2026 NEWS
- 10/28/2026 Finding the Divine in Unexpected Places: Villanova Professor Explores Art and Theology in New Book In "Encountering Art: Theological Approaches to Visuality," Stefanie Knauss ThD, professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, explores how experiences with art can shape how people understand themselves, the world and the transcendent.
- 10/26/2026 In Rome, CLAS Scholars Explore Sustainability Across Disciplines and Through Community At Villanova University’s International Sustainability Conference, students and faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences brought their research into a global conversation about ecological resilience, human dignity and a shared responsibility for the future.
- 10/26/2026 Villanova Biology Professor Receives NSF Grant to Study Chemical Communication in Lizards Stephanie Campos, PhD, assistant professor of Biology, has been awarded a $423,192 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate how hormones and humidity influence chemical signaling in lizards.
- 10/06/2026 Villanova Professors Named to Endowed Chairs in Biology and English Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences professors Samantha Chapman, PhD, and Megan Quigley, PhD, have been appointed to endowed chair positions in recognition of their scholarly contributions to their fields and in support of their continued research and teaching.
- 10/01/2026 Villanova Theology Professor Examines Pope Leo XIV’s Papacy and the Global Church in New Book In his new book, Leo XIV and the Global Church: Unity and Peace, Massimo Faggioli, PhD, professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University examines the significance of Pope Leo XIV’s election, placing it within the broader evolution of the papacy and the Catholic Church’s growing relationship with the world.
- 09/22/2026 Villanova Biology Professor Awarded NIH Grant to Advance Understanding of RNA Decay Sarah Fritz, PhD, has been awarded a $396,941 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support her research examining how cells identify and eliminate defective RNA, enhancing our knowledge of gene expression regulation and potentially informing the development of advanced therapeutic strategies for genetic diseases.
- 09/15/2026 Daniel ’93 and Christine Kraninger ’93 CLAS, P’21, ’23, ’27 Make $1 Million Gift The Kraninger Family Scholarship Match Program is the first-of-its-kind scholarship match for CLAS. It will have a profound impact on generations of deserving students, with the potential to inspire 20 new endowed scholarships that would be awarded in perpetuity to academically talented CLAS undergraduates with demonstrated need.
- 09/09/2026 Villanova Communication Professor Examines Gender, Nationalism and the “Hindu Modern” in New Book In her latest book, Cleansing the Nation: India, the Hindu Modern, and Mediations of Gender, Raka Shome, PhD, The Harron Family Endowed Chair and Professor of Communication, explores how India’s cleanliness movement reveals multifaceted questions about nationalism, gender, identity and belonging.
- 08/03/2026 Villanova Professor Traces the Journey of the American Community Health Center in New Book In Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back: Social Image and the Dance for Community Health Center Survival, Associate Professor of Public Administration Danielle Gadson, PhD, ’07 MPA traces the rise of community health centers and the supporters who have kept them alive.
- 05/12/2026 Villanova Political Science Professor Examines Civic Parties in Divided Societies in New Book In places shaped by conflict, politics are often reduced to a simple story of stark polarization between two opposing sides. In her new book, "Civic Parties in Divided Societies: Northern Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina," Cera Murtagh, PhD, explores how a different kind of politics is taking place in deeply divided countries.
- 04/07/2026 Villanova Physics Professor Awarded NSF Grant to Advance Early Science with Rubin Observatory The National Science Foundation has awarded Villanova University Assistant Professor of Physics Becka Phillipson, PhD, a $289,158 Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Faculty Catalyst Award for the project, “Preparing for Early Science with Rubin Observatory: Intrinsic Variability of Accreting Compact Objects.”
- 03/23/2026 Villanova Student-Produced Social Justice Documentary Premieres This April Villanova University’s Social Justice Documentary filmmaking course is renowned for producing impactful films that illuminate vital narratives, many of which garner both local and national recognition. Student production team Out of Bounds Productions will premiere their new documentary, “Aman,” on April 30, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.
- 03/17/2026 Villanova History Professor Details the Path Toward Native American Citizenship in New Book In Indigenous Citizens: Native Americans’ Fight for Sovereignty, 1776-2025 (W.W. Norton & Company), Professor of History Paul C. Rosier, PhD, director of the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, seeks answers through the broad history of Native Americans’ dual citizenship and their centuries-long fight for civil rights.
- 03/03/2026 Villanova University’s Center for Irish Studies Hosts Irish Prime Minister, Marking 250 Years Since America’s Founding On Saturday, March 14, Villanova University’s Center for Irish Studies welcomes Ireland’s Prime Minister, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin to campus for an afternoon celebrating Irish American connections and scholarship at Villanova, as well as 250 years of Irish American history.
- 02/04/2026 Cauvery Madhavan Named 2026 Charles A. Heimbold Jr. Chair of Irish Studies at Villanova University Villanova University named Cauvery Madhavan, an award-winning Irish author and journalist, as the 2026 Charles A. Heimbold Jr. Chair of Irish Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
- 02/03/2026 The Enterprise Center President, Della Clark, Named 2026 Praxis Award Recipient The Villanova University Ethics Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences named Della Clark, president of The Enterprise Center, the recipient of the 2026 Praxis Award in Professional Ethics.
- 01/30/2026 Villanova’s English Department Welcomes Award-Winning Authors and Poets For 28th Annual Literary Festival This spring marks the 28th year of the highly anticipated Villanova University Literary Festival, welcoming acclaimed poets and novelists to campus to present readings and meet with students.
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