The University of Scranton mourns the loss of a distinguished alumnus and civic leader whose death happened the very same night he was honored by his alma mater.

David J. Wenzel ’69, G’74, a decorated military veteran and public servant, died the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center. He was 80.

A Scranton native who lost both legs and an arm while serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Wenzel returned home and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Scranton. He then dedicated his life to public service, most notably from 1986-90 as the 27th Mayor of Scranton. After leaving office, Wenzel continued working as a pioneering disability rights advocate.

The University’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS) had long planned to showcase memorabilia from Wenzel’s remarkable career at an exhibit at the Weinberg Memorial Library. “A Life of Service: Celebrating David J. Wenzel,” opened earlier in the evening of Nov. 5. It was attended by numerous local and University officials, as well as Wenzel’s friends and family, including his wife, Janet, who accepted the inaugural CEEPS Public Service Award on his behalf. Going forward, the award will be renamed in Wenzel’s honor.

“David was a happy warrior,” said Wenzel’s friend, Joe Riccardo. “He kept that wonderful smile and twinkle in his eye, but he fought. He fought for his country in Vietnam. He fought for our community, both as Mayor and as an active citizen. Boy, he fought all his life to maintain his dignity; it wasn’t always easy as a triple amputee, but David was not going to allow any disability to get in his way to prevent him from achieving his goals.”

Prior to serving as mayor, Wenzel was Scranton’s tax collector. After leaving office, he served on the executive committee of the National Council on Disability. Later, he authored a book, “Scranton’s Mayors,” and received the honor of having his name attached to the beautiful David Wenzel Treehouse at Nay Aug Park.

Fellow Vietnam veteran and former President Judge of Lackawanna County, Tom Munley, spoke at the event and called Wenzel “my hero.” Former U.S. Sen. and Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service Bob Casey called him “an inspiration.” Former Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty also spoke of Wenzel as a “great man.”

“Think of the impact he had on young men and women who asked the question: ‘Who’s this man? And he was the Mayor? What happened to him and what has he done?’” Doherty said. “When they get the answers, they realize here’s someone you should follow and model. Here’s someone who is a true leader of our city and a fine example of what our city produces: men of dignity, honor and honesty.”

The exhibit is open and will remain on display during regular library hours at the fifth-floor Heritage Room through Sunday, Dec. 14. 

For more coverage, please see: WNEP, The Times-Tribune, Fox 56 and WVIA.

Eighty-three high school students participated in team-building exercises, breakout sessions and other activities at the fifth annual Path to Business Excellence Conference.

The University of Scranton’s Kania School of Management (KSOM) organized and hosted the event on Saturday, Nov. 22. Participants engaged in faculty- and student-led sessions and had an opportunity to hear from current students and alumni about their experience within KSOM, which holds accreditation from AACSB International, the gold standard for business school accreditation.

The students who attended the conference, along with their families, learned about a wide range of business majors offered at Scranton, including analytics and accounting programs that U.S. News and World Report ranked among the top 40 in the nation. Attendees also learned about Scranton’s underlying philosophy, guided by Jesuit ideals, in which students are encouraged to participate in community service, clubs and co-curricular activities while receiving an outstanding education.

Azzan Yadin-Israel, Ph.D., recently visited The University of Scranton as its featured speaker at the Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute Lecture.

Dr. Yadin-Israel’s presented “Solving the Mystery of Adam and Eve’s Forbidden Fruit” on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Pearn Auditorium in Brennan Hall. The speech was free and open to the public.

Dr. Yadin-Israel is the chair and professor of Jewish studies at Rutgers University and the author of the 2022 book, “Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple.”

The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute was founded in 1979 through an endowment funded by the local Jewish community. The Institute was further funded in 1990 by a $1 million gift from Harry Weinberg. The lecture series has hosted numerous events and scholarly speakers throughout the years, fostering an appreciation for and understanding of Judaism, Israel and their histories.

The Jesuit principles instilled at The University of Scranton — critical thinking, ethical responsibility, a commitment to justice, among other things — will benefit professionals in any line of work.

A trio of military personnel reflected upon the Jesuit teachings at a Veterans Day Communication Leadership Panel, organized by Scranton’s Department of Communication and Media. Col. Richard H. Breen, Jr., ’77, director of public affairs and communications at the office of the assistant secretary of war for health affairs, served as the moderator. Panelists included Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry ’79, U.S. Army, retired, and Lt. Col. Jay Wenger, professor of military science at The University of Scranton.

“The names that I would mention are all on buildings around campus,” Col. Breen said. “I was commissioned by Father William J. Byron. I had dinner many a night with Father Joseph Rock. Father Ed Gannon conducted the marriage ceremony for myself and my wife.

“Learning from your teachers and from the Jesuit values here — it’s something serious, it’s something that carries with you for the rest of your career.”

Col. Breen and the group spoke in front of nearly 100 guests — most of them students — during the hourlong panel and Q and A with the audience at the Kane Forum in Leahy Hall.

“Nobody prays for peace more than somebody that’s seen war,” Lt. Col. Wenger added. “In every corner of this world, there are lovely and wonderful people out there. The toughest environments you go into, the places where the Jesuit values are not, that is where they’re needed most. The morals, the ethics, the values that all of you have and that are fostered here — bring them to corners of the world. …

“When you are in these tough positions, you want somebody leading in the position that has (strong) values.”

The panelists spoke about numerous other items, including the value communications professionals can add to an organization such as a military command.

“The English language is a precise language when used precisely,” Maj. Gen. Terry said. “We have to be very careful when we use words. One of the most dangerous statements I ever got was … ‘Sir, I understand.’ Do you really? The importance of giving your intent, giving the opportunity for subordinate elements to develop their complementary plans and then coming back and back-briefing the higher level — that’s when you find out if you really understand.”

Maj. Gen. Terry and the panelists also offered advice to students who will soon enter the job market, emphasizing the importance of being on time, composed and respectful.

“Understand where you’re at,” Maj. Gen. Terry said. “As a communications person, you’re not the boss, you’re not the commander, you’re not the president. Where do you fit as a cog in that? And how can you support the mission? Be a team player. I think that’s the biggest thing. You want to be considered a team player among your peers because you’re going to have peers, and those peers may still be with you years down the road.”

The event also included a posting and retirement of the colors by the University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Color Guard. Cadets Michael O'Toole, an undeclared major from Middle Village, New York, and Evan Taddeo, a biology major from Havertown, presented the colors. The national anthem was sung by ROTC cadets Kiley Mullins, a nursing major from Northford, Connecticut, and Haley Hendershot, a nursing major from Blue Point, New York. It concluded with remarks from Stacy Smulowitz, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication and Media.

“To our students,” Dr. Smulowitz said, “I hope you leave here today with a renewed sense of purpose no matter your choice of career. Remember the example set by our distinguished veterans. The values they embody — integrity, selflessness and an unwavering commitment to their country — are all values we can all strive to uphold in our daily lives.”

The University of Scranton recently welcomed an international diplomat as a guest lecturer.

Mateusz Sakowicz, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, spoke Friday, Nov. 7, at the Rose Room inside Brennan Hall.

Sakowicz presented, “Global Insight from Poland’s Consul General,” as part of the University’s Schemel Forum World Affairs Luncheon Seminars series.

Sakowicz has worked in diplomatic relations for nearly 20 years. He assumed his current position in July 2024 after previously serving about four years as Deputy Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations in New York. Prior to that, he was awarded the Bronze Cross of Merit in 2019 for his diplomatic service.

Having hosted Sakowicz, as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s senior curator Tom Shieber and University of Pennsylvania professor Josef Wegner, one event remains in the fall’s luncheon series. Matthew Duss, executive director at the Center for International Policy, will present, “America is Ready for a Pro-Peace Foreign Policy. Is Washington?” on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the McIlhenny Ballroom in the DeNaples Center. Cost is $30 to attend and includes a buffet lunch.

For more information, visit the Schemel Forum’s website, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

The Schemel Forum is sponsored by Munley Law.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

The Hindu festivals of Diwali and Navratri occurred in October with commemorations across Indian communities in the Scranton area.

At The University of Scranton, these festivals hold significance for a large part of the community and the University’s Asia Club hosts a celebration of the holidays each year.

Diwali is the annual celebration of good triumphing over evil, commemorated as a festival of lights.

For Sofiya Magar ’28, a marketing major from Scranton and the vice president of the Asia Club, it is more than just a religious ceremony.

“It's about unity, gratitude and the light we share with one another, bringing our community closer together through understanding and celebration,” Magar said. 

The celebration included a presentation on the origins and significance of Diwali and Navratri, food catered by Aramark, traditional Indian dancing and henna painting.

Even though Diwali is an Indian celebration, it is celebrated in many places all over the world.

“Diwali is celebrated across the world by millions of people, not only in India, but also in many other countries where South Asian communities live,” Magar said.

For the club, it represents something more than just celebrating an important holiday. It is an opportunity to share this important cultural event with the Scranton community as a whole.

“By celebrating Diwali as a campus club, we bring a piece of this global tradition to our university, allowing students, faculty and the wider Scranton community to come together and experience its warmth and beauty,” Magar said. “It creates a space where people of all backgrounds can learn about, connect with and appreciate the beauty of South Asian culture.”

Ann Pang-White, Ph.D., faculty moderator, was proud of the club officers and the work they put into arranging the event.

“It's delightful to work with Asia Club officers and see how the whole event comes together. I enjoyed watching all the officers dressed up in colorful and refined Indian outfits and the proud smiles on their faces. They worked very hard and deserved all the credit for such a wonderful show of an ancient culture,” said Dr. Pang-White, a professor of philosophy and director of Asian studies.

Over 100 people attended the event held Oct. 24 at Scranton. More than 40 attendees were from outside the University.

The presidents of The University of Scranton and King's College will join the Mayors of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Nov. 15, celebrating Rev. Joseph Murgas — the local priest, artist, botanist and scientist who pioneered the initial stages of wireless communication — and the 50th anniversary of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club named in his honor.

The event, which was organized in partnership with the Slovak Heritage Society of NEPA and the Luzerne County Historical Society, celebrates the November 1905 public unveiling of the “Tone Method,” a wireless communication system capable of transmitting voice and sound over long distances. It was developed and patented by Father Murgas. The test included a series of messages exchanged between Father Murgas; then Wilkes-Barre Mayor Frederick C. Kirkendall; then Scranton Mayor Alex T. Connell; and Rev. Michael John Hoban, a former bishop of the Diocese of Scranton.

At 1 p.m. on Nov. 15, Mayor George C. Brown and Mayor Paige Cognetti will recreate that transmission with King’s College president Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., and The University of Scranton president Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., Ph.D.

The event also marks the 50th anniversary of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, a community of local radio operators in Northeastern Pennsylvania that originated in the 1970s. The club participates in several operating events throughout the year and provides communications support for multiple local nonprofit organizations.

The University of Scranton and King's College will hold simultaneous celebrations from 1 to 4 p.m. that are free and open to the public.

The University of Scranton will transmit from its W3USR amateur radio station with a public showing of the event in the PNC Auditorium inside the Loyola Science Center. After the reenactment, attendees will be invited upstairs to the W3USR station to operate the radios and enjoy refreshments. An exhibit is also currently on display — covering Father Murgas, the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, W3USR and HamSCI — in the Loyola Science Center’s second-floor display cases.

King’s College will transmit from the Richard Abbas Alley Center for Health Sciences on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. Guests can also enjoy refreshments while they visit the Alley Center’s Rev. Joseph Murgas Room, which showcases his paintings, butterfly collection, wireless broadcasting work and his priestly vestments.

“This celebration not only recognizes Father Murgas, a brilliant technological pioneer who worked in our local area, but also reminds us that the people of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, W3USR, The University of Scranton, King's College, and our greater NEPA community can continue Father Murgas’ legacy of innovation today,” said Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., W2NAF, associate professor of physics and engineering at The University of Scranton and member of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club.

Father Murgas was born in Tajov, Slovakia, in 1864 and later became one of the early pioneers in the science of radio. He pursued both religious studies and his interests in electricity, astronomy and advanced physics from an early age. After he was ordained a priest in 1888, he enrolled in the Electrical College of Vienna, Austria. He traveled to Northeastern Pennsylvania in 1896 and later served as the founding pastor of Sacred Heart Church at 601 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, where he conducted much of his research.

The University of Scranton recently welcomed renowned economist William Easterly, Ph.D., as the featured speaker at the Fall Henry George Lecture, an event that annually brings globally respected thought leaders to campus.

Dr. Easterly, professor of economics and co-director of the Development Research Institute at New York University, presented afternoon and evening lectures during his visit Tuesday, Oct. 21.

He also participated in a ceremony in the atrium of Brennan Hall, where his name was added to a commemorative plaque of Henry George lecturers. Thirteen previous speakers won Nobel Prizes.

After an afternoon lecture at Brennan Hall on the rise and fall of free markets, Dr. Easterly’s evening talk at the DeNaples Center was titled, “Violent Saviors: Development Lessons from the History of Colonialism.” Dr. Easterly addressed the consequences of coercive foreign interventions and emphasized the importance of empowering countries to freely make decisions.

Dr. Easterly’s visit also included attending a dinner held in honor of late alumnus John Kelly, a local realtor and member of the Schalkenbach Board of Directors whose generosity helped establish the Henry George series.

Dr. Easterly 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 and then worked until 2003 at the Institute for International Economics and the Center for Global Development. He then began teaching at NYU and is the author of three books, more than 70 peer-reviewed academic articles and numerous columns and reviews published in national outlets.

The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute of The University of Scranton will welcome Azzan Yadin-Israel, Ph.D., chair and professor of Jewish studies at Rutgers University, for a lecture Thursday, Nov. 13. Dr. Yadin-Israel’s presentation, “Solving the Mystery of Adam and Eve’s Forbidden Fruit,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Pearn Auditorium in Brennan Hall.

Dr. Yadin-Israel is the author of “Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple.” Released in 2022, Dr. Yadin-Israel’s book pursues the centuries-old mystery of why, when and where an apple became the forbidden fruit.

The Jerusalem Post called Dr. Yadin-Israel’s book “a fascinating exploration” and “an in-depth scholarly investigation” into the forbidden fruit’s roots.

Reflecting upon his research in an article for Rutgers Today, Dr. Yadin-Israel contends that historical linguistics played a large role in identifying the forbidden fruit.

“Most scholars have assumed that the emergence of the apple as the self-evident forbidden fruit must be driven by theological or religious considerations,” he said. “If my argument is correct, the change occurred as the result of forces that are completely indifferent to these matters. It was a general shift in the meaning of an Old French word that happened to have ramifications for the best-known symbol in the Hebrew Bible.”

Dr. Yadin-Israel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Jewish thought from Hebrew University. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Jewish studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He’s been a member of the Rutgers faculty since 2002 and has also held visiting positions at Princeton University, Jewish Theological Seminary, Cardozo Law School and University of Chicago Divinity School.

Dr. Yadin-Israel’s presentation is free to attend and open to the public.

By Marcus Smith '27, Student Correspondent

The unsung story of coal mining’s effect on Scranton’s culture is on display now in the Hope Horn Gallery. 

“The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Selected Paintings, Sculptures and Works on Paper from Public and Private Collections, 1829-1959” is an exhibition showcasing the artwork that comes from the extensive history of coal mining in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Many pieces in the exhibition are taken from Richard Stanislaus’s G’98 private collection.

Born and raised in the Scranton area, Stanislaus has a deep connection to the coal industry.

Initially, Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D, the curator of the Hope Horn gallery, wanted to do a single exhibition on Stanislaus’s private collection of artwork about coal mining and its culture, but it quickly grew much bigger.

“We wanted to do a show that we thought would represent works in his collection, but we ended up with two shows, there’s so much material,” Dr. Miller-Lanning said.

Stanislaus gave a presentation at the Oct. 24 opening of the collection to discuss the various pieces included in the exhibition, which was followed by a reception commemorating the opening.

The exhibition is an effort to bring awareness to the impact that mining had on the local community for those who might be unfamiliar with it.

“Everybody has a story. Everybody knew somebody or was related to somebody that was involved in coal mining,” Dr. Miller-Lanning said.

Unfortunately, the heritage of the coal region has faded from public memory over time. 

“There was this whole culture that grew up around it, and some of that is still present in the community, yet as generations move on, every year, a little less is remembered,” Dr. Miller-Lanning said.

“The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Selected Paintings, Sculptures and Works on Paper from Public and Private Collections, 1829-1959” will be presented at the Hope Horn Gallery until Dec. 12.

Ongoing through to Dec. 12, Art Exhibit: “The Anthracite Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania.” Selected paintings, sculptures, and works on papers from public and private collections: 1829-1959. Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.

Nov. 5, 5 p.m. Exhibit Opening: “A Life of Service: Celebrating David J. Wenzel ’69, G’74,” sponsored by the University’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service. Heritage Room. Weinberg Memorial Library. Reservations Required. Call 570-941-7401 or email alumni@scranton.edu.

Nov. 5-9, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. “A Doll’s House, Part 2” presented by The University Players. Studio Theater, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Limited seating, reservations strongly suggested. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu

Nov. 7, 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “New Deal Post Office Murals in the Anthracite Regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania” presented by David Lembeck, independent scholar. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Reception follows at the Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. The reception is part of Scranton’s First Friday event. Free. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.

Nov. 9, 9 a.m. Open House for prospective students and their families. Various locations on campus. Registration required. Free. Call 888-SCRANTON or email admissions@scranton.edu.

Nov. 11, 5 p.m. Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities and The Jesuit Center: “The Bible, Gender, and Sexuality: Historical Insights and Contemporary Relevance” presented by Amy-Jill Levine, Ph.D., Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace; university professor of New Testament and Jewish studies emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies emerita, professor of New Testament studies emerita, Vanderbilt University. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. 

Nov. 12, 12 noon. Israeli Jesuit Fr. David Neuhaus, S.J. will speak on "Equality, Justice, and Peace - A Catholic Vision for Reconciliation in Israel/Palestine Today." This event will be in person in Scranton (lunch offered starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Brennan Hall, Rose Room) and online webinar offered for guests joining from out of town. The lecture will focus on four elements in the Catholic Church's position regarding Israel/Palestine: the welfare of the Christian community and the protection of the Holy Places; the interpretation of the Scriptures as a resource for promoting equality, justice, and peace; the dialogue with Jews and Muslims; and the commitment to a social teaching that insists on equality, justice, and peace. The event is co-sponsored by The University of Scranton together with the Catholic Advisory Council for Churches for Middle East Peace and Bethlehem University Foundation as part of the 2025 Rev. Drew Christiansen S.J. national lecture series. Registration for this event can be completed here. Call 570-941-4419 or email julie.cohen@scranton.edu 

Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. Data Science Day features programming tutorial, a keynote speaker and a data science competition for high school students. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required at https://scrantondatacontest.netlify.app/. Call 570-941-6486 or email joseph.klobusicky@scranton.edu.

Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. Schemel Forum with the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library Collaborative Program Lecture: “From Manuscript to Print: The Journey of Medieval Books” presented by Michael Knies, special collections librarian and university archivist, Weinberg Memorial Library, The University of Scranton. The Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Registration required. Free. Exhibit and reception follow. Call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m. The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute Lecture: “Solving the Mystery of Adam and Eve's Forbidden Fruit” by Azzan Yadin-Israel, Ph.D., professor and chair of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu 

Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton String Orchestra.” Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.

Nov. 15, 1 p.m. Father Murgas Day event honoring the 120^th anniversary of the first world overland long-distance wireless transmission using radio. Reenactment of the transmission between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton held in conjunction with the Murgas Amateur Radio Club, followed by radio station open houses and receptions at both campuses.. W3USR Amateur Radio Club at Scranton, PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center, and Alley Center for Health Science, King’s College. Free. Visit murgasarc.org or email murgasarc@gmail.com.

Nov. 20, 11:30 a.m. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Series: “America is Ready for a Pro-Peace Foreign Policy. Is Washington?” presented by Matthew Duss, executive director, Center for International Policy, former visiting scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. Ethics Across the Curriculum Lecture: “Spiritual Alienation and the Quest for God” presented by David McPherson, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, University of Florida’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. 

Nov. 20-22, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. “Legally Blonde – The Musical” presented by Liva Arts Company. The Royal Theater, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. $5. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.livaartscompany.ludus.com or email livaartscompany@gmail.com.

Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Symphonic Band. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.

Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m. Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities Lecture: “Do the Brain and Behavioral Sciences Show That Free Will is an Illusion?” presented by Timothy O’Connor, Ph.D., Mahlon Powell Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Indiana University. PNC Auditorium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. 

Dec. 6, 8 p.m. Performance Music: “58^th Annual Noel Night” featuring The University of Scranton Singers, String Orchestra and Chamber Ensembles with guest harpist Marg Davis and pianist Ron Stabinsky. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.

Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “The Scranton Brass Orchestra Empty Stocking Fund Benefit Concert.” Houlihan-McLean Center. Admission: one new unwrapped toy, new toiletry items or a cash donation. All proceeds will directly benefit local families in need. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu.

On Friday, Oct. 31, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a Halloween recital entitled, “Phantom of the Pipes,” featuring renowned organist Christopher Johnson performing a program centered around the themes of death, transfiguration and resurrection. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Johnson is a member of acclaimed chamber orchestra The Knights. He serves as Director of Music and Organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton and as Director of Chapel Music at The Interchurch Center in New York City on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In addition to previous appointments as Director of Music and Organist at The Riverside Church in New York City, Artist-in-Residence at Union Theological Seminary and Director of Music and Organist for the Woodstock/St. Paul Community at Columbia University, he also served as Assistant Organist at Christ Church United Methodist in Manhattan. While pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music, his teachers included Adeline Huss, Todd Wilson and Thomas Murray for organ studies, and Joshua Smith, John Mack and Robert Vernon for orchestral studies. As a flautist and organist, he performs regularly with Ensemble Eccolo, a chamber ensemble based in Altenburg, Germany, presenting concerts throughout Europe and the Middle East. An enthusiastic and avid flyer of airplanes and lover of languages, Johnson is a type-rated commercial pilot with five flight and ground instructor ratings and dabbles in German, Norwegian and Egyptian Arabic.

The University of Scranton’s Houlihan-McLean Center Austin Opus 301 symphonic organ was built in 1910 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford Connecticut for the Immanuel Baptist Church in Scranton. It was restored and rededicated by the University in 2005 in a recital performed by Thomas Murray of Yale University. Since then, many renowned organists have performed on the instrument in solo-recitals. It has accompanied the University’s student ensembles in the performance of many major works of the choral and instrumental repertoires. The instrument is one of the few rare surviving original examples of early 20th-century organ building and the impressive instrument possesses a total of 3,178 pipes, 45 ranks and four manuals. The instrument is maintained by Stephen L Emery, Inc.: Pipe Organ Tuning and Restoration.

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

If You Go:

What: PHANTOM OF THE PIPES featuring organist Christopher Johnson
When: Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
Admission: Free

The University of Scranton’s graduate program in clinical rehabilitation counseling will host an alumni reunion as part of a 60-year anniversary celebration.

Clinical rehabilitation alumni and University community members are welcome to attend the event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Kane Forum inside McGurrin Hall. It is free to attend and will feature food, fun and giveaways. Guests must register online at this link.

Two distinguished program alumni — Rob Froelich, an associate professor of counseling at George Washington University and staff member at George Washington’s Center for Rehabilitation Counseling, Research and Education, and Helen Froelich, senior vice president of Utilization Management at Genex — will also present, “AI – Where Do We Draw the Line? Ethics and Boundaries.” The presentation will examine ethical concerns raised by many counseling professionals who are uncertain about the practice of using artificial intelligence. It is a one-hour Ethics Continuing Education session; CRC certificate or certificate of attendance available.

University officials will also offer remarks and Lori Bruch, Ed.D., associate professor of counseling and human services, will speak on the history of the program as it marks 60 years.

The Lackawanna County Commissioner Debate — held Thursday, Oct. 23 — drew a nearly standing room-only crowd to The University of Scranton’s Pearn Auditorium at Brennan Hall.

Democrat Thom Welby, Republican Chet Merli and independent candidate Michael Cappellini participated in the debate organized by the University’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS). A Nov. 4 special election will be held as the three candidates are vying for a seat on the three-member board of commissioners.

Much like the Scranton Mayoral Debate, held one week earlier, the Lackawanna County Commissioner Debate featured University personnel playing key roles. Brian Snee, Ph.D., director of CEEPS, was the debate moderator. Grace Lennox, a political science and philosophy double major and College Democrats president from Peckville, and Philip Huffman, a political science and history double major and College Republicans president from Scranton, read the debate rules, introduced the candidates and handled timekeeping duties. Additionally, three local journalists — WBRE-TV’s Connor Coar, The Times-Tribune’s Donnie Collins and WNEP-TV’s Stacy Lange — served as panelists.

The debate was livestreamed and recorded by ECTV and carried by other media outlets.

Robert Knowles, Jr., a Jesuit-educated insurance professional whose career has spanned 40-plus years, recently shared his experience and insights with students and faculty members at The University of Scranton.

Knowles, president of Scranton-based Knowles Insurance, was the featured speaker at an Oct. 21 luncheon held inside the DeNaples Center.

In addition to faculty members from the University’s Department of Economics, Finance and International Business, the luncheon was attended by students from the campus chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international honor society for economics.

Drawing on his experience, which dates back to his education at Scranton Preparatory School and College of the Holy Cross, Knowles’ presentation was interactive and he participated in a Q-&-A with attendees. He spoke about the importance for young people to know what — and who — they want to be in life and how they can give back.

Knowles is a board member of the University’s Kania School of Management. He also serves as trustee and vice chairman at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation and has held roles at many other organizations in the Scranton community.

The University of Scranton on Thursday, Oct. 16, hosted its first of two political debates during this year’s general election cycle.

Scranton Mayor and Democratic nominee Paige Cognetti, Republican nominee Trish Beynon and independent candidates Gene Barrett and Rik Little participated in the Scranton Mayoral Debate at the PNC Auditorium inside Loyola Science Center. A nearly standing room-only crowd attended the debate, in addition to thousands more who watched a livestream recorded by ECTV and carried by other media outlets.

The hourlong event was presented by the University’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS). The CEEPS director, Brian Snee, Ph.D., moderated the debate.

Three journalists — Donnie Collins of the Times-Tribune, Elizabeth Haikes of Fox 56 and Borys Krawczeniuk of WVIA — served as panelists, asking the nominees questions. The debate also featured presidents of the University’s College Democrats and Republicans greeting and introducing the nominees. Grace Lennox, of Peckville, is a political science and philosophy double major and College Democrats president. Philip Huffman, of Scranton, is a political science and history double major and College Republicans president.

The University will host another debate at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, when Lackawanna County Commissioner nominees take the stage at the Pearn Auditorium inside Brennan Hall.

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 will mark its 10-year anniversary. 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 ... I don’t have the constraints of insurance or the demands of productivity and things like that,” she said.

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.”

The clinic treats clients with numerous pieces of specialized equipment, including closed-captioned 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 Vision Center reports that 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 is part of the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured, housed in Leahy Hall. It also has a physical therapy clinic, a counseling and behavioral health clinic and a medical clinic (operated with the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine).

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

The University of Scranton Jazz Band will take the stage Saturday, Oct. 25, with acclaimed drummer Marion Felder joining them as the evening’s guest soloist. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Felder will also offer a free drumset masterclass at 4:30 p.m. for drummers 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.)

At the concert, the University’s student jazz ensemble will perform a variety of works that prominently feature Felder on drums.

"The program will feature music representing works in a variety of styles to showcase the versatility of our guest artists and broaden the experience of our student musicians," said performance music conductor and co-director Janelle Decker.

Performance music conductor and director Cheryl Y. Boga first met Felder when he came to New York City as a member of one of the earliest classes of The Juilliard School’s Jazz Studies program.

"Not only is Marion's mastery of 'driving' a big band with astounding time and musicality always evident," Boga said, "but he does it while keeping his entire focus on supporting the ensemble."

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Felder brings a dynamic blend of tradition, versatility and world-class training to the stage. Currently touring and recording with Michael Bublé, Felder has served as the drummer with the Wycliffe Gordon Quintet, the Count Basie Orchestra and The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and has performed with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Victor Goines, Carmen Bradford, Delfeayo Marsalis, Paul Simon, Van Morrison and Hank Jones, among many others. Felder earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School on a full scholarship.

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

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

If You Go:

What: IN CONCERT: The University of Scranton Jazz Band with guest soloist Marion Felder, drums, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton
When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue, downtown Scranton
Admission: Free
Masterclass: Same day, same place, 4:30 p.m., also free

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.

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”

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.

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, Cleary, who is based in Westfield, New Jersey, stays connected to her alma mater, mentoring aspiring female students along the way.

Cleary is an avid golfer and traveler. She has instilled the travel bug in her three children: Grace, Brian and Gabby. Together, they figure out fun trips where they typically can enjoy one or two rounds to make the vacations the most family fun.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.