Letter from the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

We in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova eagerly await the return of our students and the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year. New students will begin their orientation on Thursday, August 23, and the first day of undergraduate classes is scheduled for Monday, August 27. You'll find more important dates in this issue of the College's monthly e-newsletter, Inside A&S.

I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of the College’s administration, faculty, and staff to welcome our new subscribers to the College’s e-newsletter. It is a pleasure to have you join our community. Whether you are a parent of a current student in the College, an alumnus of the College, or a prospective student, we welcome you and hope that you enjoy reading about the many activities, events, and initiatives happening in the College.

In this issue, you’ll read about a new integrated BS/MS program being offered by the Department of Computing Sciences, a Spanish-language internship program that serves members of Philadelphia's Hispanic community, and much more. 

Thank you for continuing to read the College's e-newsletter, the newly named, Inside A&S. We appreciate your continued interest in the life of the College, and we welcome your feedback. I wish you and your families a wonderful summer.
 

Sincerely,


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

In College News …

Department of Computing Sciences Offers a Second Integrated BS/MS Program

A new integrated bachelor’s/master’s program is now being offered by the Department of Computing Sciences. The integrated program in Software Engineering is taking its place alongside the successful existing BS/MS in Computer Science as a second BS/MS program in computing. 

Last year, the department added a master’s degree in Software Engineering. This new degree program prepares students for either a career in software engineering or for advanced study in the field. In addition to providing the practical knowledge and experience needed to specify, design, develop, and maintain today's software systems, the program includes the theoretical knowledge that informs the practice, said Don Goelman, Ph.D., an associate professor of computing sciences. The Computer Science master’s degree program has a somewhat different emphasis: It provides expertise in applied and basic computing through its course offerings in computer systems, theory, languages, and algorithms. It is designed to prepare students for a career as a computing professional, though some students go on to pursue a Ph.D. degree at another university. Both degrees are in great demand in today’s high-tech sector. 

The new BS/MS program has already attracted attention and applications by undergraduate computer science majors who would like to pursue a master’s degree in software engineering. They can now achieve this within five years of entering Villanova.  More information may be found here: http://csc.villanova.edu/academics/msseProgram.

Spanish Internship Program Serves Members of the Philadelphia Hispanic Community

Students Gain Real-World Experience and Much, Much More

Opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world situations are invaluable ones for students, and for those students who are studying and attempting to master a foreign language, those opportunities to speak and write the language in a variety of professional settings may be even more valuable.

Now in its fifth year, the Spanish Internship Program offers an essential experience for students interested in helping the Hispanic community while using their Spanish language skills. The goals of the program include:

• To help students become fluent in Spanish by translating and interpreting for student lawyers while helping members of the Philadelphia Hispanic community

• To express publicly, through service and scholarship, the University’s commitment to promoting social justice and the common good for all
                                                                                                
• To serve the poor and marginalized members of the community through service and scholarship in recognition of the words of St. Thomas of Villanova: “The Lord hear the cry of the poor.”

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures offers qualified undergraduate students the opportunity to integrate their knowledge of the Spanish language and culture with practical experience in the Philadelphia Hispanic community by working closely with law students. The program is designed to help students build relationships with professionals in the private and public sectors, gain valuable work experience, and discover their interests and aspirations.

“This is a totally unique program that combines the knowledge and expertise of several disciplines to enhance awareness in our students, help them develop by working as young professionals in the community, and help the poor Hispanic community by offering services that are very much needed,” said Mercedes Juliá, Ph.D., a professor of Spanish in the department of classical and modern languages and literatures and one of the creators of the program. “The Spanish internship program can be an eye-opener for many students who are proficient in Spanish. It allows students to practice and perfect their Spanish by interpreting back and forth from Hispanic clients and lawyers as well as by translating letters and legal documents. It also allows students to come in contact with a culture and lifestyle completely different from the one they are used to.”

The program maintains the academic integrity of the curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences through careful planning and by providing uniform requirements and careful supervision. Using field work experiences in the Philadelphia area Hispanic community, students gain an understanding of the Hispanic culture and the opportunity to practice and improve their knowledge of the Spanish language.

The Spanish internship allows students with excellent command of Spanish to use it in the community, while gaining professional experience. It is a program that provides the student with intellectual, social, and emotional development. Besides personal growth, students gain professional work experience and acquire valuable job contacts.

Here is what one student who participated in the internship program had to say about it:

"My experience working at the Villanova law clinic has been formidable. The clinic has given me the opportunity to further enhance my bilingual proficiency, and at the same time, I have been able to help those that need my skills the most. I highly recommend the internship at the clinic for those students who want to experience a real and genuine experience in expanding their bilingual skills. Not only will the intern be able to translate legal documents, but he or she will also have the opportunity to interpret day-to-day conversations. Working at the clinic is a fantastic learning experience."

To learn more about the program, please contact Mercedes Juliá, Ph.D.
 

LACEO Honors A&S Faculty With Leadership Award

College faculty members have been awarded the Latin American Cultural Exchange Organization Leadership Award in recognition of their outstanding support to the men in the Graterford State Correctional Institution. The inscription on the award reads: “Your Dedication and Leadership Set the Standard for Others to Follow.”

“The College is honored to have received this award,” said Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College. “We are deeply touched, moved, and humbled by the kind words inscribed on the award, and we hope to continue working with the men at Graterford in the future.”

More than 30 years ago, the College has been offering select men at Graterford the opportunity to earn their bachelor's degree. In this program, the College offers two courses in the fall and two in the spring semesters. The courses follow the Villanova academic calendar, satisfy the same standards and requirements as on-campus courses, and are usually taught by Villanova faculty. The curriculum at is Villanova’s regular 120-hour liberal arts program, which is offered on a part-time basis.
 

Inmates at Graterford State Correctional Institution Donate $900 to University

The Brotherhood at the Graterford State Correctional Institution has donated $900 to the University. "We are deeply touched and moved by the overwhelming generosity of the members of Brotherhood," Father Ellis said. "Every penny of the gift has been put back into Villanova University’s program at Graterford."
 

College Announces New Department of Geography and the Environment

The College is pleased to announce the new Department of Geography and the Environment, a department which links the social sciences and the natural and physical sciences. The department will integrate the disciplines of geography and environmental science in seeking to understand the interaction of people and the natural environment in specific places and around the world. Three degree programs will be offered.

The Geography degree program (B.A.) focuses on the interaction of humans with the natural and physical environments of the earth from a spatial perspective. The program’s graduates will have a fundamental understanding of the patterns of human social dynamics and physical processes at the earth’s surface, such as globalization and global climate change, within the context of places, landscapes, and regions. Graduates will also be trained in the use of geospatial technologies as tools in addressing many modern concerns. The geography degree is a traditional arts degree requiring 10 classes in geography. Geography courses count toward the social science general education requirement.

The Environmental Studies degree program (B.A.) focuses on the interface between environmental science and relevant social sciences, including public policy, political science, law, economics, sociology, and planning. The program’s graduates will have a fundamental understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical principles that underlie the structure and function of the natural and physical environments of the earth coupled with a foundation in the social sciences that underlie the relationships between humans, as individuals and/or societies, and the natural and physical environments of the earth. The environmental studies degree is a multidisciplinary arts degree built around a variety of social science courses, with a few additional science courses required.

The Environmental Science degree program (B.S.) focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to understanding the natural and physical environments of the earth. The program’s graduates will have an understanding of and appreciation for the processes and interactions that occur both within and between the atmosphere, the biosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere and be able to assess and address the direct and indirect influences of human activities on the integrity of the earth’s systems. The environmental science degree is a multidisciplinary science degree, which requires at least eight laboratory science classes. Interested students should be encouraged to take science classes beginning in their first year.

For more information, please contact Keith Henderson, Ph.D. The new chair of the department is Lt. Col. Frank Galgano, Ph.D.
 

College Offers Students, Faculty, and Staff Access to Mideastwire.com

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to offer to its students, faculty, and staff access to Mideastwire.com, an Internet-based news service that employs a team of translators from around the region to gather important stories from and about the Middle East. Its core product is a daily e-mail newsletter to English speaking subscribers that aggregates key English language stories about the Middle East together with translated Arabic and Persian stories that appear via the print, radio, and television media of the region. 

While there are now more than 500 Arabic and Persian news outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable means for English speakers to gain access to much of this content. As a result, the overwhelming majority of English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists, and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily e-mail newsletter of concise, translated briefs covering some of the key political, cultural, economic, and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries, Iran, and the Arab Diaspora.

For more information, please contact Mideastwire.com.
 

Department of Psychology Now Offering Two Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

The Department of Psychology now offers two five-year bachelor’s/master’s degree programs. In the first program, students earn both a B.A. and an M.S. in psychology. This program provides an especially strong foundation for individuals who plan to pursue a Ph.D. in one of the many subfields of psychology. It also serves the needs of students who are unsure of their future professional goals and of individuals seeking a terminal master’s degree before entering the work force.



Whereas this program emphasizes basic theory and research in psychology, the second bachelor’s/master’s program has a decidedly applied focus, combining a B.A. in psychology with an M.S. in Human Resource Development. This program specifically prepares students to enter the work force as human resource professionals by providing a comprehensive background in the basic human resource competencies with emphasis on global, strategic, and developmental issues.

In both programs, students take graduate and well as undergraduate courses during their senior year. Several of the graduate courses count for both graduate and undergraduate credit, allowing the master’s degree to be obtained in only one additional year. Learn more here.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Partners with the Financial Times

Providing Students With Global Perspectives on World Events

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has partnered with the Financial Times, internationally recognized for its authoritative news, comment, and analysis, to provide students and faculty with full access to the FT’s electronic edition and to FT.com’s Level Two subscription service. This partnership will enable the University to further educate its students on socio-economic and geo-political issues that affect everyone regardless of a student’s major.

How To Access the Financial Times Online

There are many ways to access the FT online:

• For resources for faculty, please click here.

• For resources for students, please click here.

• To access the digital version of today's newspaper, please click here.

• To access the Financial Times online, please click here.

Save the Dates!

Please mark your calendars for these important events:

New Student Orientation                             August 23 to 26
First Day of Undergraduate Classes             Monday, August 27
Liberal Arts Open House                             Saturday, September 8
Science and Technology Open House           Sunday, October 28
Early Action Candidates' Day                      Saturday, February 2, 2008
Candidates' Day                                        Saturday, April 12, 2008  

Please click here for the complete academic calendar.

Event Round-up

Be sure to visit the College's home page for a more complete rundown of upcoming events!
 

Department of Political Science Offers Fall 2007 International Relations Lecture Series
Tue., Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “9/11, Afghanistan, and Iraq: Are We Safer Now?” by David Barrett

Tue., Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “American Foreign Policy” by Joseph Thompson

Tue., Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “Russia: Intransigent or in Transition?” by Jeffrey Hahn

Tue., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “East Asia: Friends, Foes, and In-between” by Maria Toyoda

For more information, please visit the Department of Political Science on the Web.
 

"In the Beginning ..." -- The Fall 2007 Series of Anthropology Lectures Announces Its Exciting Schedule
Be sure to click here to learn all about the exciting events that form this year's 2007 anthropology lecture series, "In the Beginning ...." All lectures take place in SAC Room 300 and begin at 7:30 p.m. The first lecture -- How Did the Universe Begin? -- kicks off the exciting series on Thursday, Sept. 14, featuring Phil Maurone, Ph.D., chair of the physics department.

Make Plans Now to Visit the Mendel Exhibit ... Coming to Philadelphia's 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.

Faculty in the News

• David M. Barrett, Ph.D., a professor of political science, was quoted in a recent New York Times article entitled, "Cold-War Era Abuses Invite Contemporary Comparisons." In the article, the author writes, "Mr. Barrett, author of a 2005 book on the C.I.A. and Congress in the 1940s and 1950s, said the notion that the C.I.A. was once lawless but now meticulously follows the law is simply wrong." Dr. Barrett also was a recent guest on WHYY's "Radio Times."
   
• Timothy Brunk, Ph.D., an assistant professor of theology and religious studies, has written the book Liturgy and Life: The Unity of Sacrament and Ethics in the Thought of Louis-Marie Chauvet. New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Franfurt am Main, Oxford, Vienna: Peter Lang, 2007.
   
• Alice Dailey, Ph.D., an assistant professor of English, is featured in an article entitled, "Teacher of Shakespeare is the merchant of menace in ring."
   
• Amanda Grannas, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry, is quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about a Bristol High School chemistry teacher.
   
• Ed Guinan, Ph.D., a professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has co-edited the book, Close Binary Stars in the 21st Century: New Opportunities and Challenges. This book is the edited proceedings of an international conference on close binary star systems held in Syros, Greece, in June 2005. Dr. Guinan was one of the organizers of this meeting and co-editor of the book.
   
• Catherine Kerrison, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, has won the Outstanding Book Award for 2007 by the History of Education Society for her work, Claiming the Pen: Women and Intellectual Life in the Early American South (Cornell, 2004). 
   

• Timothy W. Kirk, Ph.D., a Catherine of Siena Fellow in Ethics and visiting assistant professor of philosophy, published a column, "Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators and Hospice Care," in the July/August 2007 issue of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology. The essay highlights dilemmas faced by hospice patients who have active ICDs and identifies starting points for systematic analysis and action by manufacturers, hospice policy-makers, and clinicians to address the issue.

• Jill McCorkel, Ph.D., an assistant professor of sociology, was the featured speaker at a seminar on Journalism and the Sociological Imagination held at New York University in April.
   
• Harriet Power, M.F.A., an associate professor of theatre, recently directed Tio Pepe by Matthew Lopez, with an all-star cast including Broadway veteran Priscilla Lopez, at Luna Stage. She traveled to Toronto in late June to speak at the annual international conference of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. 
   

• Paul Sheldon, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology, was interviewed by Margot Adler for the nationally-broadcast Justice Talking program of National Public Radio. The program topic was taxation. Paul discussed the relationship between paying our taxes and paying for war, and suggested that we consider our conscience when we pay taxes that support warfare. The program was broadcast during the week before April tax day.  The entire program is available at www.justicetalking.org/. Paul’s interview can be found here.

• Seth Whidden, Ph.D., an assistant professor of French, was featured in an online MSNBC article entitled, "Taking in the Tour de France — in style." Dr Whidden teaches a course on the cultural history of the Tour de France.

Alumni in the News

• Malik Allen, '00, who received a bachelor's degree in communication, is featured in an article in the Courier Post entitled, "Allen, Bouchard hook up again to assist local kids." While at Villanova, Allen was an All-Big East second-team pick as a senior after leading the Wildcats in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots.
   
• John G. Emling, '91, who received a bachelor's degree in political science, has been named Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, the White House announced. Emling currently serves as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Treasury. Earlier in his career, he served as a Policy Analyst on the Senate Republican Policy Committee and Chief of Staff to Congressman Eric Cantor.
   
• Christian Giudice, '97, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in English, has written the first biography of one of boxing's biggest legends, Hands of Stone: The Life And Legend of Roberto Duran, published by Milo Books.
   
• Kate Hetherington, who earned a master's degree in counseling and human relations from the Department of Education and Human Services, has been named the new president of Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Read the full story here.
   
• Jerome Canady, M.D., '76, who received a bachelor's degree in biology, was featured in The Valley Independent in an article titled, "Nontraditional procedures offer hope to Valley native." Dr. Canady practices medicine at Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township, Pennsylvania, where he specializes in general surgery. Dr. Canady was profiled in a 2001 Villanova magazine article, "A Man for All Reasons."
   
• Adrienne McNeil, '01, executive director of York County Community Against Racism, which works to promote cultural appreciation and racial equality in housing, employment, and churches, is featured in an article in the York Dispatch entitled, "New director has high expectations for anti-racism group." McNeil earned a graduate degree in Human Resource Development.
   
• Yasmin Namini, '89, who earned a master's degree in applied statistics, has been named senior vice president for marketing and circulation for the New York Times Media Group. Read the full story here.
   
• Gloria Park, MAPP, a doctoral student in exercise and sport psychology at Temple University, wrote an article entitled, "Aspiring to be a Positive Parents," in the Positive Psychology News Daily. Currently, Park works as a program coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is an assistant instructor for the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her BA in psychology and philosophy from Villanova and an MA in applied positive psychology from UPenn.

IT Corner

• Questions about your new phone? Click here.
   
• Questions about Microsoft Outlook? Click here. 
   
• Scantron. The Scantron system has been upgraded and relocated to SAC Room 18. Learn more here.
   
• Tablet PC Pilot. The Tablet PC Pilot Program has begun. Learn more here.
   
• SharePoint Upgrade. The upgrade to SharePoint version 3.0 will occur this month. Departmental sites will be moved over individually and will be contacted prior to the migration.
   
• Website Updates. The following departments or programs launched new Web sites recently: Arab Islamic Studies, Biology, Comprehensive Science, Education, Irish Studies, Liberal Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Theology and Religious Studies, and Women's Studies.
   
• College IT Office Has New Home. The College's IT Office has consolidated its services and physical space to serve you better in SAC Room 085. Please stop by and visit.

Send Your News Items and Event Notices for Publication

Is your upcoming event not listed in this e-newsletter? Do you wish it was? Do you need help broadening your outreach efforts, publicizing events, and getting the word out about the accomplishments of your faculty? Learn more here! 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.