Letter from the Dean

Dear Friend of the College,

Welcome to the March 2009 issue of Inside A&S, the monthly e-newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University.

We in the College take our responsibility as educators seriously; it is our shared 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. 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.

This semester, now at its mid-way point, is filled with a wide array of academic and cultural events, including the "From the Local to the Global: International Sustainability Conference," designed to explore the concept of sustainability in all its many forms. The keynote address will be given by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. In addition, the 11th Annual Villanova Literary Festival is ongoing this semester. You can learn more about the writers visiting campus here. Further, the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a three-day conference, "Mirror Images: Challenges for Arab and Islamic Studies." Learn more here. Also, the Department of Modern Languages and Literature will sponsor a symposium, exhibit, and concert honoring the poetic legacy of Juan Ramón Jiménez on Tuesday, March 31. Learn more here.

Films, lectures, discussions, and other intellectual enrichment activities complement what goes on in the classroom environment. Our hope is that our students, faculty, and staff take advantage of the wonderful academic and cultural events available on campus and beyond.

The Office of the Dean in the College actively looks for ways to keep its faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends well informed of all the news and activity happening in the College. To achieve these ends, the College publishes this e-newsletter, Inside A&S, monthly. The College also publishes Connections, a weekly e-newsletter for A&S students, and has begun a blog. Further, you can become a fan of the College on Facebook. Click here for more information. Our hope is to reach out to our varied audiences in diverse ways so that you receive the news you need in the most convenient and accessible ways.
  
Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S. We appreciate your ongoing interest in the life of the College, and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

Sincerely, 


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

In College News …

Father Thomas F. Martin, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, Dies at 66

The College mourns Thomas F. Martin, O.S.A., a professor of theology and religious studies, and director of the Augustinian Institute, who died on Friday, Feb. 20, after a short battle with cancer. Father Martin died surrounded by many: family, friars, and health care staff in the Health Care Center of Saint Thomas Monastery on campus.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Fr. Martin on Monday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., president of the University, presided, and Rev. Martin Laird, O.S.A., Fr. Martin's colleague in the department of theology and religious studies, delivered the homily.

Please click here to learn more about the life and work of Father Martin.

College Welcomes Prospective Students During Early Action Candidates' Day

Early Action Candidates' Day was held Saturday, Feb. 7, on campus. Prospective students and their families attended University and College presentations, and departmental and program open houses in the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts and Mendel Science Center.

During the open houses, prospective students and their families had the opportunity to learn more about majors, minors, and concentrations in the College, and how a degree in the liberal arts and sciences from Villanova serves as preparation for life.

Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College, (pictured left) joined Helen K. Lafferty, Ph.D., College Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, and four exceptional student presenters who represented the liberal arts and sciences and who spoke of their unique educational experiences. The students are Heather Lander, '09; Diana Misdary, '10; Scott Anthony Procops, '11; and Erin Mack, '12.
 

Department of Computing Sciences Awarded $600,000 Scholarship Grant

The Department of Computing Sciences has been awarded a $600,000 scholarship grant from the NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program.

This NSF program has a Congressional mandate to support undergraduate educational initiatives to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of STEM majors. The department grant will support the Villanova Computing Scholars (ViCS) community. Current and incoming Computer Science majors in ViCS will be eligible to receive up to $8,000 in financial aid per year over the next four years, and will participate in a learning community advised by faculty members from the Department's Center of Excellence in Enterprise Technology (CEET). 

The award is one of 85 new S-STEM awards made by NSF this year, across all STEM disciplines. These awards are a result of the evaluation of 277 proposals submitted in August 2008.

Gender and Women’s Studies Program Proudly Announces 20th Annual Elizabeth Cady Stanton Student Research Conference

The 20th Annual Elizabeth Cady Stanton Conference will be held Thursday, March 19, 2009. The event will culminate in a keynote address by Linda Greenhouse, the Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times.

In addition, the Gender and Women's Studies is hosting many other events this semester. Be sure to visit the program's Web site here to learn more.

Honoring the Poetic Legacy of Juan Ramón Jiménez

The Department of Modern Languages and Literature will sponsor a symposium, exhibit, and concert honoring the poetic legacy of Juan Ramón Jiménez on Tuesday, March 31, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the First Floor Lounge of Falvey Memorial Library. Learn more here.

The occasion will be marked by a symposium entitled, “Juan Ramón Jiménez en la Nueva Luz." The symposium will feature three internationally known specialists on the poet: Carmen Hernández-Pinzón, grand-niece and representative of the heirs of the poet, will speak about Juan Ramón, the person; Dr. Mª Ángeles Sanz Manzano, a professor from the University of Alcalá de Henares, will speak about the universal dimensions of Platero and I; and Dr. Graciela Palau de Nemes, from the University of Maryland, will speak on Juan Ramón Jiménez´s constant search for meaning.

There also will be a poetry recital by faculty and students from Modern Languages and a Concert by Chili Valverde, a singer from Huelva, Spain. On display will be an exhibit featuring Juan Ramón Jiménez´s Life and Work, on loan from the Government of Spain.

The entire Villanova community is encouraged to attend the events. For more information, please click here.
 

College Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies

The Center for Arab and Islamic Studies will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2009 and will mark the occasion with an international conference titled, "Mirror Images: Challenges for Arab and Islamic Studies," on April 2 to 4. During the conference, which will feature scholarly panels, workshops, discussions, and diverse cultural programs, a keynote address will be delivered by Professor Juan R.I. Cole, Ph.D., the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Dr. Cole also is the president of the Global Americana Institute.
 

Villanova University to Celebrate 2009 Praxis Award in Professional Ethics

The Villanova University Ethics Program of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will celebrate the third annual Praxis Award in Professional Ethics on March 31, 2009 in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center at 5 p.m. Amy Domini, the Founder and CEO of Domini Social Investments, will receive the reward and address the gathering. The Praxis Award honors the contribution of a professional or an academic in the field of professional ethics. The Praxis Award highlights and celebrates the contributions of a professional or an academic in the field of professional ethics. Learn more here.

Professor DeFina Discusses the Impact of Mass Incarceration on Poverty

The 2008 Outstanding Faculty Research Award Recipient, Robert DeFina, Ph.D., a professor of sociology, will discuss The Impact of Mass Incarceration on Poverty, on Thursday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m. in Falvey Memorial Library, First Floor Lounge.

One of the most pressing social problems of the last 30 years is the persistence of poverty in the face of overall economic growth. Researchers have examined a variety of possible causes, including de-industrialization, lower minimum wages, de-unionization, and technological change. Much remains unexplained.

This talk will discuss research on the potential influence of the dramatic rise in incarceration rates of the last three decades. It explains possible ways that mass incarceration can contribute to poverty and describes empirical work suggesting that the actual effects have been substantial. Learn more here.

Coming up at Villanova Theatre: Cabaret

Tickets are now on sale for Villanova Theatre’s season-ending musical, Cabaret, on stage March 24 to April 5 and April 14-19. Learn more here.

Outside the Kit Kat Klub, life in Berlin is becoming strained as the Nazis rise to power. But inside … ah, inside! The Emcee instructs guests to leave their troubles at the door, while musicians and dancers sizzle and decadence prevails. Cabaret’s captivating story pulls together an American novelist, a British nightclub singer, a Jewish fruit vendor, and a German businesswoman in an intricate dance of politics and passion.

From the Local to the Global: International Sustainability Conference

Villanova University is hosting an international interdisciplinary conference on sustainability from April 23 to 26, 2009. The conference aims to bring together scholars, activists, and government and corporate professionals from across the United States and around the world to learn from each other in exploring the multiple dimensions of sustainability. The keynote address will be given by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

This conference is the capstone event of Villanova’s Year of Sustainability, which began in September 2008 with the symposium, "Mendel in the 21st Century: The Scientific, Social, and Ethical Impact of Genetics in Our World," a celebration of the 80th anniversary of Villanova’s granting of the Mendel Medal honoring the legacy of Augustinian priest Gregor Mendel, an icon of interdisciplinary scientific investigation; recipients of the medal include botanist Peter Raven, philosopher Holmes Rolston III, and biologist Meg Lowman. Visit this Web site to learn even more about the sustainability conference.
 

14th Annual Philosophy Conference: New French Thought 

The annual philosophy conference at Villanova has been a tradition since 1996.

Sponsored by the Philosophy Graduate Student Union (PGSU), it began as one of the first graduate philosophy conferences in Continental philosophy. Now open for faculty as well as graduate students, the annual conference has drawn participants from all areas of philosophy as well as from around the world.

This year's theme, “New French Thought,” features keynote speaker Bernard Stiegler. The conference takes place on April 3 and 4, 2009.

Learn more here.

Rev. Richard Cannuli, O.S.A., Presents Iconic Images in Villanova Exhibit 

An interpretive exhibit of Old World religious icons, “Ever Ancient, Ever New – Sacred Treasures," by Rev. Richard G. Cannuli (Order of St. Augustine), opens March 27 in Villanova University’s Art Gallery, with a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. to meet the artist. The exhibit continues to May 17. The exhibit is free and all are welcome.

The exhibit offers a look into the centuries-old holy shrines stationed along the streets and alleyways of Sicily, the birth region of the Philadelphia-born artist’s ancestors.

To Rev. Cannuli, the time-honored and very precise process of creating an image of Christ, the Holy Mother or a Roman Catholic saint signifies the spiritual journey on which he has been for most of his life. “Art is not a metaphor for creation; it is the continuation of its presence. In creativity, we begin to know the Creator,” he notes.

Rev. Cannuli is a noted iconographer and a certified liturgical design consultant, who has planned worship spaces for numerous religious communities. His designs for stained glass windows, mosaics, sanctuary furniture and liturgical vestments may be found in worship spaces in the United States and abroad.

The exhibit comprises large wall hangings, more than a dozen three-dimensional floor pieces, as well as traditional icons in gold leaf and tempura. In one treatment, multiple sets of eyes peer softly out from an icon of St. Lucy, the martyr of Syracuse, Sicily, whose eyesight, it is said, was miraculously restored after her eyes were put out.

In another work, an imprisoned Jesus looks out from behind bars in an image superimposed over the recess of a roadside reliquary. A sorrowing Holy Mother holds in one hand an image of Christ, in the other the Cross of Calvary.
 
The Villanova University Art Gallery is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. For weekend and extended hours, and other information, telephone the Art Gallery at (610) 519-4612. Selected works for the exhibit may be previewed on the gallery’s Web site: www.artgallery.villanova.edu.

Communication and Computing Sciences Students Contribute to Vatican Outreach Initiatives

Communication and Computing Sciences students are the only students in the world to be offered the opportunity to intern with the Vatican in Rome at the Internet Office of the Holy See, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Catholic News Service. The Internet Office also provides Computing Sciences students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute directly to the Vatican Web site. Learn more here.

Speaking of Scripture: Interfaith Conversations on Teaching Sacred Texts 

The Villanova Center for Liberal Education and the Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning are sponsoring a series of workshops for faculty entitled, "Speaking of Scripture: Interfaith Conversations on Teaching Sacred Texts." Click here to learn more.

University Celebrates 11th Annual Literary Festival  

The 11th annual Villanova University Literary Festival will take place from February to April 2009. Details are available here on the English Department's Web site.

All readings begin at 7 p.m. and are followed by a reception and book signing.

Yiyun Li, a novelist and short story writer, visits campus on Tuesday, March 24 (Connelly Center, Presidents' Lounge).

Yiyun Li grew up in Beijing and came to the United States in 1996. She has an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa. Her stories and essays have been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope: All-Story, Ploughshares, and elsewhere.

She has received grants and awards from Lannan Foundation and Whiting Foundation. She recently was selected by Granta as one of the Best Young American Novelists. Her debut collection, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (Random House, 2006), won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, PEN/Hemingway Award, Guardian First Book Award, and California Book Award for first fiction. Set in China and the United States, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers illuminates how mythology, history, and culture intersect with personality to create fate.
 

Lambda Pi Eta Sponsors Communication Résumé and Interviewing Workshop

Three Villanova graduates were on the panel for a Communication résumé and interviewing workshop on Monday, Feb. 9, which sponsored by Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society. They provided advice, critiqued two résumés, and conducted a mock interview. Learn more here.

"Women Take the Camera": Spring 2009 Cultural Film Series

Now in its 29th year, the Cultural Film and Lecture Series announces its spring '09 line-up. This semester, the CFS is entitled "Women Take the Camera," and its 10 thematically linked films all showcase the contributions of females to the world of cinema. For the list of films, speakers, times, dates, admissions prices, etc., please consult the CFS's Web site or call x94750 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. March 2009 films include: Working Girl; Ciao, Professore!; and Getting Off. 
 

Maximize the Power of Your Network With Maggie Mistal '95

The College's Internships Office and Office of Advising and Professional Development with Career Services and VSB will host a special workshop for students entitled, "Maximize the Power Of Your Network," on Monday, March 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Driscoll Hall Auditorium. The best career opportunities are found through networking. Join Career Coach and '95 Villanova alum Maggie Mistal for a workshop entitled, "Maximize the Power of Your Network." You'll not only learn what it means to network, but also key steps to developing a powerful network and creating your own customized networking strategy.
 

Biology Department Announces Spring 2009 Seminar Series

Be sure to check out the full schedule for the Biology Department's Spring 2009 Seminar Series. The series features many researchers from other institutions as well as Villanova.

Call for Nominations: 2010 Praxis Award in Professional Ethics

The Ethics Program invites nominations for the 2010 Praxis Award in Professional Ethics. To highlight and celebrate the work of professionals and academics in the field of professional ethics, the Ethics Program of Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes the work of such a person by awarding him or her with the Praxis Award. Learn more here.

New Feature on A&S Web Site: Learn About Mendel's Legacy at Villanova

Be sure to check out a new feature on the A&S Web site: Mendel's Legacy at Villanova. Here, you will learn about the University's role as one of the custodians of Gregor Mendel’s legacy. The accomplishments of this 19th century Augustinian friar, teacher, scientist and mathematician have helped shape the world’s collective understanding of genes, crossbreeding, and heredity. Learn more here.

Women’s Studies Program Renamed “Gender and Women’s Studies”

The Women’s Studies Program has been renamed “Gender and Women’s Studies.” This more inclusive name will allow the program to expand. Learn more here.
 

Noted Author and Psychologist to Visit Campus on Wednesday, March 18, 2009

William E. Cross, Jr., a scholar who studies the psychology of African-American identity development in the United States at the CUNY Graduate Center, will speak twice on campus on Wednesday, March 18. (Times to be determined. Be sure to check the University's online calendar for updates.) During his first talk in SAC 300, "Rediscovery: The person in the Discourse on Collective Identity," Professor Cross will speak primarily to students who are studying to be future school counselors, community counselors, human service workers, teachers, and educational leaders. In his second talk, "Stigma, Culture, and the Everyday Enactment of Social Identity," Professor Cross will speak to the entire University community in the Connelly Center. Learn more about William Cross here.

Attention, Students: Get Connected Today!

Connections is an e-newsletter published every Tuesday during the academic year exclusively for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The purpose of Connections is to inform you of opportunities available through various College offices related to academic advising; fellowships, grants, and scholarships; internships and professional development; and other related matters. For more information, please e-mail Kate Szumanski.
 

College Enters the Blogosphere!

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has started a blog to help its many constituencies stay well informed on Colleges news, events, and initiatives. View the blog here.

Find the College on Facebook

Become a fan of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Facebook. This is an ideal way for all Facebook users to stay informed of College news and events. Click here to visit the College on Facebook.
 

Villanova Theatre’s 50th Anniversary

This year marks the Theatre Department’s 50th anniversary and the start of a yearlong celebration of Villanova Theatre’s past, present, and future. The 2008-2009 line-up includes a masterpiece of the American stage, a giddy French farce, a gorgeous contemporary re-imagining of Roman mythology, and a sizzling Kander and Ebb musical. Each piece celebrates and builds upon some aspect of Villanova Theatre’s history, as the M.A. in Theatre program looks forward to the next half century. Learn more here.
 

Reminder: Grant Development Web Site Live

Faculty are strongly encouraged to visit the Grant Development Web site. Here you will find the guidelines for the submission of proposals.

Explore iTunes University on the Web  

Download faculty lectures and subscribe to podcasts all at iTunes University. Connect to what is happening at Villanova anytime, anywhere.
 

Visit Mideastwire.com Today!

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.

IT Corner

• Confused about how to advertise your announcements and events? Please check out the College's Announcement(s) Quick Guide.
   
• Technology Fair on March 12. The 5th Annual Villanova University Technology Fair will be held on March 12. The theme this year is "Challenging Times and the Role of IT in Education." See demonstrations by various technology innovators and vendors, as well as displays of the newest offerings in computing technologies. Learn from our special guests, contributors, and sponsors. There will be numerous presentations and displays on a variety of topics and technologies, as well as ample opportunity to ask questions and see demonstrations of various hardware and software products. Come and enjoy refreshments, win door prizes, and pick up some neat freebies. Learn more here.
   
• 2009 PC Refresh. There will be a refresh of full-time faculty computers this summer. For the first time, the (new) 13-inch MacBook will be an option (requiring additional funding from departments). More information will be forthcoming.
   
• Faculty and Staff Photographs. Did you have your photo taken at one of the recent faculty and staff photo shoots? If you did, then you can find your photo archived here. Please log in with your user name and password.
  If you need your photo added to your Bio Page, please email Elisa.
   
• The College IT Office: Supporting the Technological Needs of the College’s Faculty and Staff. The College provides a vast array of supplemental and vital IT support to its faculty and staff. The College IT Office, which reports to the Office of the Dean in the College, employs a staff of talented and dedicated IT professionals who work to meet specific needs within all of the College’s unique departments and programs. Learn more here.

Save the Dates!

Please mark your calendars for these important events:

Spring Break                                      March 2-9
Technology Fair                                  March 12
Easter Recess Begins After Last Class   April 8
Candidates' Day                                 April 18
Reading Day                                       May 1
Baccalaureate and Commencement      May 16-17

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!
 

University Events Module Makes It Easy to Promote Special Events, Lectures, and Other Happenings
Posting an event on the University's Web site and College's Web site has never been easier. Simply enter all relevant information here. Be sure to include your event announcement on the daily Wildcat Newswire, too. The Newswire is sent to all undergraduate, graduate, and law school students at Villanova. Access the online submission from from the University's home page.
 

Faculty Scholarship

• Sarah-Vaughan Brakman, Ph.D., an associate professor of philosophy and an ethics consultant, has written the following book chapters: “Real Mothers and Good Stewards: The Ethics of Embryo Adoption,” in The Ethics of Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition. Eds. Sarah-Vaughan Brakman and Darlene Fozard Weaver. (Dordrecht: Springer Publishers, 2007): 119-138; “Introduction: The Ethics of Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition,” in The Ethics of Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition. Eds. Sarah-Vaughan Brakman and Darlene Fozard Weaver. (Dordrecht: Springer Publishers, 2007): 3-23. (with Darlene F. Weaver); and “Paradigms, Practices and Politics: Ethics and the Language of Human Embryo Transfer/Donation/Rescue/Adoption,” in Pluralistic Casuistry: Moral Arguments, Economic Realities, and Political Theory, Essays in Honor of Baruch A. Brody. Eds. Mark J. Cherry and Ana Smith Iltis (Dordrecht: Springer Publishers, 2007): 191-210.

• Sarah-Vaughan Brakman, Ph.D., an associate professor of philosophy and an ethics consultant, and Darlene Fozard Weaver, Ph.D., an associate professor of theology and religious studies and director of the Theology Institute, have co-edited the book, The Ethics of Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition: Moral Arguments, Economic Reality and Social Analysis, published by Springer Science & Business Media B.V. 2007. Drs. Brakman and Weaver co-edited the book and co-wrote an introductory chapter together. In addition, each wrote a single authored chapter in the book, which is a comprehensive collection of essays that examines and advances ethical evaluations of the controversial and increasingly popular practice of embryo adoption. Learn more here.

• Bill Cowen, a faculty member on the communication department, has won another MarCom Gold Award for “Best Publicity Campaign”. Cowen was honored for his PR work on “Odor Limits." a world premiere art-in-science exhibit by Philadelphia’s Monell Center and Science Center. The MarCom Awards is an international competition sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Cowen previously won a Gold Award for another campaign in 2006. In addition, Cowen has been appointed a PR industry advisor for Guidepoint Global, an international research house based in Manhattan that works primary in the financial industry.

• David Cregan, O.S.A., Ph.D., (Theatre) successfully organized the third annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium with theatre scholars and practitioners from the mid-Atlantic Region. He recently published a chapter in We Will Be Citzens on the American character in the plays of the Irish author Frank McGuinness. Fr. Cregan continues to review plays for Philadelphia Magazine. He also directed Dead Man Walking for Villanova Student Theatre, which ended a successful run on February 21. This summer, Fr. Cregan will be presenting a paper at the International Federation for Theatre Research in Lisbon, Portugal.

• Alan Drew, M.F.A, who teaches fiction writing in the English Department, has written the novel Gardens of Water, which was published originally a year ago. The novel was released in paperback on Feb. 10. Learn more here.

• José Luis Gastañaga Ponce de León, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, published an article entitled, "Diego de San Pedro y el descontento en la corte de los Reyes Católicos. Una lectura de Cárcel de amor," in the Bulletin of Hispanic Studies 85 (2008): 809-820.

• Anthony J. Godzieba, Ph.D., an associate professor of theology and religious studies and editor of the journal Horizons, has recently published an article entitled, “The Catholic Sacramental Imagination and the Access/Excess of Grace,” in New Theology Review 21/3 (August 2008): 14–26. He also presented invited papers at two symposia held at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). The first, for a symposium on the imagination and religious truth (November 2008), was “Agnus Dei: Sin, Sacrament, and Subjectivity in the Liturgical Imagination”; the other, for a symposium on the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx (December 2008), was “God, the Luxury of Our Lives: Schillebeeckx and the Argument.” During spring semester 2009, Dr. Godzieba is serving as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Dayton.

• Ray Heitzmann, Ph.D., a professor of education, spoke recently at the International Conference on Education on the topic of “Writing for Publication in Academia.” Heitzmann said, “It was enjoyable speaking to a group ranging from doctoral candidates to senior full professors; the audience’s questions were both challenging and fun.” Dr. Heitzmann has been selected to receive “The Roselle Award” by the Middle States Council for the Social Studies. The award is given “in recognition for scholarly research and publication in the Middle States Region.”

• Valerie Joyce, Ph.D., (Theatre) will present her paper, "Adapting Americans: Re-scripting Women’s Roles in the Early American Playhouse,” at the Society of Early Americanists 6th Biennial Conference in Hamilton, Bermuda, in March.

• Michael Hollinger's recent plays Opus and Tooth and Claw will be published by Dramatists Play Service, the leading American publisher/licensor of new plays, in 2009.  In addition, his new musical Tulipomania, co-authored with Michael Ogborn, was workshopped at Arden Theatre Company at the end of January. Hollinger’s musical A Wonderful Noise will premiere this summer at Colorado’s Creede Repertory Theatre.

• Mercedes Juliá, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature, was invited to participate in the International Symposium to Honor Juan Ramón Jiménez, which took place in New York City, in October 2008. She presented a paper on the poetic affinities of George Santayana and JRJ. Dr. Juliá also was invited to a Symposium in Huelva, Spain, in November 2008. She spoke on America´s influence on Juan Ramón Jiménez. Dr. Juliá's monograph, De la nueva luz, has been accepted for publication by Diputación de Huelva and Fundación JRJ.

• Robert Langran, Ph.D., a professor of political science and chair of the department, delivered a talk on the U.S. Supreme Court to the residents of Hershey's Mill in November 2008.

• Chaone Mallory, Ph.D., an assistant professor of philosophy, published the article, “Ecofeminism and a Politics of Performative Affinity: Direct Action, Subaltern Voices, and the Green Public Sphere in Ecopolitics Online Journal (Vol. 1 No. 2. 2-13, October 2008). In addition, Dr. Mallory was a plenary presenter on a special panel devoted to the work of recently-deceased ecofeminist philosopher Val Plumwood, giving a paper titled, “Plumwood, Intentionality, and Political Solidarity,” at the meeting of the Canadian Society for Women in Philosophy in Windsor, Ontario October 3-5, 2008. She also gave an invited paper titled, “What Is Ecofeminist Political Philosophy? Gender, Nature, and the Political,” on a panel called "Feminist Approaches to the Environment" sponsored by the Society for Philosophy and Public Affairs, at the Eastern American Philosophical Association in Philadelphia in December 2008. Also at the meeting of the American Philosophical Association in December, she gave a paper titled, “Val Plumwood and Ecofeminist Political Philosophy: Gender, Nature, and Political Solidarity.”

• Emmet McLaughlin, Ph.D., a professor of history, has recently published two articles. The first, “Truth, Tradition, and History: The Historiography of High/Late Medieval and Early Modern Penance,” is the lead article in A New History of Penance, ed. Abigail Firey (Leiden 2008) pp. 19-71. The second is “Luther, Spiritualism and the Spirit,” Luther Digest, 16(2008) pp. 69-75.

• Alain J. Phares, Ph.D., a professor of physics, and his collaborators, Francis J. Wunderlich, Ph.D., at Villanova and David W. Grumbine, Jr., Ph.D., at St. Vincent College, recently have published an article entitled, “A Phenomenological Study of Monomer Adsorption on fcc (335) Surfaces With Application to CO, O, and N2 Adsorption on Pt(335).” The article appeared in Langmuir, a journal of the American Chemical Society, Volume 25, Number 2, pages 944-951, 2009.

• Michael A. Posner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mathematical sciences, was recently appointed to serve on the Mathematics Association of America's and American Statistical Association's Joint Committee on Statistics Education. Dr. Posner has recently published two articles. He is co-author, with Michael Mason, Ph.D., assistant professor of education and human services, of an article that demonstrates the effectiveness of a substance abuse protocol on reducing alcohol use in urban adolescents. He is also co-author of an article looking at the benefits of discharging homeless patients to respite care. This article has been cited by an Irish report to make the case for respite units and the research is currently under examination by a congressional-mandated multisite federal study of the effects of respite care.

• Professor Harriet Power (Theatre) is directing the regional professional premiere of James Still’s Iron Kisses, a moving, funny, and highly theatrical play about brothers, sisters, parents, and children. Starring Tony Braithwaite and Kathryn Petersen, the production runs March 10 to April 5 at Act II Playhouse in Ambler, Pa. Professor Power is also working with Jen Childs, artistic director of 1812 Productions, on her newest original work about feminine identity, dance, and mother/daughter dynamics, supported by an Independence Foundation grant.

• Joanna Rotté, Ph.D. (Theatre) was invited to New York on Feb. 2 for a dramatic reading of a new play, Stella in the Bois de Bougogne, about the legendary meetings in Paris in 1935 between Stella Adler and Constantine Stanislavsky in which he clarified for her his Stanislavsky System. In an event following the reading, Dr. Rotté was recognized for her book, Acting with Adler.

• Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., a professor of Hispanic and Cultural Studies and director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, has written the book, Moros en la costa: Orientalismo en Latinoamérica (Madrid/Frankfurt: Iberoamericana/ Vervuert, 2008, a collection of 15 scholarly articles exploring the manifestations of orientalism in the Latin American literary and cultural production with an article-length introduction.

• Theatre Professor Joanna Rotté, along with actresses Olympia Dukakis and Marian Seldes and acting teachers William Esper and Kristin Linklater among others, participated as a panelist in an all-day seminar entitled ACTING TEACHERS OF AMERICA held at the City University of New York Graduate Center on December 8 for the purpose of exploring the legacy of the teaching of acting in America. The full-house audience in the Proshansky Auditorium of the Graduate Center was composed of teachers of theatre, students of acting, and professional actors.

• Deborah Schussler, Ed.D., an associate professor in the Department of Education and Human Services, recently served on two invited panels at the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education annual meeting. The sessions, "Emerging Questions in the Teacher Dispositions Debate" and "Dispositions in Practice: Case Studies on Developing a Framework for Identifying, Nurturing, and Assessing Dispositions," were both sponsored by Team C (Teacher Education as a Moral Community), a national task force sponsored by AACTE. Dr. Schussler was invited to serve on this task force.

• Catherine Skeen, Ph.D., an Arthur J. Ennis Postdoctoral Fellow in the Villanova Center for Liberal Education, has received the ASECS's Irish-American Research Travel Fellowship for 2009 unanimously by the prize jury. ASECS stands for the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies. Dr. Skeen has forthcoming from Four Courts Press of Dublin an edition, with introduction and notes, of William Dunkin's The Parson's Revels. Her winning proposal, entitled "On College Property: William Dunkin and Trinity College Dublin," investigates the poet Dunkin's relations to Trinity College Dublin and the College's unusual commitment to provide him with an education and livelihood in exchange for its receipt of estates bequeathed to the College by Dunkin's great-aunt by marriage. 

• James W. Wilson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology, has written the article, "Media Ion Composition Controls Regulatory and Virulence Response of Salmonella in Spaceflight," which was published in PLoS ONE. This paper is based on the results from two separate spaceflight experiments aboard Space Shuttles Endeavor and Atlantis. In the paper, the authors show that (1) spaceflight increases Salmonella virulence, and (2) we can counteract this increase in virulence by addition of a specific ion to the media (phosphate). Both earth-based and space-related antibacterial strategies can be based on the results of this work.

Alumni in the News

• Villanova undergraduate Honors and Astronomy and Astrophysics alum and former Goldwater Scholar, Lisa M. Winter '03, has been awarded a three-year Hubble Fellowship, the most sought after and most prestigious postdoctoral fellowship in astronomy. According to its Web site, the Hubble Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for highly qualified recent postdoctoral scientists to conduct independent research that is broadly related to the NASA Cosmic Origins scientific goals as addressed by any of the missions in this program: the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the Herschel Space Observatory, and the James Webb Space Telescope. The research will be carried out at U.S. Host Institutions chosen by each Fellow. The Fellowship provides support for up to three years at an annual stipend of approximately $60,500 plus benefits, and an additional allowance of $16,000 per year for travel and other research costs. Lisa plans to conduct her research in Boulder, Colorado.

Faculty in the News

• Rick Eckstein, Ph.D., a professor of sociology, was quoted in two recent Philadelphia Inquirer articles: "Soccer team to break ground amid shaky economy," and "A stadium plan that won't pay off."
   
• Matt Kerbel, Ph.D., a professor of political science, was featured on KYW Newsradio on Monday, Feb. 1, in a piece entitled, "Group Uses Radio Ads to Push Obama’s Stimulus Bill Through Senate." Learn more here.

Students in the News

Graduate theatre students Devin Neal Dippold and Jessica Hinds-Bond attended the annual Region II Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts in January 2009. The Region II festival, which is attended by theatre students from colleges and universities in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, is a four-day competition in the areas of acting, directing, design, playwriting, and theatrical criticism. Dippold, who wrote criticism about the plays he saw at the festival, was the winner of the critics’ competition, winning a place at the national festival to be held this spring at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Hinds-Bond was selected as runner-up. As a representative of Region II – and Villanova – Dippold will compete against finalists from seven other regions from across the country. Pictured above left: Graduate students Jessica Hinds-Bond and Devin Neal Dippold (back row, left) with student critics and guest critic Wendy Rosenfield (front row, center) at the KCACTF critics competition.

• Laura Hallisey , '09, a senior chemistry major, will compete in the 2010 U.S. Olympic Trials in Curling in Bloomfield, Colorado, in February 2009. Hallisey is the vice president of the Villanova Curling Club. Learn more about the U.S. Olympic Trials in Curling here.

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