Letter from the Dean

Dear Friend of the College,

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

The semester is now in full swing, and I certainly hope that you enjoyed the summer and your time away from campus. Now, it is time to refocus and return to our work and studies with renewed vigor, determination, and enthusiasm.

In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we believe that 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 Thursday, Sept. 17, the University will celebrate Constitution Day with a series of special events, which you'll read about in this issue of Inside A&S. In addition, Dr. Paul Mariani, University Professor of English at Boston College, will be the keynote speaker at the Faith and Culture Lecture on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Driscoll Hall Auditorium. The title of the lecture is: "Notes Toward a Poetics of the Sacramental Sublime: What Hopkins Has to Teach Us."

On Sept. 30, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom and 'Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief, will speak on campus on the topic of "Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief." These events are not to be missed.   

The Theology Institute at Villanova will sponsor its annual conference -- "Who is My Enemy? Religious Hope in a Time of Fear" -- on October 27-28. You'll read more about the conference in this issue of Inside A&S.

Also, the University will host the 38th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference, "Asia Beyond Borders," on October 30 to November 1. For information, please click here. Many on campus events will be held as part of this exciting annual conference.

In addition, I am delighted to share with you that Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Brown University, will deliver the 2009 Mendel Medal Lecture on Friday, Nov. 20. You'll learn more about Dr. Miller, his work, and the Mendel Medal in this issue of Inside A&S.

I encourage you to check out this year's edition of the Enchiridion, the College's undergraduate student handbook. This marks the 20th year the College has been producing the Enchiridion, a handy policy and procedural reference guide -- both in print and online -- for students, advisors, and faculty.
  
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 …

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hosts "Welcome Back" Reception

Faculty and staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are invited to attend a "Welcome Back" reception on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly. Please RSVP here.

"Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief": A Lecture by Renowned Historian James McPherson

James McPherson, Ph.D., is the George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of  American History, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He will speak on campus on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center about "Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief."

Dr. McPherson received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom and most recently has written, 'Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander- in-Chief. Dr. McPherson’s visit is sponsored by the Lore Kephart, ’86, Distinguished Historians Lecture Series. This event is the series’ inaugural lecture.

For more information, please contact Diane Brocchi.

"Price of Life" Documentary Filmmakers Featured in Philadelphia Inquirer

The following article, "Villanova to screen students' documentary film," ran in August 17's Philadelphia Inquirer about the student-made documentary, Price of Life. The article ran on the front page of the Local Section (B). Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Inside the Garden: How the Jewish Interpretive Tradition Reads the First Humans

Rabbi Helen Plotkin, Visiting Assistant Professor and Director, Beit Midrash, Swarthmore College, will conduct a lecture and discussion entitled, "Inside the Garden: How the Jewish Interpretive Tradition Reads the First Humans," on Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. in Driscoll Hall Room 132. Learn more here.

Find the 2009-2010 Enchiridion Online

The 2009-2010 edition of the Enchiridion is available online here. The Enchiridion is the official undergraduate student handbook for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Hardcopies may be found in the Dean's Office in the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts, first floor.

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 Partners With International SOS

Villanova has contracted with International SOS, the world’s leading provider of medical assistance, international healthcare, security services, and outsourced customer care. International SOS will provide worldwide assistance and evacuation services for all Villanova University travelers traveling outside of the United States. The services provided by International SOS range from telephone advice and physician referrals to full scale evacuation by private air ambulance. The SOS network of multilingual specialists operates 24 hours a day, 365 days per year from SOS Alarm Centers around the world. For more information, please contact Villanova's Office of International Studies.

Master of Public Administration Program Receives First-Time Accreditation

The Villanova Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was fully accredited for the first time by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) this July. The accreditation is for a period of seven years, the maximum length possible. Learn more here.

 

Psychology Department Welcomes Morris Moscovitch, Ph.D.

Morris Moscovitch, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and the Max and Gianna Glassman Chair in Neuropsychology and Aging at the University of Toronto, will present a Psychology colloquium on September 9, 2009, at 4 p.m., Driscoll Hall Auditorium, Room 132. In recognition of his lifetime contribution to the basic science of Psychology, Dr. Moscovitch recently was awarded the William James Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Moscovitch’s research program aims to understand the cognitive and neural bases of memory, attention, face recognition, and object recognition, and he will discuss his most recent work at the colloquium. For more information, please click here. Please contact Dr. Irene Kan for details.
 

Cultural Film Series Explores "Hidden Treasures"

SEPT. 12, 13, 14. PRICE OF LIFE, directed by Dan Hunt and Margaux LaPointe, 2009, USA, 45 m. This documentary, filmed by a group of undergraduate Villanova students over the course of a semester, depicts the transformation of a Philadelphia ex-offender into a leader of community change and a spokesperson for the National Comprehensive Center for Fathers. MONDAY SPEAKER: Villanova student filmmakers. SEPT 19, 20, 21, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, directed by Julie Taymor, 2007, USA, 133 m. Taymor’s distinctively flamboyant visual flair is show-cased in this musical, set during the turbulent 1960s and featuring more than 30 songs by the Beatles. MONDAY SPEAKER: Joan D. Lynch. SEPT 26, 27, 28, THEY WERE EXPENDABLE – directed by John Ford, 1942, USA, 132 m. Based on real-life heroics, this action film focuses on skirmishes between American and Japanese forces in the Philippines, early in World War II. Star Robert Montgomery provides a sense of authenticity, as he actually served on a PT-boat and later commanded a destroyer at Normandy. MONDAY SPEAKER: Rick Worland.

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.
 

Senior Amy Richards Represents Pennsylvania at National Student Congress

To help educate a new generation in the skills and processes of statesmanship, the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship operates an annual undergraduate short course, a “Student Congress,” which exposes a top college students from every U.S. state to a curriculum in diplomacy, dialogue, listening skills, negotiation and mediation.

Amy Richards (pictured left), a senior at Villanova, joined 50 distinguished college seniors, each representing a state or the District of Columbia, in Lexington, Kentucky, in June, to share their common concerns about the top five global threats facing our nation. Learn more about Amy here.

The Student Congress, an undergraduate short course entitled, “Global Statesmanship in a Changing World,” was hosted by the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University as well as Ashland, the Estate of Henry Clay. Students were either selected by their U.S. Senator or recommended by their university to attend. The Henry Clay Foundation provided full scholarships to all student attendees. Learn more about the program here.

Irish Studies Program Hosts Upcoming Music Events

Learn more about two upcoming musical programs being sponsored by the Irish Studies Program.

 

Upcoming Faculty Workshop -- The Economic Crisis: Truth and Consequences

On Friday, Sept. 25, from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the Health Services Building, Room 200, faculty are invited to attended a workshop entitled, "The Economic Crisis: Truth & Consequences," sponsored by the University Partnership with Catholic Relief Services.

This workshop will provide a framework for deconstructing the economic crisis and perspectives and resources for further study, teaching, and research. It begins at 9:15 a.m. with a local and a global case study presented by guest speakers from The Reinvestment Fund and from Catholic Relief Services, followed by an interdisciplinary faculty panel. Ample time is built in for discussion, and lunch will be provided. The workshop ends at 1:30 p.m. Come to as much of the workshop as your schedule permits. For reservations, please contact Suzanne Toton, Ed.D., by September 11. More information is available on Dr. Toton's Web site.
 

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.

College Meets With New Students and Their Families During Orientation

Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College; Helen K. Lafferty, Ph.D., College Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and associate dean; Thomas W. Smith, Ph.D., associate dean for the humanities; and Jenna Galgano, a sophomore communication major, spoke to the College's first-year students and their families during Orientation on Thursday, August 20.

Academic Orientation is designed to better prepare first-year students for transition from high school to University life and the year ahead. In addition, first-year students had the opportunity to spend time with their faculty advisors, who will play a major role in students' academic lives.

At Villanova, advising is a multifaceted process that involves proactive participation, by both the student and his/her faculty advisor, in thoughtful dialogue to explore the student’s college experience and future vocation. All students are assigned a faculty advisor prior to the beginning of their first academic year. Once a student has declared a major, he/she should have the same faculty advisor for the duration of his/her academic career.

All advisors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have chosen the opportunity to work closely with students, to teach them the importance of knowing themselves and of life-long learning. Their vocation is teaching, and advising is teaching. Learn more about academic advising in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences here.

Fall 2009 Biology Seminar Series

The Fall 2009 Biology Seminar Series explores such topics as cell and molecular biology, ecosystem ecology, and evolutionary biology. See the full schedule of seminars here.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Establishes Student Advisory Board

In a continuing effort to develop collegial spirit within the undergraduate student ranks of the College, we are pleased to announce the formation of the Student Advisory Board. The mission of the SAB is to provide a line of communication between the undergraduate students in the College and the Dean's Office. The Student Advisory Board provides the student constituency a forum to voice their needs, concerns, and suggestions to the administration to enhance the educational, spiritual, and community-building experience of all undergraduate students of the College. For more information on this new initiative, and to learn how you can nominate a student to serve on the board, please contact Robert Blanchard, assistant dean for college and external relations.

Faith and Culture Lecture: "Notes Toward a Poetics of the Sacramental Sublime: What Hopkins Has to Teach Us"

As part of the Catholic Imagination Series in the Arts, Dr. Paul Mariani, University Professor of English at Boston College, will be the keynote speaker at the Faith and Culture Lecture on Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 7 p.m. in the Driscoll Hall Auditorium. The title of the lecture is: "Notes Toward a Poetics of the Sacramental Sublime: What Hopkins Has to Teach Us." There will be a reception immediately following the lecture in the Driscoll Hall Atrium. This event is co-sponsored by the Office for Mission and Ministry and the Department of Humanities. The lecture is free and open to the public. Please contact Marie Kelly for more information.


 

Villanova Celebrates Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 17

The Matthew J. Ryan Center and Department of Political Science will celebrate Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a series of special events open to the entire campus community and surrounding areas. Stephen Knott, Ph.D., an associate professor of political science in the U.S. Naval War College, will lecture on the topic of "Alexander Hamilton's Constitutional Legacy," in the Radnor/St. David's Room of Connelly Center at 9:30 a.m. David Tucker, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Defense Analysis and Co-Director of the Center on Terrorism and Irregular Warfare at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, will lecture on the subject of "American Politics in the 1790's: Thomas Jefferson and the Third Way," in the Radnor/St. David's Room of Connelly at 10:45 a.m. At 1 p.m., Drs. Knott and Tucker will conduct a roundtable discussion, "Hamilton vs. Jefferson," in the Connelly Center Cinema. For more information, please contact Susan Fiorentino.

Reconsiderations III: A Conference on the Thought and Legacy of Augustine of Hippo

The Augustinian Institute sponsors an international conference on St. Augustine and his thought under the title "Reconsiderations." The first was held in 2003 and the second in 2006. On both occasions, leading scholars from around the world were invited to Villanova, and their papers were published in Journal of Augustinian Studies 2.

On Thursday, Sept., 17, Isabelle Bochet, S.F.X., Institut Catholique Institut d’Études Augustiniennes, Paris, will deliver the "Saint Augustine Lecture" entitled, "Scripture in Augustine's Controversy with Porphyry."

For a complete list of speakers and locations, please click here.
 

La Universidad de Cádiz and Villanova Celebrate 20 Years of Academic Cooperation

In July 2009, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., president of Villanova University; Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Mercedes Julia, Ph.D., chair of the department of Modern Languages and Literature; and el rector de la Universidad de Cádiz, Diego Sales, celebrated the academic relationship between the two institutions. Click here to learn more. 

The Villanova Summer Program in Cádiz, Spain, is one of the oldest international program at Villanova. The program was designed by Mercedes Juliá, Ph.D., in 1989, and this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. From the very beginning, the program has been a very popular one among Villanova students. You can learn more about the program here. Photo courtesy of La Universidad de Cádiz.

The city of Cádiz, situated in the southwestern part of Spain, is a living relic of the 18th century, with the Caleta beach at the center of the city. Cádiz is a small port city located away from tourist routes. It still conserves old traditions, and people live in a relaxed, safe, and friendly atmosphere. The six-week program is designed for students who wish to increase their proficiency in Spanish and be introduced to Spanish culture and society.

VCLE and Political Science Awarded NEH Grant on “Enduring Questions”

The Villanova Center for Liberal Education (VCLE) and the Department of Political Science have received a $24,600 grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities to offer a new course entitled, “The Question of Justice: From Piraeus to the Mountaintop.” The NEH is funding the course as part of a new initiative called “Enduring Questions,” a nationwide experiment in building intellectual community through courses in which students and teachers “join together in a deep and sustained program of reading in order to encounter influential thinkers over the centuries and into the present day.” 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., 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.

Learn More About UNIT's Initiative, myNova

The University is phasing in Sungard's Luminis product, which is an online gateway known as a "portal" that will eventually take the place of our current Villanova internal (logged in) homepage for faculty, staff, students and alumni.

The myNova portal is customized to bring you targeted information you need based on your role within the University. You will log into myNOVA and have access to many of Villanova's applications, such as E-mail, Banner, Blackboard, Novasis, and more, without having to log in again to those applications.

What is myNOVA?

  is Villanova's web portal (online gateway) that provides improved and personalized access to online, internal Villanova information and Web services (E-mail, Web, Banner, Blackboard/WebCT Vista, Novasis, etc.) for faculty, staff, and students.

On August 3, 2009, myNova went live. At that time, the former internal (logged in) VU homepage was replaced with your new personalized portal.

Learn more about  here.
 

Find A&S Departments on Facebook

Many A&S departments have developed Facebook pages. Find them here: Department of Humanities, Department of Psychology, and the Department of Philosophy. Become a fan today!

Bioengineering Minor Offered to Students Studying the Sciences

Courtesy of the College of Engineering. Students looking to acquire knowledge in an important field, to have a cross-college, multidisciplinary experience, and to be more attractive to future employers should check out Villanova University’s new minor in Bioengineering.

Available starting in fall 2009, the minor introduces students to an area of study that, according to the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, is “an essential underpinning field for the 21st century.” The field draws upon engineering and biology to produce new knowledge, processes, procedures, systems, and products for the benefit of society. Learn more here.

Photo: Dr. Russell Gardner (left), chair of the Department of Biology, and Dr. William Kelly, associate professor of chemical engineering, were two members of the Bioengineering Planning Committee. Photo credit: Aurora Imaging Co.
 

"Geckos -- Tails to Toepads” Now at the Academy of Natural Sciences

Aaron Bauer, Ph.D., a professor of biology and holder of the Gerald M. Lemole, M.D., Endowed Chair in Integrative Biology, is a research associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and a world-renown expert of geckos. Learn more about the exhibit, “Geckos -- Tails to Toepads, which is now at the Academy,” here. The exhibit ends Sept. 7.

In addition, Dr. Bauer was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article entitled, "There's an 'ole 'ost of geckos out there." He also was featured in a Norristown Times-Herald article entitled, "Geckos get their own show."

Most recently, on Monday, July 6, Dr. Bauer was a guest on the WHYY show "Radio Times." Listen to the broadcast here.

Graduate Studies Publishes Most Recent Issue of Newsletter

The Graduate Studies Newsletter is published quarterly by the Office of Graduate Studies at Villanova. A different program is highlighted with every publication. In these newsletters, you will also find student and faculty profiles, faculty and departmental news, thesis and dissertations listings, student accomplishments, news on alumni, and more. In this issue, you'll find feature stories on the Classical Studies and Biology Graduate Programs along with lots of other news.  Check out the June 2009 issue here.

Save the Date: Villanova to Host the 38th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference

Villanova will host the 38th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference, "Asia Beyond Borders," on October 30 to November 1. For preliminary information, please click here. More information to come! Also, feel free to contact Dr. Maria Toyoda, Conference Manager 2009, for details.
 

Kenneth Miller, Ph.D., to Receive 2009 Mendel Medal

Dr. Miller is a pre-eminent evolutionary scientist. In addition, Miller is the author of the acclaimed book, Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, a lively and cutting-edge analysis of the key issues that seem to divide science and religion. He contends that, properly understood, evolution adds depth and meaning not only to a scientific view of the world, but also to a spiritual one.

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.        

Dr. 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.

Trip to Jordan and Egypt: December 26 to January 6

Join us on a trip to Jordan and Egypt. Learn more here!

Theology Institute: Who is My Enemy? Religious Hope in a Time of Fear

The Theology Institute at Villanova will sponsor its annual conference -- "Who is My Enemy? Religious Hope in a Time of Fear" -- on October 27-28, 2009. Learn more here.

Villanova Theatre Proudly Announces Its 2009-2010 Season

Villanova Theatre proudly announces its 2009-2010 Season. Subscriptions are now available and may be ordered by calling the Villanova Theatre Box Office at 610-519-7474. Faculty, staff, and alumni subscriptions cost just $40 plus handling. The Zoo Story by Edward Albee and directed by Joanna Rotté -- September 22 – October 4, 2009; As You Like It by William Shakespeare and directed by Harriet Power -- November 10 – 22, 2009; Medea by Euripides and directed by Shawn Kairschner -- February 2 – 14, 2010; and Annie Get Your Gun, book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, directed by Valerie Joyce -- March 23 – 28 and April 6-18, 2010.
 

Villanova Theatre Presents The Zoo Story From September 22 to October 4, 2009

Villanova Theatre will present Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story. Tickets are available at the Villanova Theatre Box Office, by calling (610) 519-7474, or at www.theatre.villanova.edu. Joanna Rotté, Ph.D., professor of theatre, will direct.

PlayPenn Features Villanovans

Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Hosts 34th International PMR Conference

The PMR committee this year extends a special invitation to scholars from all disciplines in these fields to address our plenary theme, "Ora et Labora: Pray and Work," featuring John Van Engen University of Notre Dame, author of Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life and M. Michele Mulchahey Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, Toronto, author of First the Bow is Bent in Study on Oct. 16-18, 2009. For Call for Papers details, please click here. 

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.

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.

Follow the College on Twitter

Follow the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Twitter.

 

A Video Message From the Dean

Check out this video message from Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This video also may be found at the bottom right-hand side of the College's home page.

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

• What is myNOVA?

    is Villanova's web portal (online gateway) that provides improved and personalized access to online, internal Villanova information and Web services (E-mail, Web, Banner, Blackboard/WebCT Vista, Novasis, etc.) for faculty, staff, and students.

  On August 3, 2009, myNova went live. At that time, the former internal (logged in) VU homepage was replaced with your new personalized portal.

  Learn more about  here.
   

• Confused about how to advertise your announcements and events? Please check out the College's Announcement(s) Quick Guide.
   
• Creating a Digital Sign. Located in the lobby of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts and the west lobby entrance of the Mendel Science Center, the purpose of these signs is to display University and College news, events, and other special announcements. Powered by the RISE Display Network software, the College can create announcements that serve to further educate students, faculty, staff, and visitors about happenings within the College. Learn how to create a digital sign here.
   
• 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 dates:

September 7   Labor Day -- No Classes
Sept. 18-20     St. Thomas of Villanova Day Celebrations
Sept. 25-27     Parents' Weekend
October 9        Mid-Term and Deadline for Spring Study Abroad
October 12-18  Fall Break

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

• Pamela Blewitt, Ph.D., has published a paper with three former graduate students, Keiran Rump, Stephanie Shealy, and Samantha Cook. The paper, in the Journal of Educational Psychology, is entitled, “Shared book reading: When and how questions affect young children’s word learning.” Dr. Blewitt also co-authored three posters at the recent meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development in Denver, Colorado, co-authored by former graduate students Alexis Dolena, Megan Fedor, and Autumn Wyant.

• Rebecca Brand, Ph.D., presented three posters at the Society for Research in Child Development meeting in Denver, Colorado.  They are entitled, “Parental Perceptions of Infant Screen-time Predict Foreground and Background Exposure to Videos in Children Under 2,” “Structure in Mothers’ Demonstrations to Infants of Objects,” and “Non-Parents Use Motionese When Demonstrating Objects for Infants,” and the last was co-authored with five-year BA/MS student Courtney Casperson. 

• Fr. David Cregan, O.S.A., Ph.D., an assistant professor of theatre, performed in London in June, filming a PBS special of the Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cites.  He also presented a paper on the plays of Marina Carr at the International Federation for Theatre Research Conference in Lisbon Portugal.

• Nicole Else-Quest, Ph.D., traveled to Denver in April to present her meta-analytic research on cross-national gender differences in mathematical achievement, attitudes, and affect at the biennial meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development.

• Francis A. Galgano, Ph.D., associate professor and chair, Department of Geography and the Environment, recently published two papers: the first, titled, "Shoreline Behavior Along the Atlantic Coast of Delaware," was published in the Middle States Geographer in May 2009; and the second, titled, "The Borderless Dilemma of Contemporary Maritime Piracy: Its Geography and Trends," was published in the Pennsylvania Geographer in July 2009. Dr. Galgano also recently presented a paper titled, "Climate Change Models and Outcomes: An Environmental Security Perspective," at the 8th International Conference on Military Geosciences in Vienna, Austria, on 15 June 2009. The Austrian Army, NATO, and the U.S. Army Research Office jointly hosted the conference. He also served on the editorial board of the 22d edition of Goode’s World Atlas, which was published by Rand McNally in July 2009.

• Judy Giesberg, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has published an article, “The Fortieth Congress, Southern Women, and the Gender Politics of Postwar Occupation,” in Occupied Women: Gender and Military Occupation and the American Civil War, LeeAnn Whites and Alecia P. Long, eds., Louisiana State University Press, 2009: 185-193.

• Judith Giesberg, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, has written the book, Army at Home: Women and the Civil War on the Northern Home Front, published by The University of North Carolina Press, 2009.

• Margaret M. Grubiak, Ph.D., an assistant professor of architectural history in the Department of Humanities, has recently published the article, "Reassessing Yale's Cathedral Orgy: The Ecclesiastical Metaphor and the Sterling Memorial Library," Winterthur Portfolio 43, no. 2/3 (Summer/Autumn 2009): 159-184. She currently has under review the journal article, "Modernity and the Religious Image: Rethinking 'Touchdown Jesus' at the University of Notre Dame," whose completion was supported by a 2009 VERITAS Faculty Research Grant. In April 2009, she organized and chaired the session "Revisiting the American Campus" at the Society of Architectural Historians Annual Meeting in Pasadena, California.

• Professor José Luis Gastañaga, Modern Languages and Literatures, presented a paper, “Suma de las cosas que acontecieron a Diego García de Paredes. Entre la historia y la autobiografía,” at the 12th Annual Mediterranean Studies Association Congress, which was held at the University of Cagliari, Sardinia, May 27-30, 2009. In addition, Professor Gastañaga attended the 2009 NEH Summer Seminar for College Teachers, “Celestina and the Threshold of Modernity,” directed by Professor E. Michael Gerli, at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, July 6 - August 7, 2009.

• Edward Guinan, Ph.D., a professor of astronomy and astrophysics, was featured online in Universe Today in an article entitled, "Sun, Earth Are Unlikely Pair to Support Life." In addition, Dr. Guinan presented his research at the XXVII General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read about his research here. 

• Ray Heitzmann, Ph.D., Education and Human Services Department served as the director/speaker for the opening of the school year/Professional Development Program for Antonelli Institute faculty. The latter school provides a two year degree program in art and photography.
  For additional information contact: Dr. Ray Heitzmann at 94618.

• Keith G. Henderson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, recently presented a paper titled, “Local Climate Effects of Autumn Leaf-Drop,” at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Michael Hollinger received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor of Theatre.  This summer, his new musical, A Wonderful Noise, premiered at Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado, and his new play, Ghost-Writer, was workshopped at the PlayPenn new play conference, under the direction of Professor Harriet Power.  Hollinger’s play Opus, recently published by Dramatists Play Service, is scheduled to receive multiple productions during the 2009-2010 season, beginning with Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans in September.

• Valerie Joyce, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Theatre Department, presented a paper titled “Annie Get Your Makeover: Moulding the Image to the Audience” at the national conference for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and also chaired the cross-discplinary series, “Curtains Up!: Conversations Among Emerging Scholars” for the American Drama and Theatre Society.

• Irene Kan, Ph.D., recently published a paper entitled, "Contribution of prior semantic knowledge to new episodic learning in amnesia," in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. This work was done in collaboration with Michael P. Alexander, M.D., of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Mieke Verfaellie, Ph.D., of the Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Boston University Medical Center. Dr. Kan also was awarded the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Minority Junior Faculty Grant.

• Deborah Kendzierski, Ph.D., a professor of psychology, presented research at the annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity held in Austin, Texas, in June. The poster, “Expertise and Self-Prototype Matching in Distance Runners,” was coauthored with former graduate students Tracy L. Jackson and Kara-Lynne Kerr.

• Elizabeth Kolsky, Ph.D., from the History Department, is co-editor of the book, Fringes of Empire: People, Power and Places on the Margins of Colonial India (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2009).

• Steven Krauss, Ph.D., presented a poster entitled, “Autonomy, divinity and community morality and value priorities in Turkey and USA,” at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention in San Francisco. This work was done in collaboration with Ozge Gurel, a former Villanova graduate student.

• John Kurtz, Ph.D., and Patrick Markey, Ph.D., co-authored a study presented to the Society for Personality Assessment in Chicago last March. The presentation was entitled, “Erikson’s Psychosocial Crises from the Perspective of the Interpersonal Circumplex.” Dr. Kurtz has also recently presented advanced training workshops in personality assessment to military psychologists at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, and Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

• Helen K. Lafferty, Ph. D., Associate Dean and College Professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Education and Human Services, was invited to teach at the University of San Francisco in its Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) this summer. Her course was on current leadership issues and decision-making processes that impact on Catholic school leaders and administrators. Her class was comprised of master's and doctoral students. Patrick Kennedy, VU '95, president of SGA his junior and senior years, was a student in her class.

• J. Harold Leaman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, recently presented a paper titled, “Chad and Oil: The Resource Curse,” at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Gina Ligon, Ph.D., published an article, “Development of outstanding leadership: A life narrative approach,” which was selected by The Leadership Quarterly Journal's editorial board as “The Most Influential Paper of 2008.” This award comes with a monetary prize and an expense paid trip to present a colloquium on her work at the Academy of Management’s Annual Leadership Meeting at the Center for Creative Leadership on September 1. Dr. Ligon’s co-authors on this paper are Samuel Hunter of Penn State and Michael Mumford of University of Oklahoma.

• Timothy McCall, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has published the following two articles: “The Gendering of Libertas and the International Gothic: Carlo Crivelli’s Ascoli Annunciation,” Studies in Iconography 30 (2009), 168-197, and “Visual Imagery and Historical Invisibility: Antonia Torelli, her Husband, and his Mistress in Fifteenth-century Parma,” Renaissance Studies 23/3 (2009), 269-287.
• Emmet McLaughlin, Ph.D., a professor and director of the Graduate Program in History, has recently published “Paul in Early Anabaptism,” in A Companion to Paul in the Reformation (ed. R. Ward Holder) (Leiden 2009) pp.215-240.
• Charlene Mires, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, recently has published two articles: one related to her work in public history, and the other connected to her current research on the many local campaigns to become the home of the United Nations. "Invisible House, Invisible Slavery: Struggles of Public History at Independence National Historical Park," in Culture and Belonging in Divided Societies: Contestation and Symbolic Landscapes, ed. Marc H. Ross (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009): 216-37, and "Sault St. Marie as the Capital of the World? Stellanova Osborn and the Pursuit of the United Nations, 1945," Michigan Historical Review (Spring 2009): 61-82.
• Satya Pattnayak, Ph.D., a professor of sociology and political science and director of Latin American Studies, has received a two-year Title VI U.S. Department of Education Grant in the amount of $173,840.00 to develop a cross-disciplinary and regional focus in Brazilian Studies and introduce a Portuguese language curriculum. The grant period runs from August 2009 until July 2011.

• Alain Phares, Ph.D., and his collaborators, Francis Wunderlich, Ph.D., at Villanova, and David Grumbine, Ph.D., at St. Vincent College, have written a paper, "Low Temperature Energy Phase Diagram for Adsorption on fcc (112) Stepped Surfaces with Attractive First Neighbor Interactions." It was accepted for publication in Langmuir, a journal published by the American Chemical Society specializing in colloids, biological interfaces, materials, electrochemistry, and devices and applications, on July 17, 2009. It is available online: http://pubs.acs.org/toc/langd5/0/0

• Michael A. Posner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mathematical sciences, was appointed by the President of the Mathematical Association of America to serve a three-year term on the MAA-ASA Joint Committee on Undergraduate Statistics. He also attended the Joint Statistical Meetings in Washington, D.C., where he presented a talk, "Weighting Within Strata: A New Method of Propensity Score Weighting," and was selected to sit on a national committee on Statistics Education Graduate Programs.

• Harriet Power, a professor in the Theatre Department, served as director and dramaturg for theatre artist Jen Child’s newest one-woman show, Why I’m Scared of Dance, which performed in August at Philadelphia Theatre Company.  Professor Power is currently in pre-production for Boeing-Boeing, which she will direct at Act II Playhouse in Ambler this fall.  Three Villanova graduate theatre alums are involved in Boeing-Boeing:  Kristyn Chouiniere is playing the role of Gretchen; Jessica DalCanton, the role of Gabriella; Matt Silva is assistant director.  Professor Power is also in preproduction for As You Like It, which she will direct at Villanova Theatre in November.

• Bernard F. Reilly, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, presented a paper, “Alfonso VI of León-Castile (1065-1109) and His Bishops," on April 24, 2009, at a conference, “Alfonso VI en Nueva York, Encuentro de Estudiosos con Ocasión del IX Centenario de la Muerte del Rey Alfonso VI (1109-2009),”  held at New York University. The conference was intended to serve as introduction to another, three-day conference on the same theme, to be held in León and Sahagún, Spain, in October 2009. On May 8, 2009, Professor Reilly presented a paper, “Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada: Writing History in Thirteenth-century Iberia,” at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Western Michigan University. His was one of a series of papers given at three panels there in order to celebrate the 80th birthday of the historian of medieval Spain, Professor Joseph F. O’Callaghan, emeritus from Fordham University.
• Lisa J. Rodrigues, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, was selected to be a fellow at the Marine Geoscience Leadership Symposium, in Washington, D.C. This was a competitive selection process and recognized Dr. Rodrigues’ leadership in the field of marine/oceanographic research. Dr. Rodrigues was given a grant to attend the symposium and present her research. Additionally, she was able to network with funding agencies and attend grant proposal writing workshops.
• Deborah Schussler, Ed.D., recently published the article, "Beyond content: How teachers manage classrooms to facilitate academic engagement for disengaged students," in the publication, Theory Into Practice 48(2),114-121.
• Suzanne Toton, Ed.D., a professor of theology and religious studies, and coordinator of the Villanova/Catholic Relief Services Partnership, gave a paper entitled, "Savings and Internal Lending Communities: Catholic Relief Services Building the Capacity for Peace in Rwanda," at the 55th Annual Convention, College Theology Society at Notre Dame University on May 29. In addition, she gave the keynote address entitled, "The Catholic University Advancing Urban Solidarity," for the Walsh University's 34th Annual Philosophy and Theology Symposium, Canton, Ohio, March 20-21, 2009. Toton also was a panelist along with Charles Currie, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and David O'Brien, Ph.D., Loyola Professor Emeritus of Roman Catholic Studies and History at the College of the Holy Cross, for the Cabrini College President's Inaugural Academic Symposium, "From Service to Solidarity: New Directions in Catholic Higher Education," on November 14, 2008.
• Ingeborg Ward, Ph.D. and Byron Ward, Ph.D., published an article in the April 2009 issue of Hormones and Behavior, the official journal of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.  The article, which is entitled, “Conceptual and Technical Contributions from a Pioneer in Behavioral Endocrinology,” was a tribute to Professor Arnold A. Gerall, the recipient of the 2008 Daniel S. Lehrman Lifetime Achievement Award in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.
• Nathaniel Weston, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, was a co-author for a paper titled, “Benthic metabolism and the fate of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in intertidal sediments,” which was recently published in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.
• Dennis D. Wykoff, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology, has published an article in the June issue of the peer-reviewed journal Genetics entitled, "Candida glabrata PHO4 is necessary and sufficient for Pho2-independent transcription of phosphate starvation genes." The first author of this paper is Christine Kerwin who earned an M.S. in biology at Villanova in 2008. This work dissects a signaling pathway in a yeast that is commensal with humans and highlights the idea that bioinformatic techniques must be followed up with molecular genetics. This study suggests that evolution in trans can modify the characteristics of an entire signal transduction pathway, which is a controversial topic in evolutionary biology.

Alumni in the News

• Bridget Bucardo-Rivera, '02, an honors and economics dual major, is completing her master's degree in Fordham's International Political Economy and Development Program. She was selected as an International Development Fellow with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). She will be placed next fall with CRS in Nicaragua.
• Frank DiBello, '64, who received a bachelor's degree in mathematics, has been named the interim president of Space Florida. Learn more here.
• Shannon Doyle, '07, who earned a bachelor of science degree in biology, is the state's current Miss Pennsylvania. She is featured in a recent article, "Perseverance reigns for Miss PA," in the Times Leader.
• Samuel Freedman (Dec. '08 B.A., Philosophy) has been awarded a Fulbright to serve as an English Teaching Assistant in New Delhi, India, next year. In the Fall of 2007, Sam studied abroad in India, Nepal, and Tibet as a Connelly-Delouvrier International Scholar. He documented his experiences in Asia in an article published in October '08 in the Travel Section of the Philadelphia Inquirer. After his Fulbright year, Sam will return to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Asian Studies or Philosophy.
• Carolyn Hurwitz ('09 B.S., Biology) was notified that she is an alternate for a Fulbright Grant to pursue a course of study in food culture and communication in Italy.
• Timothy Johnson, '09, who received a bachelor's degree is history, wrote his senior paper on “The British in Philadelphia: The Mid-Eighteenth Century Colonial Experience.” His opinion piece, "Unaltered beauty tells story best," appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on July 8. Johnson currently is a graduate student in the University of Pennsylvania's History Department.
• Jennifer Riley (A&S '99, M.A. History, '01) graduated from Temple University Beasley School of Law in May 2009.
• Samuel Silverman (’09, Political Science/Geography) has received a 2009 Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin Chinese this summer at Soochow University, located in the historic cultural center of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in central-eastern China. Sam hopes to remain in China next year teaching English. The Critical Language Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC). It offers intensive summer language institutes overseas in 11 critical-need foreign languages. The program began in 2006 in an effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages. Sam is the first Villanovan to receive this award.
• Kevin Woods ('07 B.S., Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D. candidate in ME) has received a SMART Scholarship from the Department of Defense (http://www.asee.org/fellowships/smart/) to complete his doctoral studies in Mechanical Engineering at Villanova. The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship in exchange for a period of full-time civilian employment with a Department of Defense organization. Kevin is the first Villanova student to received this award.

Faculty and Staff in the News

• Joseph Betz, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy, received the Lawrence C. Gallen, O.S.A., Faculty Service Award.
• Thomas W. Busch, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy, received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Teaching Award.
• Bill Cowen, director of the public relations program in the Department of Communication, was quoted in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article entitled, "Nonprofits tap online networks to raise funds."
• Barbara Cullen in the Office of International Studies won the Facultas Award this year at the annual faculty and staff picnic. The Facultas Award acknowledges and honors exceptional staff who provide vital, yet often unnoticed, services essential to the smooth and efficient functioning of the Villanova community.
• Frank Galgano, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Geography and the Environment, was featured in a recent article, "Sustainability for a Year," which appeared in Inside Higher Ed. 
• Michael H. Prosch, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy, received the Pohlhaus-Stracciolini Award for Teaching Excellence.
• Jody Ross, an instructor in the English Department, was featured in a recent article, "Don't dismiss journalism schools just because newspapers are in trouble," which appeared in OJR: The Online Journalism Review.
• Klaus Volpert, Ph.D., an associate professor of mathematics, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Students in the News

• Psychology graduate student Rebecca DeMoor recently attended the annual conference for the Society of Interpersonal Theory and Research in Toronto. At this conference, she presented a paper co-authored with Drs. Patrick Markey and John Kurtz entitled, “Convergent validity of the PAI interpersonal scales with the IIP-SC.”

• Kyle Haney, a psychology major, has recently been awarded the Villanova Undergraduate Research Award for her investigation of cognitive processes underlying mental rotation strategy using an eye tracker.

• Amy Richards ('10 Honors) has been selected to represent the state of Pennsylvania this summer at the Henry Clay Student Congress. U.S. Senators from each of the 50 states are asked by the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship to recommend one college junior from their state to attend the Student Congress. Amy was nominated by Senator Robert Casey.

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