Holy Family University Magazine Fall 2011

fall 2011

MAGAZINE

In 2011, Holy Family University launched a program to bring English to a seminary in Vietnam.

What if you could double your gift?

Just like that.

III title

Holy Family University was the only university in Pennsylvania this year to receive a Title III Strengthening Institutions grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Part of this $1,920,000 award was a challenge to our community: Donate specifically to the endowment fund and your gift will be matched.

Make a gift.

Make double the difference.

Make an Impact.

For more information, please call the Development Office at 267.341.3340.

Gifts must specify “Title III Endowment� to count toward the challenge.

In this issue

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FEATURES

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Given Credit Where Credit is Due Thanks to the dedication of its faculty, students, and friends, the School of Business Administration gained its initial accreditation this year, adding to its prestige among business schools throughout the Philadelphia region.

By Jen A. Miller

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Learning by Doing Melissa Galm ’11, Danielle Kohler Devine M’11, Matthew Hassey ’11, and Jennifer Mitchell ’12 are making an impact far beyond the University’s classrooms. Thanks to a combination of their ingenuity and commitment to learning with expert mentoring from University professors, these students are gaining professional experience and, at times, a small dose of fame with their individual research and projects.

By Richard Rys

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Pathways into Vietnam In 2011, Holy Family University launched a program to bring English to a seminary in Vietnam. Made possible by funding from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and lessons and instruction from our Department of Education, the English language program is providing opportunity for intellectual and spiritual growth on a global level.

By Heather G. Dotchel

DEPARTMENTS 2 FirstWord

A message from the President

36 FamilyReunion

News for the alumni community

4 BrieflyNoted Out and about on campus

0 MemoryLane 4 A nostalgic trip back in time

30 1000Words

2 GivingBack 4 Making a difference on campus

A visual slice of life at Holy Family

32 TigerTales

44 LastWord

Q&A with Rachel Derr, MSN, RN, an instructor with the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and her Facebook alter ego, “Noelle Redeemer.”

Cover

hoto by Associate Professor P of Education Roger Gee, PhD

Reports from the court, track, and field

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A message from the President

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he return of undergraduate students to campus is a vivid reminder of why we are here. As classrooms and residence halls return to life, as the Campus Center and library bustle anew, as practice fields and computer labs fill up, we remember our deeply held duty to educate these young men and women. At Holy Family University, that education encompasses much more than the contents of students’ textbooks and the lectures of their faculty. Indeed, our mission directs us to educate students to assume lifelong responsibilities toward God, society, and self.

For as trite as it sounds, in welcoming and teaching our students, we are preparing the next generation and uniquely marking them. Every autumn, our future literally comes calling. In front of us are tomorrow’s scientists, businesspeople, doctors, teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, writers, and thinkers. In front of us are tomorrow’s leaders.

Some of their (and our) stories are told in this issue.

Richard Rys’s piece on student research perfectly captures the blend of theoretical and applied learning that occurs daily at the University. Is there any doubt at all that these students will be ready from the moment they receive their diplomas? Dr. Roger Gee’s program to lead graduate students in teaching English to Vietnamese seminarians illustrates our expanding worldview. Jen Miller’s profile of the revamped School of Business Administration offers a peek at how we at Holy Family are adapting to our ever-changing world so that our teaching can be as impactful as possible.

As far off as the future often seems, the reality is that it is directly in front of us. It beckons us constantly. One of our core values is vision, a call to provide a foundation upon which to address contemporary problems and to build a vision for the future. To ignore that call is to stagnate, whether we are discussing an organization or a student. That is why Holy Family invested so many resources in our recent strategic planning and rebranding initiatives.

These projects will shape our future going forward, just as surely as we shape the lives and careers of those we are so fortunate to educate.

Editor Heather G. Dotchel Art Director Jay Soda Contributing Writers Heather G. Dotchel Thomas W. Durso Naomi Hall Steve Leinert Suzanne Libenson Bob Macartney Jen A. Miller Greg Pellegrino Richard Rys Kathy Warchol Robert Wetzel Contributing Photographers Susan Beard Design Michael Branscom Adam Cohn Roger Gee Herff Jones Photography John McKeith Scott Nibauer Stephen Pellegrino President S. Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD Vice President for Institutional Advancement Margaret Kelly Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Thomas W. Durso Holy Family University Magazine is published semiannually by the Division of Institutional Advancement.

Please address all correspondence to: Editor Holy Family University Magazine 9801 Frankford Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19114 magazine@holyfamily.edu

Sincerely,

Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD President

The opinions and views expressed in Holy Family University Magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policies of Holy Family University. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published information.

GreenChart These savings were achieved by the use of postconsumer recycled fiber for the cover and text pages of Holy Family University Magazine

University Magazine

27 trees

10,549 gallons

1,173 pounds

4,431 pounds

13 million BTUs

preserved for the future

wastewater flow saved

solid waste not generated

net greenhouse gases prevented

energy not consumed

Holy Family University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, or disability in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. © 2011 Holy Family University

Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator.

For more information visit papercalculator.org.

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Out and about on campus

University Celebrates 54th Commencement

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oly Family University celebrated its 54th Commencement at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 14. Students from the University’s graduate program participated in a morning ceremony, followed by the undergraduate ceremony in the afternoon.

The honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters was presented to Harry Carl Schaub, JD, attorney with

Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP; Woodrow Wilson Wolfe Jr., EMT, co-founder and Director of Heart to Hand Ministries, Inc.; and Anthony Szuszczewicz, MS, President and Chairman of Polonia Bank.

In addition, the University honored the 50th Anniversary Class of 1961. —Robert Macartney

Holy Family conferred 434 undergraduate and 375 graduate degrees, across the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Nursing and Allied Health Professions and the Division of Extended Learning.

Above, Left: Timothy J. O’Driscoll ’12 Above, Right: Honorary Doctor of Humane

Letters recipient Harry Carl Schaub, JD

Below, Immediate: Linda DiGennaro, MEd ’11

Above: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters recipient Woodrow Wilson Wolfe Jr., EMT Right: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters recipient Anthony Szuszczewicz, MS

Left: Linda L. Colwell-Smith ’83, past President of the Alumni Association, Meghan Meyers ’11,

recipient of the Alumni Senior Award, and S. Maureen McGarrity, Vice President of Academic Affairs

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New dual admission agreement is University’s fifth partnership

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oly Family signed its fifth college partnership when it launched a dual admission agreement with Manor College in April. Dual admission agreements enable students to transfer credits more easily into the University and are considered a cost-saving measure for students who desire a four-year degree.

“We see more and more students, right out of high school, going to community colleges.

Many families are just unable to afford the four-year college degree,” said Lauren Campbell, Executive Director of Admissions. “Last year we enrolled more than 200 transfer students, and that was a record number.” She added that the University saw similar transfer numbers this fall.

Although the University has established formal agreements with community colleges over the past few years, admissions officers have always counseled students on the best ways to avoid losing credits, she said. Partnership agreements are a big help to transfer students who fit the criteria.

According to the College Board, there are two common types of transfer agreements—dual

admission and articulation agreements. Dual admission agreements allow students to enroll in both schools at the same time, seamlessly entering the program of a four-year college after finishing a two-year school. Articulation agreements detail the conditions on which a university will accept academic credits from another institution.

Holy Family has these agreements with Bucks County Community College, Burlington County Community College, Community College of Philadelphia, and Montgomery County Community College, in addition to Manor College, a private, Catholic, co-educational school.

Through this newest agreement, students may transfer into degree programs in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business Administration at junior status once they successfully graduate from Manor.

“Community colleges are bursting at the seams these days,” Campbell said. “It just makes sense that we continue to actively recruit these students.”

—Naomi Hall

Holy Family to Partner with Stanford to Provide Tablets to Africa

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his fall, Holy Family University will partner with Stanford University’s School of Education to educate a classroom of underserved children in Newala, Tanzania, using revolutionary technology. TheTeacherMate Handheld Computer System (TeacherMate) is the world’s first affordable means to provide computer-assisted instruction designed specifically for students in developing countries.

Primary school for children in Newala is taught solely in Swahili. When they enter secondary school, the primary teaching language becomes English, leaving these children at a severe

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disadvantage. Holy Family University, Stanford University, and Jiamini, a nonprofit that strives to provide quality underserved children in Newala,

will all work together to develop and deliver content that will bridge this gap and teach these children English through the use of TeacherMates.

This pilot project has been made possible through a $20,000 grant from UNESCO, an organization that strives to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information. This funding will allow four representatives from Holy Family and Stanford Universities to travel to Tanzania to deploy the content that they will work together to develop.

—Suzanne Libenson

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brieflynoted Forensic Accountant Named to Board of Trustees

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atthew G. McFillin, a director in the forensic practice of KPMG LLP’s Philadelphia office, was named to Holy Family’s Board of Trustees last spring.

McFillin, a certified public accountant who is also certified in financial forensics, provides investigative and dispute services for attorneys and corporate management on a variety of matters involving financial statement fraud investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues, government contracts, and business disputes. He has presented to and assisted the Securities and Exchange Com-

Out and about on campus

University Granted Middle States Reaccreditation

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oly Family University concluded its successful decennial reaccreditation effort last spring when the Middle States Commission on Higher Education judged the University to have met every standard included in the organization’s Characteristics of Excellence.

The University now will begin implementing some of the recommendations that it had made in its self-study and that the Middle States accrediting team made after its site visit in March. This will include identifying and defining specific issues to be addressed, identifying the resources needed to address these issues, and organizing the work to be accomplished and the timeline for its attainment.

“The institution is delighted with the progress we’ve made over the past 10 years and looks forward to a very fruitful and productive future accreditation cycle,” said Leanne Owen, PhD, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair of Criminal Justice and Chair of Holy Family’s Executive Committee for the Self-Study Process. —Thomas Durso

mission, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the United States Attorney’s Office. McFillin also has provided auditing and consulting services to Fortune 1000 companies.

He is a graduate of West Chester University, on whose School of Business Advisory Council he sits.

—Thomas Durso

DEL Facilitator Publishes Novel

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ivision of Extended Learning (DEL) facilitator Martin Malloy recently published a crime novel, That Which We Are, drawing on 30 years of police work and experience with patrol.

Malloy currently teaches History of the Middle East and History of China for DEL. The novel follows Sergeant Nicholas “Nick” Caulfield, a former Philadelphia police officer who now fights crime at a seaside resort town called Yarmouth Beach. A young girl is missing, and when her body is discovered a few days later, Caulfield leads the homicide investigation along with his assistant, Detective Cheryl D’Agostino.

“I wanted to write a story that gives readers a realistic portrayal of life as a police officer, in this case a patrol supervisor in a small police department,” says Malloy. “Far from Hollywood’s cops— dysfunctional characters performing Herculean tasks in unrealistic time frames—Caulfield handles cases as they are actually handled everyday on the job.”

Malloy plans to publish a second Caulfield novel in 2012. He also published a poem, “Kangxi,” in the March 2011 anthology Making Waves. That Which We Are can be found on Amazon’s and Barnes & Noble’s websites. —Heather Dotchel

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Holy Family Student to Climb Everest

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unior Matthew McGlynn hopes to join an elite group of people—those who have climbed Mount Everest.

However, this quest is not just about personal accomplishment; he wants to climb the mountain in an effort to raise awareness and opportunity for underprivileged children.

When McGlynn, a secondary education and history student, travelled to the Philippines last year, he visited Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Cebu. His family has been involved with the parish since 1993. They brought food to the orphanage and spent time with the children.

Moved, McGlynn wanted to do more and attempted to organize a donation box for supplies for the children.

Then inspiration struck. The previous year, his family had taken a road trip to the White Mountains and stopped at Mt. Washington, a mountain renowned for its terrible weather and high wind speeds. McGlynn told his father that he would return to Mt. Washington in the winter to climb it. So he did. In February 2011, McGlynn, his cousin, and his uncle successfully reached the summit in -55 degree weather with 80 mph winds.

McGlynn calculated that if he could climb Everest in

the name of the Lourdes orphanage, then his ability to help would be magnified through the contributions of others. By dedicating his climb and using the challenge for publicity, he could set up donation bins around campus for gifts in kind. He also hopes to set up an escrow account to manage money for the expedition and another that will allow people to donate to the Lourdes’ children’s feeding plan directly.

But there is still a long way to go. Training to climb Everest is arduous. At home, McGlynn, a member of the United States Coast Guard, relies on a vigorous fitness program, concentrating on the muscles that he’d use to climb. He will travel to Mt. Rainier in Washington to learn the skills of crevasse rescue on a heavily glaciated mountain. This December, he will tackle climbing Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, the tallest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas at 22,841 feet. This climb will test how his body can acclimate to high altitude and is a qualifying climb for Everest. For at least a month before he attempts to scale Everest, he will enroll in a high-altitude glacier school in the Himalayas for further acclimation.

The climb is scheduled for April of 2013. McGlynn can be contacted at mmcglynn@holyfamily.edu for more information. —Heather Dotchel

In February 2011, Matthew McGlynn ’13, along with his cousin and uncle, successfully scaled Mt. Washington in the White Mountains.

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Out and about on campus

English Professor Selected for Prestigious Fellowship

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rofessor of Arts and Communications Kathy Osenlund, PhD, was one of 21 journalists nationwide picked to participate as a fellow in the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater. The Theater and Musical Theater Institute at USC Annenberg is one of three NEA Arts Journalism Institutes funded by a multi-million dollar initiative. These institutes offer intensive training for arts reporters and their editors.

Held at the University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg School of Journalism in Los Angeles, the fellowship was a rigorous 10-day program for professional critics and reviewers of art, theater, and music. The fellowship ran June 13 through 22 and coincided with four other arts festivals taking place in LA at that time, including the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

NEA Institute Fellows reviewed theatrical, film, and musical productions. Their reviews were edited by the Institute’s guest faculty of editors from major publications across the nation and published on a pop-up website called Engine 28.

“It was a delightful surprise to have been selected for a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, which offered me the opportunity to work at USC this past summer with NEA fellows from across the country,” said Osenlund. “Participation in this leading-edge Arts Journalism Institute is not only a valuable asset for my work as a theater critic, but it promises to enrich my teaching as an Arts and Communications

professor at Holy Family.”

Osenlund has served as a Philadelphia theatre critic since 2000 for CurtainUp (www.curtainup.com), an online theater magazine that provides reviews and listings. Her prior honors include a fellowship at The Eugene O’Neill Memorial Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. She also taught a course on American gangster films at Oxford University in 2009. —Naomi Hall

University Loses Former Superior, Board Chair, Longtime Friend

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ister Medarda Synakowska, CSFN, who was pivotal to the success of the University during its early years, died June 17 at age 97.

Sister Medarda entered the Congregation as a teenager in 1928 and dedicated her life to ministry as a teacher, social worker, religious superior, and administrator. She served as Provincial Superior of the former Immaculate Conception Province from 1959 through 1971. While serving as Provincial Superior in the 1960s, she also was the chair of the University’s Board of Trustees and President of

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the Nazareth Hospital Board of Trustees. The University Library was built during her tenure on Holy Family’s Board. She was appointed Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1971 and supervised its international provinces and ministries from Rome for 12 years.

When she returned to Torresdale in 1984, she was elected Superior of the St. Joseph Convent, the residence for sisters who serve the University.

She began working in the financial aid office on the Northeast Philadelphia Campus as a technical staff member in 1993 and continued until she became seriously ill two years ago. She will be missed by the many friends she made over the years and especially on campus. —Naomi Hall

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Loretta Newsom ’83 Named Delaware School Nurse of the Year

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oretta Ziegler Newsom ’83 was named Delaware’s 2011 School Nurse of the Year for her work at Alfred G. Waters Middle School, in the Appoquinimink School District.

Newsom is the past president of the Delaware School Nurse Association (DSNA) and facilitated partnerships with private and public health-care communities throughout the state. Additionally, she revitalized the DSNA.org website and was involved in state-wise conference planning, school nurse outreach to Delaware colleges and universities, and government awareness of the importance of school nurse licensure requirements and roles.

She has presented on health-care topics to local, state, and national audiences and has also developed and facilitated health-care programs for her middle school students and staff with a focus on movement. Nurse Newsom, as her students like to call her, represented Delaware school nurses at the annual National Association of School Nurses Conference in San Francisco in June 2011. There was a School Nurse of the Year event to celebrate the profession of school nursing and to honor Newsom in October 2011. —Heather Dotchel

Courses for Professionals in Nursing, Business

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oly Family is offering two postlicensure courses in nursing and one certificate-prep course in business that could be of interest to the larger Holy Family community.

Wound Care Prevention and Care: Art, Science, and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice is a cutting edge course that counts for 15 continuing education hours for the post-licensure nurse. The course provides 10 weeks of instruction on the prevention of and treatment plans for acute and chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, infection, and skin tears.

The course uses the latest research to educate nurses to handle these issues and is taught by national expert Lia van Rijswijk, MSN, CWCN, who is the clinical editor

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of the journal Ostomy Wound Management.

Essentials of Perioperative Nursing Practice is another postlicensure course that counts for 20 continuing education hours.

The course is designed to transition the nursing graduate or experienced RN to a professional operating room nurse through classroom and clinical experiences. Students in this course will be mentored by highly skilled operating room nurses in area hospitals.

Professionals looking to add Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) to their list of qualifications can take Finance 430: Treasury Management.

This course meets the educational requirements for those preparing

University Holds Special Mass for Police, Emergency Responders

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oly Family University held its fifth annual Blue Mass on Friday, May 6, to honor the sacrifices of police and emergency responders who have died in the line of duty.

The service took place in the Campus Center gymnasium and included a brief candlelighting ceremony. It was held in connection with National Police Week, May 9 through 15.

“This year, we are truly blessed that there were no officers killed in the line of duty. We will continue to gather each year to pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in years past.

We will never forget them,” said Joseph F. McBride, the University’s Director of Safety and Security and a retired Philadelphia police sergeant.

McBride coordinated the program. Campus Minister Reverend James MacNew, OSFS, officiated. —Naomi Hall

to take the Certified Treasury Professional examination. The course provides an introduction to shortterm financial management covering the areas of cash and liquidity management; credit analysis, extension, and collection; short-term borrowing and banking relationships; money market instruments and short-term investments; managing interest rate and exchange risk; forecasting cash-flows; and ethics and corporate governance.

These classes will be offered in the Spring 2012 semester. —Heather Dotchel

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Learning by Doing: Experience Beyond the Classroom

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Melissa Galm ’11, Danielle Kohler Devine M’11, Matthew Hassey ’11, and Jennifer Mitchell ’12 are making an impact far beyond the University’s classrooms. Thanks to a combination of their ingenuity and commitment to learning with expert mentoring from University professors, these students are gaining professional experience and, at times, a small dose of fame with their individual research and projects.

By Richard Rys Photography by Michael Branscom

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Dr. Cao Jiang and Melissa Galm ’11

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elissa Galm ’11 had no idea that the simple act of dyeing her hair would create a buzz so loud that media as far away as Germany and the Netherlands would come calling. It’s the kind of attention that Angelina Jolie or Gisele Bundchen might attract if they emerged from an exclusive Paris salon with a radical new look. But Galm wasn’t a movie star or a supermodel—she was a senior at Holy Family University conducting a unique experiment for her finance class. In her spare time, Galm waitressed at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia, and she noticed that a number of her fellow servers lightened their hair in the summer.

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Galm, a natural brunette, began to wonder if the old adage that “blondes have more fun” might also apply to economics, and in this case, if women with golden locks earned better tips than their dark-haired counterparts.

In May 2010, Galm set out to find

some answers. Nine of her co-workers agreed to change their hair color and keep track of their tips, including Galm, who went blonde for the first time. It didn’t take long to see a change in the way customers interacted with her while ordering their

“It didn’t take long to see a change in the way customers interacted with her while ordering their crab fries and white lobster pizza.”

crab fries and white lobster pizza.

“In the first week, I had a ridiculous amount of highlights,” Galm says with a laugh. “There was a lady who gave me the evil eye. Maybe it was unrelated, but maybe she thought of the old blonde stereotype, that I wasn’t intelligent or capable.”

If you think this sounds like an unusual way to examine the field of finance from a sociological perspective, you are correct—and that creative approach to an academic study is exactly what impressed her professor, Dr. Cao Jiang, Assistant Professor of Finance and Chairperson of the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance. “It’s critical

that students do research that people care about,” he says. “Academic research is fine, but it has to be interesting to people.”

Not long after Galm finished her two-month experiment, she embarked on a whirlwind tour that led to a presentation at the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Ithaca, New York, an esteemed national conference, and phone calls from curious reporters and foreign press. “It’s pretty exciting,” Galm says. “I definitely did not have any expectation of this kind of hype.” And Galm isn’t alone. All throughout the University, students are diving head-first into real-life

learning opportunities beyond the classroom, thanks to encouragement from faculty and their own ambition.

The result is groundbreaking new research and the kind of career development that’s hard to find within the confines of a lecture hall. And these outstanding students like Galm and their faculty mentors couldn’t be more excited to spread the word.

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ucked away on the third floor of the nurse education building, there is a room where

L-R: Nursing Simulation Coordinator Kathleen Kelly-West, MSN Chair Dr. Ana Maria Catanzaro, BSN Chair Dr. Karen Montalto, and Danielle Kohler Devine M’11

a pregnant woman and her young child sit patiently. Each day, they wait in silence for nursing students to poke, prod, and evaluate them.

This is really not as creepy as it may seem—both would-be patients are mannequins, and their function is to provide nursing students like Danielle Kohler Devine M’11 with “high-fidelity simulations,” life-like trial runs of the same examinations they’ll one day give to actual living, breathing patients. Instructors guide the students through scenarios by increasing the mannequin’s heart rate, slowing its breathing, and even triggering pre-programmed speech.

In one of Devine’s graduate courses, her instructor observed that there’s actually very little research that shows whether using these robo-

patients leads to a better understanding of medicine. Devine went home and launched an internet search. Her professor was right. No studies quantifying how effective these fivefigure cyborgs really are.

That led Devine to launch a study of her own, with help from BSN chair Dr. Karen Montalto and MSN chair Dr. Ana Maria Catanzaro—not as a class requirement, but simply to satisfy her nagging curiosity. She rounded up 40 juniors and seniors and gave them all a multiple-choice test about respiratory functions and possible complications, followed by a 90-minute lecture on the same subject. The students were then split in half, and the control group was given the identical test again. The second group, however, was given

a simulation with a mannequin, who they were told was a 60-year-old man. Their task was to figure out that he had pneumonia, as an instructor manipulated the patient’s vital signs and spoke through a microphone to respond to questions and occasionally let out a nasty cough. At the conclusion of their high-tech exams, the students took the test over again.

Devine discovered that there was no statistical difference between the students who studied with the mannequin and those who only listened to her lecture, and she was invited to present her findings at the American Association of College Nursing’s “Hot Issues” Conference in Baltimore. Yet she and her instructors had concerns about their sample size, as well as some of the participants, who had

Dr. Daniel Bassi and Matthew Hassey ’11

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little prior experience working with the simulation dummies. Devine plans to tackle the subject again this fall, with a semester-long study of multiple simulations and more students, all while earning her PhD at Villanova University and starting a new job—as a full-time addition to the School of Nursing’s faculty.

She credits her experiment and the experience of working so closely with her instructors as a key to her rapid rise from pupil to teacher. “I loved it,” she says. “Doing this has already helped me in my [doctoral] studies.

Dr. Montalto and Dr. Catanzaro never treated me like I was just a student.

They always considered what I had to say.”

Unlike Devine, biology major Matt Hassey ’11 wasn’t naturally drawn to research. He planned to attend medical school after graduation, but to complete his degree, he needed an internship, possibly at Drexel University or the University of Pennsylvania, which host many Holy Family biology and biochemistry majors. One of his professors at the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Daniel Bassi, had been working on research with Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Hassey was intrigued by his investigations into how certain tissues and cells may be more or less prone to cancer. That led to Hassey’s internship at Fox Chase, where he advanced Dr. Bassi’s work and quickly earned his professor’s admiration.

This past spring, the pair drove to Utica to present Hassey’s findings at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, where the student found himself in an unusual position of authority. “I told Matthew, ‘This is your work. You explain it,’” says Dr. Bassi. “‘In a professional meeting, you have to handle it.’ He was amazed.

He was explaining his research to a professor at Cornell. I told him, ‘Well, you’re an expert in this subject.’”

Hassey still recalls that conversation, as well as a lengthy one with a University of Notre Dame professor who was curious about his work.

His initial reluctance toward labbased science has been replaced

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“He was amazed. He was explaining his research to a professor at Cornell. I told him, ‘Well, you’re an expert in this subject.’”

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a researcher at heart, but he’s always telling us current stories and trying to relate that to what we learn in class.

It’s been such a great experience.”

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by a newfound appreciation. “I didn’t think I would like it,” he says. “It was just something I had to do. But now I wouldn’t mind doing that kind of research. The Fox Chase staff was really nice and I learned something new every day. It prepared me for going out and working.” Hassey, who’s now beginning graduate school at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, also says the mentoring he received from Dr. Bassi was invaluable. “He took me under his wing and really helped me understand. He took the time to explain why we were doing what we did.

He became more than just a teacher.

We developed a close relationship.”

Melissa Galm had a similar bonding experience at NCUR with her faculty advisor, Dr. Jiang, when she presented the findings of her haircolor experiment: the newly blonde waitresses saw an average increase of five percent in their tips. She also noted that other factors, such as work experience and education level, didn’t appear to have much of an impact on their earnings. Galm had 15 minutes to discuss her study, and as Dr. Jiang notes with pride, the room of about 40 seats was largely empty until a few minutes before her speech began. By the time Galm took to the microphone, the crowd was beyond

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capacity. “It’s like a gardener seeing the flowers under his care blossoming,” he says of watching Galm command the attention of her peers and professors who considered her session a must-see that day. “Melissa transformed as a student. She’s extremely modest and can be mistaken as shy. But she’s a star and it’s great to see her shining on an international stage.”

Not long after her headlining turn at the conference, calls started pouring in from local media, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and NBC-10, as well as coverage from such far-flung outlets as De Telegraaf in the Netherlands and a German news website. As exciting as all the attention has been, Galm says the real payoff was the experience of leaving the classroom and applying Dr. Jiang’s lessons to the outside world. “I’m a hands-on, visual person,” she says. “Learning real-life applications, interacting with the people in the study and the customers—there’s a lot you can take away from it, rather than just reading literature. Dr. Jiang is

his fall, teaching, not research, will be the focus of Jennifer Mitchell’s mentorship with a group of seniors from Furness High School in South Philadelphia. Mitchell ’12, an elementary education/special education major, and three other student volunteers from the School of Education will teach their own lesson plans to the Furness students, all of whom intend to pursue education as a career. Those high schoolers will then become teachers themselves, when they apply the lesson plans to a room full of kids at a local grade school. Dr. Patricia Duncan, who oversees the program, says its impact goes far beyond her Holy Family students. “It benefits everybody,” she says. “My students get the practice, the high school students get experience, and the

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“My students get the practice, the high school students get experience, and the elementary school kids are learning.” elementary school kids are learning.”

Mitchell and her fellow volunteers have already toured Furness and spoken with faculty and staff about the school’s challenges and goals.

Even though Mitchell loves working with young children, she’s excited about the chance to interact with high schoolers, especially in an urban setting. “It gives me more exposure to different types of students and different backgrounds,” she says.

“I thought if I can help motivate students to become teachers, that will be really rewarding.”

Rewarding—that’s a word comes up often, whether you’re speaking with one of the faculty advisors overseeing these field research and career development programs or with the enterprising students who find that they’re not only learning about their fields in exciting new ways but are also making an impact far beyond the edge of Holy Family’s campus. Although Galm has graduated—and moved on from slinging crab fries to a sales job with financial firm Raymond James & Associates—she’s still in contact with Dr. Jiang and hopes to publish the results of her hair-color experiment. There’s only one thing she’s eager to leave behind. “I’m in the process of getting my hair color changed back,” Galm says with a chuckle. “I liked the highlights. But I’m going to stick with my natural color.”

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

Dr. Patricia Duncan and Jennifer Mitchell ’12

fall 2011

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Given Credit

Where Credit Is Due

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Thanks to the dedication of its faculty, students, and friends, the School of Business Administration gained its initial accreditation this year, adding to its prestige among business schools throughout the Philadelphia region. By Jen A. Miller magazine @ holyfamily.edu

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“ The accreditation now verifies to all, from prospective students to potential

employers, the one thing that students within the School of Business have known all along: Holy Family has a top-notch business program. ”

—Ryan Simon ’11,

Chair of the School of Business Administration Student Advisory Council

H

oly Family University’s School of Business (SBA) took a major step forward this year, as the SBA became an accredited business school, earning its designation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

“Accreditation is extremely important to us, both internally within the University and externally as well,” says Jan Duggar, Dean of the SBA. “Accreditation provides assurance of quality of the business programs to our colleagues internally, and externally to the business community hiring our graduates, to our students, and to their parents. It assures all stakeholders that the business programs meet ACBSP’s global quality standards.”

Remarkably, the SBA has shown results even in an

economic downturn. In 2009, for example, 100% of students coming out of its graduate and undergraduate programs found jobs within six months of getting their HFU diplomas.

But the SBA hasn’t always been as well known as Holy Family’s other academic areas of excellence. The accreditation and a major recent reorganization of the undergraduate programs is changing that.

“Accreditation sets the course for the future of the school,” says J. Barry Dickinson, Assistant Professor of Marketing. “It provides a comparison standard for prospective students to evaluate our business programs.”

It also reinforces the University’s approach to education as tied to the business world by combining the ethics and values of a Catholic education with an up-to-the-moment curriculum. Together with a talented and dedicated staff, the new SBA is ready to prepare all students for the current, shifting business world.

Reorganization & Accreditation

When Bernice Purcell was an undergraduate in the School of Business Administration, it wasn’t such a big program.

“In the early ’80s, there were only two programs: accounting and management marketing,” says Purcell, who graduated in 1985 and is now Chairperson of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems.

That arrangement worked when the program was new, but not as it expanded to include more academic disciplines.

In summer 2010, the SBA was granted formal candidacy status by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The SBA faculty worked in six committees to ensure compliance with each of the six Accreditation Standards. The school submitted its formal application to ACBSP in January 2011; it was approved in June.

Left: Dr. Jan Duggar, Dean of the School

of Business Administration

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“The accreditation is important because it indicates that an outside authority has certified our program,” said Purcell.

Accreditation adds another immediate value to students. “Many employers, such as Lockheed Martin with one of its branches right next to our Newtown site, will not reimburse employees’ tuition for business degrees unless employees are attending schools with aforementioned accreditations,” says Cao Jiang, Assistant Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance. That is no longer an issue for working HFU students.

Part of the road to accreditation involved reorganization. The SBA now has programs organized into two departments: Accounting, Economics and Finance as one, and Marketing Management and Computer Management Information System (CMIS) as the other.

This reorganization was done not only in order to achieve accreditation but also to strengthen the programs for the faculty and students.

“The shared responsibilities are clearly defined. Each department is going to have clear goals and targets,” says Jiang.

The reorganization also allowed Holy Family to look at the courses it was offering and shift toward educating students for what jobs need to be filled now.

“With the size of Holy Family, we’re able to adjust our courses as the industry calls for it,” adds Purcell. “We’re able to do this and give our students the most up-to-date curriculum possible.”

That includes a new curriculum in digital forensics.

Duggar, who came to the University three years ago and is

overseeing the transformation of the program, says the new curriculum is set up to meet the needs of both the government and corporations. Holy Family has also added courses in accounting forensics, entrepreneurship, healthcare information systems, financial statement analysis, treasury management, and corporate finance for executives.

The restructuring has also honed programs that are already strong within SBA, including undergraduate programs in finance, sports marketing management, and accounting and graduate programs in human resources management and information systems management.

The students certainly appreciate this effort. Recent graduate Lance Stoll ’11 is grateful for what he refers to as “the total package” from Holy Family. He notes, “I’ve not only put in hard work, effort, and time into my degree, but the Business School has done the same for me.”

Program restructuring has also included timeline restructuring. In September 2010, HFU added a three-year option that allows students to fit all 120 credits required for the degree into their schedule in three years. Instead of the usual 12 credits per semester, a student can take on 18. This saves students looking for a value-based education both time and money, especially if they are transferring in from another school.

The HFU Advantage

One thing not changing about the SBA is its focus on teaching students how to act morally within the business world, which has never been more important than right now, in a post-“bank bailout” business climate.

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“As a Catholic institution, we have strong emphasis on both ethics and leadership,” says Jiang.

“There’s more of a focus on the human element of business,” adds Dickinson, who came to Holy Family after working as an entrepreneur for 15 years. “We try to teach things like honesty, integrity, respect, and ethical behavior in business. Each of the courses has an ethical component built into the assessment,” he adds.

“Our students have a good moral foundation,” says Duggar. “What we really need to stress is how to use that strength to build alliances, to overcome ethical issues.”

The size of Holy Family also works to students’ advantage: First, it keeps the student-to-teacher ratio low, and second, it allows for individual attention.

“Because we have an ideal faculty-to-student ratio, we can pay close attention to students, and we have very strong academic advising for students from our faculty,” says Jiang.

“I have faculty who will set up review sessions and will work for hours with students to try and bring everyone along who needs assistance,” says Duggar. “That’s what takes the student who is worried about being a first-generation college student or someone who has immigrated and not sure they can do the work and really brings them out, and they become a really productive student as well as citizen. To see those students bloom, I think, is fantastic.”

Ryan Simon ’11 asserts that faculty dedication makes the School of Business exceptional: “The program is built upon the hard work and dedication of the professors within the program who not only pour their time into explaining textbook material but also enrich our education by sharing their wealth of professional expertise to provide us with a well-rounded education.”

Results

This teaching approach, combined with co-op and internship programs, works.

Ninety-eight percent of undergraduate students found this to be true and have landed jobs at places like ACME Markets, the American Insurance Agency, Constar, Bio Imaging Technologies, Beneficial Bank, Wells Fargo, and the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, 100% of finance graduates found a job six months after graduation from 2007 to 2009, according to Jiang.

Accreditation means that these phenomenal numbers are likely to continue. “As Holy Family becomes more prestigious within the academic community, my accounting degree becomes more powerful within the business community,” says John Cuorato ’11.

Forward Growth

Accreditation also presents a different image of the Holy Family student to the outside community, for both stu-

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Clockwise from top left: Dr. Cao Jiang, Assistant Professor

of Finance; Dr. Jan Duggar, SBA Dean; Dr. J. Barry Dickinson, Assistant Professor of Marketing; Bernice Purcell, Assistant Professor of Computer Management Information Systems; and Dr. Anthony DiPrimio, Professor of Business Administration, display the official ACBSP accreditation.

dents considering the program and potential employers.

“The bottom line is that the quality of education is higher, the student experience enhanced, and the professionalism of the school codified,” said Dickinson.

Cuorato concurs that his education has benefited from the Holy Family SBA experience: “I feel like I completed a four-year program that has taught me a complete picture of the business world, not just the narrow area of accounting that is spelled out on my degree.”

Holy Family’s goal, says Duggar, is to double undergraduate enrollment from 250 SBA students to 500 within five years. This is in alignment with the SBA’s plan to raise a new business school building once funds are secured.

Duggar and his colleagues envision a facility that will be a center for business and professional development. The SBA faculty anticipate that this center would have an auditorium to accommodate speakers and special events, dedicated labs to serve the needs of the School as well as the programs in information systems and digital forensics, a financial trade lab for business students, and both traditional and tiered classrooms.

Their vision stretches beyond a physical building and, in fact, beyond the physical confines of campus. Duggar also wants to have more Holy Family students studying abroad so they can see first-hand the globalization of business.

“We did this to facilitate future growth and development,” said Duggar of the recent changes. “The new emphasis is on having organizational structure, gaining accreditation, and having policies in place that will help our growth and development in future years.”

holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

A good plan produces good results.

I learned the benefits of a good plan as a student at Holy Family and during a lengthy career in government.

Of course, the best of all good plans is God’s plan.

Holy Family was in God’s plan for me. This special learning community—drawing inspiration from the example and teaching of Jesus—helped prepare me for a life of personal accomplishment and service. So when I did my estate planning, I followed His example and included Holy Family in my plan.

When I no longer need what He has provided, those resources will help future generations of Holy Family students. Just as others helped sustain His plan for me, my gift will help sustain His plan for others.

Holy Family University’s students need your help, too. A planned gift isn’t hard to arrange, and you can enjoy the use of your resources for as long as you need them. For details on how to support Holy Family’s students with a bequest, life insurance proceeds, or a gift annuity or charitable trust, call 267-341-3428 or send an email to rwetzel@holyfamily.edu.

Pamela Doyle-Penne ‘70

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In 2011, Holy Family University launched a program to bring English to a seminary in Vietnam. Made possible by funding from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and lessons and instruction from our Department of Education, the English language program is providing opportunity for intellectual and spiritual growth on a global level.

By Heather G. Dotchel

Photography by Dr. Roger Gee

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a Catholic university, Holy Family is called by its mission to nurture both the intellect and the spirit. In addition, the University is committed to deepening global, social, and historical awareness and reminds us that all peoples are connected and share responsibility for each other. This mission is interwoven into the classroom every day, and students are encouraged to find their voices, to advocate for social justice, and to make a difference.

This mission is lived not simply at the individual level, however. Our University is also called to provide an example of our mission at institutional, regional, national, and even global levels.

In early 2010, after being approached by a Vietnamese bishop, Congregation leadership for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth asked Holy Family University and President S. Francesca Onley, CSFN, to provide a program to teach the English language to the seminarians at St. Joseph, the largest seminary of six in Vietnam.

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In response, on December 12, 2010, Sister Francesca; Sister Julianna Tran, CSFN, a Vietnamese sister stationed in Texas who served as translator; and Associate Professor of Education Dr. Roger Gee met with Xuan Loc diocese Bishop Dominic Nguyen Chu Trinh, seminary rector Monsignor Dao, and seminary director Father John Do Van Ngan in Vietnam to discuss an English Language Program for a pilot group of 51 seminarians and three priests.

They agreed that the pilot group would receive 15 weeks of online instruction during the Spring 2011 semester and four weeks of face-to-face instruction at the seminary in Vietnam in July 2011. During this December gathering, Dr. Gee and Sister Julianna spent time interviewing the 51 seminarians and evaluating their proficiency in English in order to assign them to the appropriate level of instruction.

The program was funded in May when the Nazareth Family Foundation generously granted $30,000 for the new program, titled “Pathways into Vietnam: Educating Seminarians in the English Language.� This funding allowed the program to continue by providing the monies needed for texts, teachers, and travel.

Much of the motivation for this project comes from the desire to help the seminarians share Catholic teaching with more of Vietnam’s population. Vietnam has the second highest concentration of Catholics in Asia (8-10%), with about 5.6 million Catholics. Xuan Loc, where St. Joseph Seminary is located, is the largest Catholic diocese in Vietnam, with about one million Catholics, and is about

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80 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City. Many of the texts that the seminarians need to learn are written in English, not Vietnamese; therefore, proficiency in the English language is crucial to their ability to spread the Word of Christ.

Additionally, English is a valued commodity in Vietnam.

Educated seminarians benefit the country at large, and so the government allows the exchange to happen.

“It is an exciting opportunity,” said Dr. Leonard Soroka, Dean of the School of Education. “How often does a University have a chance to provide a skill that will influence an entire country? This is not an opportunity to be taken lightly, the chance to bring English to the seminary and to Vietnam.”

entrance. On the sides surrounding the church, a complex of matching buildings provides classrooms, offices, kitchens, and living quarters for the seminarians, pre-seminarians, priests, and bishop. It also was home to two Holy Family University students for the month of July 2011.

Holy Family graduate students Ying Chhann and Manju

The Roman Catholic Church and the physical church building are both central to St. Joseph Seminary. Built in 2009, the stunning religious complex reaches out from the central hub of the church. In front are gardens suitable for meditation and relaxation, and visitors are greeted by rows of religious statues as they approach the

Manju Jacob (left) and Ying Chhann (above) instruct seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary in Xuan Loc, Vietnam. Classes met daily to work on their English writing, listening, and speaking skills.

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

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Left: Bishop Dominic Nguyen Chu Trinh,

Sister Julianna Tran, Monsignor Dao, and Sister Francesca Onley, at St. Joseph Seminary in December 2010.

listen to audio clips, view video instruction, and submit completed assignments. Oral communication was the focus of these lessons, but Father Mark Hunt, Associate Professor in Religion at Holy Family, also developed eight writing prompts grounded in theology for the students to explore in their new language.

When Dr. Gee, Chhann, and Jacob travelled to the seminary in July, they brought 50 textbooks that coordinated with the online text used this past spring. These resources will further the program’s goal to get the seminarians proficient in basic conversational English.

While many of the seminarians already had college degrees and a few some previous English instruction, a challenge that the program faced was the difference in teaching styles—East and West. The seminarians were used to large lecture halls and individual work.

The nature of the new program called for small group work, with only 12 to 15 students per group. This led not only to lessons in English but also to lessons in learning.

Jacob used the skills they have developed in the Masters of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Literacy program to reach their students and teach them English. Their class, however, was unique for the program. They were the first students to travel to southeastern Vietnam as part of their master’s program, and they taught seminarians, not lay students.

Chhann and Jacob instructed classes for four hours on three days a week and five hours on the other two days.

Chhann taught writing for all classes, and Jacob taught listening and speaking. They became involved in the program when they were asked by Associate Professor of Education Roger Gee, PhD, Holy Family’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Certification Specialist.

“We selected outstanding students and teachers who were open to experiencing a new culture,” said Dr. Gee. “He approached us one day, asking us if we would be interested in being a part of developing this program.

We both were interested since our graduate work is in TESOL,” said Jacob.

In the spring semester, the seminarians received lessons via BlackBoard, a technology used throughout Holy Family’s traditional campus, where they could

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Chhann and Jacob describe their students as hard-working, motivated, humble, and welcoming.

One student, Nguyen Kinh Quoc, invited them to his family home where the women fished and picked rambutans (a fruit closely related to the lychee). Another student, Tran Cao Coung, drove Chhann and Jacob when they needed to travel outside of the seminary.

They were also impressed with the dedication the students had to learning English. Student Tran Van Vinh asked for advice on ways to improve his writing skills beyond the classroom, and Tran Cao Coung spent time outside of the classroom conversing with Chhann and Jacob in order to improve his oral communication.

“We were able to spend time getting to know the students outside of the classroom. It was nice to see how the people and the students lived their lives in Vietnam,” stated Jacob.

The program is evolving as the needs of the seminarians are better identified and the goals of the program are more clearly focused. Currently, the plan is to develop a multiyear program with three outcomes. The first outcome, Level One, is to carry on daily conversations using social language. The second outcome, Level Two, is to read short texts and write short essays using basic academic

language. The third outcome, Level Three, is to read longer academic texts and write longer academic essays using advanced academic language. These outcomes could be spread over five years, covering beginning conversation, basic reading and writing, intermediate conversation, intermediate reading and writing, and finally advanced reading and writing. “I hope that we can develop a multi-level, sustainable program with defined outcomes that we can assess,” said Dr. Gee. The program is very popular. Already, the initial numbers of 50 seminarians per class is being increased to 75 due to demand. This fall, Chhann and Jacob, along with fellow graduate students Concetta Quinn and Victoria Smith, will continue to teach the pilot group of seminarians through the established Blackboard technology as well as a new group of seminarians who will be selected to begin the program. All facets of fluency—listening, speaking, reading, writing—will continue to be addressed. “This kind of instruction provides invaluable hands-on experiences with Computer Assisted Language Learning, working with adult learners,

and cultural enrichment,” stated Dr. Gee. “I hope that we can provide the seminarians with the English language proficiency that they will need at the seminary and later as priests—it’s a very rewarding experience working with them,” he added.

Monsignor Dao visited campus in August to discuss the future of the program and to explore funding options that will guarantee its sustainability. The seminary is pleased with the program and definitely would like to continue with it for the next four years, if possible.

Holy Family University plans on doing all that it can to grant this wish. The opportunity to make an impact globally is a welcome one. “We had the right ingredients—the confluence of world contacts, the CSFN Sisters, and the academic ability to take on this mission,” said Dean Soroka.

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1000words

A visual slice of life at Holy Family

Bouncing on Sunshine All work and no play make students dull boys and girls. Part of the well-rounded University experience is that of fun and leisure. Student Services works hard throughout the year to provide opportunities to break from studies, relax, and, yes, goof off. From blacklight paintball and inflatable bounce houses to waffles and ice cream with the Sisters and pizza with Father Mac, Holy Family University students know how to give their all in study and in recreation.

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Holy Family’s new men’s basketball coach, R.C. Kehoe, brings an insider’s perspective to the Tigers. A Philly boy, former Division II basketball player, and area coach, Kehoe plans to exploit the three-point line to lead the team forward.

By Steve Lienert Photography by Michael Branscom

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

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to know just how special it is to be a head basketball coach in or around the City of Philadelphia, it’s Robert Charles “R.C.” Kehoe.

So when the opportunity emerged for him to return to his hometown, Kehoe leapt at the chance to coach at Holy Family University.

Coaching is in Kehoe’s blood.

Kehoe’s father, Tom, was an assistant coach at Bishop Egan High School in Norristown under then-head coach Phil Martelli, who is currently the head man at St. Joseph’s University.

Martelli also just so happens to be R.C.’s uncle. After Martelli left to coach at St. Joe’s, Tom Kehoe took over at Egan before moving on to be a very successful head coach at Lansdale Catholic. According to R.C. Kehoe, he wouldn’t be a head coach without that influence in his life.

“I would have labeled him as a coach at a very young age,” Martelli said. “Ten years old wouldn’t have been soon enough. He had the leadership ability and the charisma.

And he’s been around basketball since he was a little kid, like four or five years old.”

“They were the driving force,” R.C. Kehoe said. “Watching them run programs, whether it be high school or college, I took from them the fundamentals and the respect for the game they still feel and teach. They instilled that in me, were always there for me, and pushed me along the way.

They helped me to understand better how to teach the game and how to deal with people. That was really what put me in position today to be a head coach.”

Save for a few years living in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Kehoe spent much of his youth growing up in Upper Darby. He played point guard on the varsity team from 1992-1996 at Roman Catholic High School, where his teams won three Catholic League championships and never finished lower than the rank of 15th nationally.

He moved on to play point guard

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at a couple of colleges around Philadelphia, most notably East Stroudsburg University, where he set the school’s all-time record for most three-pointers made in a season with 66. More impressively, he set that record in just 17 games, after having to sit out part of the season because he transferred in the middle of the year.

After college, Kehoe spent four seasons working his way through the coaching ranks before settling in at the University of Delaware for

the past five years. And then the timing became a factor. Holy Family University needed a men’s basketball coach, and Kehoe was ready for something new.

“Timing is everything,” Kehoe said. “And the timing of me pursuing the job and the timing of (Athletic Director) Sandy Michael to open the door and let me in, I think everything worked together at the right time and I think they saw the person they want to run their basketball program.”

Martelli was impressed by Kehoe’s

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“thoroughness” in pursuit of the job at Holy Family. “He knew everybody he had to touch in the process,” Martelli said. “He studied the University’s program and mission.

He made a commitment to that mission and sought to understand exactly what they are trying to accomplish as a school, not just an athletic department or a team.”

As an assistant coach, Kehoe watched, coached, and scouted an inordinate number of games.

Through all of it, one thing always stood out: it’s tough to stop teams that can flat-out shoot the ball.

Now he has the chance to implement his theory. The three-pointer is something fans at Holy Family better get used to seeing.

“No question it will be a huge part of what we do,” Kehoe said. “One of my big things is if you can’t do anything else on the court, you’ve got to be able to make shots. And for me, when I say making shots, I mean

shots from behind the arc.”

“They put it there for a reason; it’s worth more points for a reason; and when you can shoot the ball from beyond the arc at a high clip, it puts a whole lot of pressure on the other team.”

The next part of Kehoe’s plan involves attacking the fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia’s Catholic League. The grass-roots relationships he’s established in the city as a recruiter at Delaware will serve him well now that he’s running his own program. He wants his players to not only be good basketball players, but he wants them to also be leaders on and off the court and in and out of the classroom as well.

He also plans to reach out to alumni, especially former players who dressed in the same locker room and walked the same halls as the current players.

“I need their experience,” Kehoe said. “I need that knowledge. I am go-

ing to lean on them as much as I can and as often as I can for their input.”

During the interview process, Kehoe was asked, “Why would you be the right person for Holy Family?”

Kehoe responded simply by saying, “I am Holy Family.”

“I’m a Catholic boy who grew up in Philadelphia’s Catholic League.

I played Division II basketball.

I’ve coached Division II basketball.

And when I look for players, I’m going to look for guys that are like R.C. Kehoe.”

“I’m going to enjoy being a college basketball coach in the City of Philadelphia,” Kehoe said. “People don’t know how much that means. I don’t care if it’s Division I, II, or III. To be a head coach in the City of Philadelphia is a big deal. I can’t wait to begin the process of putting my stamp on a college basketball program in this city.

For it to be a Catholic university with my Catholic background, that’s a little bit more incentive and also a bonus.”

Find me on facebook!

Have you found the Tiger yet?

If not, like Holy Family on Facebook and participate in the weekly “Where’s the Tiger Wednesday” contest. www.facebook.com/ HolyFamilyUniversity

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FALL 2011

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tigertales

Reports from the court, track, and field

Women’s Track Relay Takes 2nd at Prestigious Penn Relays

E

xpectations were high, particularly for the women’s team, as the Holy Family track and field teams took to the track this past season.

Prior to the start of the 2010-11 campaign, head coach Daryl McKeever believed the elements for a successful year were in place with the leadership of senior June Cain and junior Latifah Porter. Add in the combination of talented incoming freshmen and the Tigers were on the right path to a magical season.

During the indoor season, Holy Family established itself as a competitive force in the 4x400 meter relay. The Tigers began the indoor season with three straight first-place finishes and, at one point, were ranked eighth nationally in Division II. Holy Family recorded a seasonbest time of 3:58.50 at the Princeton Invitational back in February, just missing provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship by 1.50 seconds (3:57.00).

Fast-forward to the outdoor season.

The 4x400 meter relay team of freshmen Delainey Price and Dominique Thomas as well as veterans Cain and Porter were a deadly combination.

The quartet picked up a first-place finish at the University of Delaware Outdoor Open with a winning time of 3:56.93. The Tigers finished ahead of Division I Delaware (3:58.00) and Towson University (4:01.21).

At the time, the Tigers’ winning time was their best of the outdoor season and good enough for second-best in the East Region.

After another first-place showing at the Collegiate Track Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Holy Family was set to make history as the Tigers officially entered to compete at the prestigious Penn Relays hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.

Not only would Holy Family compete in three different events

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at the Penn Relays, they would also be making history. The foursome of Cain, Porter, Price, and Thomas were set to be the first-ever women’s team from Holy Family to compete at one of the nation’s top track and field events.

“It is at a magnitude that is hard to understand,” said McKeever. “The Penn Relays are the most significant

The race lasted less than four minutes. Holy Family set a new season-best time of 3:56.84 but fell short of a first-place showing.

The Tigers finished second overall behind the University of New Haven, which finished with a winning time of 3:53.78.

“A brief moment of disappointment. Very brief,” said McKeever of

L-R: Price ’14, Thomas ’14, Head Coach Daryl McKeever, Porter ’12, Cain ’11

track event, perhaps, in the country.

Being able to have a good showing at Penn can even outweigh qualifying for the Nationals.”

“My mindset was to stay focused and to work harder than I did the previous day of practice,” said Price.

Cain also had a competitive mindset, as her goal was to “think positive and get out fast for the first part of the race.”

The same couldn’t be said for their coach, who is usually very calm prior to competitions.

“Prior to the race, I was nervous and anxious,” said McKeever. “Those are emotions that I never felt before an event. I’m usually very calm.

Everything that we had worked for was being put on the line at that moment. We weren’t allowed to make any mistakes.”

his reaction after the race. “We had hoped to win it, but the anchor leg [Shannon Gagne] from New Haven did an exceptional job. Afterwards, I was very satisfied and proud of what our women had accomplished.”

As the team headed off the track after the race, people stopped to speak with them and congratulate them.

McKeever continued, “It made me feel good that they received that attention from the public on that evening. They deserved it.”

“Penn Relays put Holy Family’s track program on the map even more,” said Cain. “We were acknowledged the whole year, but this was the icing on the cake. I’m leaving the track team in high spirits because I know [the team] is only going to get better and run faster this coming year.” —Greg Pellegrino

holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

winter/spring Sports Roundup Men’s Basketball

Holy Family finished the season 6-21 overall and 4-13 in conference play.

The six victories doubled the team’s win total from a year ago. Junior Tim Smith was named to the All-CACC third team after compiling a stellar season in his first year with Holy Family. Smith finished the year as the team leader in scoring (17.2 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), and assists (5.6 apg). He also recorded nine double-doubles and one triple-double this season. R. C. Kehoe was named as the new head men’s basketball coach (see feature on p. 32). A Philadelphia native, Kehoe joins the Tigers with nearly a decade of collegiate coaching experience. He spent the last five years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I level with the University of Delaware.

Tim Smith ’12

Women’s Basketball

Holy Family finished the season with a 24-5 overall record and was 18-1 in conference play. The Tigers claimed their fourth straight CACC South Division Regular Season Title and 11th title overall. Holy Family

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

Catherine Carr ’11

advanced to the CACC Championship final and also earned its eighth straight NCAA Division II Tournament bid. The Tigers earned the second seed in the East Regional and advanced to the regional semifinals for the sixth consecutive year.

Senior Catherine Carr was named to the NCAA Division II State Farm Coaches’ All-American Team, the first player in program history to be selected to the 10-member team.

Carr, junior Lauren Peters, and sophomore Erin Mann were all named to the CACC All-Conference Team.

Men’s Track & Field

Sophomore John Hill took home a fourth-place finish at the CTC Indoor Championship in the 800-meter run,

with a time of 2:00.45, to record a personal-best for the season. In the outdoor season, Hill opened the year with a first-place finish at the Golden Ram Collegiate Invitational in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event, with a season-best time of 9:59.10. Hill also finished fourth at the CTC Outdoor Championship. In the outdoor season, senior Fred Tuwei finished second overall in the 800-meter run at the CTC Outdoor Championship with a time of 1:59.66. The 4x800 relay team of Hill, Tuwei, sophomore Robert Landgraf, and freshman Alex McBain finished second overall at the CTC Outdoor Championship, with a time of 8:16.01. They also participated in the Penn Relays, placing sixth overall in the Collegiate Track Conference.

Women’s Track & Field During the indoor season, the 4x400 relay team of senior June Cain and freshmen Diamond McCoy, Delainey Price, and Dominique Thomas set a new meet record after finishing first at the Haverford College Indoor Holiday Meet, with a time of 4:03.52, breaking the previous standard of 4:29.63. At the same meet, freshman Leeann Still won the shot put event with a season-best distance of 36’ 2” (11.02m). Price won the 500-meter dash at the Collegiate Track Conference Indoor Championships, with a season-best time of 1:19.86. During the Collegiate Conference Outdoor Championships, Holy Family had a great showing as Thomas won the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.31 seconds. Teammate Cain followed closely for a second-place finish in a time of 1:00.90. The 4x400 relay time recorded a first-place finish with a winning time of 4:02.32. The quartet of Cain, Price, Thomas, and junior Latifah Porter finished second

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tigertales

Reports from the court, track, and field

winter/spring Sports Roundup overall at the prestigious Penn Relays.

The team recorded an outdoor season-best time of 3:56.84. This marked the first time that Holy Family had a women’s team compete at the Penn Relays (see feature on p. 36).

leading scorer with 152 goals and 172 points after concluding the season with the most points (79) and goals scored (69), setting new single-season records.

Division II Tournament appearance after receiving an at-large bid. The Tigers earned the seventh seed in the NCAA Division II East Regional. This year’s appearance marked the fourth

Women’s Lacrosse

Holy Family finished the season with a 7-10 overall record and was 6-6 in conference play to earn the third seed in the CACC Tournament. The Tigers advanced to the semifinals for the second straight season. Senior Jennifer James and junior Melissa Jenkins were named to the CACC All-Conference Team first team, while sophomore Jessica Maloney and freshman Marissa Lawson received second-team accolades. Junior Gina Mansi recorded her 100th career goal in the April 7 victory at home against Wilmington University. James also recorded her 100th career goal this season and finished her career as the program’s all-time

Danielle McDevitt ’13

Softball

The softball team finished the 2011 season with a 13-29 overall record and a 10-16 mark in the CACC. Sophomore Danielle McDevitt finished the year tops in the conference with a .458 average and 10th among the Division II leaders.

McDevitt received the following postseason awards: the Capital One Academic All-District third team; Daktronics Inc., All-East Region first team; and the Daktronics Inc., All-America third team. Junior Cassandra Fitzgerald-Black became the team’s all-time leader in home runs after launching two homers in the final regular season doubleheader against Chestnut Hill.

Women’s Tennis Jennifer James ’11

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Holy Family resumed play in the spring as the Tigers improved to 11-7 overall. Holy Family made its second consecutive NCAA

time in program history that Holy Family has advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The team previously advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, 2008, and 2010.

Men’s Golf

The men’s golf team finished ninth overall at this year’s CACC Championship, which was held at the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.

Sophomore Robert Moratti led Holy Family with a low-team score of 166 after the two-day CACC Championship. Sophomore Daniel Costello finished 29th overall after recording a two-day total of 167 (78-89). Freshman Matt Farrell recorded a seasonlow score of 159 to close out the fall portion of the team’s schedule at the Wilmington University Fall Classic.

At the annual Goldey-Beacom College Spring Invite, Costello finished 16th overall after recording a spring season low score of 161.

—Greg Pellegrino

holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

We’ve Got You

Covered

with Attractive Rates for Alumni

The Alumni Association is pleased to sponsor an insurance program as a service to alumni and other members of our community.

The program offers a variety of attractively priced insurance products, most of which are available to alumni • students • faculty and staff as well as spouses, parents, children, and siblings Health Insurance For those with a temporary or permanent need for coverage, such as the unemployed, self-employed, and recent graduates.

Annuities An ideal tax-deferred vehicle for conservative investors who want guaranteed fixed interest rates for extended periods.

Life Insurance Long-term protection with great rates and fantastic features. Coverage is available to $50 million.

Special Event Insurance Liability coverage up to $2 million is available for events lasting from a few hours to as much as 10 days.

Long Term Care Insurance Intended to protect assets from serious erosion, while allowing access to quality care in the most appropriate and desirable setting.

Pet insurance Simple, customizable dog and cat insurance plans are available.

Travel Insurance Travel medical or trip protection insurance options are available for individuals or groups traveling abroad.

advisory services A licensed insurance professional is available, at no charge, to answer questions and provide customized guidance.

For more information, visit meyerandassoc.com/ma/hfu or contact our program administrator, Meyer and Associates, at 800-635-7801.

Revenue generated by this program supports the Holy Family University Alumni Association.

familyreunion

News for the alumni community

Class Notes

What you do is news to your fellow alumni and your alma mater! Tell us if you have moved, changed your phone number, updated your e-mail address, become engaged, gotten married, had or adopted a baby, reunited with a group of classmates, received an award or promotion, or changed jobs—or if you just want to say “hello!” Please forward details to the Office of Alumni & Parents, Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114-2009. You can also fax your information to (215) 637-2110, e-mail us at alumni@holyfamily.edu, or share your news through our Alumni Community at alumni.holyfamily.edu (you must be registered to access the site).

70s

Suzanne Rodgers ’76 is currently the Capital Procurement Manager at GlaxoSmithKline, covering all of GSK’s North American sites; she has been with the company 29 years. Suzanne and her husband, Anthony Porrazza, celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary in June and have two daughters —Ciara and Taryn.

80s

Loretta Ziegler Newsom ’83, a school nurse at the Alfred G. Waters Middle School in the Appoquinimink School District,

received the Delaware School Nurse of the Year award on May 11, National School Nurse Day (see extended information in Briefly Noted).

Neva White ’85 received the TRIADE Recognition Award in November 2010, given for years of dedication to improving the health of people with diabetes education in the Philadelphia community. Neva is Regional Director for the TJUH Community Health Department.

She was the 2005 recipient of the Holy Family University Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award.

90s

Linda Rowan ’92 has worked as the Librarian at Grey Nun Academy

for fourteen years. In April, the Grey Nun Social Studies teacher, Patrice Dias, and Linda were co-presenters at the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association conference.

The topic was The Landmark Game: Connecting Information Literacy and Social Studies.

Roger Fallon ’97 left Rita’s Water Ice, in January of 2010, to accept a position at Chickie’s and Pete’s as the Chief Operating Officer.

Chickie’s and Pete’s is a well known Philadelphia-area sports bar and restaurant chain. Roger was featured in the Fall 2009 Holy Family University Magazine, in an article titled “King of Cool,” about Roger’s 13-year career with Rita’s Water Ice. Linda Moresi Salandrea ’98 wrote a number of poems that were

Denise McNulty ’86 received a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in May 2010 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She conducted research on the empowerment of nurses, presented the findings at several statewide conferences in Florida, and will be presenting at several National and International Conferences in the Fall. She has been appointed as the new Associate Director of the RN to BSN Program and Interim Director of Nursing for Edison State College in Florida and is responsible for the District School of Nursing, located in Fort Myers, Naples, and Port Charlotte. Denise maintains a private practice where she provides therapy to individuals, couples, and families. Her clinical specialty is women’s health, psychiatric, and addictions nursing. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Florida Nurses Association Collier County Chapter and Chair of the Future of Nursing Task Force—Southwest Florida Region.

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holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

published and recorded in the Congressional Library in Washington, DC. Veronica Mychack Clark ’99 and her husband, Tim, are proud to announce the birth of their

twin daughters, Helena Marie and Katherine Rose (above). The twins were born on February 17, 2011. Although they were three weeks early, they tipped the scales at 7 lbs, 15 ozs and 8 lbs, 10 ozs.

Beth Ann Whalen Garofola ’99 and Mike Garofola ’97 are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Luke David. Luke was born on March 22, 2011, at 2:09 pm. He weighed 8 pounds and was 20 inches long. Luke joins big sisters Grace (5), Ellie (4), and Katie (1). See photo below.

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

00s

Joseph R. Papeika ’01/M’04 is the Program Specialist for Curriculum and Instruction for the Upper Moreland School district.

Prior to this, he was a Curriculum Coordinator and social studies teacher at North Penn School District.

Angela CardamoneFurtak ’02/M’06 was married on November 19, 2010, to a Philadelphia Police Officer, Andrew Furtak. Their daughter, Angelina Rose Furtak, was born on July 30, 2010.

She weighed 7 lbs and was 21 inches long. Angela is a high school mathematics teacher at Council Rock High School–North and absolutely loves her career.

Christine Mundell ’03/M’10 was

In Memoriam Sister M. Clarence Cieplowski, CSFN, died on 10/13/10.

Catherine T. Mitchell ’63 died on 12/18/2010.

Sister Winifred Marie Cook, CSFN, ’69 died on 10/28/10.

Patricia Ghidro Varacallo ’73 died on 4/18/11.

Joan Byrne Topper ’76 died on 9/20/2010.

Patricia A. Friend ’87 died on 10/22/2010.

Janine N. Giuliano ’88 died on 5/14/2011.

Jenna M. McGuigan ’10 died on 6/1/2011. married on July 23 to Tyler Clydesdale. Christine teaches fourth grade at Immanuel Lutheran School.

Pamela Gallagher ’05/M’08 and Adrienne O’Connor ’11, mother and daughter (to left), attended the Division of Extended Learning’s 2011 Annual Awards Ceremony.

Adrienne was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society.

Adrienne’s mother, Pam, was there to support her daughter and is also a graduate of the undergraduate accelerated business administration program as well as the accelerated MBA program at Holy Family University.

Maxcine Borden-Hendricks M’07 was sworn in on July 11 as a school board member by the Board of Education of Burlington City, NJ. Maxcine, who received her MBA from Holy Family, is now pursuing a doctorate in business at Wilmington University.

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familyreunion

News for the alumni community

Alumni Core Value Spotlight:

Service and Responsibility and Steve Wszolek ’92 Steven J. Wszolek ’92 is a Staff Sergeant in the Army

National Guard who was featured in the “Last Word” section of Holy Family Magazine in 2008. He served his country during the Kosovo conflict, assisted with the recovery of the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina, and was recently sent on a special assignment with the police in Alabama following the devastating natural disasters that hit the South in the spring of 2011.

Within a week of arriving, Wszolek was deputized as an Official Southern Sheriff’s Deputy of Alabama. In May, he kept us updated as to his work via email. We are proud of his service and commitment to others.

Steve and destroyed house

“Tonight, I went on a tour of local schools.

They both look like this. The roof is gone… missing people from this town were found in the next town over… a check from one of the residents here was found in a prison yard 95 miles away!”

“It will still take years before this place even looks somewhat back to normal. Entire neighborhoods are gone.”

“This is by far the worst spot. There were several cars here that we couldn’t tell if it was a truck or a car.”

“The town I am in is wiped out… The school here was ‘blown away’ as well as the wrangler jean plant ( jobs), the police station, and every other big building.”

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holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

Photographs courtesy of Steve Wszolek

“Photos of downtown (what’s left) and the church… I also saw a truck with a pine tree that was launched right through it like a projectile… The school, the police station, and the church are destroyed.”

Haunted Holy Family Sister Patrice Feher has been integral to Holy Family for over 40 years, serving as Dean of Students and currently as Assistant Vice President of Student Services. She is an inexhaustible font of University knowledge, and we thought you might enjoy her remembrances.

D

o you recognize the house pictured here? Is it at least a little familiar? At one time, there was a little house where the Campus Center now stands. It belonged to a man who was quite well known in political circles.

However, what was once a campaign stop for some of the country’s notable politicians became a haunted house for the students of Holy Family College. Who among you remembers Father Dennis Mattern and his relationship to this house? If you were on campus, you must surely remember; if you were not, let me introduce you.

Father Dennis Mattern was our first Campus Minister.

He spent, if not all, then at least most of his time with the students. He learned that the United Nations had designated 1979 as “The Year of the Child,” and he felt that he had to organize the students to celebrate the Child in a positive way. He deemed it appropriate to haunt the house pictured below to raise funds for UNICEF. He approached Sister Lillian (the College President) who gave him permission to haunt the house with the student volunteers.

For just $1.00 a tour, Dracula escorted you into the building through all the interesting sights and turned you over to another Dracula to ensure your safety on the way out.

They scared the daylights out of you. Father and the participants were amazed at the response from the students, staff, and neighborhood. The “haunters” were all students who Father recruited on his many trips through the “Canteen,” Holy Family Hall’s lowest level. No student could resist his request for help. (I think he was frightened at half of the costumes, himself.) The first year was so successful that he repeated the activity the following year.

Please take a good look to the right, and if you can, please tell me who was the “haunter “ guarding the front door. Also, certainly someone must recognize the glamorous witch featured on this page.

Do you remember some of the scenes conjured up by our haunters? I remember one of a “dead” man rising up from his coffin. I also remember a bodyless head (belonging to a student) coming through a table and resting gently on top. It can never be said that our students in those days were not creative.

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

Before we could repeat this a third time, the house was razed and the area reserved for a parking lot. Father Mattern, meanwhile, began to look for a wooded area around the college that he might turn in to an “Enchanted Forest.”

Sadly, our woods were not thick enough.

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memorylane

A nostalgic trip back in time

“Mr. Holy Family” The “Mr. Holy Family” contest originally ran from October 1983 through November 1991. In October 2006, it was resumed, at student request, as a “Mr. and Ms. Holy Family” contest to promote school spirit. The contest is open to all students; the first five men and first five women to volunteer are accepted and compete in fancy dress, interview, and talent. (If you are in this picture, we’d love to know; please email us at magazine@holyfamily.edu.)

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holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

Save The Date

19th Annual Holy Family University

Scholarship Ball

2012

Saturday, April 28, 2012

BENEFITING STUDENT FINANCIAL AID Sheraton Society Hill Hotel One Dock Street Philadelphia, PA For more information, please contact Lorraine Borisuk Assistant Project Manager 267.341.3377 or lborisuk@holyfamily.edu

givingback

Making a difference on campus

On the Scene

1

Scholarship Ball 2011 Holy Family University held its 18th annual Scholarship Ball benefiting student financial aid on May 5, 2011, at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel in Philadelphia’s historic district. Mary Stengel Austen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tierney, was honored with the 2011 Corporate Leadership Award for her career accomplishments as co-founder of the Tierney Group and her service to to numerous area Boards and committees.

The event raised more than $232,000 for student financial aid.

1) Sister Francesca Onley with 2010 Corporate Leadership Award recipient Walter D’Alessio.

2

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2) Members of the Purple Reign Band, which provided entertainment, try to entice Vice-President of Student Services Sister Marcella Binkowski to sing.

3) Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dennis Colgan converses with then member of the Board of Trustees Anne M. Gallagher.

4) Piotr Karol Kopinski ’11 dips his younger sister, Alicja.

5) 2011 Corporate Leadership Award honoree Mary Stengel Austen, her husband Peter, and three of their five children with Sister Francesca.

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6) H. G. “Buzz” Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights.

7) School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions Dean Christine Rosner dances with School of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Markowitz.

8) Pictured from left to right are Sister Francesca and Mary Stengel Austen with Scholarship Ball 2011 Chairpersons Robert E. and Joan E. Tepfer.

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holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

Preparing for Retirement, Preparing for Giving

I

n June, alumna Brenda NadijckaHiggins ’73 and husband Brian both retired from challenging, decades-long careers with the Federal government. Additionally, their son Mike graduated from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. To celebrate, all three travelled to London and to Normandy, where they walked the D-Day beaches. “We enjoyed our government work with talented people on a variety of national security issues, but now there are many other possibilities in our lives,” said Brian. “We can choose among home, family, and travel, plus entertainment, volunteering, and work opportunities here in the Washington, DC, area,” added Brenda.

No matter what they choose to do in retirement, their financial planning will help them accomplish their goals. Brenda, an economic analyst, and Brian, a civil engineer and Army officer, planned for retirement. Part of their plan involved gifts to their alma maters, Holy Family and Notre Dame.

Brenda and Brian met at Notre Dame, where Brenda received her PhD in

economics and Brian earned his doctorate in civil engineering (environmental health).

“Since Catholic education played such important role in our lives, we give annually to our alma maters, but we wanted to do more,” said Brian. “As we considered our income and expenses in estate planning, we decided to do something while we were still working, when a charitable tax deduction was of more benefit, and we could see the results.”

So late last year, Brenda and Brian created two gift annuities at Holy Family. By doing so, they obtained significant charitable tax deductions for their last year of full employment.

The annuities will provide them with deferred lifetime income, part of which will be tax-free. In addition, the residuals from their Holy Family annuities will fund the NadijckaHiggins Scholarship endowment, a permanent fund that will provide one or more scholarships annually to deserving Holy Family students.

As a result of the gift annuities and their other contributions to Holy Family, Brenda and Brian will be recognized as members of the University’s Founders’ Society at this fall’s Evening of Donor Appreciation.

Because the annuities are “planned gifts,” they are also now members of Holy Family’s Teneor Votis Society.

“The dates for the TVS Reception and the Evening of Donor Appreciation are on our calendar,” said Brenda.

“Brian and I look forward to attending these special events.” —Robert Wetzel

A Gift of Art

D

ennis Colgan, Chair of Holy Family’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Gerry Colgan, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in late August and marked that occasion with a very special gift.

The Colgans decided to underwrite the cost of the sculpture outside the Stevenson Lane Residence, Holy Family’s newest building, as an anniversary gift to each other and the University. The sculpture, which depicts Jesus teaching two college students, was designed for the new residence hall by Sister Margaret Beaudette, SC, of Bronx, New York. —Robert Wetzel

magazine @ holyfamily.edu

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lastword

Questions and answers with…

Rachel Derr/Noelle Redeemer Rachel Derr, MSN, RN, is an Instructor in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.

In the Spring of 2011, she started a Facebook page for the University’s birthing simulator.

“Noelle Redeemer” connected immediately with the students in Derr’s class. Holy Family University’s Manager of Online Communications, Bob Macartney, caught up with Rachel to discuss the results of using social networking as a teaching tool. ing those situations with real people in the clinical area, the students get to make learning decisions that do not impact someone’s life. It is an area to help the students apply the knowledge they are learning in a safe environment. The wonderful thing about Noelle is she actually delivers a baby. We have the fetal monitor; the students can see the fetal heart rate; see what’s going on with the mother; if she is having contractions, etc.

Is it hard to integrate the simulators into your lesson plan?

No. I was excited to do it. Noelle has pre-programmed situations, but the nice thing about her is I can create my own simulation and program her to do whatever I want depending on how the students respond to the program.

I can have her condition improve or deteriorate depending on the students’ reactions. Each simulation experience becomes unique to the student experiencing the simulation.

What was the impetus for you to create Noelle Redeemer’s Facebook account?

I attended a conference in March where they spoke briefly on social networking as the wave of the future. It gave me the idea to create a Facebook page for our birthing simulator. The undergraduate students are always on Facebook, and I thought it would be interesting to create a Facebook personality out of the simulator and have the students participate in discussion.

That’s how I came up with Noelle Redeemer.

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What was the students’ initial reaction to the Facebook page?

They became very excited and began to treat Noelle as not just a simulator, but as an actual friend. Students offered to take her to her pre-natal checkups and appointments and started offering advice and providing patient teaching, which is part of what nursing is about.

What advantages does the birthing simulator provide to our student nurses?

We can program the simulators to do specific things. Instead of encounter-

Do you have plans for the Facebook page for 2011?

I do. I didn’t start Noelle’s page until early April last year, so we did not get through the full course of the pregnancy on Facebook. My plan this fall is to start and go through the course of an entire pregnancy throughout the semester. My goal is for the students who were Noelle’s friends last semester to help the students who are taking the course this semester and, by doing so, help themselves by keeping that knowledge fresh in their minds as they move through the program.

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Learning by Doing

Given Credit Where Credit is Due

Melissa Galm ’11, Danielle Kohler Devine M’11, Matthew Hassey ’11, and Jennifer Mitchell ’12 are making an impact far beyond the University’s classrooms.

Thanks to a combination of their ingenuity and commitment to learning with expert mentoring from University professors, these students are gaining professional experience and, at times, a small dose of fame with their individual research and projects.

Thanks to the dedication of its faculty, students, and friends, the School of Business Administration gained its initial accreditation this year, adding to its prestige among business schools throughout the Philadelphia region.

Pathways into Vietnam In 2011, Holy Family University launched a program to bring English to a seminary in Vietnam. Made possible by funding from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and lessons and instruction from our Department of Education, the English language program is providing opportunity for intellectual and spiritual growth on a global level.

Shoot to Win Holy Family’s new men’s basketball coach, R.C. Kehoe, brings an insider’s perspective to the Tigers. A Philly boy, former Division II basketball player, and area coach, Kehoe plans to exploit the three-point line to lead the team forward.