Letter from the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

With the semester in full swing and Fall Break nearly upon us, there are a number of important initiatives underway at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences designed to help all of us do what we do as educators even better. It is imperative that we as a College -- both faculty and staff -- build on the tradition of excellence that helps to define and shape what we're about as a College.  

In this issue of Inside A&S, you’ll read about the College's recent Liberal Arts Open House, an innovative lecture series the Department of Computing Sciences has begun, and the newly inaugurated Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, among other stories of interest. 

Also, be sure to check out the College's Web site, too. Here, you will see a complete run down of special events and lectures hosted by the College. Learning takes place both in and out of the classroom, and I encourage you to attend those events that interest you.

Thank you for continuing to read the College's e-newsletter, the newly named, 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 …

Faculty Learn Practical, Useful Information About the Fulbright Scholar Program 

Gary L. Garrison, assistant director for Asia and the Middle East at the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, visited campus on Friday, Sept. 14, to discuss the many opportunities available to faculty and professionals through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Mr. Garrison also shared information regarding Fulbright eligibility requirements and the application process. Joining Mr. Garrison were faculty panelists Marc Gallicchio, Ph.D., professor and chair of the history department, and Dorothy Skaf, Ph.D., an associate professor of chemical engineering.

The Fulbright Scholars Program offers many benefits for the person studying abroad, explained Dr. Skaf, who taught at the University of Qatar in Doha, Qatar, through the Fulbright program. "I had the opportunity to learn about an important sector of the chemical engineering field that I had not had much exposure to before," she said. "I was able to discuss new ideas for research. I went on a lecturing grant, but it is possible to apply for a research grant to join in research at a university or center in another country."

When asked why faculty should consider the Fulbright Program, Dr. Skaf said, "I got to participate in one of the lofty goals of the Fulbright Program, which is to serve as a cultural ambassador and to help build bridges between countries. My experience teaching helped provide fresh ideas for the classroom and curriculum. I also felt that it was refreshing to have the change in routine and assignments."

This faculty development event took place in Bartley Hall Room 1011 and was co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing. For more information on the Fulbright Scholar Program, please visit the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

A&S Parents Learn More About the Value and Importance of Internships

During Parents Weekend on Sept. 15, parents of liberal arts and sciences students had the opportunity to attend a special presentation to learn more about the value and importance of internships. "We were busting at the seams in Mendel 154 for the internship presentation," said Robert I. Blanchard, assistant dean for external relations in the College. "I actually found another classroom that was open and took about 30 parents and students who were standing out in the hallway and gave a separate presentation on the College's program. It was a great first-time event."

"Internships are an integral part of a student's learning process during their college experience," said Rina Ebert, director of internships in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Not only does an internship allow a student to learn more about themselves, it also gives them real-world experience and a chance to develop themselves professionally.

"The Internships Office in the College feels that students should be taking part in these opportunities to explore their career interests, build their resumes, and prepare for life after Villanova," Rina explained. "In addition to this, it's important for parents to know what is available to their children in order to begin the internship dialogue early and encourage their son or daughter to take part in these interesting and challenging opportunities. The presentation from the Internship Office over Parents Weekend was a chance to connect with parents and take an in depth look at the Internship Office and what we offer their Villanova student."

Rina explained that this event marked the first time the Internships Office delivered a presentation during Parents' Weekend. "Based on the number of attendees and the feedback following the presentation, we are sure this will be something the office continues to do in the future," Rina said. "The office is committed to growing the program and encouraging students to look into opportunities; consequently, the support of parents is always essential. I have received multiple e-mails from parents thanking us for an informative and inspiring presentation. "

For more information on internships, please click here.
 

College Welcomes Prospective Students and Their Families During Open House

Prospective students and their families experienced and learned about the distinct benefits of a liberal arts education at Villanova University at the College's liberal arts open house, which was held on Saturday, Sept. 8. Approximately 1,000 prospective students and their parents heard from the College's students, faculty, and administrators, who shared information on what makes an education in the liberal arts at Villanova an exceptional and life-changing experience.

"The opportunity to present the liberal arts at Villanova from the point of view of our faculty, our staff, and our alumni was fantastic," said Robert I. Blanchard, assistant dean for external relations in the College. "The feedback from our guests proved that this was the right way to go in communicating the value of a liberal arts education."

Michael Gaynor, director of University admission, said, “This inaugural event provided prospective students and their families with keen insights into what makes liberal arts at Villanova truly distinctive. They also learned of the value, benefits and endless opportunities that a humanities education offers.”

"Ethics for Lunch" Event Examines the Returning Soldiers' Project

Mark Doorley, Ph.D., director of the Ethics Program, spoke about the "Returning Soldiers' Project: The Marks of War," on Thursday, Sept. 20, as part of the "Ethics for Lunch" series of events scheduled throughout the semester.

Dr. Doorley explained that during the summer of 2006, a group of faculty began to meet to discuss what resources the University could bring to bear on the various challenges that soldiers returning from war face in their homes, at their jobs, and with their neighbors. This collaboration has become the Returning Soldiers' Project.

Building on this project's experience, Dr. Doorley explored along with others in attendance the clash between what a soldier is often called upon to do on the battlefield and the values that the man or woman holds dear when not on the battlefield. For example, what does it do to a person to kill another human being when the sanctity of life is a deeply held conviction for the person? There are no easy answers, but, in some way, society must address and recognize the consequences of war for the soldier. For more on the Ethics for Lunch series and the Returning Soldiers' Project, please visit the Ethics Program on the Web.

Mark Doorley, Ph.D., director of the Ethics Program, discussed the Returning Soldiers' Project during a recent "Ethics for Lunch" event in September.

College Hosts "Welcome Back" Reception for Faculty and Staff

More than 200 faculty and staff of the College had the opportunity to reconnect at the "Welcome Back" reception held on Thursday, Sept. 6, in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College, thanked everyone for their attendance at the special event and wished all a productive year.

Department of Computing Sciences Announces Innovative Lecture Series 

The Department of Computing Sciences is happy to announce the establishment of the Delaware Valley Distinguished Lectureship Series in Computer Science. It is jointly sponsored by the computing departments of Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Swarthmore College and Villanova University. There will be four lectures in the series over the academic year, one at each of the four institutions. Learn more here.
 

New Banners Around SAC and Mendel Celebrate the Liberal Arts and Sciences

Banners hung around the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts and the Mendel Science Center, which celebrate prominent individuals and their many contributions to our world, have welcomed back students to campus. The banners serve as a constant and beautiful reminder of the importance and value of the liberal arts and sciences in the College, on campus, and in our world. Learn more about the banner project here.

A Third Statue Joins the "Augustine the Teacher" Display on the Front Lawn of SAC

A third student has been added to the existing three sculptures, the theme of which is "Augustine the Teacher," on the front lawn of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts. The new student sculpture was made possible through the generosity of Barry Johnson, Engineering, M.E., '70, and his wife, Kathie Johnson. It joins the other sculptures of St. Augustine and two students that were donated by James Magee, A&S, '75. Renowned artist and sculptor Peggy Mach from Long Island, N.Y., was commissioned to sculpt a third statue, which joins the depictions of St. Augustine and two other students in conversation. It is the artist's vision that additional statues representing young students of various genders, cultures, and races eventually will join the grouping, thereby depicting the influence of St. Augustine on the education of youth through the ages. A more in-depth feature article on the donors who made this significant addition possible will appear in a future issue of Inside A&S.

The College Proudly Announces the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies

The College proudly announces the creation of the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies. The Institute is an academic unit whose primary purpose is to provide students with a set of skills that will foster critical and analytical thinking and problem solving preparing them for responsible global citizenship.

Students who elect to major in this highly rigorous and relevant course of study do so under the guidance of a caring, dedicated, and nurturing faculty, highly skilled in their specific discipline, who also collaborate with each other to help students integrate their coursework. The major consists of 10 courses totaling 39 credit hours to complete the degree program.

The central dynamic of the Global Interdisciplinary Studies major is five global interdisciplinary seminars, three of which are mandatory (Introduction to Global Interdisciplinary Studies, the Junior Research Seminar, and the Capstone Colloquium). In any given curriculum cluster, which is designed by the student, his or her faculty mentor, and the institute director, the student may take up to 10 seminars. Furthermore, students are required to participate in a semester-long study abroad experience, which focuses on language and cultural immersion.

Maghan Keita, Ph.D., a professor of history and director of the Institute, explained that the major in global interdisciplinary studies is a reiteration of the Augustinian vision of an engaged community of learners within the global context.

“The very nature of who we are as a Catholic, Augustinian community is an expression of the global and the interdisciplinary,” Dr. Keita said. “The Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies is crucial to meeting the needs required for participation in a global society by creating a new generation of problem-solvers that is in keeping with the Catholic and Augustinian ideals of the University, and in particular, its commitments to justice and peace. This will be achieved by promoting the highest levels of intellectual engagement in the integration of what have been traditionally taught and conventionally thought of as disparate disciplines and fields of study.”

Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College, explained that the purpose of the institute centers on the College’s service to the broader University community in the humanization and globalization of the professions and disciplines.

“The institute emphasizes their interconnectedness with human endeavor and our broadest intellectual lives,” Father Ellis said. “It promotes the continued conversation between the humanities, the sciences, the social sciences, and the professions, at a global level. All of us in the College are excited about the opportunities the institute will offer to our students and faculty.”

For more information about the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, please contact Maghan Keita, Ph.D., the director of the Institute.
 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Redesigns Web Site Home Page

The College has refreshed its home page: www.villanova.edu/artsci/college/. Be sure to visit it, and while you are there, check out the College's new view book, which is posted online as a PDF here. Also, be sure to view "Alumni Perspectives on the Value of a Liberal Education" here. You'll find this on the Web site of the Office of Advising and Professional Development.

Important to note: in addition to launching the new site, faculty and staff can edit their Web site profiles using the BioTool. Please use these instructions to edit information like your title, interests, publications, etc.
 

Department of Computing Sciences Offers a Second Integrated BS/MS Program

A new integrated bachelor’s/master’s program is now being offered by the Department of Computing Sciences. The integrated program in Software Engineering is taking its place alongside the successful existing BS/MS in Computer Science as a second BS/MS program in computing. 

Last year, the department added a master’s degree in Software Engineering. This new degree program prepares students for either a career in software engineering or for advanced study in the field. In addition to providing the practical knowledge and experience needed to specify, design, develop, and maintain today's software systems, the program includes the theoretical knowledge that informs the practice, said Don Goelman, Ph.D., an associate professor of computing sciences. The Computer Science master’s degree program has a somewhat different emphasis: It provides expertise in applied and basic computing through its course offerings in computer systems, theory, languages, and algorithms. It is designed to prepare students for a career as a computing professional, though some students go on to pursue a Ph.D. degree at another university. Both degrees are in great demand in today’s high-tech sector. 

The new BS/MS program has already attracted attention and applications by undergraduate computer science majors who would like to pursue a master’s degree in software engineering. They can now achieve this within five years of entering Villanova. More information on this program may be found here: http://csc.villanova.edu/academics/msseProgram.

John Hansen-Flaschen, M.D., to Receive Praxis Award in Professional Ethics

The Ethics Program of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will present its second annual Praxis Award in Professional Ethics to John Hansen-Flaschen, M.D., a distinguished physician specializing in critical care pulmonology. The Praxis Award highlights and celebrates the contributions of a professional or an academic in the field of professional ethics. The award will be presented on April 2, 2008, at 5 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. For more information, please click here.
 

College Announces New Department of Geography and the Environment

The College is pleased to announce the new Department of Geography and the Environment, a department which links the social sciences and the natural and physical sciences. The department will integrate the disciplines of geography and environmental science in seeking to understand the interaction of people and the natural environment in specific places and around the world. Three degree programs will be offered.

The Geography degree program (B.A.) focuses on the interaction of humans with the natural and physical environments of the earth from a spatial perspective. The program’s graduates will have a fundamental understanding of the patterns of human social dynamics and physical processes at the earth’s surface, such as globalization and global climate change, within the context of places, landscapes, and regions. Graduates will also be trained in the use of geospatial technologies as tools in addressing many modern concerns. The geography degree is a traditional arts degree requiring 10 classes in geography. Geography courses count toward the social science general education requirement.

The Environmental Studies degree program (B.A.) focuses on the interface between environmental science and relevant social sciences, including public policy, political science, law, economics, sociology, and planning. The program’s graduates will have a fundamental understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical principles that underlie the structure and function of the natural and physical environments of the earth coupled with a foundation in the social sciences that underlie the relationships between humans, as individuals and/or societies, and the natural and physical environments of the earth. The environmental studies degree is a multidisciplinary arts degree built around a variety of social science courses, with a few additional science courses required.

The Environmental Science degree program (B.S.) focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to understanding the natural and physical environments of the earth. The program’s graduates will have an understanding of and appreciation for the processes and interactions that occur both within and between the atmosphere, the biosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere and be able to assess and address the direct and indirect influences of human activities on the integrity of the earth’s systems. The environmental science degree is a multidisciplinary science degree, which requires at least eight laboratory science classes. Interested students should be encouraged to take science classes beginning in their first year.

For more information, please contact Keith Henderson, Ph.D. The new chair of the department is Lt. Col. Frank Galgano, Ph.D.
 

College Offers Students, Faculty, and Staff Access to Mideastwire.com

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. Its core product is a daily e-mail newsletter to English speaking subscribers that aggregates key English language stories about the Middle East together with translated Arabic and Persian stories that appear via the print, radio, and television media of the region. 

While there are now more than 500 Arabic and Persian news outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable means for English speakers to gain access to much of this content. As a result, the overwhelming majority of English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists, and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily e-mail newsletter of concise, translated briefs covering some of the key political, cultural, economic, and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries, Iran, and the Arab Diaspora.

For more information, please contact Mideastwire.com.
 

Department of Psychology Now Offering Two Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

The Department of Psychology now offers two five-year bachelor’s/master’s degree programs. In the first program, students earn both a B.A. and an M.S. in psychology. This program provides an especially strong foundation for individuals who plan to pursue a Ph.D. in one of the many subfields of psychology. It also serves the needs of students who are unsure of their future professional goals and of individuals seeking a terminal master’s degree before entering the work force.



Whereas this program emphasizes basic theory and research in psychology, the second bachelor’s/master’s program has a decidedly applied focus, combining a B.A. in psychology with an M.S. in Human Resource Development. This program specifically prepares students to enter the work force as human resource professionals by providing a comprehensive background in the basic human resource competencies with emphasis on global, strategic, and developmental issues.

In both programs, students take graduate and well as undergraduate courses during their senior year. Several of the graduate courses count for both graduate and undergraduate credit, allowing the master’s degree to be obtained in only one additional year. Learn more here.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Partners with the Financial Times

Providing Students With Global Perspectives on World Events

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has partnered with the Financial Times, internationally recognized for its authoritative news, comment, and analysis, to provide students and faculty with full access to the FT’s electronic edition and to FT.com’s Level Two subscription service. This partnership will enable the University to further educate its students on socio-economic and geo-political issues that affect everyone regardless of a student’s major.

How To Access the Financial Times Online

There are many ways to access the FT online:

• For resources for faculty, please click here.

• For resources for students, please click here.

• To access the digital version of today's newspaper, please click here.

• To access the Financial Times online, please click here.

Save the Dates!

Please mark your calendars for these important events:

Homecoming Weekend                               October 6 and 7
Mid-term Recess                                        Monday, Oct. 15
Science and Technology Open House           Sunday, Oct. 28
Early Action Candidates' Day                      Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008
Candidates' Day                                        Saturday, April 12, 2008  

Please click here for the complete academic calendar.

Event Round-up

Be sure to visit the College's home page for a more complete 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.
 

Department of Political Science Offers Fall 2007 International Relations Lecture Series
Tue., Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “American Foreign Policy” by Joseph Thompson, Ph.D.

Tue., Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “Russia: Intransigent or in Transition?” by Jeffrey Hahn, Ph.D.

Tue., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m., SAC 300 -- “East Asia: Friends, Foes, and In-between” by A. Maria Toyoda, Ph.D.

For more information, please visit the Department of Political Science on the Web.

Fall 2007 Cultural Film Series: "We're Not Gonna Take It"
The fall 2007 Cultural Film Series examines individuals or groups who challenge power structures. View the complete schedule of films, including show times, here.
 

U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Gary A. Grappo to Speak on the Critical Role of the Sultanate of Oman
The University is pleased to welcome U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Gary A. Grappo to campus for an informative lecture and discussion entitled, “The Critical Role of the Sultanate of Oman,” on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m. in the Connelly Center Cinema. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please click here.
 

College Welcomes Notre Dame's Sabine MacCormick
The 2007 St. Augustine Lecture will feature Sabine MacCormick from the University of Notre Dame in a lecture entitled, "Augustine Reads Genesis: 'Give what I love, for I do love it, and this also you gave me' (Conf. XI,2,3; 22,28)," on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. The event is sponsored by the Augustinian Institute and Augustinian Studies. For more information, please click here or call Anna Misticoni at 610.519.4780.
 

"Faith and the Ways of Knowing": Topic of the Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Conference
The College's 32nd International PMR Conference will be held October 19 to 21 and will explore the topic of "Faith and the Ways of Knowing." Featured speakers include Denys Turner of Yale University and David Burrell of the University of Notre Dame. The conference will be held at the Villanova Conference Center. Click here for more information.


Make Plans Now to Visit the Mendel Exhibit ... Coming to Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia proudly announce their partnership to present the traveling exhibition, “Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics,” which will visit the Academy at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway from May 28 to September 28, 2008.

The exhibition will be available to only five tour venues in the United States through 2008: Philadelphia (Villanova and the Academy of Natural Sciences); Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee.

During the exhibition’s Philadelphia tour, all Villanova students, staff, and faculty who present valid identification will receive free general admission to the Academy of Natural Sciences. It is our hope that you will find this special exhibition informative and enjoyable.

To learn more about the exhibit, please visit http://www.fieldmuseum.org/mendel/. For more information, please contact Kate Szumanski.

Faculty in the News

• David M. Barrett, Ph.D., a professor of political science, has been named book review editor of the journal Intelligence and National Security, a peer-review publication, which is co-edited/published in the United States and the United Kingdom. The journal is in its 22nd year and has on its editorial board many prominent scholars.

• Jessey Choo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, was awarded a generous grant by the Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) under the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. This grant will allow Dr. Choo to carry out research on fortune-telling practices in Taiwan during the summer months of 2008 and work closely with the scholars at the Academia Sinica. In addition, the grant gives Dr. Choo the credential to use the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy at the Academia Sinica as the base to launch her research.

• Marc Gallicchio, Ph.D., a professor of history and chair of the department, has edited the book, The Unpredictability of the Past: Memories of the Asia Pacific War in U.S.-East Asian Relations, by Duke University Press.
   
• José Luis Gastañaga, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Spanish, took part in a conference May 30 to June 2, 2007, in Evora, Portugal. He presented his paper entitled, “Inca Garcilaso, Boccaccio, Acosta: A Reading of Royal Commentaries, Book VIII." The conference was organized by the Mediterranean Studies Association.
   
• Amanda Grannas, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry, is quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about a Bristol High School chemistry teacher.
   
• Ed Guinan, Ph.D., a professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has co-edited the book, Close Binary Stars in the 21st Century: New Opportunities and Challenges.
   
• Maghan Keita, Ph.D., a professor of history and director of the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, and Lawrence Little, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, have each published articles in the current issue of The Journal for Peace and Justice Studies. This is a special edition devoted to a critical discussion of Timothy B. Tyson's Blood Done Sign My Name, which was the text for last year's "One Book Villanova" event. Dr. Little's essay is entitled, "Confronting the Lies: Blood Done Sign My Name and American Racism," and Dr. Keita's is entitled, "Signing in Blood: White Supremacy, White Privilege, and the Construction of Whiteness."
   

• Elizabeth Kolsky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has published a chapter entitled, "Crime and Punishment on the Tea Plantations of Colonial India," in Modern Histories of Crime and Punishment, Markus Dirk Dubber and Lindsay Farmer, eds. (Stanford University Press, 2007).

• Robert Langran, Ph.D., a professor of political science, recently published two books. One is the second edition of You Decide! -- Controversial Issues in American Politics, which Dr. Langran co-authored, and the second is the sixth edition of The United States Supreme Court: An Historical and Political Analysis.

• R. Emmet McLaughlin, Ph.D., a professor of history and director of the graduate program, has published a chapter entitled, "The Radical Reformation," in The Cambridge History of Christianity, vol. 6, Reform and Expansion 1500-1660.

• Paul C. Rosier, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has won the 2007 Arrell Gibson Award for best essay (2006) on the history of Native Americans awarded by the Western History Association. His article, "‘They are Ancestral homelands’: Race, Place, and Politics in Cold War Native America, 1945-1961," appeared in the Journal of American History (March 2006). Dr. Rosier will travel to the association's annual meeting later this year in Oklahoma City to receive his prize.

• Rev. Joseph G. Ryan, O.S.A., Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, has been notified that his article, "Doctor Gunning S. Bedford and the Search for Safe Obstetric Care, 1833-1870," has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Medical Biography. It is currently in press.
   

• News from the Department of Computing Sciences: Department members again were active at the 12th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2007), which took place this year in Dundee, Scotland, in June. This year’s theme was inclusion and diversity. Thomas Way, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computing sciences, presented two papers on topics closely related to the conference theme. They arose from research conducted in his Applied Computing Technology (ACT) Lab. One, co-authored with graduate student Richard Kheir, is entitled, “Improving Access to Computer Science Education with Speech Recognition.” Co-author of the second paper is Joseph Distasio (B.S. 2006), “Inclusive Computer Science Education Using a Ready-made Computer Game Framework.” For further details and a photo of the first presentation, please click here. At the same meeting, Lillian Cassel, Ph.D., a professor of computing sciences, was a co-leader of a working group, “Using a Computing Ontology for Educational Purposes," and Don Goelman, Ph.D., an associate professor of computing sciences, chaired a session, “Teaching CS Theory – Tools and Techniques.”

• Thomas Way, Ph.D., co-authored a paper entitled, “Compiling a Mechanical Nanocomputer Adder,” with graduate student Tao Tao, who presented it in June at the 2007 International Conference on Computer Design (CDES’07) in Las Vegas.

• Thomas Way, Ph.D., and Mary-Angela Papalaskari, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computing sciences, conducted a workshop at the Haverford Summer Institute, teaching K-12 teachers about how to apply ideas from the Villanova Magic School summer camp program into the classroom and other ways to incorporate magic tricks into teaching as a way to engage, motivate, and inspire students.

• Catherine E. Wilson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of political science and the non-profit coordinator in the MPA program, published an article on jury duty in the regional commentary section of the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 20, 2007, entitled, "Panel Need Not be 12 Angry Men," appeared in the Regional Commentary section of The Philadelphia Inquirer on August 20, 2007.

Alumni in the News

• Karen Abbott, '95, who graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English, has written the acclaimed Sin in the Second City. Read more about the author and book here.
   
• Jason Fenner, '03, who graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communication, is an associate project manager in the Office of Research and Science Policy at the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), a voluntary, non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and many state university systems that has member campuses in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Learn more here.
   
• Ann Gavaghan, '97, who graduated summa cum laude as a dual major in classics and political science, appeared on the television game show, Jeopardy!, on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Gavaghan, a current legislative aid to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York), was a Truman Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. Learn more about Ann's time on Jeopardy! here.
   
• S. Michael Imperiale, Jr., M.D., has been named vice president of clinical research operations at Hana Biosciences a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing cancer care. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Villanova in 1982. Click here for more information.
   
• Miguel D. Lausell, '66, a graduate of the College, will serve as a Senior Political Advisor to the Clinton Campaign on a variety of issues including international trade, telecommunications, and Latino affairs. Learn more here.
   
• Theodore D. Zucconi, Ph.D., has been named president of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Zucconi received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Villanova in 1968. For more information, please click here.

IT Corner

• A&S Technology Showcase. Make plans now to attend the Technology Showcase sponsored by the IT staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Mendel Science Center, Room 154. The engaging and lively presentations will demonstrate not cutting-edge technology, but everyday uses of available IT resources that can easily be used by the non-tech savvy faculty member. Please click here to learn more details about this exciting event.
   
• SharePoint Upgrade. The new SharePoint site can be found here: https://sp.artsci.villanova.edu
   
• Web site Updates. The following departments or programs recently launched new Web sites: Communication
   
• BioTool. Faculty and staff can edit their Web site profiles using the BioTool. To learn how to use the BioTool, please visit this Web site.
   

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.