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Letter from the Dean
Dear Friend of the College,
Welcome to the November 2009 issue of
Inside A&S,
the monthly e-newsletter of the
College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a student's education occurs both in and out of the classroom.
Intellectual and cultural events outside of the classroom complement and
reinforce the classroom experience, showing our students the importance of
lifelong learning.
On Friday, Nov. 20, Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.D., a
professor of biology at Brown University, will deliver the 2009 Mendel Medal
Lecture in the Connelly Center Cinema. This is an event not to be missed. On
Saturday, Dr. Miller will be awarded the Mendel Medal. Dr. Miller is a pre-eminent
evolutionary scientist, a Roman Catholic, and the author of the most widely
used high school biology textbook in America. Learn more about him in this
issue of Inside A&S.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, join in the lecture and
discussion, "The
Relevance of Augustine for Young Adults Today," at 7:30 p.m. in the
Driscoll Hall Auditorium. Rev. Theodore Tack, O.S.A., S.T.D., an Augustinian
for more than 60 years, will conduct the lecture.
You'll read more about this special event in this issue of Inside
A&S.
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.
I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D.
Dean of the College
In College News …
Kenneth Miller, Ph.D., to Receive 2009 Mendel Medal
 On
Friday, Nov. 20, Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Brown
University, will deliver the 2009 Mendel Medal Lecture
-- Darwinian Grandeur: A Biologist’s Journey Through Evolution’s
“Tangled Bank,” -- in the Connelly
Center Cinema. This is an event not to be missed. On Saturday, he will be
awarded the Mendel Medal. Dr. Miller is a pre-eminent evolutionary scientist
and the author of the most widely used high school biology textbook in
America.
The
Mendel Medal is awarded to outstanding
scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause
of science, and, by their lives and their standing before the world as
scientists, have demonstrated that between true science and true religion
there is no intrinsic conflict.
Miller was the lead witness in the Pennsylvania
“intelligent design” case, which was the first direct challenge brought in
U.S. federal courts against a public school district that required the
presentation of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution to
explain the origin of life.
Learn more about Dr. Miller and his work here.
Civil Rights and the Pro-Life Movement: A Testimony
from Dr. Alveda King
 The daughter of the late civil rights
activist Rev. A.D. King and his wife Naomi Barber King, Dr. Alveda King grew
up in the civil rights movement led by her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. She is the Pastoral Associate and Director of African-American Outreach
for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries and sees the pro-life movement as a continuation of the civil rights
struggle. She will share her own personal testimony of the issue in a lecture
sponsored by The Matthew J. Ryan Center, Apgar Foundation, and TWS
Foundation on November 12 at 3 p.m. in the Radnor Room of Connelly Center.
All are invited to attend the lecture and following reception.
Learn more here.
Herbivory discovered in a spider.
Clever Central American species is the first
spider known to science that feeds mainly on
plant food
 There
are approximately 40,000 species of spiders in the world, all of which have
been thought to be strict predators that feed on insects or other animals.
Now, scientists have found that a small Central American jumping spider has
a uniquely different diet: the species Bagheera kiplingi feeds predominantly
on plant food.
The research, led by Christopher Meehan of Villanova University and Eric
Olson of Brandeis University, but which also included Matthew W. Reudink
(Queen's University), T. Kurt Kyser (Queen's University), and Robert L.
Curry (Villanova University), has revealed the extraordinary ecology and
behavior in Bagheera kiplingi, which lives throughout much of Central
America and southern Mexico.
Chris Meehan made his initial observations (2007) of the spider’s extraordinary
behavior while completing his undergraduate Tropical Ecology field course in
Mexico while “only” an undergraduate (Senior). He then stayed on another
year to complete his M.S. (in addition to his B.S.) at Villanova, in the
Biology
Department's combined BS/MS program. Chris’s observation amounted to a
“co-discovery” of the spider’s behavior because Eric Olson had independently
observed the same behavior as early as 2001 in Costa Rica but had never
published his findings.
Matt Reudink, another of the paper's authors, is also a former Villanova
M.S. student of Robert Curry's. He collaborated with the other
researchers providing chemical analyses that he had learned to do for his
Ph.D. work at Queen’s University.
The paper, which was published in the October 13th issue of
Current Biology, was also accompanied by a dispatch article.
Stories about the paper appeared in the
New York Times, the Science and
Nature magazine websites,
National Geographic,
ScienceNOW, the Philadelphia
Inquirer and
many other media. In addition, Curry was interviewed on the
CBC radio show
Quirks
and Quarks,
while Chris was interviewed on-air by
Science Update.
Learn more here:
http://www.villanova.edu/communication/news.htm?page=spiders.htm
here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8302535.stm
and see videos of Bagheera kiplingi here:
http://www98.homepage.villanova.edu/robert.curry/RLC/bagheera.htm
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Historian Leads Graduate Seminar
 James
McPherson, Ph.D., the George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History,
Emeritus, at Princeton University, spoke on campus on Wednesday, Sept., 30,
2009, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. Dr. McPherson
explored the subject: “Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief.” A reception followed
the lecture. Dr. McPherson’s visit was sponsored by the Lore Kephart, ’86,
Distinguished Historians Lecture Series. This event was the series’ inaug ural
lecture.
The Lore Kephart '86 Distinguished Historians Lecture Series was established
in memory of Lore Kephart '86 through an endowment to the University by her
husband Horace L. Kephart.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, Dr. McPherson led a graduate seminar with students
enrolled in the Master's Program in the Department of History. Students from
Dr. Judith Giesberg's Lincoln's America class and from Dr. Marc Gallicchio's
War and American Society class discussed the research and writing process
with Dr. McPherson and engaged in a lively discussion with the author about
the many decisions Lincoln made as commander-in-chief.
Native Americans in America: The Continuities of History
The Continuities of History Native American Heritage Month celebrates both
the distinctive elements of Native culture and the contributions that Native
people have made in shaping America. This talk on Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. in
the First Floor Lounge of Falvey by Paul C. Rosier, Ph.D., an associate
professor of history, focuses on the ways in which Native activists and
politicians used the material legacy of 19th century conquest in the
American West – hundreds of international treaties the U.S. government
signed with Indian nations – to further the moral reputation of America as
it assumed a prominent role in shaping world affairs in the 20th century,
especially during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Dr. Rosier also
considers how the frontier narrative of the 19th century continues to define
21st century events such as the U.S.-Iraq war. His presentation includes
images from his new book, Serving Their Country: American Indian Politics
and Patriotism in the Twentieth Century, published by Harvard University
Press. Paul C. Rosier is an Associate Professor in the department of
History, Villanova University.
Learn more here.
Studies in Augustinian Spirituality:
The
Relevance of Augustine for Young Adults
Today
 A
Lecture and Discussion:
The Relevance of Augustine for Young Adults Today, Rev. Theodore Tack,
O.S.A., S.T.D., Driscoll Hall Auditorium, November 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
Rev. Theodore Tack, O.S.A., S.T.D., has been an Augustinian for over 60
years. During that time, he has served as head master of Cascia Hall
Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taught moral theology at the
Augustinianum in Rome, and served as prior general of the Order of Saint
Augustine. Among his books and articles are If Augustine Were Alive:
Augustine's Religious Ideal for Today and As One Struggling Christian
to Another: Augustine's Christian Ideal. From this wealth of knowledge
and experience, Fr. Ted will present a cogent argument for why the life of
Augustine is still relevant to Villanova University and every member of the
campus community.
Learn more here.
Catholics Confront Global Poverty Monthly Interactive Webcasts
Sponsored by
Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Join others around the country for briefings by Catholic Relief Services
staff working on the front lines of global poverty and other experts from
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Justice, Peace, and Human
Development. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. All
web-casts are scheduled between 2 to 3 p.m. on the dates below in Falvey
Memorial Library, Viewing Room #3.
November 11: The Afghanistan Crisis: What is the Role of the U.S. Military
in the Delivery of Humanitarian Assistance (Bill O'Keefe, CRS
and Virginia Farris, USCCB)
December 9: Agricultural Trade and the Global Food Crisis (Bruce White, CRS
and Steve Hilbert, USCCB)
Classes, students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Villanova sponsor: the
University Partnership with Catholic Relief Services. For more information,
please contact suzanne.toton@villanova.edu.
Call for Papers: Education as a Human Right
Special
issue of the
Journal for
Peace and Justice Studies
on Education as a Human Right. Deadline for
submissions: November 15, 2009.
Click here under "Call for Papers" for
more information.
A Special Invitation
On Thursday November
12, 2009 at 5:30 pm, the College of Liberal
Arts & Sciences community – students,
faculty, staff and alumni – will gather in
St. Thomas of Villanova Church for a special
liturgy to celebrate our College. Presided
by Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Dean and
concelebrated by fellow Augustinian faculty
members, the ceremony will bring our
community together in prayerful reflection
on God’s gifts to each of us. In honor of
the legacy that has been entrusted to us, a
brief remembrance of alumni, faculty, and
staff who have died over the past academic
year will be included.
Our event will conclude with an informal
reception in Mendel 103 and the adjacent
lobby.
Please confirm your attendance by
registering here
as soon as possible and no later than Friday
November 6.
Thank you in advance for joining in this
celebration of the special community that is
the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at
Villanova.
The Washington
Center Recognizes Villanova University for
its Civic-Minded Services
 Villanova One of First Recipients of Higher
Education Civic Engagement Award
The Washington Center for Internships and
Academic Seminars selected Villanova
University for a Higher Education Civic
Engagement Award. Villanova was selected for
its support of civic minded service
projects.
“Villanova is doing an astonishing job of
promoting service-learning and civic
engagement within its local, national, and
international communities,” said Mike Smith,
President of The Washington Center. “These
types of projects are required of all of our
students who intern in the nation’s capital,
and it’s a pleasure to partner with a
university that holds the same values.”
At Villanova University, civic engagement
permeates its academic and co-curricular
curriculum. Villanova encourages students,
faculty and staff to engage in service
experiences and research, both locally and
globally, so they learn from others, provide
public service to the community and help
create a more sustainable world. In
addition, it supports students and faculty
to pursue commitment to research and
education for justice, with a special
concern for the poor and compassion for the
suffering. Furthermore, it teaches students
to respect a worldview that fosters
responsible stewardship of the environment.
“The educational experience at Villanova
University is designed to build an awareness
of the challenges we face together as a
society and provide the tools to address
them as active, engaged and compassionate
citizens,” said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue,
O.S.A., Villanova University President. “We
are proud of the service efforts of our
students, faculty, staff and alumni around
the world, and are deeply honored by this
recognition from The Washington Center.”
The winners of the Higher Education Civic
Engagement Awards were chosen among a large
set of nominees. The five winners represent
some of the very best efforts to foster
civic learning in this country. This year's
Higher Education Civic Engagement Award
honorees are: Cabrini College, Elon
University, Tennessee State University,
Villanova University, and Wartburg College.
The awards were given during The Washington
Center’s annual Academic Affairs Awards
Luncheon Oct.19 at the National Press Club.
The awards serve to honor many of The
Washington Center’s academic partners,
sponsors, agencies, faculty and other
supporters who assist in providing strong
academic programs for students.
Dr. Ted Goertzel on "Violent Crime in Brazil:
Recent Trends"
 The
Latin American Studies Lecture Series presents Dr. Ted Goertzel, Professor
of Sociology at Rutgers University (Camden), who will give a lecture titled
"Violent Crime in Brazil: Recent Trends." This talk will examine how new
data on crime in Brazil challenges the stereotypes about violent crime in
developing countries. Dr. Goertzel is the author of over 50 articles and
books, including many on Latin American and Brazilian politics and crime.
This event will take place on Tuesday, November 10th in the Health Services
Building, Room 200, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. There will be a reception to
follow and all are welcome! This lecture is made possible by major funding
from the U.S. Department of Education through a Title VI Grant to Latin
American Studies and is co-sponsored by the Sociology & Criminal Justice
Department.
Freedom School 2010: Call for Proposals
Villanova will host its annual Freedom School in observance of the memory
and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Thursday, January 21, 2010.
Freedom School sessions may cover a variety of topics, such as immigration,
the possibilities and challenges of globalization, the rule of law and
respect for human rights, affirmative action, education and social justice,
peacebuilding and peacemaking, nonviolence and nonviolent social change, and
the sins of racism and white supremacy. Each session lasts about an hour,
and sessions run in line with our regular class schedule (10 a.m., 11:30
a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.). Please consider offering a Freedom School
session on a topic of your choosing. Sessions led by Villanova students and
staff are welcomed and encouraged. Visit the Peace and Justice Web site for
more information. The deadline for proposals is Tuesday, November 10.
For additional information:
http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/peaceandjustice/newsevents/freedomschool/
If you have questions, please contact:
sharon.discher@villanova.edu
Health Care Reform in the United States
Join the Center for Peace and Justice Education for a panel discussion on
Health Care Reform in the United States on Monday November 2, from 4 to 5:30
p.m., SAC 300.
For additional information:
http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/assets/documents/peaceandjustice/healthcarepanel.pdf.
If you have questions, please contact:
sharon.discher@villanova.edu.
Anthropology Lecture Series: Origins of
Ethics
 When and why did we become ethical beings?
Our species had its major biological
characteristics by about 150,000 years ago
or so. What were the steps that we took that
would eventually lead to our rich written
discussions about ethics? What were the
early sources that form the basis of an
ethical sense that is such a central part of
the human condition?
Please join us for our second lecture in
this year's Anthropology Lecture Series. The
"Origins of Ethics" by Tom McElhinney will
be in the Bryn Mawr Room of Connelly Center
on Wednesday, November 4, at 4 p.m.
Our speaker is an ethicist at Temple
University, Phoenix University, Temple
University Hospital, and Allegheny
University of the Health Sciences.
For more information, please contact Lowell
Gustafson at
lowell.gustafson@villanova.edu.
Webcast: The Role of the U.S. Military in
Delivering Humanitarian Assistance in
Afghanistan
 You
are invited to participate in an interactive
webcast on the Role of the U.S. Military in
Delivering Humanitarian Assistance in
Afghanistan, scheduled on Wednesday,
November 11, 2-3 p.m., in Falvey, Viewing
Room 3. This is one in a series of webcasts
in the Catholics Confronting Global Poverty
Campaign sponsored by the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief
Services. Our campus participation is made
possible by the Villanova University
Partnership with Catholic Relief Services.
Please click here to learn more.
Cultural Film Series Explores "Hidden
Treasures"
 NOV 8, 9, 10, UNBREAKABLE – directed by M. Knight Shyamalan, 2000, 1956,
USA, 106 m. Shyamalan’s follow-up to The Sixth Sense is a thriller with
supernatural overtones about a man (Bruce Willis) who, following a
devastating accident, discovers he possesses an extraordinary gift. MONDAY
SPEAKER: Dan Hunt. NOV 15, 16, 17, AFTER HOURS – directed by Martin
Scorsese, 1985, USA, 97 m. Scorsese tackles dark comedy in this tale of a
computer consultant from uptown Manhattan who ventures into Soho for a
late-night date and is besieged by bizarre characters and caught in a web of
out-of-control events. MONDAY SPEAKER: Steve McWilliams. NOV 21, 22, 23, FAT
CITY – directed by John Huston, 1972, USA, 100 m. A boxer in his youth,
Huston finally made this gritty drama about the sport fairly late in his
career. It’s a portrait of a hard-scrabble fighter who’s hoping for a
comeback. MONDAY SPEAKER: Dan Jefferson and Susan Marcosson. DEC 5, 6, 7,
WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD – directed by William Wellman, 1933, USA, 68 m.
Typical of the social dramas released by Warner Brothers during the
Depression, this film focuses on teens from impoverished families who leave
home to ride the rails and search for work. MONDAY SPEAKER: John O’Leary.
The CULTURAL FILM & LECTURE SERIES, FALL 2009, will take place in the
Connelly Center Cinema and is presented by the Communication Department and
the Office of Student Development. This series, "Hidden Treasures," features
an eclectic roster of works that have been overlooked in the past. Each of
the films has been selected by one or more people closely associated with
the CFS. Every film will be shown four times: Saturdays at 7 p.m.; Sundays
at 3:30 and 7 p.m.; Mondays at 7 p.m. Admission is FREE for students with ID
and $5.00 for all others. Tickets are available at the Connelly Center
Cinema box office, approximately 20 minutes prior to any showing. For more
information, call (610) 519-4750 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or
consult the
CFS Web site.
Fall 2009 Spanish Club Film Series
 With
the goal of promoting language and culture through film, the Spanish Club
Film Series started a program of screenings on Fall 2005. Since then, the
club is offering about four films each semester for the entire Villanova
community. We always attempt to keep a balance between recent productions
and films from the past that become more and more significant with time.
See the complete fall lineup here. For more information, please contact
Dr. Jose Luis Gastanaga,
coordinator of the Film Series.
Film Screening: Under the Bombs (Philippe Aractingi 2007)
 With
an introduction by Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences, on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., in the Connelly Cinema.
Film synopsis: Zelna lives in Dubai. In the midst of a divorce, she sends
her son Karim to stay with her sister in Kherbet Selem, a small village in
the south of Lebanon, to spare him from his parents’ fighting. A few days
later, war breaks out in Lebanon. Desperately worried, Zelna immediately
heads to Lebanon via Turkey. Because of the blockade, she doesn’t reach the
port of Beirut until the day of the ceasefire. There she meets Tony, the
only taxi-driver who agrees to take her to the South. Sponsored by the
Center for Arab and Islamic Studies. For more information, please e-mail
jessica.delisi@villanova.edu.
November 2009 Events in Falvey Library
Come to Falvey Memorial Library for these upcoming November events. November
5 at 1 p.m.: Jonathan Doh, Ph.D., VSB, will talk about the changing balance
of the global economy and the emergence of developing countries as major
players in the world economy in Falvey’s Endowed Chair Lecture. November 10
at 1 p.m.: “Solving America’s Health Care Reform Problem: A Nutritional
Approach” a forum led by Len Shyles, Ph.D., communication department, where
he will show and discuss his 2009 video, The Weight is Over. November 18 at
4:30 p.m.: Paul Rosier, Ph.D., history department, will discuss how American
Indians fought and continue to fight for their right to be both American and
Indian in the Native American Heritage Month Lecture in Falvey Memorial
Library.
For additional information:
http://library.villanova.edu/ If you have questions, please contact:
anne.ford@villanova.edu
Faith And Culture Lecture Featured in the Bulletin Courtesy of the Bulletin
On September 17, Villanova University and its Department of Humanities
presented its annual Faith and Culture Lecture. The speaker was Boston
College Professor Paul Mariani, author of six volumes of poetry and five
biographies of other poets. Read the full article here:
http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/10/04/arts_culture/doc4ac85113be8f0461673776.txt
Upcoming ACS-approved Cultural Events for
Fall 2009
 You
came to Villanova for an education, and that takes more than going to
classes. Here you'll find the approved
ACS cultural
events for the Fall 2009 semester.
Check them out.
Office for Mission and Ministry Sponsors
Fall 2009 Events
 The
Office for Mission and Ministry
animates Villanova’s commitment to living out its mission in every facet of
University life. The Office promotes an inclusive vision of the Catholic
intellectual tradition; coordinates a variety initiatives relating to the
University’s Augustinian heritage and Catholic identity; encourages programs
and research on contemporary problems using the lens of Catholic social
teaching; ensures that the spiritual and sacramental needs of Catholic
students are met; and extends our Augustinian mission and the work of
Villanova University in ways which will assure its contribution to the
continued social and spiritual transformation of our world.
As part of the Office's mission, it is sponsoring many events during the
Fall 2009 semester. You can learn more about these many events
here.
Villanova a Top Producer of Fulbright Students
The Chronicle of Higher Education
has listed Villanova as a top producer of Fulbright students for 2009-2010.
Learn more here.
Special Announcement: New Process for Hiring
Photographers, Requesting Images The Office of University Communication
is pleased to announce a new process for hiring
photographers and requesting images through the
use of an online photography form. This new
procedure is designed to streamline and improve
the requesting process for you, by providing
images that complement your intended use and by
allowing University Communication staff to more
effectively schedule and direct photographers to
meet your needs.
Additionally, University Communication has
created a new e-mail address,
photography@villanova.edu, which is solely
dedicated to photography inquiries. The goal is
to improve responsiveness to inquiries by
replying to requests within one business day.
You may find the new online photography form,
including detailed instructions, on the
University Communication Web site,
http://www.villanova.edu/communication
If you have any questions or would like to
provide any feedback, please feel free to
contact Taryn Kay or Bernadette Dierkes.
St. Augustine Administrative Assistants
Celebrate the Phillies Heading to
the World Series
 
Photos Courtesy of Mary Quilter
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.
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.
In
addition, many
A&S departments have developed Facebook pages. Find them here:
Department of Geography and the Environmentt,
Department of Humanities,
Department of Psychology, and the
Department of Philosophy.
Follow the College on Twitter
 Follow
the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
on
Twitter.
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! 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.
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:
IT Corner
- Confused about how to advertise your announcements and events?
Please check out the College's
Announcement(s) Quick Guide.
- Digital Sign- New Process. Please note the process for
submitting digital signage announcements has changed.
Learn
more here.
- College IT Committee Formed. This new committee was formed
this semester- learn more about the College IT Committee
here.
- Terminal Server Cluster available. The College has a Terminal
Server cluster for use with our Thin Client devices. This could be
helpful for Mac users who want to access FrontPage to edit their VU
homepages or access other applications.
Learn more here.
Save the Dates!
Please mark your calendars for these important
dates:
November 6 Special Olympics
November 24 Thanksgiving Recess Begins After Last Class
November 30 Classes Resume
December 10 Final Day of Classes
Dec. 12-18 Final Exams
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
-
James Bergquist, Ph.D., is emeritus professor of history at
Villanova and author of Daily Life in Immigrant America,
1820-1870: How the First Great Wave of Immigrants Made Their Way in
America (Ivan R. Dee, 2009). He wrote an article entitled, "From
Chinatown to Everytown," which appeared in the Oct. 8 issue of the
Wall Street Journal. Read the
full article here.
-
Robert Curry, Ph.D., professor of Biology,
co-authored a paper entitled, "Herbivory in
a spider through exploitation of an ant-plant mutualism" which
appeared in
Current Biology (Meehan, C. J., E.
J. Olson, M. W. Reudink, T. K. Kyser, and R. L. Curry. 2009.
Herbivory in a spider through exploitation of an ant-plant
mutualism. Current Biology 19:R892-R893.) Read more
about the paper
here.
-
Judith Giesberg, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history,
has written the book, Army at Home: Women and the Civil War on
the Northern Home Front. It is being published just in time for
the Lincoln Bicentennial. Learn more about the book here:
http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/browse/book_detail?title_id=1640
-
Elizabeth Kolsky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history,
has published an article, "Tea, Labor and Empire in India," in
Beatrice Hohenegger (ed.), Steeped in History: The Art of Tea
(University of California Press, 2009).
-
Robert Langran, Ph.D., a professor of political science, has
published the seventh edition of his book,
The Supreme Court: An Historical and
Political Analysis. It was
published in August. In addition, Dr. Langran gave a talk in October
2009 at the Slate Belt Heritage Center in Bangor, Pa., for the
Pennsylvania Humanities Council on The Supreme Court in Times of
Crisis. He also gave a talk in October at Hershey’s Mill on the
Supreme Court and its relationship to the Legislative and Executive
Branches.
Timothy McCall, Ph.D., an assistant professor of art history,
has published “Il commercio delle amanti a corte. Corpi erotici e
sistemi di scambio all’inizio dell’epoca moderna,” in Sesso nel
Rinascimento: pratica, perversione e punizione nell'Italia
rinascimentale, ed. Allison Levy (Florence: Le Lettere, 2009),
119-131.
John O'Leary, Ph.D., an assistant professor of communication,
was featured in an article entitled, "Will 'This Is It' rehab
Michael Jackson's image?", which appeared in the Christian Science
Monitor. Read the full article
here.
Paul Rosier, Ph.D., an associate
professor of history, has written the book,
Serving Their Country: American Indian
Politics and Patriotism in the Twentieth
Century,
published by Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 2009.
Edward M. Sion, Ph.D., a professor of astronomy and
astrophysics, was a guest of the Institute of Astronomy, Russian
Academy of Sciences, in Moscow in September. He was an invited
speaker at the theoretical astrophysics conference, "Non-Stationary
Phenomena and Instabilites in Astrophysics," held by the Russian
Academy of Sciences in Volvograd, Russia. The title of his invited
talk: "The Effects of Disk Accretion onto White Dwarfs in
Cataclysmic Variables: Observations Versus Theoretical Simulations."
Nathaniel Weston, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the
Department of Geography and the environment, and Melanie Vile,
Ph.D., a research assistant professor of Biology, were awarded a
3 year grant for $283,589 from the National Science Foundation for
their project titled "Integrating the Effects of Sea Level Rise on
Tidal Freshwater and Salt Marsh Stability in the Delaware River
Estuary" that will commence in January. Dr. Weston also received a
Summer Research Fellowship and Summer Research Grant from the
Villanova Office of Research and Sponsored Projects.
Alumni in the News
-
Christopher Meehan, (B.S., M.S. Biology)
co-authored a paper entitled, "Herbivory in a spider through
exploitation of an ant-plant mutualism" which appeared in
Current Biology (Meehan, C. J., E. J.
Olson, M. W. Reudink, T. K. Kyser, and R. L. Curry. 2009. Herbivory in a
spider through exploitation of an ant-plant mutualism. Current Biology
19:R892-R893.) Read more about the paper
here.
Faculty and Staff in the News
-
Robert Curry, Ph.D., professor of biology, was recently interviewed on the CBC radio show Quirks and Quarks
regarding his latest co-authored
paper on herbivory in the
Bagheera kiplingi
spider. Download the interview
here. He was also interviewed by the
BBC and
CanWest.
-
Robert Langran, Ph.D., a professor of political science, was
featured in a recent Washington Times article entitled, "Justices to
grapple with guns, juvenile crime." Read the full article
here.
-
In July 2008, at the request of Dr. José Luis Ricardo, Rector
(President) of Universidad National de San Luis in Argentina, and
Dr. Antonio Ramirez-Pastor, Physics Department Chairman and head of
the theoretical surface science research group at the same
university, Alain J. Phares, Ph.D., enthusiastically accepted
to sponsor the application of one of their young faculty members,
Dr. Pedro Marcelo Pasinetti, for a Fulbright Fellowship. The
fellowship application involved a joint research program to be
carried out at Villanova for a period of three months, under Phares’
guidance. Phares is pleased to announce that Dr. Pasinetti, whose
application was approved in March 2009, has started his visit to
Villanova’s Physics Department on September 1, 2009.
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