Letter from the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

With final exams beginning later this week, it's time once again to draw another academic year to a close. This year has been an especially active one in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The College has been taking a serious look at its curriculum, all in an effort to ensure that we are offering our students rigorous, relevant, and reflective learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.

We in the College take our responsibility as educators seriously; it is our mission to provide an atmosphere of responsible learning to a varied group of students who will be called to intellectual, moral, and professional leadership. Continued assessment, evaluation, and improvement remain integral to our mission and commitment to student-centered learning.

To fulfill our goals, the College seeks to promote intellectual curiosity and rigor within the University; to instill the fundamentals of critical insight, mature judgment, and independent thinking in its students; and to awaken in its students a sense of the importance of values and the moral responsibility of caring for others and working for the betterment of society.

I want you to know that the College remains committed to its mission and seeks to improve and enhance its commitment to our students, faculty, and staff at every level. 

Thank you for continuing to read the College's e-newsletter. 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 …

College Inaugurates the VCLE, Celebrates the Center's Official Opening

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences celebrated the official opening of the Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE), an innovative academic center dedicated to interdisciplinary teaching, research, and learning in the liberal arts for undergraduate students, on Monday, April 16.

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. Read more about VCLE here. To read the remarks of the Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College, which he delivered at the VCLE open ceremonies in Falvey Memorial Library, please click here.
 

College Presents the 2007 Mendel Medal to Dr. Margaret Dalzell Lowman

Margaret Dalzell Lowman, Ph.D. (known affectionately as “Canopy Meg”), director of environmental initiatives and professor of biology and environmental studies at New College of Florida in Sarasota, was awarded the 2007 recipient of the Mendel Medal on Saturday, April 28. Dr. Lowman delivered a lecture entitled, “It’s a Jungle Up There: Integrating Research and Education Through Canopy Ecology,” Saturday afternoon in Connelly Center.

During the well-attended lecture in the Cinema, Dr. Lowman discussed her lifelong work in pioneering canopy access, integrating research with education and conservation, and developing a family conservation ethic, her “No Child Left Indoors” initiative. Throughout her talk, Dr. Lowman weaved stories of her work in ecology together with memories of her children who accompanied her on many of her international field work expeditions.

At the end of her book, Life in the Treetops, Dr. Lowman writes:

“One of the most meaningful insights that I have acquired along my life’s journey is that it takes the same amount of energy to complain as it does to exclaim – but the results are incredibly different. Learning to exclaim instead of to complain has been my most valuable life lesson."

Dr. Lowman concluded her talk with a discussion of this meaningful quote. She was awarded the Mendel Medal on Saturday evening in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center.
 

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.

Science and Theatre Magic Program Hosts Open House on Friday, May 4

Make plans to attend the Science and Theatre Magic Program open house on Friday, May 4. Learn more here.

Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts Examines “Faith Seeking Beauty”

Dana Gioia, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, spoke on campus as part of the spring 2007 Catholic imagination series of lectures. Gioia is an accomplished poet, critic, editor, and essayist, and advocate for the public role of the arts in American life. A best-selling anthologist, Gioia is one of America’s leading contemporary men of letters. Winner of the American Book Award, Gioia is internationally recognized for his role in reviving rhyme, meter, and narrative in contemporary poetry. An influential critic, he has combined populist ideals and high standards to bring poetry to a broader audience. The title of his talk on campus was “Faith Seeking Beauty.” The event was sponsored, in part, by the Department of Humanities in the College. Learn more about Gioia at his Web site.

College Charts Many Fascinating "Courses of Discovery"

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers students many exceptional courses in a wide array of disciplines. Learn more about some of these courses in a new feature on the College's Web site entitled, "Charting Courses of Discovery."

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:

Reading Day                                             Friday, May 4
Final Exams                                              May 5 to 11 (no exams on Sunday, May 6)
Baccalaureate and Commencement            May 19 and 20

Please be sure to save these important dates, too.
Liberal Arts Open House                             Saturday, September 8, 2007
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 and up-to-date rundown of upcoming events!
 

Fifth Annual Biology Plant Sale
The fifth Annual Biology Plant Sale will take place on Wednesday, May 16, and Thursday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Greenhouse, middle rooms. Bigger, better plants! More varieties! More perennials and vegetable plants (many more tomatoes especially)! Plus, lots of annuals, herbs, hanging baskets, and houseplants! We’ve revamped and improved our growing methods, and now you can reap the benefits!

VCLE to Host the 2007 Carlyle Studies Conference in July
The Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE) will host the 2007 Carlyle Studies Conference on July 12-13, 2007. The plenary speaker is Chris Vanden Bossche from the Department of English at the University of Notre Dame. For more information, please contact Marylu Hill.

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

• Craig Bailey, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has published the article, "The Nesbitts of London and their Networks," in Irish and Scottish Mercantile Networks in Europe and Overseas in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, edited by David Dickson, Jan Parmentier, and Jane Ohlmeyer, (Academia Press: Gent, 2007), 231-249.
   
• Jesse Frey, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mathematical sciences, recently completed a study that uses Bayesian analysis to determine which batting averages in major league baseball are the best indicators of ability. Frey's findings appears in the May issue of The American Statistician. For more information, please click here.
   
• Richard N. Juliani, Ph.D., a professor of sociology, spoke at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on his history of Philadelphia’s Little Italy. Dr. Juliani is the author of the newly released book, Priest, Parish, and People:
  Saving the Faith in Philadelphia's "Little Italy."
   
• Timothy W. Kirk, Ph.D., a Catherine of Siena Fellow in Ethics and visiting assistant professor of philosophy, published a paper, "Managing Pain, Managing Ethics," in the April 2007 issue of Pain Management Nursing. The paper offers a moral analysis and proposes an evidence-based decision making strategy for home hospice nurses caring for patients who's loved ones are not administering pain medication adequately.
   
• Krista Malott, Ph.D., an assistant professor in counselor education, participated in a panel discussion on the issues presented in the film, Freedom Writers, at West Chester University. Learn more here.
   
• Patrick Markey, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology, was featured in Business Week in an article entitled, "Games Do Cause Violent Behavior (But Not Much)." Read the full article here.
   
• Charlene Mires, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, was appointed to the editorial board of The Journal of American History, the leading journal in the field of American history, at a recent meeting of the Organization of American Historians.
   
• Democracy in Chile: The Legacy of September 11, 1973, (2005), edited by Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., and Fernando Leiva, has won the 2007 Arthur P. Whitaker Prize for best book, awarded by MACLAS, the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies.
   
• El arte de vivir: Aproximaciones a la poesia de Pedro Lastra, edited by Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., and Luis Correa-Diaz, was published in Santago de Chile in January of 2007.
   
• Paul Rosier, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, spoke at the Charles L. Durham Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 18. The topic of his talk: "The Changing Face of American Sports." Dr. Rosier spoke about how Jackie Robinson, Wilma Rudolph, Billie Jean King, and other athletes have expanded the boundaries of American sports to include both women and men, and people of all races.
   
• Melanie Vile, Ph.D., director of grant development in the College, was featured in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article entitled, "Climate Change: The Local Picture."

Alumni in the News

• Richard O. Berndt, Esq., '64, has been been elected to the Board of Directors of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., and the Board of its principal banking subsidiary -- PNC Bank, National Association. Berndt earned his bachelor's degree in sociology. Read more here.
   
• Jill Leauber Sherman, '81, has been named president of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. Sherman earned a master's degree in English from Villanova and a bachelor's degree from Ursinus College. Learn more about her appointment here.

Students in the News

• Sarah Blanchard ('08, Sociology/Honors) was recently selected as a finalist in the Harry S. Truman Scholarship competition, which supports undergraduates who plan careers as public servants and agents of change.

• Emily Brault ('08, Biology/Honors) received Honorable Mention in the Morris. K. Udall Scholarship for her commitment to a career in environmental sciences.

• Jaclyn Farwell ('07, Nursing) was recently awarded a Fulbright Teaching Assistant Grant to teach English as a second language in South Korea next year. Through the Fulbright program, Jacy will also pursue the Language Training Initiative to learn the Korean language. 

• Katrine Herrick ('08, Management and International Business/Honors) was recently selected as a finalist in the Harry S. Truman Scholarship competition, which supports undergraduates who plan careers as public servants and agents of change.

• Haig Norian ('08, Electrical Engineering) has been awarded a 2007 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Haig was one of 317 Goldwater Scholars selected from among 1,110 applicants for this prestigious undergraduate award, which recognizes excellence in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics and which supports students who are planning research careers in these fields. 

• Nicholas O'Donoughue ('06, Electrical and Computer Engineering) received the 2007 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. Nick is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, studying signal processing within the Time Reversal Imaging Group in the ECE Department at CMU.

• Robert Zellem ('08, Astronomy & Astrophysics/Honors) received Honorable Mention in the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship competition for his outstanding academic record and his contribution to the research efforts in our Astronomy/Astrophysics Department.

• Shannon Doyle ('07, Biology) is competing in the 2007 Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Pageant. She plans to attend Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in the fall. Read all about her pageant experiences and her pageant platform -- "Home Away from Home: Enriching the Lives of Hospitalized Children” -- here.

• Jason Merritt, a senior astronomy and astrophysics major, and Christopher Night Pilman, '02, who is now finishing his Ph.D. in astrophysics at Harvard University, have published the following peer-reviewed scientific paper with Edward Sion, Ph.D., entitled, "Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy of  the Dwarf Nova VW Hydri in Superoutburst," in the March 2007 issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. This journal is one of the top five highest impact international journals in astronomy and astrophysics and is published by the University of Chicago Press.

IT Corner

• Why Not Podcast Your Next Lecture or Event? UNIT can assist you to create a podcast of your next event and post it to iTunes University and your Web site. And the best news is ... it is easy to do! Simply contact Jennifer Pohlhaus for more information.
   
• New E-mail System Coming -- More details on the new email and calendaring system (Microsoft Exchange) can be found at: http://www.unit.villanova.edu/exchange/

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.