State University, at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, and it was a transformative experience. During my sabbatical in the fall 2021, part of my work included the creation of this course, as our department did not have a study abroad offering," Dr. Grossman said. "The kinesiology discipline traces its roots to Greece and therefore, this was a perfect fit."

Thanks to Dr. Grossman's "transformative experience," University students can create a few of their own memories of note.

Dr. Grossman described one encounter that resonates with Royals.

"The students have an opportunity to run in the ancient Olympic stadium, which is simply awesome," Dr. Grossman said.

Interested in Greece?
 

The next course offering is planned for June 2026, with an informational session scheduled for Monday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m., Kane Forum, Leahy Hall. Dr. Grossman encourages students with an interest in a faculty-led study abroad course to Greece to attend. 

Dr. Grossman, shown, joined The University of Scranton faculty in 2010.  She earned her B.S. from King’s College, her M.S. from Colorado State University and her Ph.D. from Colorado State University/Marywood University.

Französischer Dom and Konzerthaus, Berlin Germany

Six students visited Germany this past June in the theology/religions studies (T/RS 396), Christ, Resistance, and Reconciliation course led by Fr. Michael Azar, Ph.D., over an 11-day period.

"The course considers closely the theological roots of and reasons for resistance against unjust government policies, domestic or foreign. The first half of the course is devoted to the relatively few Christians who resisted during the Nazi period. We consider how the theological sources of Christianity (especially the Bible) inspired their resistance at a time when the vast majority simply complied with Nazi policies (or outright supported them)," said Fr. Azar,

"In the second half, we look at modern-day resisters in contemporary Germany, especially Christian institutions that provide church asylum for refugees who are under threat of deportation from the German government. Above all, we consider: What does it mean to learn from your past and to promise to yourself and others, “Never again”? How does one genuinely prevent the past from repeating?"

Fr. Azar explained how he shares this powerful message with students.

"Aside from reading primary sources (for example, anti-Nazi sermons from the WWII period), we devote much of our time to learning from contemporary models of resistance, most especially at a Catholic monastery in Northwest Germany that has become a major center of church asylum. It is striking to see nuns, who live a cloistered life according to the Benedictine Rule, being remarkably active in wider society on behalf of those who need it most."

 

For half of the course, University students and faculty stay at the 13-14^the century St. Scholastica Benedictine Convent in Dinklage, Germany, shown.

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One of the sites the students visit is Kloster Esterwegen Convent, a Catholic convent on the property of the former Esterwegen Concentration Camp. Sr. Makrina Finlay, who co-teaches the course with Fr. Azar, offers insight as to the experience of residing at a convent on the grounds of a former concentration camp.

Sr. Makrina Finlay, shown above at right, co-teaches the course with Fr. Azar. Sr. Finlay offers insight on the experience of residing at a convent on the grounds of a former concentration camp.
Shown below, Sr. Makrina Finlay guides students at City Hall (Rathaus) in Osnabrück, Germany.

"During the second half of the course, we spend a lot of time with Christian leaders who are providing church asylum for refugees as well as with the refugee communities themselves. Our hosts teach us the meaning of learning from one’s past and living out the Christian gospel now." 

Fr. Azar holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Fordham University and an MA in theology from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. He is currently writing a book on Orthodox Christian-Jewish relations, while his other scholarly pursuits focus on New Testament studies, especially apocalyptic thought and the "parting of the ways," as well as the effects that contemporary sociopolitical policies have on scholarly understandings of the ancient world.

His research has been previously supported by a CCD Grant from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Biblical Association, and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Faculty Fellow grant from Fordham University’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center. He is currently a 2024–25 Lady Davis Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (postponed to 2025–26) and continues to serve as a special advisor to the Orthodox Chair of the Orthodox Christian-Jewish dialogue and as a member of its planning committee. He is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.