Learn, Connect, Grow at Upcoming ‘University for a Day’

The Schemel Forum’s University for a Day features a daylong series of talks and discussions about topics related to health, economics, history and spirituality.

The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center at The University of Scranton. In addition to the usual Schemel Forum audience, the University for a Day event will be offered to youth in the area. High school students must register in advance.

“Thanks to a generous grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the first 50 high school juniors and seniors to sign up will attend the day for free,” said George J. Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library and director of the Schemel Forum.

Leading off the day is Cyrus Paul Olsen III, D.Phil., associate professor of Theology/Religious Studies, affiliate faculty member of Health Humanities at Scranton and affiliate research fellow of the Human Network Initiative at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Olsen will present “Gorillas, Ghosts & Gods: Networks of Belonging in Africa.”

In this talk, Dr. Olsen, a longtime faculty member at Scranton and Co-PI of original research associated with the Clinical Neurology Lab at Harvard/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will explore how diverse networks of belonging shape planetary identity, health and hope. He will share information from an international project set in Uganda where he has been part of a Clinical Neurology “dry lab” that uses social science to think about clinical, social and economic interventions in developing and maintaining healthy communities.

The title of his talk provides an entree into the topic. A key institutional partner for Dr. Olsen’s research is an award-winning hospital near the rainforest where endangered mountain gorillas live alongside growing human communities. Ghosts represent the connections some of those communities retain with their ancestors and spirits, alluding to how African spirituality connects with health-seeking behaviors in communities. And Gods looks at the connections between traditional African religion and Christianity, which came much later in that part of the world.

“Essentially we are taking a snapshot of the community as a window into the vulnerabilities of that community,” said Dr. Olsen.

Amid the “loneliness epidemic” in which we live, having a sense of belonging is key to healthy communities and people.

“We need people, community and interaction to thrive,” said Dr. Olsen.

His talk will present new research models for including neglected factors influencing global health and in places too often, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. He will also provide insight into life in Uganda and will share original video footage from his trips there.

Next, David Dzurec, Ph.D., associate provost and professor of history at the University, will present “Natives, Immigrants and Nationalism: John Bapst, the Penobscot, and the Politics of Intolerance in the Nineteenth-Century U.S.”

In 1854, Father John Bapst, a Jesuit priest, was tarred and feathered by an angry mob in Ellsworth, Maine, as part of a spate of anti-Catholic violence in the United States in the 1850s. Father Bapst’s story began years earlier as a missionary among the Penobscot Indians, where he faced deep divisions over land, leadership and religion.

In this talk, Dr. Dzurec will follow Father Bapst’s dramatic journey from revolutionary Europe to frontier Maine and will examine how life — and the violence he faced — reflected bigger struggles over immigration, religion and national identity in nineteenth-century America. Through Father Bapst’s story, participants will learn how local tensions were part of a much larger, global story.

Next will be a presentation by Anna Jaskiewicz, Ph.D., assistant professor of Economics, Finance and International Business at the University, who will discuss “Roots and Remedies for Health Disparities in the U.S.”

In her talk, Dr. Jaskiewicz will examine the social determinants underlying health disparities in the United States and explore research-driven solutions to advance health equity. Health is something almost everyone can relate to, whether through personal experiences or those of people close to us. Yet we often tend to see health as purely an individual responsibility, said Dr. Jaskiewicz.

“This suggests that poor health outcomes reflect personal failure. In fact, historical, economic and environmental systems play a major role in shaping our health,” said Dr. Jaskiewicz, who was drawn to this topic because of her belief that it’s essential to highlight how structural inequalities, not just individual choices, drive many of the health disparities we see today.

“In my own research, I’ve found that exposure to racially motivated hate crimes in one’s area of residence is associated with worse birth outcomes for African American infants. This is one example of how deeply these systemic issues can affect even the earliest stages of life,” she said.

Other examples of factors contributing to health disparities include exposure to environmental hazards, such as when people live or work in areas with poor air or water quality, and medical mistrust rooted in a history of mistreatment, she said.

“It can sometimes feel disheartening to look at the statistics around health disparities. But I hope participants of this talk walk away understanding that we’re not powerless and there are real policy tools available to address these inequities,” said Dr. Jaskiewicz.

For the final presentation of the day, Joan A. Grossman, Ph.D., RD, professor of health and human performance at Scranton, will present “The Power of Small Changes: Food, Activity and Quality of Life.”

During this informative session, participants will discover how food choices impact body weight. Dr. Grossman, a registered dietitian/nutritionist, will help participants gain an understanding of how small changes in daily activity can improve a person’s quality of life and increase their longevity for lifelong good habits.

The Schemel Forum is sponsored by Munley Law. To register for University for a Day, 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 $55 per person and $100 per couple for non-members. The first 50 high school juniors and seniors to sign up may attend free of charge thanks to a grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Continental breakfast and lunch are included. To pay for courses online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

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