Faculty News

The National Association of Scientific Materials Managers (NAOSMM) recently awarded one of its highest honors to a University of Scranton laboratory supervisor.

Deborah Wardach, laboratory supervisor in the University’s Department of Biology, received the 2026 Lamar Houston Service Award at the 53rd annual NAOSMM Conference and Trade Show in Wichita, Kansas.

The award, named for the organization’s founder, recognizes exceptional dedication, leadership, volunteerism and long-term commitment that contributes to the NAOSMM’s success and growth.

Wardach has been an NAOSMM member since 2008. She contributed extensively on the awards, finance, hospitality and technology committees and spent six years on the organization’s board. She served as treasurer beginning in 2019 before continuing in the organization’s newly established past treasurer role.

Throughout her varied service, Wardach has strengthened the NAOSMM’s financial operations while also playing a key role in documenting institutional knowledge and creating a framework for continuity at the leadership level.

“Beyond her official roles, Deborah has always been willing to answer questions, provide guidance and support others,” said the citation accompanying the award. “Deborah’s leadership and dedication have left NAOSMM stronger than she found, and we are grateful for her many years of service.”

Wardach was hired at The University of Scranton in 2022. In her role, she supports teaching and research activities in the Biology Department while advancing the scientific materials management profession.

The NAOSMM was founded in 1974 and includes more than 500 members involved in teaching, researching and practicing in the scientific industry.

David Dzurec, Ph.D., associate provost for academic affairs and professor of history, recently achieved a 1310-plus-mile milestone: running a marathon in all 50 states. On June 20, he crossed the finish line at the Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska.

The feat, 30 years in the making, began in 1996 when Dr. Dzurec ran the Vermont City Marathon. Since then, he has logged 55 marathons in total with a few Jesuit connections along the way, most recently in the form of logistical guidance from interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Tracy Stewart.

“It was a fun coincidence that Tracy Stewart is from Anchorage and knew the course well. I was grateful to my boss for the insider scoop, which was very helpful as I prepared,” said Dr. Dzurec, who also shared his appreciation to the University community at large.

“Being a part of a community, especially the University of Scranton community, really helps make all of this possible and helped to keep me motivated. Cross Country/Track Coach Bill Burke has been a regular source of support and provided me with an opportunity to run with our teams over the last two decades.

“I am grateful to everyone who would stop me on campus and ask where I was in my states list. Members of the campus community have run with me at different times, including Dr. Jim Roberts, criminal justice, Dr. Adam Pratt, history, and Dr. Megan Heeder, theology, who will be running the Sydney Marathon in a few weeks.”  

The quest for 50 states took Dr. Dzurec to some of the most storied races in the country, including the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, shown below, Chicago Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.  

Journey Begins With Service

Dr. Dzurec's marathon journey began in 1999 while he was participating in volunteer service on the West Coast.

“My senior year at Fairfield in 1999, I went to visit a friend, and we watched the Boston Marathon from the Boston College campus at the top of Heartbreak Hill. ... That fall, while participating in AmeriCorps in Southern Oregon, I ran the California International Marathon in Sacramento, and managed to qualify for Boston. After Boston in April 2000, I decided to try to run a marathon in all 50 states.”

After three decades of distance-running dedication in North America, Dr. Dzurec said he’s considering the World Majors Marathons.

“The original six include Boston, Chicago, New York, London, Berlin and Tokyo. Since I've already run half, I'm considering the remaining three to complete the cycle. They've recently added Sydney and Cape Town, so I could add those if I'm really ambitious,” Dr. Dzurec said.

Memorable Pin Drops on the Marathon Map

 

Dr. Dzurec shared a few notable runs that round out his favorite list, in addition to the prestigious marathons in Boston, New York and Chicago.

A few with historical significance presented scholarly encounters for this subject matter expert.

• Alabama. “The Birmingham Marathon was striking when I realized the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ had been painted down the middle of the street in a city once known as ‘Bombingham’ because of the bombing of black churches during the Civil Rights movement.”

• Arkansas. “The Little Rock Marathon ran by Little Rock Central High School, of the 1957 Little Rock Nine.”

• Texas. “The Dallas Marathon ran right by the Texas School Book Depository.”

• South Dakota. “The Crazy Horse Marathon started at the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills.”

Others offered a glimpse of the country’s purple mountain majesty.

• Maine. “The Mount Desert Island, shown below, ran through Acadia National Park, was one of the most beautiful.” 

Still others presented tests of endurance.

• Colorado. “Steamboat Springs was the highest elevation, at 8,200 feet above sea level.

  
  
  Dr. David Dzurec in the Mount Desert Island Marathon in Maine, shown above.
  
  

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And, perhaps two of the most memorable runs resulted in a lifelong partnership and a quintessential Alaska family experience.

• Hawaii. “My wife and I met while running cross country at Fairfield (University.) So, on our honeymoon we went to Maui, where I ran the full marathon, shown below, and she ran the half.  

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• Alaska. “My wife also ran the half in Anchorage. ... My son David, shown below, who was running his first marathon, and my brother Paul both ran with me. At about mile 22, there was a moose with two calves on the edge of the course. (There were also two police officers there to ensure this was without incident.) 

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The University of Scranton’s Provost’s Faculty Enhancement Awards are some of the University’s most coveted prizes, presented with the intention of encouraging, supporting, promoting and recognizing the efforts of faculty who strive for and achieve distinction and excellence in their work.

This year, nine Provost Awards were presented Thursday, May 14, at the McIlhenny Ballroom inside the DeNaples Center.

Award recipients included:

Honoring exceptional leadership in shared governance and academic planning, Andrew Venezia, Ph.D., associate professor of health and human performance, earned the Award for Academic Leadership and Institutional Stewardship. Dr. Venezia’s extensive service across more than 10 committees, including key chair roles, fosters collaboration, transparency and institutional strength while advancing faculty engagement and academic excellence throughout the University. As Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee chair alone, he convenes weekly meetings and works daily with various dean’s offices, the registrar, the provost and faculty from all three colleges.

Honoring a commitment to justice, human dignity and belonging, the Beloved Community Faculty Enhancement Award recognizes Kate Cummings, assistant professor and research and instruction librarian for the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library. Professor Cummings’ leadership in promoting intellectual freedom and equitable access to knowledge has earned widespread recognition. In 2025, she was elected as the Pennsylvania Library Association’s vice president and president-elect, a three-year commitment that will culminate in her leading the state’s library association.

Advancing care for creation and environmental justice, the Laudato Si’ Award honors Rich Larsen, professor of English and theatre. Professor Larsen has demonstrated decades of sustainable theatre practices, including innovative material reuse and eco-conscious design, long before sustainability became an institutional priority. His scenic design for a recent musical production used an estimated just $400 in new materials with the rest assembled entirely from stock and donated and reclaimed items, demonstrating how the arts can model creative stewardship of the natural world.

Recognizing excellence in outcomes-based education, the Award for Assessment and Educational Effectiveness honors the Department of Counseling and Human Services. Across their five degree programs, CHS faculty members commit themselves to helping their graduates become competent practitioners who are genuinely prepared to care for those they serve. The department assesses its students through transparent and rigorous practices and while using a continuous feedback model that drives student and programmatic success, building a culture of assessment that benefits the entire University and its people.

Honoring innovative and mission-centered collaboration, the Award for Mission-Driven Innovation and Partnerships recognizes the Department of Crime, Justice and Security. The department's Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime engages students with community partners to address real-world challenges while advancing justice, public safety and transformative student learning. Partner organizations include the Scranton Police Department, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Youth and Family Services, among others. The department also runs an annual cyber camp in the summer, providing training to high school students.

Celebrating outstanding scholarly achievement, the Award for Research and Scholarly Practice recognizes corecipients Spencer Galen, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Marc Shapiro, Ph.D., professor and chair of theology and religious studies. Dr. Galen’s prolific research record includes 14 articles and a book chapter in an open-source textbook. He has also generated significant external funding and his work has been cited hundreds of times. Dr. Shapiro’s decades of leadership in Judaic Studies at Scranton has elevated the University’s international reputation and connections within worldwide Jewish communities. He is the author of nine books — with Nos. 10 and 11 in progress — and his most recent book about Rav Kook was a finalist for the prestigious Rabbi Sacks Book Prize.

Recognizing innovative teaching excellence, the Award for Transformative Teaching and Learning honors Ovidiu Cocieru, Ph.D., associate professor of management. Dr. Cocieru’s Classroom-as-Organization (CAO) approach is a research-based model in which students live organizational life rather than simulating it. For instance, his students in MGT 430 plan and execute Scranton SoccerFest every spring. Dr. Cocieru’s instruction strengthens student engagement and awards real authority to students. He has authored six peer-reviewed publications on CAO pedagogy, establishing him as a national authority on the subject.

Honoring sustained excellence across teaching, scholarship and service, the Magis Award recognizes Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., professor and chair of health and human performance. Dr. Fetherman’s leadership as Community-Based Learning’s (CBL) faculty coordinator has exemplified Ignatian values and prepared students to lead lives of purpose and service. She has led faculty workshops, supported colleagues in integrating CBL into their courses and secured grant funding. She also plays a central role in the Leahy College of Health Sciences’ TAPESTRY program, which introduces first-year students to Jesuit values to guide seniors to discern how those values will shape their professional lives.

Additionally, Ann "Nancy" Cummings, management and marketing faculty specialist, received the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. The award recognizes a faculty member's dedication to teaching graduate students in an encouraging and intellectually stimulating environment that promotes critical thinking and learning. Last year's award winner, Wesam Alramadeen, assistant professor of operations and analytics, presented the award to Professor Cummings.

The University also honored a group of distinguished faculty members who are transitioning into scholarly pursuits, personal projects or retirement, among other things. The group includes Rev. Timothy Cadigan, S.J., Jones DeRitter, Ph.D., Michael Friedman, Ph.D., Jean Harris, Ph.D., Bonnie Markowski, MFA, and Terrence Sweeney, Ph.D., of the College of Arts and Sciences; Robert Spinelli, DBA, of the Leahy College of Health Sciences; and Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D., of the Kania School of Management.

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The state’s leading professional membership organization for accountants has and will continue to benefit in the coming years from a distinguished member of the faculty at The University of Scranton.

Ashley L. Stampone, Ph.D ’10, G’11, Ph.D ’23, assistant professor of accounting, is currently serving as a vice president on the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Board of Directors. She previously served a one-year term as a vice president and is now in her second year of a two-year, at-large term that will extend her service through April 2027.

Dr. Stampone was formally sworn in at PICPA’s annual meeting, held May 5 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa in Bedford County.

“Dr. Stampone's appointment to the PICPA Board of Directors reflects the respect she has earned throughout the accounting profession,” said Douglas M. Boyle, DBA ’88, accounting professor and chair at the University. “As a dedicated educator, accomplished scholar and engaged professional, she consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence and service. Her contributions to the profession, our students and the University have been significant, and I am confident she will make a meaningful impact in helping guide the future of the PICPA.”

The PICPA Board of Directors oversees the organization’s property and affairs. It includes officers and directors who advance the organization’s mission of serving, supporting and advocating for the profession while serving as a valuable resource to its nearly 18,000 members.

Dr. Stampone, who joined in the University in 2016, is a five-time recipient of the Kania School of Management’s Teacher of the Year award, presented by KSOM students. She has received numerous state and national awards and professional honors, including PICPA’s Young Leaders Award in 2021.

A research team from The University of Scranton has set out to answer a few questions whose answers may benefit communication systems around the world.

NASA’s Heliophysics Citizen Science Investigations program awarded the University a $568,117 grant to discover more information about the weather in space and how those conditions affect the reliability of high-frequency communication systems used on Earth.

The three-year project, titled “Ionospheric Model Validation and Development of an Open-Source High Frequency Ray-Tracing Toolkit” is led by Kornyanat "Kukkai" Hozumi, Ph.D., research scientist at Scranton. Dr. Hozumi is serving as the principal investigator with collaborators Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering, and Mark Fenner, Ph.D., assistant professor of computing sciences, on the interdisciplinary team. The grant was awarded in February 2026 with work slated to continue through January 2029.

The Scranton team is researching how radio waves travel through the ionosphere, a region of the upper atmosphere that enables long-distance radio communication. Disturbances caused by solar activity can disrupt these signals, affecting aviation, emergency alerts, military operations and global radio networks.

Researchers will develop a freely available, open-source software toolkit capable of modeling radio wave propagation in three dimensions. This represents a significant advancement from the earlier two-dimensional tools.

Amateur radio operators from within the influential and prolific Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) community will test tools and contribute data that will then be analyzed by the researchers.

While several aspects of the work have already been outlined, the project centers on four key goals: 1. Developing a three-dimensional, open-source, high-frequency ray-tracing toolkit; 2. Validating leading ionospheric models using data from the global HamSCI network; 3. Studying space weather’s effects on radio signals; 4. Broadening access to data through public seminars and other avenues that support researchers, students and amateur radio operators.

Earlier this year, The University of Scranton received a three-year, $600,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research regarding ionospheric research.

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.

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.