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Letter from the Dean
Dear Friends of the College,
Today, March 3, 2008, marks the first day of spring break. At the mid-way
point of the semester, it is useful to reflect on the what we've
accomplished thus far this academic year and what we've yet to achieve.
The College has embarked upon a special and somewhat intimidating project:
re-imagining the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova. What does this mean, exactly?
Well, this means taking a thorough and exhaustive look at what the College
does now and creatively brainstorming ways for doing it even better.
This exciting process also will include the examination
and revision of the College’s core curriculum. The initiative is exciting
because it will examine ways to re-imagine the College and determine ways
that will promote rigor and relevance in our curriculum. What we do will
influence the future direction of our College well into the next decade. It
is intimidating because it will involve the creative energies of an active
and engaged faculty and professional staff, and it will take a generous
time commitment on the part of busy people.
The College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences is already a premier liberal arts center, a part of Villanova
University, which is a strong Catholic institution of higher learning. As
the University’s foundational college, we have been central to that mission,
delivering liberal education to Villanova students for more than 165 years.
We occupy a special position at the University: our students comprise more
than half of the University’s enrollment; we have the largest faculty (350
full-time and 100 adjunct faculty); we deliver the major portion of the
University’s academic instruction; we have the largest number of majors and
programs; and we have the responsibility to deliver the liberal arts and
other mission-related courses to the University’s professional schools that
distinguish Villanova’s Catholic, Augustinian mission. This makes our
initiative to re-imagine our College particularly challenging.
As a result of extensive preparation, seven task forces will be established
that will deal with the following areas: benchmarking;
foundational/introductory courses in the core curriculum; the unity of the
College; the nature of science education and its role in the core
curriculum; thematically-focused cluster and interdisciplinary courses; the
physical learning environment; and self-directed student learning.
Please keep reading
Inside A&S for updates on this exciting process.
In addition, the College has planned
many special events and activities designed to enhance our students'
learning experiences both in and out of the classroom as we look to the
second half of the spring semester.
The
2008
Villanova Literary Festival, sponsored by the Department of English, features many of our nation's finest authors and poets.
Learn
more about the 10th annual Literary Festival here. This series of events
is one of the highlights of the spring semester. In addition, the
Cultural Film Series, which is celebrating the launch of the new
Institute for Global
Interdisciplinary Studies in the College, now offers free admission to
all students with valid University identification for the first time since
the series began 30 years ago.
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.
Be sure to check out the
College's Web
site for more useful information about the College, including more upcoming event
announcements.
Thank you for continuing to read
Inside A&S. We appreciate your continued 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 …
Villanova STAND Chapter Raises $3,500 as Part of
Darfur Fast
University's Chapter of STAND Raises More
Funds Than Any College or University in the
Nation
On Dec. 5, 2007, the
Villanova STAND Chapter
raised $3,500 as part of Darfur Fast, an
international event sponsored by STAND, in
which students, families, friends, and
communities fasted from "one luxury item for
one day and donat[ed] the money they would
have spent on those items to protect
civilians in Darfur."
Learn more here.
College Welcomes Prospective Students During Early
Action Candidates' Day
Record Number of Early Action
Candidates Visit Villanova for Exciting Weekend Activities
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During Early Action Candidates' Day
on Saturday, Feb. 16, A&S candidates and their families heard from Tom
Smith, Ph.D., a professor of humanities and political science, and chair of
the department of humanities. Joining Dr. Smith were the Rev. Kail C. Ellis,
O.S.A., Ph.D., and four exceptional student presenters who represented the liberal arts
and sciences. |
Early Action Candidates' Day was held
Saturday, Feb. 16, 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, the 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. One parent who
visited with his son had this to say about the event: "I wanted you to know
what a great event the University ... put on for the early applicants and
their families. [My son] was totally blown away by the number of students he
met, their enthusiasm for Villanova, and just how good it felt to be on
campus. As a parent, I walked away thinking that this would be a great place
for [him.] I was very impressed with the professors who presented, the
students who told us what Villanova meant to them, and the time each
department took to meet these students. The resources the University put
into this program were well worth the investment. You said you cared about
your students, and you showed it this weekend."
IABC Philadelphia Explores Careers in
Communication on Villanova's Campus
On Thursday, April 17, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.,
in the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal
Arts Room 300, IABC Philadelphia will host a
special event for college students, when
IABC Philadelphia members will discuss
career opportunities in the field of
communication.
Learn more here.
East Asian Studies Program Publishes March
2008 Newsletter Online
Be sure to stay informed of all the news
and events happening as part of the East
Asian Studies Program. Check out the
program's latest newsletter online.
Center for Peace and Justice Education
Sponsors Oscar Romero Lecture Series
Click here to learn more about the
exciting lectures taking place as part of
the
2008 Oscar Romero Lecture Series.
“Lunch and Learn” Explores Importance of Internships
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at
Villanova is committed to offering its
students a wide array of internship
opportunities from which they can explore
and choose. The
Office of Internships in the
College hosted an “Internship Lunch and
Learn” on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Room 300 of
the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal
Arts so that A&S students could learn why
internships are important and how they can
investigate options and make the most
informed decision.
Learn more here.
“The Presidency: Who’s Next?” -- Department
of Political Science Explores the Race for
the U.S. Presidency
As the U.S. presidential primaries continue
to make national headlines and capture the
attention of the country (not to mention the
rest of the world), the Department of
Political Science and the Ryan Project
sponsored a lecture by Dante Scala, Ph.D.,
an associate professor of political science
from the University of New Hampshire,
titled, “The Presidency: Who’s Next?,” on
Thursday, Feb. 20, in the first floor lounge
of Falvey Memorial Library.
Learn more here.
Irish Poet Eavan Boland Discusses “Domestic Violence: Poems” as Part of the
10th Annual Villanova Literary Festival
Poet Eavan Boland
As part of the 10th Annual Literary
Festival, Irish poet Eavan Boland delivered
a lecture on Thursday, Feb. 21, entitled
“Domestic Violence: Poems,” which was
co-sponsored by the English and Irish
Studies departments. Boland read and
explained excerpts from her books including
Domestic Violence, her most recent
collection of poetry published in 2007.
Learn more here.
Independent Journalist Olga Connor
Discusses Her Work, Parables of Women
Parables of Women, written by
journalist and professor Olga Connor, Ph.D., is about, in the author's
words, “the only successful revolution in the 20th century: feminism.”
Connor spoke on campus Wednesday, Feb. 6, at a special event sponsored by
the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the Latin American
Studies Program, and the Women’s Studies Program.
Read the
full story here.
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Ph.D., Shares
Insights on Racial and Income Gaps in the United States
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Ph.D.
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Ph.D., the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child
Development and Education at Teachers College and the College of Physicians
and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City, delivered a lecture
entitled, “Reducing Racial and Income Gaps in School Readiness: Early
Educational, Health, and Parenting Strategies, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, on
campus. The event was sponsored by the
Department of
Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Learn more here.
Villanova University Joins CRS’s Global Solidarity
Network
Villanova University is part of a unique
pilot project with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its three other higher
education partner institutions: Cabrini College, Seattle University, and
Santa Clara University. The pilot is called the Global Solidarity Network (GSN):
A CRS and Catholic Higher Education Study eBoard Program. It makes use of
modern information and communications technology to make education on issues
such as migration, hunger, HIV/AIDS, and other topics more real and
available to students and faculty in the United States.
Learn
more here.
Call for Papers: Global Sustainability
Call for Papers: A special issue of the
Journal for Peace and Justice Studies will focus on sustainability. The
deadline for submissions is Oct. 30, 2008. Manuscripts and related
correspondence should be sent electronically to the
Managing Editor. Manuscript
submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter containing all contact
information and title of the essay. No identifying information may be in the
submission itself.
All manuscripts submitted for publication must be prepared for blind review.
Articles should be double-spaced throughout, with notes gathered at the end.
An abstract of 100- to 150-words must be included with the submission.
Authors are advised to use inclusive language throughout the manuscript, and
to follow the MLA Style Sheet. Essays accepted for publication must be
prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc) format.
For more information about this on this special issue, please contact
Sally Scholz, Ph.D.
Learn More About the Kenneth Burke Society 2008
Conference
A new Web site has been created to share
information related to the Seventh Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke
Society at Villanova.
Learn more about it here.
Learn More About the Organization of Human
Services (OHS)
The
Organization of Human Services (OHS) is an active
student club designed to highlight and serve those students who are
interested in Human Services and related fields like Psychology and
Sociology. To fulfill its mission, OHS offers various service opportunities
throughout the year, such as the Korean Toy and Supply Drive in November,
where baby-related items are collected for the orphanage in South Korea
where our faculty advisor adopted her three, now-teenaged children. Learn
more here.
From right to left: President Amanda
Allen; OHS member Amanda Grace; Chair of Public Relations Lynn Camire;
Second Mile Coordinator Jen Yang; Honor Society Coordinator Lori Sabino. OHS
members display some of the items donated to the organization's Korean
Orphanage Toy and Supply Drive. OHS sent more than $800 worth of baby
supplies to the orphanage in December 2007.
Second Mile Coordinator Jen Yang performs
an experiment with "dancing raisins" at January's Second Mile event. The
theme was Science Day.
Cultural Film Series Celebrates Launch of Institute for Global
Interdisciplinary Studies
Free Admission for Students With Valid I.D.;
Connelly Center Cinema Completely Renovated
The
Cultural Film Series is pleased to celebrate the launch of the new
Institute for Global
Interdisciplinary Studies this semester. Films featured this spring
include: Infernal Affairs, The World of Apu, House of Fools,
Metropolis, Children of Heaven, Warrior Queen, Ringu,
The World According to Shorts, La Promesse, and Paris, Je
T’aime.
In addition, the Connelly Cinema has been completely renovated, with new
projection and sound systems installed, to enhance the film-going (and
viewing) experience.
Further, the series will now be free for students with valid University I.D.
for the first time since the series began almost 30 years ago.
John O'Leary, Ph.D., director of the Cultural Film
Series and an assistant professor of communication, said, "This will be a
very exciting semester for the film series. I hope faculty members will
encourage their students to take advantage of the series. I am especially
excited about our slate of speakers this semester. One has just published a
book on the horror film, and another is a Hollywood producer and writer."
For more information on the series, including
upcoming films along with their dates, times, and locations, please visit
the
Cultural Film Series online.
Marwan Kraidy, Ph.D., from University of
Pennsylvania to Visit Campus
Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., a professor of Hispanic and cultural studies,
is teaching an Honors course entitled,
"Introduction to Cultural Studies," which will include a one-day student
conference on cultural studies on Saturday, March 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., in room 300 of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts. All are
invited to attend. The keynote speaker is Marwan Kraidy, Ph.D., an associate
professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kraidy is
the author of Global Media Studies: Ethnographic Perspectives and
Hybridity, or, The Cultural Logic of Globalization. The event is
sponsored by the
Honors Program, the
Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, the
College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences, the
Institute for Global and Interdisciplinary Studies, the
Department of Communication, the
Department of English, and the
Department of
Humanities.
Office of Service Learning Launches New Web Site
The
Web site
of the Office of Service Learning contains valuable information related
to service learning opportunities in the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences.
The mission of the Office of Service Learning in the College is to engage
students and faculty members in a process which integrates academics with
service in order to enhance learning and to enable our students participate
in critical and constructive thinking and action that promotes the common
good.
Learn more here.
Department of English in the College Hosts 10th Annual Literary Festival
Learn
more about the 10th annual Literary Festival here.
Women's Studies Program Hosts Series of Special Events
Learn
more about the upcoming Women's Studies Program events here.
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
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Faculty Searches Page. The College has put
together a Web page to consolidate current
faculty searches that
may be spread across different departmental pages. If your
department has a search in progress that is not listed, please e-mail
Elisa Wiley. Also,
please keep this page in mind as new positions become available. All faculty search information for posting on the
Web page can be sent
to Elisa.
-
E-mail Backup. Learn how to backup your Outlook Personal
Folders
here.
Save the Dates!
Please mark your calendars for these important events:
Spring Break March 3 to 7; classes resume March 10.
Easter Recess
March 19 to 24; classes resume March 25.
Candidates' Day Saturday, April 12, 2008
Final Day of Classes
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Baccalaureate and Commencement May 17-18
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.
Make Plans Now to Visit the Mendel Exhibit ... Coming to Philadelphia's
Academy of Natural Scie nces
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at
Villanova University and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia
present the traveling exhibition,
“Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics,”
which will visit the Academy at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway from May
24 to September 28, 2008.
The exhibition will be available to only five tour
venues in the United States through 2008: Philadelphia (Villanova and the
Academy of Natural Sciences); Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio, and
Memphis, Tennessee.
During the exhibition’s Philadelphia tour, all Villanova students, staff,
and faculty who present valid identification will receive free general
admission to the Academy of Natural Sciences. It is our hope that you will
find this special exhibition informative and enjoyable.
To learn more about the exhibit, please visit
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/mendel/. You also can visit the
Academy of Natural Sciences to learn more. For more information, please contact
Kate Szumanski.
Faculty Scholarship
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After spending a semester in Hungary with a Fulbright grant, Silvia
Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., a professor of Hispanic and cultural studies and
director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, published two
articles. “La estética del retorno: la experiencia del exilio y la del
regreso en la narrativa chilena.” Az irodalom önismeret: Tanulmányok
Kulin Katalin születésnapjára. Eds. Gabriella Menczel and László
Vasas. Budapest: Palimpszeszt, 2007: 218-232. "Borderland and Identity:
Theoretical Approaches." in László Kupa, ed. Globalitás-lokalitás.
Pécs, Hungary: Oktker Nodus Kiadó. 2007: 46-53.
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Timothy W. Kirk, Ph.D., Catherine of
Siena Fellow in Ethics and visiting assistant professor of philosophy,
has been appointed co-chair of a national task force on palliative
sedation therapy for the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization (NHPCO). The task force is charged with developing a
position statement and policy guidelines on palliative sedation for
NHPCO's 3000+ member hospice organizations. Kirk has worked with the
NHPCO on its national ethics committee since January 2007.
Faculty in the News
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Bill Cowen, an instructor in the Department of Communication and
Public Relations Area Coordinator, was part of a launch team for
a new global PR network. He also was elected vice president of the
group.
Learn more here.
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Rick Eckstein, Ph.D., a professor of sociology, was featured in a
recent Philadelphia Inquirer article entitled,
"Chester stadium: Two views." Dr. Eckstein is co-author of Public
Dollars, Private Stadiums: The Battle Over Building Sports Stadiums.
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Edward Guinan, Ph.D., a professor of astronomy and astrophysics,
was elected vice president of the U.S. National Committee for Astronomy
of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He will serve as vice
president from 2007 to 2009. In this capacity, he represents U.S.
astronomers and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) to the
International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the U.S. National Academy of
Sciences. In addition. Dr. Guinan was appointed to the Publications
Board of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
His term runs until 2010. Dr. Guinan also was elected chair of the
Astronomy Education and Development Program of the International
Astronomical Union (IAU) Teaching Astronomy for Development (TAD). He
and co-chair Laurence Marshall of Gettysburg College have organized
teaching and development programs in Central America, Trinidad and
Tobago, Nepal, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Philippines, and
North Korea. These programs are aimed at helping and advancing astronomy
education and teaching in developing countries. In January 2008, Dr. Guinan attended a meeting at the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris to
help the International Astronomical Union (IAU) develop long-term
strategies to aid developing countries in teaching, research, and
outreach programs in astronomy. He also attended a meeting in Paris at
UNESCO to help coordinate science education and outreach programs of the
IAU and UNESCO in Africa.
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James J. Murphy, Ph.D., an associate professor of English and
director of the Irish Studies Program, will be named as one of the Top 100 Irish
Americans in the April/May 2008 issue of
Irish America
magazine.
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Paul C. Pasles, Ph.D., an associate professor of mathematics, is
the author of Benjamin Franklin's Numbers: An Unsung Mathematical
Odyssey. His book recently was reviewed by
The
Washington Times.
- French-language interviews between students in Seth Whidden's course on
French popular music and professionals in the French music industry have
received the attention of the French
webzines
"The French Touch"
and "POPnews."
Seth Whidden, Ph.D., is an
assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages and
Literatures.
Students in the News
Alumni in the News
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The Salve Regina University board of trustees announced that the school
will dedicate its new Center for Culture and the Arts in honor of
Sister M. Therese Antone, the university’s president, who plans to
retire in June 2009 after more than 30 years of service. Upon her
retirement, Sister Antone will become chancellor of Salve. Sister Antone
earned a master's degree in mathematics from Villanova in 1969.
Read the full story
here.
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Dr. Joseph Cilea, '91, who earned a bachelor's degree in general
arts, has co-written a book, which is a compendium of articles by health
experts titled, 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health.
Learn the full story here.
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James J. Haggerty Jr., '92, who earned a bachelor's degree in
political science, will deliver remarks to a gathering of the Friendly
Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County on March 16.
Learn more here.
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Ryan Hayden, '05, was featured in a recent news article entitled,
"Breaking the
Barrier."
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George Phillips, '98, who earned a bachelor's degree in history, has
launched a bid for a U.S. Congressional seat in Binghamton, N.Y.
Learn more here.
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Michael Rumbin, '75, who earned a master's degree in chemistry,
has been named president and general manager of River Diagnostics, Inc.
Learn more here.
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Dr. Francis X. Schneck, '83, who earned a bachelor's arts degree
in biology, is a featured newsmaker in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is the clinical director of the
Division of Pediatric Urology at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Read the full story here.
Send Your News Items and Event Notices for Publication Is
your upcoming event not listed in this e-newsletter? Do you wish it was? Do
you need help broadening your outreach efforts, publicizing events, and
getting the word out about the accomplishments of your faculty?
Learn more here! Please submit your announcements or events via our
online submission form or directly to
Kate Szumanski. Kate
will include it in the next issue of the College’s e-newsletter. |
