Letter from the Dean

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a PBS interview between Vartan Gregorian and Bill Moyers that took place in 1988. The interview was part of the World of Ideas series Moyers conducted with outstanding individuals whose ideas and work have influenced our society and will shape our future. Vartan Gregorian is certainly one of those individuals.

During the interview, Gregorian was asked to comment on a report issued at the time by Bell Labs. That report stated that there is more information in one day’s edition of the New York Times than a single man or woman had to process in the whole of his or her life in the 16th century. It also stated that available information doubles every five years. (Since the report was issued 18 years ago, one can only imagine the amount of information that is available in 2006).

Moyers asked Gregorian what this explosion of information meant for education and information retrieval. Gregorian responded:

Gregorian’s words sum up the point of a liberal education. Information, lots of it, is readily available, but students need help in developing the skills to digest the information and turn it into knowledge. But we have to come up with new ways to acquire knowledge. One way is an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge that allows scholars from diverse areas to share what they learn and, together, to work across disciplines. This “interconnectedness” of disciplines and the connections between “learning” and “doing” – between thought and action, is at the core of liberal education.

With Fall Break quickly approaching (the break begins Oct. 9), Gregorian’s thoughts present an ideal time for us to reflect on our efforts to develop critical minds and help students develop the skills to digest information and turn it into knowledge. The University’s academic strategic plan calls for active learning and interdisciplinary teaching, learning and scholarship, much in line with what Gregorian is saying. But this is not just about courses. It’s also about teachers and how they inspire student to acquire knowledge. Usually, when alumni are asked about their educational experience, they talk about the influence of certain teachers on their lives, not necessarily a particular course they took. It is sobering, even frightening, to realize that educators can have such life-long influence on people’s lives.

Another way the College promotes knowledge is by offering students a broad array of interesting seminars and lectures on topics ranging from the situation in today’s Middle East to contemporary ethical challenges confronting us in our modern world. When you read this issue’s "Event-Round-up," you’ll see that there is no lack of academic programming being offered in the College. The challenge is not finding something to do, but finding the time to attend as many events as interest you.

Each and every one of us in the College has a huge role to play to help Villanova realize its vision.
 

Sincerely,


Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D.
Dean of the College
 

In College News …

Communication Department Recognized by National Communication Association

The Department of Communication has been recognized by the National Communication Association as one of the top 300 communication programs in the country as measured by the U.S. News & World Report college ranking system.

Using the profiles of more than 1,400 schools listed in America’s Best Colleges 2005 (published by U.S. News), the NCA identified over 300 colleges where communication was among the five most frequently selected undergraduate majors for the class of 2004.

For more information, please visit the National Communication Association on the Web and search "Villanova."
 

Chemistry Department Awarded Funding for Mass Spectrometers

The Chemistry Department recently was awarded a grant of $329,236 from the Major Research Instrumentation Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF-MRI). The grant, co-authored by Drs. Amanda Grannas, Anthony Lagalante, and Barry Selinsky, will be used to purchase two new triple quadrupole mass spectrometers with liquid chromatograph interfaces.

The instruments will be used largely for analyses of environmental pesticides, flame retardants, and other persistent organic pollutants. Other research applications for the instrumentation will be structure determination of synthetic compounds, amino acid analyses in peat bogs, and the isotopic distribution of elements in native and synthetic samples. The instruments will also be used extensively in the instruction of undergraduate and graduate students.

This is the second consecutive year that the Chemistry Department was funded by the NSF-MRI program. Last year, Dr. Scott Kassel was awarded $328,876 to purchase an X-ray diffractometer for departmental research and instruction.
 

Villanova Theatre Presents, "The Chairs"

Set in an unknown future, this surreal comedy -- written by Eugène Ionesco and directed by Joanna Rotté -- features a peculiar couple living in isolation and surrounded by stagnant water. There they pass the time playing make-believe games and setting up chairs for a grand party where the man will deliver the culmination of his life’s work: a great message that will transform the world forever. But when their guests begin to arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it seems.

For more information on upcoming performances, please click here.
 

VCLE: Pioneering Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research in the Humanities

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the creation of the Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE), an innovative academic center dedicated to interdisciplinary teaching, research, and learning in the humanities for undergraduate students. The Center is a place where all Villanova students and faculty can join in the academic conversations that lie at the heart of an Augustinian university in the 21st century. 
 

Chemistry Department Offers New Major in Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce a new Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. Biochemistry was initially defined as the application of chemical principles to the study of problems of biological significance, but has evolved into a separate discipline distinct from chemistry or biology. Strong knowledge of biochemistry is especially needed in medicine. Many disease states are caused by the disruption of normal biochemical processes within cells and organisms.

The major consists of 135 total credits (and five free electives), including courses in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, calculus, and physics. Biochemistry is a recommended degree for students considering a career in the allied health fields, or in the pharmaceutical industry. More information about the Biochemistry major can be found on the Chemistry Department Web site.
 

Villanova Chosen for Pilot "School of the Future" Partnership

Villanova has been selected as the first online tutoring partner for the pioneering “School of the Future,” in concert with a partnership between the Philadelphia School District and Microsoft. “The School of the Future” has been in development since 2004, seeking to build a new model for learning that provides students a community of caring and committed individuals to assist them as they progress through the program, which starting this year replaces a typical high school for 170 incoming ninth-graders in the School District.

“The purpose of the school is to inject a radically different pedagogy, shifting from rote or repetitious learning, and providing instead a dynamic community for students that works best for them, based on the data and experiences provided by this first school,” said Dr. Edwin Goff, director of the Honors Program. The Honors Program will be responsible for the first set of online "tele-tutors" for the students at the "School of the Future." Between 100 and 170 Villanova students are expected to participate in the program.

For more information about this exciting new program, please contact the Honors Program.

Also, be sure to read the Philadelphia Inquirer article on the "School of the Future" and the University's participation in the project.
 

Departmental Self-Studies and Action Plans to Increase Faculty Diversity Available Online

The Diversity Sub-Committee of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to present online this compilation of individual College departments’ self-studies and action plans to increase faculty diversity. All 18 departments plus one program (Geography) submitted reports to the sub-committee. To read the self-studies and action plans, please visit http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/college/about/diversity.htm.
 

Enchiridion Student Handbook Now Available in Web-based Version

The Enchiridion student handbook is available in a Web-based (HTML) version. It is located at: http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/handbook/. We hope you find this Web-based version user friendly.
 

Science and Theatre Magic Program Proven a Big Success in Second Year

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY-ANGELA PAPALASKARI/DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTING SCIENCES

This summer marked the second year of the Science and Theatre Magic Program, a special Villanova outreach program that provides teenagers the opportunity to engage in multidisciplinary science exploration in the context of a creative activity that helps promote science.

During the three weeks of July 10-28, 2006, Villanova faculty, with the help of Villanova students (graduate and undergraduate), taught and mentored a group of 14 young scholars (ages 13-17 from schools across the Greater Philadelphia area).

These participants learned, explored, and applied scientific principles in the creation and staging of a fantastic day-long performance/adventure, which they then shared with their “apprentices” (ages 6-12 from North and West Philadelphia).

This culminating event during the final week of the program, sponsored in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia Department of Recreation, brought more than 120 children from Philadelphia by train  to “enroll” and spend the day in a fictional “School of Magic,” where the scholars act as guides/teachers, and deliver science-inspired “magic lessons.”

For more information about the program, please click here.
 

Graduate Students in Communication Program Publish Newsletter

Graduate Students in the Department of Communication publish a newsletter designed to keep students informed of pertinent issues affecting the students in the graduate program. Be sure to check it out here.
 

Are You Subscribed to the College’s E-newsletter?

It has never been easier to subscribe to the College's e-newsletter: your colleagues and friends can visit this Web site, complete the online form, and begin receiving the College's monthly e-newsletter in their In-boxes. Please share the online subscription form with anyone you know who may be interested in keeping up to date on College news, special events, and other happenings.
 

College Launches New Web Site

Have you visited the College's new Web site yet? If not, you are encouraged to check it out and see what is now available on the College's site at http://www.villanova.edu/artsci. 
 

Need Graphic Design Help?

Media Technologies & Creative Design (MT/CD), located in the basement of Falvey Memorial Library, manages and produces an extensive range of graphic arts services in areas of digital and traditional graphics design and photography.

Creative design services are utilized by faculty and administration for curriculum, research, presentation and publication use, as well as for internal, community, national, and international University use. For more information on how MT/CD can assist you, please contact Bernadette Dierkes.

In addition, you can contact Graphic Services by visiting the office's Web site. Graphic Services can offer you print estimates, graphic design help, digital color copies, wide format printing, and much, much more.

Please remember when developing new materials for the Web or print, be sure to review the University’s style guide, which can be viewed here. If you need assistance in creating department brochures, newsletters, or other literature, please contact Kate Szumanski.

Event Round-up

An Extensive Program of Events Marks the 2006-2007 Series in Anthropology
Looking Into Culture: The 2006-2007 Series in Anthropology features a number of events planned throughout the upcoming fall and spring semesters. For more information on all of these events, please visit the series' Web site.

Philosophy Department Hosts Major Conference in Center City
The Philosophy Department will host the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy Oct. 12-14. This is the second largest philosophy society in the United States and is the umbrella group for continental philosophy. The meeting will take place at the Sheraton Society Hill in Philadelphia. For more information, please visit to www.spep.org.

Computing Sciences Department Announces Colloquia Series
The Department of Computing Sciences welcomes Michael Carroll from the Villanova School of Law to discuss "Current Projects of Creative Commons" on Monday, Oct. 16, at 4:30 p.m. in the Mendel Science Center Room 154. For more information on this and other events in the department, please click here.

"Thinking Which Intervenes: Brecht as Director"
The Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures welcomes guest speaker Dr. Heinz-Uwe Haus, who will discuss, "Thinking Which Intervenes: Brecht as Director," on Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. in Room 300 of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts. Please click here for more information.

Learn More About the Humanities Major at Villanova
The Department of Humanities will host a special reception on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. in the Holy Grounds in Falvey Memorial Library. For more information, please click here.

Cultural Film Series Features Maria, Full of Grace on Oct. 21-23
The Fall 2006 Cultural Film Series is underway. Oct. 21 to 23 features Maria, Full of Grace. For more information on this film and all the films that are part of the series, including starting times and dates, please click here.

Women's Studies Program Announces Schedule of Events
Women's Studies encourages you to attend a number of special events this semester. Please click here for more information. Be sure to scroll down the page for the schedule of events.

Conference Examines “Religion and Postmodernism: Athens and Jerusalem on the Polis”
The Josephine C. Connelly Chair of Theology and the Augustinian Chair in the Thought of St. Augustine proudly sponsor a conference entitled, "Religion and Postmodernism: Athens and Jerusalem on the Polis," on Oct. 26-28. The conference is part of The Dialogue Between Faith and Culture, a series of conferences and symposia in honor of the inauguration of the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., as the University’s 32nd President. For more information, please visit the conference's Web site.

Catholic Imagination in Literature Series Looks at Ignatian Prayer and Poetic Imagination
John Freeh, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Hillsdale College, will speak about Ignatian Prayer and Poetic Imagination in the works of Robert Southwell, John Donne, and Richard Crashaw as part of the University's Catholic Imagination in Literature Series on Monday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. in Room 300 of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts. The event is sponsored by the Department of Humanities and the Office for Mission Effectiveness. For more information, please click here.

Seniors Encouraged to Attend Volunteer Fair
A Volunteer Fair for seniors interested in post-graduate service will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. For more information, please contact Barbara Haenn in the Office of Campus Ministry.

Cognitive Science Program Hosts Upcoming Lecture
The Cognitive Science Program welcomes Professor Steven Sloman of Brown University, who will discuss "Causal Models of Reasoning and Choice," on Friday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m. in Tolentine Hall Room 215. Please click here for more information.

Biology Department Hosts Thursday Seminar Series
The Department of Biology has posted its seminar series on its Web site. All seminars are held on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the Mendel Science Center, Room 154.

Chemistry Department Hosts Tuesday Seminar Series
The Department of Chemistry has posted its seminar series on its Web site. All seminars are held on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. in the Mendel Science Center, Room 101.

"Ethics for Lunch" Series Features Three Upcoming Events
For more information on the three upcoming events (one in October and two in November) sponsored by the Ethics Program, please click here.

Department of Philosophy to Host Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium
The Department of Philosophy will host the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please click here to learn more.

Ethics Program to Sponsor an Interdisciplinary Conference and Inaugurate an Award in Professional Ethics
The Ethics Program will sponsor an interdisciplinary conference -- Contemporary Ethical Problems in Engineering Practice: A Dialogue -- May 31 to June 2, 2007. In addition, the Ethics Program will inaugurate the Praxis Award in Professional Ethics on March 28, 2007. This award will highlight and celebrate the contributions of a professional or an academic in the field of professional ethics. For more information on the many activities planned in the Ethics Program, please visit the program's Web site.

VCLE to Sponsor 2007 Carlyle Studies Conference
The Villanova Center for Liberal Education will host the 2007 Carlyle Studies Conference on the subject of "Thomas Carlyle Resartus: Reappraising Carlyle for Our Times.” Please click here for more information.

Mendel Exhibit Coming to The Academy of Natural Sciences
Villanova University and The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia proudly announce their partnership to present the traveling exhibition, “Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics,” which will visit the Academy at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway from May 28 to September 28, 2008. The exhibition will be available to only five tour venues in the United States through 2008: Philadelphia (Villanova and the Academy of Natural Sciences), Chicago, Washington, D.C., Columbus, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee.

During the exhibition’s Philadelphia tour, all Villanova students, staff, and faculty who present valid identification will receive free general admission to the Academy of Natural Sciences. It is our hope that you will find this special exhibition informative and enjoyable.

To learn more about the exhibit, please visit http://www.fieldmuseum.org/mendel/. For more information, please contact Kate Szumanski at kathryn.szumanski@villanova.edu. 

Save the Dates!

Please mark your calendars for these important events:

Science and Technology Open House          Sunday, Oct. 29
Early Action Candidates' Day                     Saturday, Feb. 3
Candidates' Day                                       Saturday, April 14
Mendel Medal Award Lecture                      Saturday, April 28

Please click here for the complete academic calendar.

Alumni in the News

• Peter Amenta, M.D., '02, a history major, graduated Summa Cum Laude in June 2006 from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, receiving The Francis Torrens Stewart, M.D. Clinical Surgery Prize. Dr. Amenta will start his residency in neurosurgery at Jefferson.
   
• Michael T. Dolan, '99, an English major and sociology minor, had his first novel, Walden, published by Conversari House in September 2006. For additional information, please visit www.conversari.com. 
   
• Doug Kelly, '74, who received a BA in economics, has been named president of Russell Athletic.
   
• Derf W. Maitland, '85, an English major, is a Green Party candidate for the 19th U.S. House District in Pennsylvania. Read an article about him here.
   
• Andrew Marcroft, '96, who earned a master's degree is history, has been named assistant director of admissions and coordinator of international students at Montgomery County Community College. For the full story, please click here.
   
• Edward McCann, '02, a history major, is a fourth-year medical student at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He was awarded The Joseph F. Rodgers, M.D. Memorial Award for excellence in the discipline of internal medicine, especially for his diagnostic skills and devotion to patients. Ed also received Honorable Mention for the J. Woodrow Savacool, M.D. Prize in Medical Ethics, a prize for the student who embodies the ideal of the physician's caring commitment to moral and ethical values in medicine.
   
• Philip N. Seamon, '69, has joined the board of directors of IntriCon Corporation, a designer, developer, manufacturer, and distributor of miniature and micro-miniature medical and electronic products, headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn. To read the whole story, click here.
   
• Barry Schmader, '85, has been named executive vice president, creative director, at Dudnyk, a full-service branding, advertising, and marketing group headquartered in Horsham, Pa. The firm services the healthcare industry, with a strong emphasis on the pharmaceutical, bio-pharma, and medical device sectors. For the full story, click here.
   
• Missy Cotter Smasal, '00, a political science major, won the "Big Idea" essay contest sponsored by the Portfolio Weekly newspaper. Read the story here.
   
• To read more about what other history majors are up to, please click here.

Faculty in the News

• Faculty members from the Villanova Center for Liberal Education were featured in a recent newsletter article of the Organization of American Historians entitled, "Benjamin Franklin and the Invention of America."
   
• David M. Barrett, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, has been awarded the D. B. Hardeman Prize for his book, The CIA and Congress. The D. B. Hardeman Prize, which is administered by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, is awarded annually for the best book that focuses on the U.S. Congress, from the fields of biography, history, journalism, and political science. Candidates are judged on the importance of their contribution to scholarship on the Congress, and their literary craftsmanship, originality, and depth of research.
   
• John N. Fielder, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, is featured in a news article entitled, "Patient Advocacy Groups Join to Protect New Jerseyans from Recycled Single-Use Medical Devices." To read the full story, click here.
   
• Michael Hollinger, '89, MA, assistant professor of theater, is featured in a Baltimore Sun article entitled, "Mr. Hollinger's 'Opus.'" Hollinger and Harriet Power, M.F.A., associate professor of theatre, are collaborating on a
  workshop and staged reading of Hollinger's new musical, A Wonderful Noise, at New Dramatists in New York City. Hollinger and co-author Vance Lehmkuhl won the 2005 Frederick Loewe Award for Musical Theatre, which will help fund the workshop; Power directed the professional cast of 10 in a Sept. 29, 2006, performance.
   
• Paul Livingston, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, has been awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowship which will allow him to conduct research in Germany in 2007 on his next book project titled, "Reading Logos and Language in Husserl and Heidegger."  More information can be obtained by contacting Paul Livingston
  directly: paul.livingston@villanova.edu.
   
• Hafeez Malik, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of Pakistani Studies, was a special guest on "It's your call with Lynn Doyle" on CN8. His topic: Why Iran has the right to move forward with its nuclear enrichment program and whether or not Iran should be considered a threat to the United States.
   
• Robert Maranto, Ph.D., professor of political science, and April Gresham Maranto have co-authored a chapter in the new book, Educational Entrepreneurship: Realities, Challenges, Possibilities, entitled, “Markets, Bureaucracies, and Clans: The Role of Organizational Culture.” Please click here to learn more.
   
• James McCartney, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, has co-written a book entitled, The Case of Terri Schiavo: Ethics at the End of Life. To read a review, click here.
   
• Charlene Mires, Ph.D., associate professor of history, moderated a five-person panel discussion on Monday, Oct. 1, about politics in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over the last 100 years as part of the State Capitol building’s 100th birthday celebrations.
   
• Paul Rosier, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, was featured in a recent news article in the Bucks County Courier Times about sports history. Click here for the full story.
   
• Thomas W. Smith, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Humanities, wrote an op-ed entitled, "Pope's Focus: Reason," which appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sept. 19.
   
• Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., professor of classical and modern languages and literatures, has written a book entitled, Paradoxical Citizenship: Edward Said, which was published by Lexington Books. Dr. Nagy-Zemki currently is on sabbatical on a senior scholar Fulbright grant.
   

IT Corner

• Need Additional Storage Space? The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides space on its SAN server (Storage Area Network) to store research related data. The advantages of this system are the ability to access the data from multiple computers, the redundancy of the server hard drives (RAID 5 array and backup to tape), and security permissions. If you would like to request storage space on the server, please complete and submit this online form.

Send Your News Items and Event Notices for Publication

Do you need help broadening your outreach efforts, publicizing events, or getting the word out about the accomplishments of your faculty? Please submit your announcements or events via our online submission form or directly to Kate Szumanski. Kate will include it in the next issue of the College’s e-newsletter.