Journal Spring 2020

SPRING 2020

The Life of an

Undecided

Student

International Alumni Out in the World

Slattery Center for Humanities Benefits and Embraces all Majors

Alumus Archbishop Leads Academy in Rome

Photo: Emily Kale ’22 The Royal Way , Winter 2019

SPRING 2020 • VOLUME 41, NUMBER 2

EDITOR

Laura Richards DESIGNERS

Vikki Lawhon Jason Thorne G’13

A Message

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

from the President

John Gatto Tom Salitsky Stan M. Zygmunt ’84, G’95 ASSOCIATE WRITERS

Maura Sullivan Hill Joshua McAuliffe Sandra J. Snyder ’93 ASSISTANT CLASS NOTES EDITOR

Margery Gleason PHOTOGRAPHY

Terry Connors Tim Dougherty Chad Sebring ’93 PRESIDENT

Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. H’15 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Gerald C. Zaboski ’87, G’95 VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Thomas MacKinnon DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Lori J. Nidoh ’80, G’89 DIRECTOR OF PRINTING & MAILING SERVICES

Valarie J. Clark The Scranton Journal is published by The University of Scranton for its alumni and friends.

Email: scrantonjournal@scranton.edu

External Affairs & Enrollment Management Office

Dear Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Parents & Friends, As we begin this new decade, I am thinking ahead to the next 10 years and beyond. Building upon our success from this past decade takes planning, hard work and an incredible team. I wake up every morning, thrilled by what we can accomplish, by what is being accomplished, at Scranton.

We continue the work of our Jesuit founders who believed in the power of a liberal arts education. As many colleges are focusing less on the humanities, we are working to improve access to the humanities for all our students.

In fact, we opened the Slattery Center for Humanities to ensure that students are well-equipped with a solid liberal arts foundation, which our founders dreamed of hundreds of years ago, and that our faculty has the space to collaborate, research and mentor. The profiles and features included in this issue reflect the importance of a well-rounded, Jesuit education.

We have you to thank for a successful decade as well, as you have helped shape this wonderful institution over the years. I hope that your plans and prayers include the University for decades to come.

God bless you, and God bless The University of Scranton.

The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4615 570.941.7900

Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement

The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4624 570.941.7660. Email: alumni@scranton.edu Website: scranton.edu/alumni If this issue is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a residence at your home, please tear off the mailing panel and mail it, with the corrected address, to the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement.

The University of Scranton is a Catholic, Jesuit educational institution serving men and women. © 2020 The University of Scranton

Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. President

contents 30

Features 22 ‘I Decided to be Undecided.’

At Scranton, students are encouraged to explore their interests before choosing a major, led by advising teams in the schools and experts in the career center.

26 Two Hometowns

The University’s international graduates change the world for the better,

30 Humanities in Action at home and abroad.

The Slattery Center for Humanities opens up a new avenue for the exchange of ideas on campus.

Online Journal There is more Scranton news than we can fit in this print edition! Look for icons throughout The Scranton Journal indicating more related content, including photographs, videos or expanded articles, on our website. Visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal to read the online version of the magazine, and visit scranton.edu/ journalextras to access our web exclusives.

PHOTOS

STORY

VIDEO

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

22

Humanities in Depth The executive director of the Slattery Center for Humanities is a screenwriter with local roots. Find out more about him, plus get more information about the Center’s plans, online.

Departments 4 On the Commons 12 Focus on Faculty

14

Alumni News

More Responsibility in Riyadh Jarman Alqahtani, MHA, ATP, a family medicine consultant and health care administrator, answers questions about how Scranton helped him innovate in Riyadh.

20 Athletics 32 Profiles 41 Class Notes Social Media Year in Review Cover: Pictured is Brooke Devers ’21, who “decided to be undecided” at Scranton. Read more on page 22 about how our undecided students are guided through their undergraduate years.

(Photo: Tom Salitsky)

See some of our followers’ favorite posts from last year, including this one of siblings on campus

On the Commons

Denis McDonough, senior principal at the Markle Foundation and chair of its Rework America Task Force, was the keynote speaker for the inaugural Humanities in Action Lecture. From left: Denis McDonough and University President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.

Responsibilities of an Education Discussed During the inaugural Humanities in Action Lecture, the former chief of staff to President Barack Obama reminded students of the value — and responsibility — that come with a four-year college degree. The lecture was sponsored by the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities.

The conversation with Denis McDonough, senior principal at the Markle Foundation and chair of its Rework America Task Force, was titled “From the White House to the Work Force.”

Because technology will, in the future, perform more and more tasks humans now perform, and only 34 percent of the U.S. workforce has a college degree, he urged students to care for the underserved, as their Jesuit education teaches them.

“Perhaps the most Ignatian of all,” he said, “is that you have the responsibility, outfitted and armed with the armor that this place gives you, to take care of this country, to take care of the world and to take care of the most vulnerable.”

McDonough, who served as White House chief of staff for President Obama from February 2013 to January 2017, also reminded students to vote, noting that only 23 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 2016 election.

“That’s a travesty,” he said. “The first responsibility you have as citizens of this great democracy is to vote.”

Read more about the Slattery Center for Humanities on page 30.

See video of this lecture and others on our YouTube channel.

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This fall, the University established The Sondra H’87 and Morey Myers H’12 Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in the Humanities and Civic Engagement, housed in the University’s Slattery Center for Humanities. The fellowship honors two highly regarded community leaders from the region, Sondra and Morey Myers, J.D. Through their generous support and tireless work, both have encouraged civic engagement and cultural excellence for the betterment of the University, the city of Scranton and the country.

The fellowship was formally launched Oct. 24 at a lecture

by Wayne Winborne, executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark. The launch event continued Oct. 25 with a Festival of Ideas, at which distinguished scholars and activists discussed the way in which law, humanities and civic engagement can address the crisis of democracy in the 21st century.

Tributes to the Myerses were presented by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and the Rev. William J. Byron, S.J, the 21st president of the University, among others. The fellowship will “help to enrich the community and elevate the type of serious thinking and reflection that Sondra and Morey constantly demonstrate,” Gov. Wolf said in a video tribute.

Sondra Myers serves as senior fellow for international, civic and cultural projects and director of the Schemel Forum at Scranton. Morey Myers is a practitioner in state and federal court in civil and criminal law.

Annual Conference Focuses on Autism In collaboration with the AllOne Foundation and Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence (ACCE), the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) and the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment presented “Exploring Autism Across the Spectrum: Building Inclusive Communities” at the University’s 18th Annual U.S. Conference on disAbility on Oct. 10 on campus.

On the Commons

Sondra and Morey Myers Fellowship Established

“The conference was abounding with excellent keynote speakers and presenters,” said Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of PCPS. “It provided opportunities to address key issues relevant to our mission by positively influencing the quality of life and wellness of individuals and families living with disabilities, especially autism.”

The speakers at the conference included: Patrick R. Progar, Ph.D., BCBA-D, vice president of behavioral services at The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health; autism advocates Deya Velasco and her son, Jose Velasco Jr.; Kerry Magro, Ph.D., an award-winning professional speaker and best-selling author; and Jeremy Sicile-Kira, an acclaimed intuitive artist. This year’s conference included a meet-andgreet reception with U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr. The conference also highlighted the continuing accomplishments of ACCE, which is part of a multi-year, multimillion-dollar regional initiative led by the AllOne Foundation to enhance the service delivery system for individuals with autism and their families living in 13 counties in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania.

Read more about the conference in the Q&A with Dean Pellegrino on page 10 of this magazine.

WE HEARD YOU! In the fall, we asked readers of The Scranton Journal to fill out a survey that would help us improve the magazine. We were thrilled to hear from hundreds of respondents, most of whom still prefer to get the magazine in print. In the past decade, we’ve conducted this survey several times, and your feedback has shown an upward trend in most categories, from content to design. But, we know, there is still room for improvement! In the coming issues, we will consider all feedback to make sure this magazine helps connect you to your alma mater.

To learn the results of the survey, hosted by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

We welcome your comments there, too!

S PRING 2020

5

On the Commons

Appointments and Retirements Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., was named vice president for Mission and Ministry. Father Keller serves as rector of the Scranton Jesuit Community, and he served as interim president at the University from June 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. Most recently, he was the University’s special assistant to the president.

Gerald Zaboski ’87, G’95 was named vice president for Enrollment Management and External Affairs. In this position, Zaboski will provide overall strategic direction to the University’s admissions and enrollment activities, financial aid, branding and marketing efforts, news and media relations, and community and government relations. He joined the staff at the University in 1988.

Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Ph.D. was named dean of the University’s College of Arts and Sciences effective July 1, 2020. Since 2014, Dr. Maldonado has served as assistant provost of undergraduate education at the University of Miami, where she also has served since 2016 as the executive director of the Office of Academic Enhancement and as a professor of religious studies. She joined the Miami faculty in 2006.

Charles E. Kratz, dean of the Library and Information Fluency, retired at the end of 2019. For more than 28 years, Dean Kratz led the library. He led the opening of the new Weinberg Memorial Library in 1992 and the renovation of the first floor for its 20th anniversary. He built collections to meet student needs, instituted and extended 24-hour accessibility for study space and worked with University administration, faculty and students to improve library services, spaces and collections.

University Celebrates First-Gen Students The University joined the National First-Generation College Celebration with an event on campus Nov. 8 to recognize the University’s first-generation students, faculty, staff and alumni. The celebration was organized by the University’s THR1VE Program, which launched in July 2019 to celebrate and support Scranton students whose parents have not completed a four-year college degree. THR1VE is housed in the University’s Center for Student Engagement and is supported by a Strategic Initiatives Fund grant. At the University, 23 percent of the undergraduate population identifies as first-generation.

According to Robert McGowan, coordinator of the THR1VE program, many first-generation students expressed similar concerns about their college experience, namely, “What am

I studying? What am I going to do with it after I graduate? And how am I going to pay for it?”

Based on this information, the THR1VE program focuses on three primary areas of support: financial wellness, academic planning and career development. Sessions include workshops on budgeting and financial planning, student loans and consumer debt, and savings and investment, as well as programming focusing on developing study skills. In addition to the special programming, THR1VE will assist first-generation students in navigating the vast array of resources available to them at the University.

“As the first member of the Pilarz family to graduate from college, I know firsthand the ways that graduation can be particularly life-changing for students, their families and future generations,” University President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., wrote in a letter to the University community about the celebration. “Since our founding as St. Thomas College, educating and forming those who are the first in their families to earn a college degree has been and will continue to be a special part of our mission.”

The National First-Generation College Celebration was established in 2017 to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which helped students from minority and low-income backgrounds. For the past two years, institutions from across the nation have organized their own celebrations in support of their first-generation students.

Students gather at the National First-Generation College Celebration in The DeNaples Center on Nov. 8.

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This marks the first year that the University has participated in the National First-Generation College Celebration.

The University dedicated a freshman residence hall in honor of the late Brendan J. Giblin of the class of 2006, who died in a hit-and-run accident while on spring break during his senior year, and the late William H. Kelly Jr. of the class of 1993, who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

“Your families had suffered the unthinkable, the unexpected death of a child — of a brother,” said University President Scott

R. Pilarz, S.J., at the dedication ceremony. “Yet, somehow, you were able to find the strength to turn these tragedies into a way to help others. Through your efforts, more than $1 million has been raised to support Giblin and Kelly scholarships that have been awarded to dozens of students at Scranton.”

On the Commons

Giblin-Kelly Hall Dedicated

To date, the University has awarded six Giblin Scholarships and 27 Kelly Scholarships to students at Scranton.

Kim Baxter, a senior from Philadelphia who is majoring in political science and criminal justice, spoke at the dedication on behalf of the recipients of Kelly and Giblin scholarships.

Baxter is the recipient of a Giblin Scholarship.

From left are: Joe and Mary Giblin, parents of the late Brendan Giblin; University student Kim Baxter, recipient of the Giblin Scholarship who spoke at the ceremony; Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president; Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry; and Joanne and Bill Kelly, parents of the late William Kelly.

Leahy Endowment Bequeathed Nearly $1 Million Margaret C. Perez, Bethlehem, had known Edward R. Leahy, J.D. ’68, H’01, for more than 60 years. She knew his wife, Patricia, and their late son, Edward Jr. She also knew of the work of the University’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center and Edward R. Leahy Jr. Center Clinic for the Uninsured housed in the Panuska College of Professional Studies. She was so impressed by its mission that she bequeathed a portion of her estate to the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment at the University — a gift of nearly $1 million.

“Margaret, or Marge as we called her, was a good soul and a lifelong friend. She never said an unkind word to anyone and went to church nearly every day,” said Edward Leahy. “She had no children or living relatives, and when she passed away at the age of 88, she gave her entire estate to charities, including a portion to the Leahy Endowment at the University.”

Leahy said Perez visited the Leahy Community Health and Family Center years ago and was deeply moved by the compassionate service shown to people with disabilities. Shortly after her visit, she told Leahy of her intent to bequeath a portion of her estate to the endowment at the University.

“I have loved attending the University for the past four years, because I have had the opportunity to serve in different leadership positions, to serve others through different services trips, and to gain experience through different internships,” said Baxter. “I would not have been able to attend the University without receiving the Brendan J. Giblin Scholarship.”

Giblin-Kelly Hall, formerly called Hannan Hall, is a residence facility built in 1960 that accommodates 74 students.

Snapshot of the Class of 2023

Nearly 9,500

More than 1,000

APPLICANTS

UNDERGRADUATES

More than 400 Graduate Students (On Campus & Online)

40 Transfer Students 93 Legacy Children 13 States

Several countries including IRELAND, PAKISTAN & VIETNAM

S PRING 2020

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On the Commons

PROGRAM NEWS New Lifelike Simulators Used by Student Nurses This past fall, The Moses Taylor Foundation awarded an $88,000 grant to Scranton’s Nursing Department for the purchase of new simulator equipment for its laboratory. Thanks to the grant, the University acquired an advanced newborn patient simulator, a five-yearold pediatric simulator and a simulation medication dispensing system. The simulators allow nursing students to practice emergency protocol safely and in a controlled environment and permit students to make life-or-death decisions the field might require without the risk to a real patient a clinical rotation might present.

Students and Faculty Attend Occupational Therapy Conference University occupational therapy (OT) students and faculty were invited to present their research endeavors at the annual Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association conference in King of Prussia this past fall. Faculty and 35 Scranton OT students joined students, faculty and clinicians from across the state. Students presented their faculty-mentored research projects during four poster presentation sessions.

Two Majors Seeing Major Growth at Scranton Two majors at Scranton — criminal justice and history — have seen the number of incoming students triple in the past three years for the same reasons: cogent explanations

of career employment opportunities after graduation; having an engaging faculty; and providing appealing courses. The number of incoming students declaring a major in criminal justice increased from 13 in 2017-18 to 39 in 2019-20.

Students declaring history as their first major also rose, as well as the total number of history majors, which includes those who have changed their major as well those who declare history as a second major.

Mechanical Engineering to be Offered In fall 2020, students will be able to enroll in the University’s new major in mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering disciplines and involves the design, production and operation of mechanical and thermal systems. Students graduating in this major will be prepared to work in a wide array of fields, including the automotive and aerospace industries, manufacturing, electronics, mechatronics and nanotechnologies.

Business Analytics Major Offered In fall 2019, the University began offering a new major in business analytics, which was developed based on feedback from practitioners, business executives and companies regarding the skills they search for when recruiting recent graduates in this field. Students will develop hands-on skills in using advanced analytical techniques such as data mining, predictive analytics and statistics to evaluate large amounts of data collected from e-commerce transactions and social media to help inform business decisions.

For more program news, visit news.scranton.edu.

Student Veteran Attends Leadership Institute University student veteran Amy Atkinson ‘19, G’22, who has been actively advocating for veterans on campus, was invited to attend the Student Veterans of America’s (SVA) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., in September. Hundreds apply Amy Atkinson ‘19, G’22 for this honor, which is extended only to a select group of student veterans who are SVA chapter leaders. In January 2020, Atkinson attended the Student Veterans of America National Conference (NATCON).

“To be considered, the student veteran must have extraordinary academic, extracurricular and personal strengths, so it was satisfying to have my hard work and dedication acknowledged,” said Atkinson, a graduate student in 8

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

the Clinical Mental Counseling Program.

Atkinson is a U.S. Army veteran, president of the Student Veterans Organization, member of the Committee on the Status of Women and Counseling and Human Services Association, as well as a member of three national honor societies: Alpha Pi Sigma, SALUTE and Tau Upsilon Alpha.

The concept behind the SVA Leadership Institute is that long-term leadership success comes from an intimate knowledge of one’s core values and how to empower others. Attendees are mentored through this experience by successful SVA alumni, business leaders and advocates.

“The SVA Leadership Institute provided me a more solid sense of self, as well as a clearer sense of who I am as a leader,” said Atkinson.

Update to the Living Wage Report Presented

Performance Music at Scranton paid homage to the great composer Václav Nelhýbel with a concert celebrating the centennial year of his birth.

In partnership with The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, the University’s Office of Community and Government Relations, the Ellacuría Initiative and the Political Science Department released a comprehensive report that details how conditions have changed three years after their groundbreaking “Living Wage Report 2016.” A living wage is a rate at which a worker can reach a standard of living that meets essential basic needs and enables the worker to live a modest but dignified life.

The Václav Nelhýbel Centennial Concert took place in November and featured The University of Scranton Symphonic Band and internationally acclaimed trumpeter Christian Jaudes.

Nelhýbel had a long and close relationship with the University. At the time of his death on March 22, 1996, he was the composer-in-residence at Scranton and a beloved mentor to Performance Music conductor and director Cheryl Y. Boga.

The composer’s influence is still very much alive at the University, as it is throughout the world. For the past 20 years Scranton has served as the home of The Nelhýbel Collection, which includes his published and unpublished compositions, personal papers, manuscript scores and other valuable materials, all impeccably curated by the composer’s widow.

“Nelhýbel’s music has resonated with every iteration of student who has come through here,” said Boga. “Every student who has ever played it, it has touched something in them or awoken something in them.”

Hear Cheryl Boga talk about Nelhýbel at scranton.edu/journalextras.

Social Media Dorm Room Contest Students participated in a social media dorm room contest through the Marketing Communications Department last semester.

On the Commons

Concert Celebrates 100th Birthday of Composer

Numerous families in Lackawanna and Luzerne fall below official federal poverty measurements and there are also many others who work full-time and are above the poverty line, but still fall short of a living wage that can adequately provide for themselves and their children, according to the study that offers recommendations to close the gap and promote economic security.

Read the updated report at scranton.edu/livingwage.

Distinguished Author Award Honors Madeline Miller Madeline Miller, author of two New York Times bestsellers, received the 2019 Royden B. Davis, S.J., Distinguished Author Award from The University of Scranton’s Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library.

Miller’s latest book, Circe, inspired by the mythological witch in Homer’s 2019 Distinguished Author Odyssey, became a No. 1 New York Award Winner Madeline Miller at the award dinner.

Times bestseller and is short-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. At the award dinner, Miller, whose mother was a librarian, said she was grateful to the Weinberg Memorial Library community.

“It’s been such a pleasure to get to know this library, this University a little bit and this amazing community of readers,” she said at the ceremony. “I spent a lot of my childhood in libraries, so I know a good library when I see one.”

When she was young, her mother read her the Greek classics that would inspire her novels decades later. “They resonated with me because these stories felt like really human stories, and they were timeless stories.”

Go to scranton.edu/journalextras to see how the students decorated.

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On the Commons

ONE-ON-ONE

with Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D.,

It has been more than 12 years since you became dean of PCPS. Tell us how you feel about being a leader at Scranton.

There truly is a soul to this University and a legacy spirit, much more than any other place I’ve been. The groups of pioneers who fought hard for a cause or a vision, they are equally as important to the leaders we have with us today, both on and off campus. When I look at a named building, I see that person, and I try hard to understand his or her values and vision to keep that vision as a thread of this campus. I want others to understand our past, too, and be willing to fight for a brighter and better future for all.

Our arms are open and inviting to new and never-ending minds of learners, givers, teachers and challengers. We are a community of love.

Tell us how the college has grown and changed during your tenure.

The PCPS faculty, staff, students and community partners are extraordinary. The construction of Leahy Hall and renovations to McGurrin Hall have provided the opportunity for our University community to soar in its transformation.

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Dean, Panuska College of Professional Studies

Faculty and student research has expanded, CommunityBased Learning projects have grown, and international travel courses have increased. The fantastic simulation environments, applied health science laboratories, equipment and technology have positively impacted our students, faculty and staff. In addition, undergraduate and graduate programs have grown.

The Leahy Community Health and Family Center has also expanded and includes a sub-acute medical clinic, counseling clinic, pro bono physical therapy clinic and a low-vision clinic for our University community to understand what it means to be “men and women for and with others” as they practice their vocation with the most vulnerable populations.

What achievement has been closest to your heart during those years?

Every day, I see achievements. Achievements are the commitment to the “call to serve.”

Our community models the “call to serve,” from the work in the Leahy Community Health and Family Center with the food pantry, University of Success, the variety of clinics to the Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence Executive Hub on campus, service trips and travel courses, funding for students and faculty for research, innovation for new programs and state-of-the-art

Speaking of God, how has the Jesuit mission guided you in your work as dean?

Being contemplative in action means that my active life feeds my contemplative life, and my contemplative life informs my active life. I want to always return to work with zest and zeal for a purpose. I’m thankful that I experienced the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, because I understand that decision making is a nitty-gritty process if you embrace the mission from a dean’s perspective. Gratitude is the hallmark of a Jesuit mission.

Tell us more about your focus on autism through the Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence Executive Hub and the Conference on disABILITY, which, this year, was titled “Exploring Autism Across the Spectrum: Building Inclusive Communities.”

The Autism Society estimates that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects one in 68 children and one in 42 boys in the U.S. The lifetime cost of supporting an individual with autism is calculated at about $2.5 million. The general public is not educated on this disability, and few know how to cope, educate, associate and assist with this condition.

The grant that the University received to open the Hub is one of the first steps for our region to understand the spectrum of this disability, to have collaboration across the region, and to give parents, caregivers, professionals and those on the spectrum a glimmer of hope that more research, more education and more innovative ideas are forthcoming. Help, I know, cannot come fast enough for so many. I ask and fight for faster development, more dollars to the cause and all hands in this fight, while understanding, with care and concern, patience is a true virtue.

The disABILITY Conference, too, provided opportunities to address key issues relevant to our mission by positively influencing the quality of life and wellness of individuals and families living with disabilities, especially autism. Next year’s conference will be on Oct. 6, 2020, and will feature Temple Grandin as the keynote speaker. She and so many others show that those living with autism are gifts for our human community.

There is so much that is needed in helping those with ASD live fuller lives, and we are up to the challenge.

On the Commons

facilities. I am so grateful to our donors who make a difference for our students and faculty. We have a great alumni-mentor program. We appreciate the simple things in life by giving back to others for the greater glory of God.

“I’m just amazed at how the simplest of all books can inspire, transform and invigorate the mind and soul.”

— Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D.

You’re a big literacy advocate. In addition to inspiring Scranton students to direct a very successful book drive each year that culminates with the Blessing of the Books, you helped head the National Reading Crisis Project, were active in the International Reading Association, and have written on the topic (“Literacy is Freedom”). Explain how you became a fierce supporter of this cause.

Literacy is the foundation of freedom and hope. I was amazed, at the beginning of the 21st century, when I learned that one in five adults were unable to read and write. There are nearly 900 million illiterates in the world today — and two-thirds of them are women.

The Blessing of the Books project helps to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty by giving kids the opportunity to practice literacy, which is the path to freedom and democracy.

At a very young age, I remember my mom reading to me and telling me that reading was the greatest gift that anyone could have. I never went to bed without my mom reading to me. In fact, it is hard to believe, but she would read a story to me every night about a different saint, from St. Catherine of Siena to St. Barbara.

I believe that everyone should have a great book in their hand. A book opens a door — well, much more than a door; it opens a pathway to endless opportunities. I’m just amazed at how the simplest of all books can inspire, transform and invigorate the mind and soul.

Can you leave us with a favorite passage or quote that inspires you?

Well, my beautiful mother always said “Ancora imparo,” or “I am still learning.”

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Focus on Faculty

Nathaniel Frissell operates a ham radio station in a tent at the annual Field Day operating event. The Personal Space Weather Station project seeks to use signals by stations such as these to help understand the ionosphere and the impact of space weather on communications. INSET: Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., physics and electrical engineering professor

Professor Awarded $1.3 Million Grant A $1.3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to physics and electrical engineering professor Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., seeks to harness the power of a network of licensed amateur radio operators to better understand and measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere.

The highly competitive grant awarded by NSF’s Aeronomy Program for the project titled “Distributed Arrays of Small Instruments (DASI)” will be implemented over a three-year period. As principal investigator, Dr. Frissell, a space physicist, will lead a collaborative team, which will develop modular, multi-instrument, ground-based space science observation equipment and data collection and analysis software. He will also recruit multiple universities and ham radio users to operate the network of “Personal Space Weather Stations” developed.

The space weather equipment will be developed at two levels of sophistication: one at a low-cost, easy-to-use level for the ham radio operators; and one that is more complex for university partners that will allow for the collection of additional data.

“The equipment and network allows us to measure and characterize ionospheric and geomagnetic short-term, 12

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

small scale variability on a large geographic scale in order to understand the response of the ionosphere to sources from above (space weather) and below (atmospheric forcing),” said Dr. Frissell in the grant project proposal. “By designing Personal Space Weather Stations variants at multiple price points, open sourcing the hardware and software, and directly engaging with the ham radio community, this project maximizes the chances of widespread adoption of this system.”

In the U.S., there are more than 730,000 licensed amateur radio operators and nearly 3 million worldwide. For this initiative, Dr. Frissell will target the ham radio community through the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation collective, which he leads, and the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) amateur radio engineering organization.

Dr. Frissell joined the faculty at Scranton in the fall of 2019.

He earned a master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, and a bachelor’s degree in physics and music education from Montclair State University in New Jersey. He is the founder and lead organizer of the international citizen science space physics research collective known as the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI.org).

David Black, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, received the John L. Earl III Award for service to the University, the faculty and the wider community. The award is given annually to a member of the University community who demonstrates the spirit of generosity and dedication that the late Dr. John Earl, a distinguished professor of history, exemplified during his years at Scranton. Dr. Black joined the faculty of the University in 1984.

Amanda Marcy ’10, G’11 and Ashley Stampone ’10, G’11, Accounting Department faculty members, recently had their research featured in an article by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Their work, titled “Emerging Technologies Will Impact More Than Office Duties,” published in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal, concerned how technological advancements will bring changes to CPA licensing and the CPA Exam.

Ismail Onat, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, criminal justice and criminology, received the 2019 Rutgers Center on Public Security (RCPS) Kaleidoscope Award. RCPS specializes in applying geospatial technologies to scholarly research and addressing crime, terrorism and other threats to public security.

It presents the Kaleidoscope Award each year to a recipient who has demonstrated innovative applications of Risk Terrain Modeling.

David Salerno, Ph.D. ’97, G’06, an associate professor of accounting, and John Ruddy, D.P.S. ’91, an assistant professor in the Economics and Finance Department, recently had their research cited in a Texas Supreme Court decision. Their work, titled “Defining and Quantifying Pension Liabilities of Government Entities in the United States” and published in the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, was cited by the Supreme Court of Texas in rendering a government employee pension decision involving the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.

Daniel J. West, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Health Administration and Human Resources Department, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree (Dr.h.c.) from Trnava University, Slovakia. Dr. West currently holds a professor in public health appointment at Trnava University, as well as a visiting professor appointment at the University of Matej Bel, Slovakia and affiliated faculty at Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia.

Dr. West joined the faculty at Scranton in 1990.

Get more faculty news at news.scranton.edu.

Professor Speaks with Royal Reads Author Stephanie Saldaña was the Ignatian Values in Action Lecture keynote speaker at Scranton on Sept. 19. She has written two books including The Bread of Angels: A Journey to Love and Faith, this year’s Royal Reads book, required for first-year students.

Focus on Faculty

Faculty Notes

Here, Michael Azar, Ph.D., associate professor of theology, has a conversation with her about her work. Dr. Azar received his master’s degree from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and master’s and doctoral degrees from Fordham University.

Azar: Why did you choose to write The Bread of Angels?

What is it about your personal story that you most wanted to share with others?

Saldaña: I’m pretty shy, and so I can only have the courage to write a book by pretending that no one is ever going to read it. In many ways, I wrote The Bread of Angels in order to make sense for myself of what I lived in Syria. It was a remarkable year. I was an American on a Fulbright in Syria during the American invasion of neighboring Iraq, and tensions between our countries were high.

The American ambassador was even removed during my time there. At the same time, I experienced this extraordinary hospitality from the Syrians themselves, who loved me and welcomed me. The time I spent as a Christian studying Islam with a female sheikh and teaching in a Quranic school for girls would have been remarkable under any circumstances.

And yet, despite the extraordinary circumstances of the book, I think that it is really a very universal story, a story about my search for faith, about finding God and falling in love. I hope that it’s a story anyone can relate to.

Azar: Most would probably say that a year in Syria and falling in love with a novice monk in the desert are fairly unique events, but what do you hope college students at a place like The University of Scranton might learn from these events in your life?

Saldaña: I was so thrilled to learn that students at The University of Scranton would be reading The Bread of Angels, because they are really my ideal readers. The book is a coming-ofage story about accepting who we are, about learning to heal from the wounds of our pasts, and about having the courage to say “yes” to what we feel called to in life.

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Alumni News In Case You Missed it‌ Enjoy these photos from a few of our signature fall semester events.

Scranton Connections LIVE! In September, more than 100 alumni returned to campus for Scranton Connections LIVE!, a chance for alumni to connect with current students in a casual setting.

To see photos from any of these events, visit scranton.edu/alumniphotos.

Regional Christmas Receptions Alumni celebrated the Christmas season together in several regions, including Boston, Mass.; Harrisburg; Philadelphia; the Lehigh Valley; Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Morristown, New Jersey; NEPA; New York City; and Washington, D.C. Philadelp

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Washin g

ton, D.C

New York City

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Alumni News

Chemistry Alumni Reception Several graduates of the chemistry program returned to campus to tour the Loyola Science Center, visit with faculty members and reconnect with their fellow Royals.

The President’s Business Council 18th Annual Award Dinner The President’s Business Council 18th Annual Award Dinner honored JoAnne M. Kuehner H’01, founder of Hope for Haiti, and Carl J. Kuehner ’62, H’11, president of Real Estate Technology Corporation, with the President’s Medal.

The gala raised more than $1 million for the Presidential Scholarship Endowment. For more information, visit scranton.edu/pbcdinner.

President’s Business Council

SAVE THE DATE October 8, 2020 P R E S I D E N T ’ S B U S I N E SS CO U N C I L 19TH ANNUAL AWARD DINNER S PRING 2020

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Alumni News

Morgan’s Pier In October, more than 150 alumni and friends met up at Morgan’s Pier in Philadelphia for a Scranton Happy Hour.

Pier to Pier Pier 13 In August, more than 300 alumni met up at Hoboken, New Jersey’s Pier 13 for a Scranton Happy Hour.

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Alumni News

Day at the Races In June, The Scranton Club of New Jersey held A Day At The Races at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey.

2020

THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON

Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner

Together Again Where It All Began HONOREE

JUNE 12-14, 2020

Ed Karpovich ’76, G’86 Head Coach, Scranton Golf

Photo by Evan Schiller

SAVE the DATE June 22, 2020 Philadelphia Cricket Club scranton.edu/carlesimoaward

Celebrating the class years ending in “0” and “5” The Office of Alumni & Parent Engagement alumni@scranton.edu scranton.edu/reunion

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Alumni News Richard Stanislaus G’98, in his studio with Raught’s Study of the City of Scranton

Curating the Past, Cultivating the Future Graduate alumnus guest curates Hope Horn Gallery Show on John Willard Raught, Scranton’s beloved artist.

Once upon a time, at Scranton’s Everhart Museum, North Scranton native Richard Stanislaus G’98 fell in love with the work of John Willard Raught (1857-1931), a Dunmore-born artist whose unique paintings placed the beauty of the coal breaker on par with the beauty of the French countryside. Now, decades later, as the guest curator of an exhibition of Raught’s work at the University’s Hope Horn Gallery, Stanislaus has given a new generation of art appreciators that same chance to fall in love with Raught.

“I was captivated by the bright, beautiful colors of Ridge Row, The City of Scranton and Harrison Avenue Bridge,” Stanislaus said in a recent interview with Josephine M. Dunn, Ph.D., professor of art history and affiliate faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University, that was published in John Willard Raught: Beauty Lies Close at Home, a three-volume catalog on Raught’s life and work assembled for the exhibition. “The work is accomplished in an Impressionist style of high-keyed colors, 18

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rough gestural brushstrokes, thickly applied paint and a recognizable subject — the city of Scranton.”

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Stanislaus researched Raught’s life and work, tracking down local citizens who had encountered the artist before his demise in 1931.

“I began recording what I heard about Raught, and my youthful transcriptions became the foundation of a body of research that today is quite comprehensive in nature and scope,” Stanislaus told Dunn. “In effect, I have devoted a lifetime to the study of an artist who was also a childhood hero.”

After high school, Stanislaus served in the United States Army before attaining his bachelor’s in art history from Kean College. He earned a certificate in appraisal studies and decorative fine art from New York University before earning his master’s in American history at the University with the thesis The Anthracite Coal-Breaker Paintings of John Willard Raught. He then earned a master’s in studio art from Marywood University with a concentration in printmaking.

had been Stanislaus’ thesis advisor at the University, with the idea of organizing all his collected materials into an exhibition of Raught’s life and work. As they began working on what would become John Willard Raught: Beauty Lies Close At Home, they were approached by Raught’s great-niece, Rebecca Jeffrey Easby, Ph.D., associate professor of art history and chair of the Fine Arts program at Trinity University, who wished to contribute an essay on Raught’s family to the project. Lastly, they asked Sarah J. Moore, Ph.D., professor of Art at the University of Arizona, to contribute an essay on the cultural and historical context surrounding Raught’s work. Together, the team set out to create an “initial introduction to Raught’s oeuvre.”

All the while, he collected everything he could find related to Raught, including his paintings, essays and personal items.

“Many separate things came together in the right place at the right time,” Miller-Lanning said of the events surrounding the project’s creation. “In my work at the gallery, I’ve learned that the universe will gather and give you what you need.”

“I continued my research on Raught,” he said in the interview. “When my income allowed, I began to acquire more paintings. As my knowledge of methodologies of historical research and history of American art grew, so did the sophistication of my research.”Over the decades, Stanislaus encountered several other art enthusiasts whose interest in Raught mirrored his own. After he retired, he approached Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of the Hope Horn Gallery, and Dunn, who

Alumni News

Along the way, he honed his artistic skills with apprenticeships in painting restoration and printmaking and was featured as a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) greeting card artist. Eventually, he became a curator for the Luzerne County Historical Society, where he mounted the exhibition “Images of the Mines: Anthracite Coal Art 1869-1939.” Afterward, he served as registrar of paintings at the Everhart Museum before becoming a museum curator with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, where he received assignments at Eckley Miners Village in Weatherly and The Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton. He retired from his career as a museum curator in 2016.

The catalog features reproductions of several of Raught’s works, essays by Stanislaus, Dunn, Miller-Lanning, Jeffrey Easby and Moore, various writings Raught composed for newspapers and academic journals and selections from historical sources, including a Raught family scrapbook. Together, these materials provide an invaluable overview of the life and work of John Willard Raught, ensuring his work will continue to inspire future generations.

“The ‘Raught Project’ seemed to grow of its own accord over a long passage of time and through the cooperation of many individuals,” Stanislaus said in the interview. “I saw a work of art that inspired and haunted me, and my curiosity was aroused to know more.”

“John Willard Raught: Beauty Lies Close At Home” opened at the Hope Horn Gallery in September with a lecture by Stanislaus.

For more information on the gallery and its upcoming shows, visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

Announcing the Council of Alumni Lawyers

John Willard Raught. Spring Blossoms, Dunmore. Oil on canvas board. 1912.

The Stanislaus Collection. Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Council of Alumni Lawyers (CAL) provides the University and its students with an accessible and engaged network of alumni lawyers. If you are practicing law or currently in law school, we want to hear from you! scranton.edu/CAL

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Athletics

Field hockey celebrates their Landmark Conference title.

OPPOSITE: Women’s soccer celebrates their win over Moravian.

Field Hockey, Women’s Soccer Landmark Conference Titles Headline Successful Fall Season In a fall that saw each eligible University of Scranton athletic team qualify for the Landmark Conference playoffs, the performances by the field hockey and women’s soccer teams headlined another successful opening stanza to the 2019-20 academic year for the Department of Athletics.

First, the Royals field hockey team did something that, as a program, they had never done: win the Landmark Conference.

Entering postseason play with an 11-7 overall mark and the top seed in the field, the Royals blitzed past Elizabethtown and Susquehanna to win their first Landmark title in program history.

With the win, the Royals also nabbed a spot into the NCAA Division III Tournament field for the first time since 1997.

The selection was also historic in another way, as the Royals hosted MIT at Weiss Field on Nov. 13, marking the very first 20

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NCAA Postseason event hosted by the University at the Quinn Athletics Campus.

Despite falling in the match, 3-0, the 2019 Royals field hockey team left their mark. In end-of-the-year awards, the field hockey team had five student-athletes named to All-Landmark Conference teams, as head coach Colleen Moyer was named the conference’s Coach of the Year, as well.

Not to be outdone was the performance the women’s soccer team put together over the final month of the season.

Entering the Landmark Conference playoffs as the number three seed, women’s soccer went on the road and avenged regular season defeats to Elizabethtown and Susquehanna to capture their third Landmark title in four years and the seventh in program history.

Athletics The win catapulted the Royals into the NCAA Division III Tournament, where in the first round, they got past previously unbeaten Centre on penalty kicks after the match remained tied at 3-3 after 110 minutes of action. In PK’s, Scranton advanced, 5-4.

In the second round against host Ohio Northern, the Royals fought hard all match, keeping Ohio Northern off the scoreboard for 110 minutes. But, in a penalty kick scenario for the second straight day, Ohio Northern advanced over the Royals by a 4-2 ledger.

Finishing with a final 12-5-4 and with another Landmark Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance down, the Royals women’s soccer team cleaned up in All-Landmark Conference award honors, with six players earning either First or Second Team accolades.

One of the Royals’ First Team selections was defender Rebecca Russo, who was also named the Landmark Conference’s Senior Scholar-Athlete for women’s soccer, as she boasts a 3.89 GPA as a nursing major.

For more Athletics news, visit athletics.scranton.edu.

Youthful Volleyball Squad Win 15 Matches, Heads Back to Landmark Playoffs The Royals volleyball team returned to the Landmark Conference semifinals in 2019, making the field for the seventh straight season. Freshman sensation Carah Vitkus, who was named to the All-Landmark Conference Second Team after her first collegiate season, led the Royals to 15 victories.

Men’s Soccer Returns to Landmark Conference Playoffs The men’s soccer team returned to the Landmark Conference playoffs this past season, finishing the year with an 11-5-2 overall mark. Posting a 6-1 ledger in Landmark Conference action, Scranton returned to the Landmark playoffs for the first time since 2016, hosting a semifinal match at Weiss Field for the first time in program history.

Awards wise, the Royals had five players earn All-Landmark Conference honors, paced by freshman forward Christian Arcos, who was named the Landmark’s Rookie of the Year and was an All-Landmark First Team pick at his position.

Cross Country Teams Race into Top Four in Landmark Conference The men’s and women’s cross country teams once again registered top-four finishes at the Landmark Conference Championships, which were held in early November in Maryland.

There, the men’s team finished in fourth place overall for the second straight season. Leading the Royals was junior Jack Patwell, who placed 17th overall in the event. Meanwhile, the Royals women’s team finished third in their half of the Landmark Conference Championships, improving from a fifth place finish a season ago.

Leading the Royals in the event were All-Landmark Conference selections sophomore Jessica Hoffmann and junior Rachel Kerr. Hoffmann, who finished seventh at the Landmark Championship, was an All-Landmark First Team selection, while Kerr, who placed 10th, was a Second Team pick.

See more photos, visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

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‘I Decided to be Undecided.’

At Scranton, students are encouraged to explore their interests before choosing a major, led by advising teams in the schools and experts in the career center.

As a first-year student, Brooke Devers ‘21 relied heavily on the advisors in CAS and the Center for Career Development to find her major.

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When Brooke Devers was accepted to Scranton, she had her future all planned out. She would major in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and get all the necessary prerequisites for medical school, then become a doctor. Devers is the daughter of a physician, and she has a genetic disorder that led to an early interest in genetics and science from her own medical appointments. Devers knew she wanted to be involved in the clinical side of health care — or so she thought at 17.

When summer came and it was time to choose classes for her freshman year, Devers was having doubts about her plan, and wondering if she had specialized too soon. So she called the advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and created a class schedule that combined science classes (biology lab) with humanities (Spanish) and business (introduction to health administration).

“I decided to be undecided,” said Devers, a junior at the University. “When you’re 17 or 18 years old, it’s tough to say exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

Devers is one of approximately 150 Scranton first-year students who choose to enroll as undecided majors each year. Generally, 15 to 30 percent of the incoming class is undecided, which is on par with other colleges nationwide, according to Harry Dammer, Ph.D., associate dean of CAS. And at Scranton, students have the resources and support to explore subjects across the University and find a major that will ultimately lead them to a fulfilling life and career. Faculty and staff in CAS, Kania School of Management (KSOM), Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) and the Center for Career Development work with students from acceptance to graduation to help them find a path to success.

Dating Your Career At Scranton, students are encouraged to choose a major by sophomore year so that they can graduate within four years.

Freshman year is for exploration, a time that Christina Whitney G’06, director of the Center for Career Development, calls “dating your career.”

“It’s about exposure and exploration with the undecided students, consistently across the three colleges,” Whitney said. “It’s about what’s available to them and them getting to know themselves; exploring themselves and then exploring the options.”

“Sometimes students assume that they are the only one without a major,” said Robert W. Davis Jr., Ed.D. ’03, vice president for Student Life. “The reality is that many of our students are still looking to find the major that suits them. There’s a lot of pressure on students to know right away what they want to do for the rest of their life, but our students have many interests and ideas about their future, so it can take time to identify that path.”

CAS works closely with the advising teams in all the schools to meet students where they are, offering individual sessions to pinpoint strengths and interests, and where those areas align with potential majors or programs.

Laura Fay ’15 was relieved to be able to explore her career options at Scranton. A general communications course helped her narrow her major to journalism during her second semester.

“I still had plenty of time over the next three years to really dive in and prepare for a career in that field,” she said.

An SJLA student, she also majored in philosophy and was the editor-in-chief of The Aquinas for two years. After graduation, she taught in the Milwaukee area for two years through Teach for America, but ultimately, she came back to journalism and is now a staff producer for The 74 Media in New York City.

“When I realized teaching wasn’t a good fit, I relied on what I had learned at Scranton, both in the classroom and while choosing a major, to adjust and find a fulfilling job as a journalist,” she said.

CAS offers Undecided Workshops every semester and encourages all undecided students to participate. The eightweek workshops start with surveys to help discover students’ strengths, then offer an overview of all the CAS majors. Much like the individual advising sessions, the workshops help students see which majors are best suited to their strengths and interests, and also show them what kind of jobs they can get with each major. Devers took part in an Undecided Workshop as a freshman, and then moved on to one-on-one meetings with a career coach in the career development center.

“For students who are proactive and take advantage of these workshops, they are great,” said Devers, who now works as an intern at the Center for Career Development. “Talking to my professors helped, too. Here at Scranton, we have professors who really have that [work] experience and can tell you, ‘This is what you’re going to be facing day-to-day [in a given career],’ and what strengths you need for that career.”

The emphasis across the University is that not only is it OK to be undecided, but it is encouraged.

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Branding and Networking Whitney also offers an annual workshop about creating a personal brand, or “what stays in the room after you leave,” Whitney said. Through the workshops, she helps students identify who they are, and what they want to share with people in the professional realm about their skills and experiences.

From there, she said, “It’s about branching out into a network.

Once they start introducing themselves to people and asking questions and learning about what skills are necessary in certain industries, it really helps them be more comfortable and confident in their path.”

In KSOM, about a third of freshmen are undecided on a major but know that they are interested in business majors and careers, according to Gerry Loveless, the director of the KSOM Advising Center. The introductory Business 150 class covers an overview of the different areas of business, the business majors Scranton offers and professional communication, from how to create a resume to how to use social media in an appropriate and professional manner. The course also helps students identify their strengths and what types of careers are best suited to those strengths.

“Business 150 helps them explore and find the right fit for them. And when you think of students

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The foundational course equips the business students with new confidence, but they don’t have to go it alone in their search for the right career path. Loveless adds that: “In addition to the class, we meet with them at Orientation, before they even begin school, to help them choose classes. From there, we meet with them every semester. The nice thing about the KSOM advising center is that we see the students from day one to the day they graduate.”

“It’s about exposure and exploration with the undecided students.”

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coming out of high school, they might only know a handful of professions,” said Loveless. After completing the course, 88 percent of students said in a survey that they feel more confident in identifying their strengths, and 83 percent of students feel confident in starting an internship search.

— Christina Whitney, Director of the Center for Career Development

This year, PCPS launched their own career fair for undecided students, spotlighting some of their more unique majors, which students might not be familiar with, like human resources studies and community health education. The focus was on giving these smaller programs a platform to inform students, and, in turn, giving students more information about career paths they might not have otherwise considered.

The inaugural fair took place during the fall semester and there will be another in the spring.

goals. Each small goal is part of a larger path toward identifying strengths and interests for the students to consider.”

Where Are You Now… And Where Are You Going?

For Devers, she said that coming into Scranton undecided “was the best decision, because it led me to the health administration major. I was really interested in the business side of health care, and managing patients, physicians and employees, and I declared the major the first semester of sophomore year. Being undecided led me to the path that I do feel I am supposed to be on.”

From left: Kevin Curry, assistant dean for academic services in PCPS, and Gerry Loveless, director of the KSOM Advising Center.

Holistic Support For some students, choosing a major and career path can be a source of stress and anxiety.

“Oftentimes, there’s an assumption from students that someone who is successful and has it all together never struggled or failed at anything,” said Dr. Davis. “The reality is that we all have struggles and failures that we need to overcome, and our response to those failures is often a great learning opportunity.”

Next, she’ll apply to Scranton’s master’s degree program in health administration and then hopefully obtain a job in a hospital setting. But, as she learned with choosing a major, “I’m definitely open-minded about the future,” Devers said.

Devers’ experience is just what University faculty, staff and administrators hope for each undecided student.

“The Jesuit ideal of cura personalis really means meet the person where they are and help them progress further,” said Dammer, the CAS associate dean. “We take each student and say, ‘Where are you at now?’ and, ‘Where are you going?’ It is important to us to be concerned about every student’s needs.

It is important and necessary because it fulfills our mission.”

“The idea behind the work here is that it is practice in decision-making for undecided students.”

— Kevin Curry, PCPS Assistant Dean for Academic Services

To help alleviate that perception, Scranton hosted a panel discussion called “Fail Forward” in November. “The idea for the panel was to show students that struggling is part of being a successful person,” Davis said.

Beyond this inherent community support and dialogue, Scranton also partners with graduate students to help undecided freshmen through the Professional and Academic Support for Success (PASS) Program. PASS is a PCPS program that pairs undecided students with a graduate student in school counseling.

“The idea behind the work here is that it is practice in decision-making for undecided students,” said Kevin Curry, the assistant dean for academic services in PCPS. “The student and the counselor will set goals and monitor progress toward those

From left: Tracy Muth, assistant director of the CAS Advising Center, and Harry Dammer, Ph.D., associate dean of CAS.

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Two Hometowns

Scranton’s international graduates change the world for the better, at home and abroad.

First, they bring the world to Scranton. Then, they bring Scranton to the world.

International students enrich campus and off-campus life by infusing a global perspective into every space they enter.

Lured by the promise of a top-tier education and an increasingly diverse community of scholars — and sometimes, several say, by the bonus pleasures of plentiful nature, four seasons and fabulous food — they enhance Scranton immensely while students. When they depart, they are not only themselves enhanced but well-equipped to participate and, typically, to lead in a global society.

In the past six years alone, Scranton has educated 289 international students representing five continents and 50 countries, from Argentina and Azerbaijan to Vietnam and Zambia.

Students have hailed from islands and archipelagos, colonies and territories, and have lived under almost every form of government. From Saudi Arabia alone, 136 students have enrolled in six years, with the next-largest contingents coming from India and the People’s Republic of China. Among the 289, 224 have been graduate students and 65 undergraduate students.

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Most international students have enrolled in The Kania School of Management (KSOM) in six years: 48 accountancy or accounting majors, 44 finance majors, 17 management information systems majors, 15 general business administration majors, 12 marketing majors and seven each of international business, operations and software engineering majors. Health administration has been almost as popular a field, with 24 majors, but international students also have chosen counseling and the sciences, human resources and theology as academic disciplines.

We caught up with five international graduates, as recent as 2018 and as long ago as 1987 when a KSOM graduate, who is now an entertainment-industry titan in India, said satellite technology was just gaining momentum. Scranton, he observed on a recent visit, has changed almost as much as the world has changed in 30 years.

With individually impressive life stories that set them apart, all remain united by that common Scranton thread. All shared — and still share — the same sentiments about Scranton, saying none of their successes would have been possible without the foundations and friendships built here and the lasting lessons imparted here.

Seek the Chances

A Sense of Service

The belief that “teachers are the messengers who spread the knowledge and goodness to humanity” has propelled Mohammed Alshammary along his path from undergraduate studies at Ohio State to the corporate world to, since 2016, a post teaching in his Saudi Arabian homeland at the College of Technology, which gave him a full scholarship to complete his bachelor’s in accounting at Tiffin University and master’s in accounting at Scranton.

After spending 14 years at APG Asset Management, both in New York and The Netherlands (her home country), one of the largest pension funds in the world, and two-plus years operating her own consulting firm in New York City, Deirdre Ypma is a senior vice president and director of portfolio analysis at Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager.

Alshammary believes he had the best Scranton professors and appreciates Scranton’s safe, convenient location.

He credits his family, particularly his wife, Bashayr, for his successes.

“I started my honeymoon with my wife in the beginning days at Scranton, and the last days we got news of her pregnancy, which is unforgettable,” he said.

A shining Scranton moment came as part of his MAcc capstone research course. He and his equally unforgettable accounting professor Douglas Boyle, D.B.A. ’88 presented collaborative research on corporate social responsibility and taxation at the 2019 International Academic Conference on Business (IACB) in New York and earned a Best Presentation Award.

Getting from Point A to Point B has been largely about a personal initiative for this 31-year-old who admitted he still finds himself too young to teach in his accounting department.

“I think experience is the most effective factor that creates capability,” he said. “Success will not seek people; people should seek the chances that will lead them to success. My advice is to be educated and never stop learning.”

Alshammary plans to pursue a Doctorate in Business Administration and earn more professional designations. He may even return to Scranton.

“We never know what is hidden behind the future,” he said. “I feel both countries are my hometown, and I would love to be back in the United States for any reason.”

Mohammed Alshammary G’19 • MAcc Professor, College of Technology Hometown: Dammam City, Saudi Arabia Now resides in: Dammam City, Saudi Arabia

Ypma earned her accounting and finance MBA at Scranton in 1996 after earning a master’s degree at RijksUniversiteit Groningen/University of Groningen.

“Coming to Scranton is not a very glamorous story,” she admitted, explaining that a missed deadline after taking the GMAT had her checking a box saying interested colleges could reach out. One that did was Scranton. The result made up for her slip-up.

“I wanted to go to a small college, and my family has a long and good experience with Jesuit education, so that sealed the deal,” Ypma recalled.

Her fond Scranton memories are many, but she said her biggest takeaway was her husband, Arwinder Bindra, whom she met the day she arrived. He earned his MBA and master’s in software engineering.

All her worthwhile Scranton memories, she said, reflect a great sense of community. “The University was an incredibly warm, supportive and involved place, where giving back was part of every day.”

“The sense of service has stuck with me,” said Ypma. “It informs my decisions on where to work, how to contribute outside of work, and in our family life, so that my girls (Isha and Olivia) develop that same sense of service.”

Ypma is an avid skier and equestrian, serving on the board of Blue Rider Stables, a nonprofit offering therapeutic and holistic educational equine programs.

Deirdre Ypma G’96 • MBA

Senior Vice President/Director of Portfolio Analysis, Neuberger Berman, an investment manager Hometown: Utrecht, The Netherlands Now resides in: Dobbs Ferry, New York

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A Widened Perspective Virtual exchange, or Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), is a passion for Chie Fujikake.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in education in Japan in 2010, Fujikake worked as a junior-high English teacher, studied English in Canada, then took an administrative role in Tokyo until 2015, after which she was awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant grant and chose Scranton. She first worked for the Department of World Languages and Cultures as a Fulbright assistant, then became a graduate teaching assistant in that department while enrolled in the Kania School of Management.

a role that picks up where her Scranton days left off. Through her interactive Japanese lessons at Scranton, she oversaw a video, letter and e-mail exchange project between her students and Japanese people.

“I came to know that virtual exchange is drawing attention as one of the latest educational approaches around the world, so what I have done in Scranton coincidentally expands my career,” she said.

As a specially appointed instructor for the government-funded “Re-Inventing Japan” project, she said, “I see the dynamics of society, educational movement and organizational cooperation/collaboration from a higher vantage point.

“Had it not been for the management view I learned at KSOM, I would not have been as successful as I am now,” she said.

The people she met here “changed my life and personality and widened my perspective toward the world and even my country. My dearest students and my many friends, who are from all over the world, nurtured my global mindset and identity as being Japanese.”

She lives near her parents, with whom she enjoys weekend gardening, and visits her brother, sister-in-law and nephew, who is “now becoming the greatest piano player who entertains all of us.”

Now back in Japan as an instructor at Nanzan University, she promotes COIL and manages corporate organizational collaborations by teaching project-based learning courses. She leads a U.S. study-abroad program for her Japanese students,

Chie Fujikake G’18 • MBA Faculty, Nanzan University, Japan Hometown: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan Now resides in: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

The Kindness of Strangers As a child in inner-city Dublin, Carl Cervi never imagined the life-altering power of the kindness of strangers, specifically philanthropists Francis and Elizabeth Redington, who established the endowment that gave him a full-tuition-plus scholarship upon graduation from one of Ireland’s five Jesuit high schools.

“I always acknowledged how lucky I was to be looked after like that,” this first-generation college student said, explaining he began his Scranton days as a political science and history major. He graduated with the Professor Timothy H. Scully Award for Excellence in Political Science, staying on to complete his master’s in secondary education. Two government-related internships made him long to stay in the States, but the 2008 financial crisis brought a turning point.

As graduation approached, Cervi feared he was “on a oneway ticket back home” because he couldn’t get a job. University connections at CCS Fundraising led to an employment offer he would defer after accepting a graduate assistantship 28

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Carl Cervi ’11, G’11 and his wife, the former Caroline Frey ’09, DPT ’12, at this year’s President’s Business Council Annual Award Dinner.

to pursue his master’s. He reconnected with CCS, though, in 2011 after completing that degree and learning he had a difficult path to teaching in the U.S. as an immigrant.

Cervi accepted a new CCS offer and has flourished since as a consultant in the faith-based, health and social service sectors.

“Capital campaigns, major gifts, other fundraising roles … all of that can be taught,” he said. “At Scranton, I learned to be a critical thinker, to write well, to communicate clearly and to get along with people, and those are the most important skills you can have as a fundraiser.”

He is now a CCS corporate vice president living in Queens, New York, with his wife, the former Caroline Frey ’09, DPT ’12, whom he met at Scranton. They are expecting a child this spring.

Carl Cervi ’11, G’11 • Political Science/History; Master’s in Education Corporate Vice President, CCS Fundraising Hometown: Dublin, Ireland Now resides in: Forest Hills, Queens, New York

From Scranton to Kollywood Most people have heard of Bollywood, the informally named, Bombay-based Hindi-language film industry in India, but many may not know of Kollywood, Mollywood and other Hollywood twists.

Kollywood is Tamil-language cinema from the Kodambakkam neighborhood in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and Mollywood is Malayalam language cinema from the southern state of Kerala. As managing partner of AP International, Sanjay Wadhwa is a veritable force in both.

er Secondary School, then Loyola College, where he earned a bachelor of commerce in 1986 before coming to Scranton to earn his finance MBA in 1987.

His fondest Scranton memories include moving video players and 16mm projectors around campus as an employee of the Media Resources Department, where he recalled spicing up his ordered-in Pappas pizza enough to prompt jokes about calling the fire brigade. Little did he know, he said, that he’d end up devoting his life to media, building on this early work experience.

AP International, which caters to home entertainment, is the family business that launched Wadhwa’s career. For more than 32 years, he has grown the company into one of the largest exporters of Tamil films.

Academically, Sanjay bonded quickly with Professors Riaz Hussain and Satyajit Ghosh and launched a still-current friendship with classmate Viren Mayani G’88, who calls him a “bright scholar” and a “gentleman,” and recalled that “the comedy of life” reunited them decades after they earned their MBAs. Besides Mayani, his Scranton network includes Niral Shah G’88, Ajay Kaul G’88, Sanjay Shah G’87, Sanjeev Patel (Sanjiv) G’87, Francis D’Souza G’89 and Sharad Kumar G’88.

“My family has been financing films since 1960, and when I came back in 1987, I wanted to do something different,” Wadhwa said. “As a student in the U.S., I saw a huge yearning for movies by the Indian community, and I decided to get into the distribution of films outside India.”

Wadhwa is a member of The Chennai Angels, who provide funding to innovative entrepreneurs, and is only the second Indian to become a global board member for the Alexandria, Virginia-based Entrepreneurs Organization in its 30year history.

AP specializes in South Indian films and operates one of the largest channels on YouTube for South Indian content, with 7 million-plus subscribers.

He and his wife, Vrinda, have two children.

Wadhwa, who associates now call “an astute businessman,” and “the most gracious host you will ever come across,” was educated in Chennai, India, at Don Bosco Matriculation High-

Sanjay Wadhwa G’87 • MBA Owner, Managing Partner, AP International Hometown: Chennai, India Now resides in: Chennai, India

Jarman Alqahtani, MHA, ATP, a family medicine consultant and health care administrator, answers questions about how Scranton helped him innovate in Riyadh. Visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

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Health Humanities

Ignatian Humanities

Local Humanities

Slattery Center for Humanities

Digital Humanities

Global Humanities

Business Humanities

Environmental Humanities

The Human Arts

Humanities in Action

The Humanities and Citizenship The new Slattery Center has laid out nine themes to ensure the University community can explore the possibilities of the humanities.

The Slattery Center for Humanities opens up a new avenue for the exchange of ideas on campus.

With renovations underway, an old Victorian mansion on campus is becoming a new center for intellectual exchange at Scranton. The building is home to the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities, which launched the Humanities in Action Lecture Series in the fall.

University President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., announced plans for the Center at his inauguration in 2018, reminding the community that the University’s Jesuit order developed the curriculum based on a belief in the power of the humanities for all students.

“How do we go about equipping our students to live lives that are sources for hope?” asked Fr. Pilarz at his inauguration.

“At Scranton, the humanities and the liberal arts are the heart of the matter and must always remain so.”

Leading the Center’s efforts, and working to fulfill the vision of Fr. Pilarz, and Gail and Francis Slattery, is its executive director, Gregory Jordan, J.D. The writer, teacher and film producer, who joined the University in the fall and has since been collaborating with faculty members and deans across campus to infuse the humanities into courses and programs, is over30

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seeing construction, developing programs and establishing short- and long-term goals for the Center.

“Our president and our provost, our board and our donors are doubling down on the humanities at the same time many universities are closing shop on them. We intend the Slattery Center to be not some high tower endeavor, but a vital venue that will trade in the gritty stuff of personal and professional aspiration,” said Jordan in his opening remarks at the launch of the Humanities in Action Lecture Series.

The Center, named after the parents of benefactor and current University Trustee James M. Slattery ’86 and his wife, Betsy, will serve as a national model for humanities in action.

“It struck Betsy and me that places like Scranton are special because they are Jesuit and, as such, the humanities need to be lived and promoted and not merely viewed as a checkbox on a curriculum. Because, in reality, as a working-class undergrad, my experience in these classes opened up ideas, worlds and possibilities to me that I had not before imagined,” said James Slattery at the dedication of the Center in 2019.

“At Scranton, the humanities and the liberal arts are the heart of the matter and must always remain so.”

— University President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.

Lectures and Fellowships The Humanities in Action Lecture Series was launched in November with a talk by Denis McDonough, former chief of staff to President Obama and current senior principal at the Markle Foundation and chair of its Rework America Task Force.

“This lecture series is the most emblematic symbol of what we’re trying to achieve for inter-curricular, cross-departmental and cross-school thinking and training,” said Jordan. This spring, Justin Smith, the CEO of Bloomberg Media, and Cathy Gorman, the COO of Children’s National Medical Center, will continue the series’ tradition of discussing how the humanities enrich diverse careers.

The newly inaugurated Sondra H’87 and Morey Myers H’12 Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in the Humanities and Civic Engagement will be housed in the Center and will help to advance the University’s efforts to bring renowned scholars, artists and thinkers to Scranton to share their work and foster cultural and civic dialogue. Sondra Myers is senior fellow for International, Civic and Cultural Projects and director of the Schemel Forum at Scranton.

Other faculty and student fellows will be sponsored by the Center this fall, including at least one faculty fellow who does not teach in a humanities discipline, ensuring a cross-pollination of ideas. In addition to fellowships and the Center’s hallmark speaker series, there is also program development with a special emphasis on students.

“Students will be the lifeblood of this Center,” said Jordan.

“We’re here because of them, and their parents, and we’re here for them. They’ll bring a sense of curiosity and vigor and action and activity to the Center.”

Opportunities for student research and creative work in the humanities will abound, said Aiala Levy, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history, Latin American studies and women’s and gender studies, who helped establish the Undergraduate Awards in Humanistic Inquiry through the Humanities Initiative, a precursor to the Center. The executive committee of the Initiative is now the Faculty Executive Committee of the Center, and Dr. Levy is a member.

The faculty-led Humanities Forum brought several speakers, including Christina Rivera Garza, known as one of the

greatest contemporary Mexican authors, to the University this past fall.

A Communal Space Developing a physical space, a hub, for the study of the humanities was essential to Fr. Pilarz’s vision. McGowan House, previously a residence hall, is being transformed for this purpose and will soon have a café, lounge space and conference rooms for both casual and more formal discussions.

“Despite the declarations that online learning and the internet have transformed education,” said Jordan, “there’s still nothing like sitting around a table, particularly with food, and talking about ideas.”

The mansion gives the University community a new intellectual home, space and freedom to discuss ideas, plus pursue active and collaborative work or “humanities in action.”

The humanities are “living, breathing disciplines,” said Dr. Levy, who spent last year as a fellow at the Princeton Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism and the Humanities, working closely with Princeton undergraduate students on a digital and book project.

“Like lab and clinical research, undertaking research or creative work in the humanities is an active process,” she said.

“The humanities are also something you do!”

As a digital humanities historian, Levy said she is glad the Slattery Center will provide her and her students with a space to come together to research.

“I hope that student fellowships, combined with the construction of a digital humanities lab, will provide students with the time, training and technology necessary to conduct digitally grounded research,” she said.

No Boundaries While students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) majoring in the humanities will most definitely find a community here, as well as unparalleled opportunities to enrich their work and complement their studies, so will students throughout the Kania School of Management (KSOM) and the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS).

To continue reading Humanities in Action,turn to page 40.

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PROFILE: Archbishop Joseph Marino ’75

The Call of a Lifetime

An archbishop is called upon to lead the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, his other alma mater, only the second American to be assigned the post.

He’d gotten many calls during his career, several from the Vatican, that would change the course of his life. Still, this took him aback. Pope Francis was appointing him to the presidency of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, which trains the Holy See’s diplomats. The Academy meant a lot to Archbishop Joseph Marino ’75, as it was where he was trained, and he would be only the second American ever assigned to this post.

“It was a real surprise,” he said soon after the announcement was made public on Oct. 11, 2019. “I wasn’t aware that this was going to be proposed and given. It’s going to be a completely new type of work for me.”

Modest and soft-spoken, Archbishop Marino recently expressed his excitement about the new position, which he began at the start of the new year, after six years as apostolic nuncio to Malaysia and East Timor and apostolic delegate to Brunei. Pope Benedict XVI had named him first nuncio to Malaysia in 2013.

The call meant he would be going back to Italy. Italian is his most fluent language, after English, and his grandparents emigrated from Sicily long ago. This was all a comfort as he prepared for his new role, but the transition wouldn’t be easy. Experience had taught him that.

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From Birmingham to Scranton After high school in Birmingham, Alabama, the devout Catholic was sent to the Diocese of Scranton’s St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton, which closed its doors nearly 30 years later due to low enrollment. At the time, though, there were more than a hundred seminarians, a couple dozen of whom attended The University of Scranton. He hadn’t known what to expect at Scranton when he had arrived in 1971.

“You get used to the cold weather. That’s one thing you have to get used to,” said Archbishop Marino, laughing.

“When I saw it snow in May one year, I said ‘Oh! Where am I?’” Although most of his time was spent with his friends from the seminary, he got to know the other Scranton students at lunch and between classes. The University was “well-disciplined,” he said, and had a “wonderful spirit.”

“Scranton gave me a wonderful foundation for all that was going to happen in my life,” he said. “I look back on that and really appreciate what the community gave, the University, the church there, the seminary. It was really outstanding.”

PROFILE: Archbishop Joseph Marino ’75

After graduating with degrees in philosophy and psychology, he went to Rome to study theology and biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, a Jesuit University. He even had a stint volunteering for St. Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity.

He returned to Birmingham for several years as a newly ordained priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral and then went back to Rome in 1984 to obtain his doctorate in canon law and to prepare to become a Holy See diplomat at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Admission to the Academy is a high honor. Currently, there are only few dozen priests from all over the world, chosen by the Secretariat of State, enrolled.

Its alumni include five popes.

To the World Once a Holy See diplomat, Archbishop Marino was under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, or the pope.

From there, he was assigned to posts all over the world. In 20 years, he served in countries on four continents.

“All the assignments I’ve been given have been very satisfying and fulfilling in every way, each one a little different,” he said. “Philippines, Uruguay, Nigeria, Rome, London, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Timor-leste (East Timor), each one brings a little challenge to adapt to the culture. But once you get over that, you discover that we all have the same goals and aspirations in life.”

Connecting to the people in each country to which he has been assigned, he said, was one of the joys of his job.

Language is one barrier, he admitted, but he learns to adapt pretty quickly. Then, he said, it has been a big part of his job to listen.

“To be in dialogue with these different people in these different countries and representing the Vatican there, the Secretariat, the Apostolic Nunciature, and, in the last, as the nuncio himself, is incredible,” he said.

From 1997-2004, he served with the Vatican’s Secretariat of State in Rome. During this time, as an expert on the Balkans, he was sent by Pope John Paul II to Belgrade during the conflict in Kosovo to sit with Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. And, in March 2003, just one day before the Iraq War began, he accompanied Cardinal Pio Laghi on a mission of peace to Washington, D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush.

“The Cardinal was very clear about what the Holy Father

wished: to avoid war,” he said. “In both cases, they were clearly missions of peace, which is what the Holy Father wanted.”

Marino tends to play down his role in these high-profile meetings, but, he admits, as he was taking notes at each meeting, he was aware of the enormity of it all.

“It felt like you were witnessing history: to see the dynamic and the dialogue, what each side said,” he recalled.

A Return to Rome He was ordained archbishop in 2008 in Birmingham, which he considers his true home, and was appointed papal nuncio that year to serve in Bangladesh, a majority Muslim country. Later, as first nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Marino was in unchartered waters. He was tasked with setting up a new embassy.

“I worked closely with the government officials to secure the land and get the building done,” he said. “That was a big challenge, as I had to start from zero.”

The building was dedicated in 2017.

Archbishop Marino has “had an audience,” or a private meeting, with Pope Francis several times, including when he was nuncio in Malaysia.

“He’s always been very engaging and wanted to know, in this case, about the life of the church in Malaysia and Timor-leste. He’s always been encouraging,” he said. “I look forward to having an audience with him when I get to Rome, so he can get his ideas of what he expects for the future diplomats of the church. I’m sure he has ideas.”

He looks forward to training new diplomats in Rome.

“I will bring the experiences that I’ve had over the years — and I must say they’ve all been very positive — and share that with the students there,” he said.

Having recounted his story, the many countries in which he has served, the connections he has made with the world’s people, and the messages of peace and faith he has imparted, he said he is ready for what’s next.

“And now … a new page, a new chapter.”

MAIN: Archbishop Marino at St. Ignatius Church’s Parish Feast Day triduum, 2013, Malaysia. INSET: Archbishop Marino at the

Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy on Jan. 16, 2020 on the vigil of the Feast of St. Anthony, Abate, Patron Saint of the Academy.

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PROFILE: John Mohler ’73

Marathon Man At age 67, one alumnus finished 51 marathons, one in every state and Washington, D.C., while keeping his day job.

John Mohler ’73 crossed the finish line of his first half-marathon thinking, “I don’t think I could ever run another step — and I couldn’t fathom how anybody could turn around and run 13.1 more miles after that (a full marathon).”

Perhaps not the words you’d expect from a man who has gone on to run marathons in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. But if you ask Mohler, “It’s all about the journey.”

He entered his first 10-mile run on a challenge from a 34

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co-worker. “Our company was sponsoring the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in D.C., and she drove the van that picked up the people that couldn’t keep pace. I said, ‘I’m in, but you’re not going to be picking me up,’” Mohler recalled.

Accepting the Challenge A varsity cross country runner at Scranton, Mohler estimates that he hadn’t run more than five miles in a row for about 40 years when he accepted that challenge in 2009. He had been

PROFILE: John Mohler ’73

busy with his life in Baltimore: working as a CPA and auditor, raising his son and daughter with his wife, Cindy, and then being a devoted grandpa to their seven grandchildren. A few years of running 5Ks, 10Ks and half-marathons followed that first race, and then in October 2011, at age 59, Mohler decided to tackle the 50-states-plus-D.C. challenge.

Eight years later, in October 2019, Mohler reached his goal, a rare milestone even among the most dedicated runners. According to a recent survey by the 50 States Marathon Club, Mohler is one of about 1,500 people to do it.

Then, later in the month, he ran a “victory lap” celebratory race at the Marine Corps Marathon in Virginia, which was the first marathon he completed back in 2011. He ran the victory lap to raise money for Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, in honor of his grandson, Matthew, who has autism.

“I could not have imagined a better finish to my marathon journey than the Marine Corps Marathon. The race started in heavy rain that lasted for most of the race but finished in the sun — a strong parallel to your reward for persistence in enduring life’s challenges,” Mohler said after the final race. “My ultimate reward was having my grandson, Matthew — who hadn’t even been born at the start of my journey — cross the finish line with me.”

Running was a big part of Mohler’s experience as a Scranton undergraduate, both socially and as a varsity athlete.

“Our dorm ran 567 miles continuously over a weekend to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for continuous running,” he recalled. “I was very proud of running on the varsity team and would have had no interest in doing that first 10-miler without my involvement at Scranton.”

Five of his friends from Scranton were cheering from the sidelines during his victory lap at the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 27, 2019, including Bob Caffrey ’73. Back when they were students, Caffrey would join Mohler for five-mile runs around Lake Scranton, the reservoir near campus, and Caffrey said Mohler’s passion for running was evident.

Celebrating Life These days, Mohler runs with a motto he calls “Celebrate Life” in honor of family members and friends who have inspired him. He has run several of the 51 marathons in memory of a family friend killed in action in Afghanistan and a cousin lost to ALS,

as well as in honor of his late grandson, Joseph, who died shortly after birth.

“Every time you cross that finish line, you never take one of them for granted. The course profile differs on each course.

Weather gets into it; sometimes you have injuries. I’ve had plantar fasciitis, calf muscle pulls a week before a race — those have been tough, but it’s all about the journey,” said Mohler, who prefers to run without music and instead observes the scenery around him — whether it is the desert of New Mexico during the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon or the bald eagles along the Pacific Coast during the Prince of Wales Marathon.

“Once I committed to running marathons in all the states, the thought of failing was never an option for me.”

— John Mohler ’73

Running a marathon is a challenge of its own, but the varied weather and terrain in running these races across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., add to that challenge. Some of the more memorable locations for Mohler were the Maui Marathon, where it was already 80 degrees at the 6 a.m. start time and there was no shade on any part of the course, and the marathon he ran in Utah, where it was 15 degrees at the start and he said his hands went numb until mile 10, even with gloves on.

“Once I committed to running marathons in all the states, the thought of failing was never an option for me,” Mohler said.

“I FaceTime with my grandkids after each race, wearing my medal, and I don’t want to explain to them that it didn’t work out this time.”

Reaching his goal of running a marathon in all 50 states and D.C. doesn’t mean that Mohler is done with running. Now he wants to assist visually impaired runners with their own marathon goals as a guide runner. The sighted guide helps the visually impaired runner by describing the terrain of the course and helping them navigate potential obstacles.

“I thought running with blind runners would be a really cool thing to do, to run with purpose,” Mohler said. Though you might say that is the way he has been running all along.

Opposite page: Lake Placid Marathon, 2019. INSET: Mohler ran his “victory lap” in October 2019, crossing the finish line with his grandson, Matthew.

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PROFILE: Eileen Parinisi Dimond ’85

Meanwhile, she’s also the co-lead of a task force focused on research to address cardiotoxicity (harm to the heart), which develops in many cancer patients as a result of their treatments.

That work has resulted in Dimond receiving awards from both the Directors of the NCI and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NCI is one of the largest Institutes within the NIH, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I’m so blessed to do the work I do; I love it,” said Dimond, who lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband of 30 years, Leo, who was also Jesuit educated. “All these things I’ve been able to do throughout my career, one builds on the other. If there’s one thing I can ever say to other nurses, your experiences are never wasted. With each new experience, you bring what you learned with you.”

A Patient

Pioneering for Science As a member of Scranton’s first graduating class of nursing students, this alumna has charged ahead without a road map, encouraging her patients to take risks, too.

The word “trailblazer” gets thrown around a lot these days.

For Eileen Parinisi Dimond ’85, though, it actually fits.

In 1985, she was part of The University of Scranton’s first graduating class of nursing students. From there, she went on to a deeply rewarding career at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Rockville, Maryland, where she’s been an integral part of research teams responsible for numerous innovations in the treatment of the disease.

After many years on the treatment side of cancer care, Dimond now serves as a program director/nurse consultant in the NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention’s Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group. Here, she works on innovative, early phase clinical trials aimed at preventing cancers in women at risk, among them breast, ovarian, endometrial and cervical.

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For Dimond, a native of Scranton’s Tripp Park section, those experiences began at the University in 1981, when she joined the first-ever cohort of nursing students. Dimond’s interest in nursing came as a result of suffering from congenital hip dysplasia as a child.

“I had a lot of surgeries and was continually exposed to doctors, nurses and hospitals,” she said. “Because I was a patient, I gained an empathy that allowed me to be a better nurse.”

At Scranton, Dimond and her fellow students learned under the tutelage of a first-class team of nursing professors led by Rosellen Garrett, Ph.D., C.R.N.P. “Dr. Garrett was tough, but she had high integrity, and she really, really put together a fabulous program. We were cherished and well-taught,” Dimond said. “She would say to us, ‘We can’t teach you everything in this program, but we will teach you how to find out what you need to know.’ She taught us how to learn. And you know what, I never stopped learning.

I learn something every day from the brilliant people I work with at NCI, and that love of learning came from the University.”

Upon graduating with honors in 1985, Dimond kept her Jesuit ties strong by taking a job as a nurse at Georgetown University’s hospital in Washington, D.C. Her ultimate goal, though, was to work in the Clinical Center, the hospital of the NIH in Bethesda. However, when she first applied there, the Center wasn’t accepting new graduates. A few months later, though, the NIH called the home of her parents, Pete and Margi Parinisi.

“They said, ‘We are beginning a program for new graduated nurses, would Eileen like the job?’ And my mom, to her great

PROFILE: Eileen Parinisi Dimond ’85

credit, said, ‘Well, you’ll have to talk to her,’” recalled Dimond, the 1995 recipient of the University’s Superior Achievement in Nursing Award. “That call would set the course for my incredible career in public service.”

Dimond happily accepted the offer and again became a pioneer of sorts as part of the NCI’s first Cancer Nurse Training Program. From then on, she said, “I never looked back; I loved oncology (cancer) nursing.”

Within the NCI’s inpatient research program in the NIH Clinical Center, Dimond spent her early years treating medical oncology, bone marrow transplant and HIV/AIDS patients.

Advancing Science Eventually, Dimond earned her master’s degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore while continuing to work in myriad positions at the NCI. As a clinical nurse specialist in oncology, she mentored and taught other nurses, and was recognized as the NIH Clinical Center’s “Distinguished Nurse.” In addition, she worked with the initial families tested for genetic mutations indicating high risks of cancer and was among the first health care providers anywhere to administer AZT to AIDS patients and Taxol to women with ovarian cancer.

“To be a part of these new treatments was amazing,” she said. “The word is thrown around too much, but the patients on our clinical trials truly are heroes. You have to be so courageous to say, ‘I’m going to try this research study, and even if it doesn’t benefit me, it could benefit someone else down the road.’ If they weren’t willing, we could never advance the science of cancer treatments and our understanding of this devastating disease.”

In recent years, Dimond has also worked with the NCI’s Office of Communication and Education, and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) where her efforts focused on supporting community cancer centers throughout the country involved in cancer research.

Dimond’s been a good spokesperson for the NIH, too.

About five years ago, she and two of her oncology nursing colleagues since the mid-’80s talked about their work with cancer patients on research studies at the NCI with StoryCorps, the well-known nonprofit dedicated to recording oral histories of everyday Americans. Their story is now in the Library of Congress.

Francis Collins, M.D., NIH director, was so impressed with the recording that he played it during an NIH Advisory Committee to the Director meeting. “He seemed proud of what we shared, conveying ‘This is the kind of dedicated staff we have at the NIH,’” said Dimond, still touched by Collins’ generosity of spirit.

Eileen Parinisi Dimond ‘85 stands with her daughter Grace at Grace’s graduation from James Madison University School of Nursing in May 2019. Eileen, at right, a “proud parent,” wears her Scranton nursing pin.

Besides her work, Dimond is deeply inspired by her three children, twins Michael and Maggie and daughter Grace, who has decided to follow her mother into the nursing profession and recently gained admittance to a top-flight New Graduate Nurse Residency program at Georgetown.

“I couldn’t be more proud as a parent,” Dimond said. She was only disappointed about the fact that she had lost her nursing pin from 1985 so wouldn’t be able to wear hers to Grace’s pinning. Dimond’s sister, Kathleen — also a Scranton alumna and “woman of faith and for others” according to Dimond — found a way to get her a replacement pin, so that she could wear it on graduation.

Dimond is also guided by her strong faith, which resulted in her returning to the University this past summer for the second annual Diocese of Scranton Catholic Women’s Conference.

Every time she returns, Dimond finds herself marveling at how much the campus has grown. What will never change, though, is her enduring appreciation for the education she received at Scranton and the life-changing work she’s been able to do as a result of it.

“I have a tremendous amount of gratitude because of the many blessings God has given me, including the education my parents gave me, the work I’ve done, and the perspective I’ve received,” she said. “When you work with people who have cancer or are at risk for cancer you get to know what really matters in life.”

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PROFILE:

Jim McNulty ’96

Finding Peace in The Upper Room After surviving a hostage situation, an alumnus founds a support group for people with PTSD.

“

I said more ‘Hail Marys’ on the floor of that lobby than you can count.

— Jim McNulty ’96

Survivor’s Guilt On the last Wednesday of each month, amidst the quiet hours of the evening twilight, there is a group that meets at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Parish Center in Rockville, Maryland.

Its members all have something in common, a physiological response to a traumatic experience that continues to affect them long after the experience itself has ended. The group is called The Upper Room, and it provides people struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with an oasis of support as they continue along their journeys of healing.

McNulty certainly never imagined he would live through such an experience during his Scranton days, when the Upper Darby native kept himself busy performing with the University Players and working on WUSR-FM and the then-fledgling Royal News Network. After graduating cum laude, McNulty began working for WYOU, where he began dating Amy Finnegan ’97, who would soon become Amy Finnegan McNulty. The couple moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where Jim continued to work in television news and Amy began working in government.

“That’s what we call it, a ‘journey of healing,’” said Jim McNulty ’96, the group’s founder and facilitator. “It’s not about the destination; we don’t know what the destination is, but it’s about walking this path together and asking Christ to light that path.”

Jim then transitioned from news into an award-winning career in entertainment television whose highlights include interviewing Morgan Freeman and “playing Duck-Duck-Goose with Honey Boo Boo.” Along the way, he and Amy settled in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with their two children, Colleen and Sean. Eventually, Jim founded his own boutique creative agency, Wurdsmith Creative LLC, and today he is the creative director for Gigawatt Group, a branding and advertising agency in Washington, D.C.

McNulty’s traumatic experience occurred on Sept. 1, 2010, when he and two others were taken hostage at the Discovery Channel’s Silver Spring, Maryland, headquarters by a gunman threatening to detonate an explosive device. After an intense standoff, McNulty escaped unharmed with his fellow hostages while police shot and killed the gunman.

“You never expect to know anybody that something like that happened to, let alone live through it yourself,” he said of the incident.

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On the day of the standoff, however, McNulty was working as a senior writer/producer for TLC, a subsidiary of Discovery Communications. Upon entering the Discovery Channel’s lobby, an armed gunman began shouting for him to get down on the ground, and McNulty suddenly realized he had been taken

PROFILE:

Jim McNulty ’96

hostage by an unhinged man screaming about the evils of overpopulation.

“I said more ‘Hail Marys’ on the floor of that lobby than you can count,” McNulty said. “At one point, I just kind of said, ‘OK, God, your will be done.’ I just kind of left it up to him, and in that moment, this peace came over me.

“The only way I can describe it is like a warm hug from behind, and on reflection, and in therapy, I have come to accept that the Holy Spirit really did answer my prayers that day.”

After the incident, McNulty struggled with symptoms of PTSD, including flashbacks and bouts of fear and anxiety. He also began experiencing intense feelings of survivor’s guilt each time he would hear of a mass shooting.

“I’m still here, they’re not — what am I supposed to do with that?” he said. “You feel very unworthy.”

An Epiphany During this time, McNulty received spiritual guidance from his parish priest, who introduced him to the writings of the Rev. Walter Ciszek, S.J., a Polish-American Jesuit from Shenandoah who described his own surrender to God’s will after a traumatic interrogation by his Soviet jailers during the years when he ministered to the people of the Soviet Union.

“He described the sensation of peace that I experienced on the floor of the lobby, and it was like this validation, like, ‘Oh my God, that was real,’” McNulty said.

After seeing a CNN feature on the disaster relief efforts of actor Rainn Wilson of “The Office” in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, McNulty had an epiphany: he could use his experiences with trauma to help others by founding a PTSD support group. He reached out to his parish priest, who agreed to let the group use the church’s facilities as a meeting place. When deciding on a name for the group, McNulty found inspiration in the scriptures surrounding the story of Easter and the “upper room” where the Apostles gathered before and after the crucifixion.

McNulty enjoys a day at the beach with his wife, Amy Finnegan McNulty ‘97, and their two children, Colleen and Sean.

resource for other trauma survivors, a place where they can continue to heal.

“My faith, for me, has been this external source of strength when my own strength failed me,” McNulty said. “I know I’m not strong enough to have gone through everything that I’ve gone through on my own; it was my faith that has sustained me through the event and through the recovery.”

For more information, visit theupperroomptsd.org.

“The Apostles themselves were traumatized by the crucifixion, and they went and hid,” he said. “It wasn’t until Christ appeared and said, ‘Peace be with you, receive the Holy Spirit’ that they went forward. So, the idea that formulated was let’s create a space where survivors can come together and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us to move forward to the next thing that God has planned for us.”

McNulty founded The Upper Room on the second anniversary of his ordeal. Since then, the group has served as a

McNulty speaks to a potential voter while campaigning for a seat on the City Council of Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 2017.

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Humanities in Action continued from page 31 “The core of the Center,” said Jordan, “is a place where the great schools of the University — CAS, PCPS, KSOM — get thrown into a mixer. It will combine the skillsets of critical thinking and empathy, which come from the humanities, with professional skillsets like accounting. It’s a place that seemingly disparate activities can realize how they need each other.

The student who is dexterous at both types of skills is a better professional, and arguably a better person.”

The Center has laid out nine themes, or touchpoints, so that faculty, students and even prospective students can explore the possibilities of the humanities, including digital humanities, local humanities, global humanities and the human arts.

“A number of humanities faculty are excited by the vision and leadership of Fr. Pilarz on this, which has pushed us to see the Center as something that can really extend beyond the boundaries of the five humanities departments on campus,” said the faculty director of the Center, Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., a philosophy professor who helped conceive of the Humanities Initiative.

Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of PCPS, also sees the value in more directly exposing students in the helping professions to the humanities.

“My hope for the graduates of PCPS is that they always are compassionate and morally ethical, and they move humanity forward as they embrace their vocation,” she said. “Because they think critically, they will accelerate the boundaries of their knowledge of evidence-based practice and research and serve the greater good across our planet.”

Business students, too, will be able to benefit from the Center, said Sam Beldona, Ph.D., the dean of KSOM. “The Slattery Center and its activities will be pivotal in ensuring the success of our business students,” he said. “Our KSOM graduates often attribute their success — in business and in their lives — to the lasting impact that humanities courses had on their critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills. With rapid change invading the world of work, the Center will help us ensure that our students will deftly navigate a rapidly changing world.”

“Ignatius gave us the phrase ‘contemplative in action,’” said Jordan, who has roots in Northeastern Pennsylvania. “From the very beginning, this founder wanted deep, profound thinkers to not just think but be active in the nitty gritty of life, of government, of business, of urban planning, of medicine. He said to go out into the world. This is not a monastic exercise. That’s the Ignatian mandate.”

Lectures will be open to the public, and a focus on community-based learning, plus special projects and research, will ensure that the Center will reach the local community and beyond.

“This is really just the beginning for boundless potential,” said Meyer, who sees promise in the development of the Center, which will have a “footprint that stretches far and wide.”

Students who “go out in the world” will come back with a broader experience and the ability to engage in more complex conversations. It is those results Jordan hopes will help parents more deeply appreciate the value of the humanities.

“It certainly takes a leap of faith for a parent to realize the value in a Shakespeare course or a course on contemporary fiction or a course on Nietzsche or a course on Aquinas. But as we try, very consciously, to be fiduciaries for them, we think we’re helping their investment see better results in many ways,” said Jordan. “For those who choose programs outside the humanities, they’ll be a better trader, a better nurse, a better architect, a better surgeon, a better mechanical engineer, a better electrical engineer, a better software engineer, if they have this complementary skillset.

“The humanities are not a guarantor of integrity or ethics, but reading what the great thinkers have written and watching what they’ve produced in a performance or hearing the music they’ve made, inevitably, I think, makes you tap deeper into your soul as a person.”

For information on how to make a contribution in support of the Slattery Center for Humanities please contact Eric Eckenrode, executive director of Development and Campus Partnerships, at 570.941.7719 or eric.eckenrode@scranton.edu.

The Nitty Gritty Staying true to the University’s Jesuit mission, grounded in the liberal arts, the Center will enhance the core role it plays in the formation of students to become “men and women for others.”

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To read a Q&A with Gregory Jordan, the Center’s executive director, learn more about the Center’s themes and see video of the inaugural Humanities in Action lecture, visit scranton.edu/ journalextras.

Class notes included in this edition were submitted prior to Dec. 10, 2019.

To submit your own news or see additional class notes, visit scranton.edu/classnotes.

Milestones Walter Barry ’59, West Brandywine, wrote A Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s, a new book about love, companionship and devotion.

It is a story about a couple joining hands and going the distance in a difficult fight against an insidious disease. The storyline is similar to what millions of caregivers endure every day, yet is very personal.

Francis X. O’Connor ’71, Susquehanna, was elected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2019. O’Connor has his law practice in Great Bend and is past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

ClassNotes

Names in Gold indicate alumnus/alumna is celebrating his/her reunion year.

ness General Burne and his wife, Robin, unveil the general’s official portrait. General Burne was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States government in duty of great responsibility. In 2014, he was nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate as the 17th Judge Advocate General, serving as the top-uniformed legal officer in the Air Force.

Archbishop Joseph S. Marino ’75, Birmingham, Alabama, was named president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome by Pope Francis. Marino is only the second U.S. prelate to head the Rome-based school, which was founded more than 300 years ago. Read his profile on page 32 of this magazine.

Thoughts While Waiting for a Heart Transplant. The book chronicles the ups and downs of O’Boyle’s healing journey, including dealing with loss and searching for a new purpose in life.

John Zangardi ’83, Potomac Falls, Virginia, former chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, has joined Leidos’ civil group as senior vice president of business initiatives and strategic partnerships. Zangardi brings to the role decades of federal information technology modernization experience to help the company’s civil group build up strategic relationships and technical core capabilities.

Edward Kowalewski ’84, Saratoga Springs, New York, recently joined the firm Hodgson Russ as a partner in their Saratoga office. Kowalewski’s practice involves commercial and contract law, construction law and litigation.

Joseph Sharp ’78, Bensalem, celebrated his 40th anniversary as an independent insurance broker in 2019. Sharp also achieved a longtime goal of having a novel published, Grasping at Shadows.

Lt. Gen. Christopher F. Burne, USAF (RET) ’80, Gettysburg, was honored by the United States Air Force by placing his portrait in the main corridor of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) School located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Nearly 200 officers and enlisted members, along with trustees of the JAG School Foundation, gathered to wit-

James R. Kunz ’81, Maine, New York, and his son Adam were awarded their master’s (4th Dan) belt in the martial art of Tang Soo Do.

Kate O’Boyle ’81, Melbourne, Florida, celebrated her fifth heart transplant anniversary in September 2019 and published a book, Waiting…568

Cynthia Cerio Mapstone, D.Min. ’87, Cazenovia, New York, completed her Doctor of Ministry Degree at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York, in May 2019. Mapstone currently serves as pastor of Congregational Care and Family Ministries at DeWitt Community Church in DeWitt, New York.

Jennifer Dominiquini ’93, Sugar Land, Texas, was named chief digital experience officer at TDECU, Houston’s largest credit union. Dominiquini will also oversee the contact center and lending in addition to all digital.

Joseph McComb D.O., MBA ’94, Newtown Square,

Members of the Class of 1976 gather at a New York Yankees game. From left: Art Lopez ’76, Mick Kuhn ’76, Bill Mizerak ’76 and Jeff Garibaldi ’76.

was recently appointed vice chair for quality and performance improvement and associate professor, department of anesthesiology, at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

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Class Notes

Milestones continued Hon. Kelly Carroll Gaughan ’95, Milford, has been sworn in as judge on the Pike County Court of Common Pleas.

Heather Rowan-Kenyon, Ph.D. ’95, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, published a book titled Technology and Engagement: Making Technology Work for First-Generation College Students, which won the 2018 Association for the Study of Higher Education Book of the Year Award.

Joseph Hart G’96, Mantua, New Jersey, and his wife, Lisa David-Hart, opened an art gallery at the Village on High in Millville, New Jersey. Joseph and Lisa have permanent brain injuries and have experienced strokes. The gallery displays Lisa’s beautiful paintings, plus other works of individuals with disabilities and veterans.

offers a variety of healthy options that change according to season. Keep Well supports local agriculture, as well as the environment, and purchases their ingredients from local farmers’ markets when possible.

Kathleen M. Zelno ’99, Valencia, California, executive vice president, Aeronautics at Lockheed Martin Corporation, was part of the ADP Special Programs Capture Team, which won a Nova Award in Aeronautics. The Nova Award is Lockheed Martin’s highest honor presented annually to individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions to the corporation’s mission and business objectives.

Philip Grieco ’00, Costa Mesa, California, was promoted to senior director of Brand Strategy and Consumer Insights at Monster Energy Company, based in Corona, California. Grieco has been with the company for almost two years.

Kelly Parent Huestis ’01, G’02, Frederick, Maryland, a physical therapy graduate, was elected as the Section on Women’s Health (APTA) secretary, effective 2020-23.

Nick McCann ’01, Swedesboro, New Jersey, received his Ph.D. in education with a concentration in mathematics and science education from Temple University.

Mary Wozny ’02, Delray Beach, Florida, studied avian and tropical ecology in the Amazon. Wozny, an education specialist at Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, is a graduate student of Miami University’s Global Field Program.

Jennifer Koehl, VMD ’04, State College, was elected to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association’s Board of Trustees in August 2019.

Jessica DiDonato Zazzera ’04, Park Ridge, New Jersey, has joined Energy Industry Innovator, 5, as an account manager.

Michael A. Malia ’97, Manasquan, New Jersey, a partner with Peri & Stewart, was installed as the 54th president of the New Jersey Defense Association, New Jersey’s Defense Voice, in June 2019. At the N.J.D.A.’s 53rd annual convention in Cape Cod in June 2019, Malia (middle), was installed as president, and John V. Mallon ’88 (right), a partner with Chasan Lamparello Mallon & Cappuzzo, was installed as president-elect.

Paul Ryan ’97, Chantilly, Virginia, was promoted to senior tax manager at PBMares, LLP, a leading accounting and business-consulting firm.

Vincent Galko G’99, Roaring Brook, a senior vice president at Mercury Public Affairs, was recently appointed by the Pennsylvania Senate to serve as a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The commission is tasked with planning and executing the activities, financial responsibilities and celebrations commemorating the 250th birthday of the United States.

Jamie Heenan ’99, Scranton, opened the doors to her business, Keep Well, at the Scranton Public Market in the Marketplace at Steamtown on Oct. 5. Keep Well is a wellness bar which 42

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Joseph Bannon, M.D. ’83 is pictured with local students participating in the Abigail Geisinger Pre-Medical Clinical Experiences Program at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM). The program was designed to increase the chances for talented local students to gain acceptance to medical school and to remain in the region to care for their neighbors.

Bannon, a surgeon and clinical faculty member at GCSOM, created the program with Michelle Schumde, Ed.D., to provide some of the best and brightest local college students and aspiring physicians with a valuable clinical experience and to show them the latest in medical innovation and technology and some of what the Geisinger Health System has to offer at home. From left are Mahad Muhammad ’22, Mountaintop, Erin Miller, D.O. ’06, Schumde, Christina Carachilo ’22, Carbondale, Parita Ray ’21, Scranton, Kate Musto ’20, Pittston, Michael Kovalick, Dallas, and Dr. Bannon.

Class Notes Michael J. Archer, D.O. ’05, Manlius, New York, graduated from the thoracic surgery residency program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in July 2019. Archer has joined the faculty at SUNY-Upstate Medical University as an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery.

Erin Jennings Cody ’05, Vestal, New York, was selected as director of Harpur Edge at Binghamton University, SUNY. In that role, she will work to connect alumni and employers with more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the liberal arts and sciences each year

through high impact learning experiences while assisting them in deepening the edge they gain from their liberal arts and science degrees.

Samantha Fallon Kelly ’05, Red Bank, New Jersey, was named executive director of Atlantic Health System Neuroscience and Atlantic Neuroscience Institute. Kelly is responsible for aligning neuroscience services with Atlantic Health System’s mission and vision across all Atlantic Health System medical centers, ambulatory satellite centers, and its five comprehensive and primary stroke centers.

Meghan Reap ’08, Syracuse, New York, joined the firm of Barclay Damon as an associate.

Reap is a member of the Trusts & Estates practice area.

Peter Barrale, M.D. ’13, Shohola, earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine in May 2019 and is currently a resident in pediatrics at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.

Dylan Lang ’15, Roxbury, Massachusetts, was named a 2019 Rappaport Law & Public Policy Fellow at Boston College Law.

Five years ago, the Corcoran family started a tradition: playing football together on campus on Thanksgiving. Attached is a group shot from 2019, where they played on Founder’s Green. Pictured are Scranton graduates: Bill Corcoran ’64, John Corcoran ’84 (son of alumnus John J. Corcoran, M.D. ’57) and John Holmes ’82 (son of the late John J. Holmes, M.D. ’48).

Scranton alumni celebrate with John Mohler ’73 after the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

Mohler ran a marathon in every state, plus D.C., and this was his victory lap. From left: The Rev. William Kelley, S.J. ’73, Robert Caffrey ’73, Mohler, Bill Cossman ’73, Joe Vetter ’73 and Mike Awad ’73. Read more about Mohler on page 34 of this magazine.

More than 40 alumni represented their organizations while connecting with more than 400 students at the Gerard R. Roche Center for Career Development at The University of Scranton Fall 2019 Career Expo in the Byron Center Sept. 26. For information on ways to connect with current students, contact Chris Whitney G’06, director of the Gerard R. Roche Center for Career Development at The University of Scranton, at christina.whitney@scranton.edu.

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Class Notes

Marriages Christopher Kane ’86 to Josefina Hernandez Quinn Jennifer Fretts ’03 to W. Austin King Kristen Maresca ’09 to Joseph Sorbera ’08 Ryan Snyder ’11 to Tara Fleisher Diane Burke ’12 to Sean Grieb ’12

Jacqueline Eadie ’13 to Michael Giammarusco ’13 Eilish Huvane ’13 to Robby Granstrand ’13 Jacquelyn Tofani ’13 to Kevin Dermody ’13 Sasha-Lee Vos ’14 to Ryan Saraceni ’14 Jackie Cavanaugh ’15 to Joshua Ryan ’15

Christina Walsh ’15 to Nicholas Minissale, D.O. ’13, G’15 Kate Foley ’16 to Kyle Conklin ’16 Erica Boileau ’17 to Matthew Lasewicz ’17 Magdalyn Boga G’20 to James Vasky ’13, G’20

Magdalyn E. Boga G’20, adjunct faculty, history and assistant director, Performance Music, married James M. Vasky ’13, G’20, at a Mass celebrated by Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., University president, and concelebrated by the Rev. Rick Malloy, S.J. Several Scranton alumni, faculty members, staff members, and administrators attended, including, in alphabetical order, Christian S. Adonizio, M.D. ’92, Chris Andres, M.D. ’89, Lynn King Andres ’89, Gary Arvay ’90, Hal Baillie, Ph.D., Paula Baillie G’09, Matthew Barnett, Amy Bessoir, Cheryl Y. Boga, director of Peformance Music, Joe Casabona ’07, Erin Holman Casabona ’14, Christie Civil ’17, Diane Croom G’73, James Gamrat ’09, DPT ’12, Jessica Cranmer Gamrat ’15, Jody DeRitter, Ph.D., Michael Forsette ’12, Jeffrey Gingerich, Ph.D., George Gomez, Ph.D., Pamela Garcia Gomez, Wycliffe Gordon H’06, Lisa Guthrie Deabill ’97, Bob Hosko, D.D.S. ’79, Jeff Leas ’89, Blake Lucas ’15, G’16, Tom MacKinnon, Kathleen Madara ’11, Tom Parise ’96, G’04, Brendan Peterson G’17, Ilan Raschkovsky, Simone Oehler Santarsiero ’94, G’00, Eric Smith ’13, Wayne Smith, Geoff Speicher ’97, G’99, Kyle Swartz ’14, Linda Sweeney ’89, Dave Wenzel ’69, Anne Williams, Harrison Wolff ’13, G’21, Gerry Wren, Matt Wren ’11, Cindy Yevich ’84, Mike Yevich ’94, Gerry Zaboski ’87, G’95 and Maureen Zaboski ’85, G’94.

Matthew Lasewicz ’17 and Erica Boileau ’17 were married on July 20, 2019, surrounded by Scranton alumni Jaclyn Cunningham ’17, Mary Brennan ’17, Sarah Osmun ’17, Patricia (Dallas) Hanchak ’88, Danielle Geremia ’17, Megan Fleming ’17, Emily Frantzen ’17, Christine Lowe ’17, Jessica (Miller) Katzbeck ’92, Nicholas Hanchak Jr. ’86, Noel (Kramer) Gillard ’95, Patrick Gillard ’95, Christopher Kollar ’17, Jenna Stasko ’17, Matthew McGovern ’17, Michael Joyce ’17, Nicholas Hanchak Sr. ’72, Maureen Hanchak ’73, Kimberly (Hanchak) Lasewicz ’87 and Mark Lasewicz Sr. ’86.

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Kate Foley ’16 and Kyle Conklin ’16 tied the knot on May 25, 2019, at the Beaumont Inn in Dallas. The following alumni celebrated alongside Foley and Conklin: Mary Akourey ’17, Emily Apgar ’17, Nick Lorras ’16, Daniel Rice ’16, Andrew Brodowski ’16, Nick Ferantte ’16, Brittney Cammisa ’18, Katie Henkel ’16, Saralynne Brown ’16, Julia Bodgen ’16, Rae Hillery ’16, Victoria Scotton ’16, Mike Wine ’16, Cait DeFrehn ’16, Nick Wright ’16, Pat Manturi ’16, Louis Yorey ’14, Billy Shubeck ’14, Mark Molder ’15, Steph Homan ’16, Katie Mills-Dumm ’10, Jordyn Mastro ’16, Jess DeCraene ’16, Moriah Freitag ’16, Brittany Vizzo ’16, Noelle Brando ’16, Chelsea Hart ’16 and Sara Miraglia ’16.

Class Notes Jackie Cavanaugh ’15 and Joshua Ryan ’15 tied the knot on June 15, 2019, at the Abbie Holmes Estate in Cape May, New Jersey.

Ryan Snyder ’11 married Tara Fleisher in Nashville, Tennesssee. From left, Chris Mead ’11, Katie Mead ’11, Josh Soto ’12, Joe Ustynoski ’12, Annie Ustynoski, Tara (Fleisher) Snyder, Ryan Snyder ’11, Erin Baker, Andy Baker ’11, Jackie McLaughlin ’12 and Tom McLaughlin ’12.

Sasha-Lee Vos ’14 and Ryan Saraceni ’14 were married on May 10, 2019, with several University of Scranton alumni there to help celebrate.

Eilish Huvane ’13 and Robby Granstrand ’13 were married on Oct. 11, 2019, surrounded by their loved ones, including many of their lifelong University of Scranton friends and family.

Jacqueline Eadie ’13 and Michael Giammarusco ’13 were married on May 3, 2019, at Our Lady of Peace Church in North Brunswick, New Jersey, surrounded by family, friends and Scranton alumni.

On March, 30, 2019, Diane Burke ’12 and Sean Grieb ’12 celebrated their marriage at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston, New Jersey, surrounded by fellow Scranton alumni.

Pictured are Steven Scrivo ’12, Matthew Smeltzer ’12, Samantha Borys ’12, Annie Stewart ’12, Jennifer Villare ’12, Thomas Heintz ’12, William Abda ’74, Allison Carey ’12, Robert Abda ’12, Mark Wehrenberg ’12, Kerriann Latten ’12 and Matlina Keyes ’12.

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Class Notes Kevin P. Dermody ’13 and Jacquelyn A. Tofani ’13 were married on June 22, 2019, in North Wales. They were joined by family and friends, including more than 50 graduates from The University of Scranton. The Rev. Richard Malloy, S.J., formerly vice president and chaplain of The University of Scranton, married the couple at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church. Dermody is a third-generation graduate; his mother is Ellen Cummings Dermody ’84 and his grandparents are Thomas P. Cummings Sr. ‘52 and Marie E. Cummings G’79. Tofani is a second-generation graduate of The University of Scranton; her mother is Colleen (O’Hara) Tofani ’81. Pictured: The Rev. Richard Malloy, S.J., Dr. Greg Lynch ’78, Thomas P. Cummings, Jr. ’79, Pam (Schrum) Casperson ’80, Cindy Cummings ’81, Colleen (O’Hara) Tofani ’81, Pat Moran ’81, Karen (Wreath) Pinder ’81, Erika (Diesel) Lynch ’81, Paula (Kearney) Barrett ’81, Hon. Patrick Barrett ’81, Wilma (Archer) Moynihan ’81, Eileen (McIlheany) Gatti ’83, Ellen (Cummings) Dermody ’84, Hon. Patrick J. Cummings ’86, Dr. James F. Cummings ’88, Melissa (Karoly) Mussoline ’89, George Mussoline ’89, Carolyn (Smart) Farrington ’05, Lauren (Coheleach) Tofani ’07, Leah (Linebarger) Baker ’10, Brett Niehaus ’12, Matt Nealon ’12, Christopher Schanck ’12, Kelsey (Dempsey) McGrath ’13, Matt McGrath ’13, Keely McClatchy ’13, Catherine Appell ’13, Paul McCormick ’13, Aileen (McGonigle) McCormick ’13, Matthew Kane ’13, Andrew Fulton ’13, Daniel Donahue ’13, Julie Frey ’13, Katie (Smart) Mazmanian ’13, Kate (Lazorko) Hudak ’13, Oliver Strickland ’13, Christine (Ferrari) Strickland ’13, Michael Bucher ’13, Meredith Lubas ’13, Dr. Ed Stredney ’13, Sean Nealon ’14, Nicholas D’Andrea ’14, Michael Morris ’15, Jack Morris ’17 and Nicholas Cerminaro.

Kristen Maresca ’09 married Joseph Sorbera III ’08 on June 1 at the Madonna della Strada Chapel on campus. The Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., University president, celebrated the Mass. The Rev. Bernard McIlhenny, S.J., concelebrated. Diana Wortman’08 (twin sister of the groom), Kathryn Scala ’09, G’10, Francesca Caminiti ’09, G’10, and Beth Debaz ’09, G’10 served as bridesmaids. The couple was joined by their parents, Joseph and Elaine Maresca and Joseph (2018 President’s Medal recipient) and Diane Sorbera. Also in attendance were Tom MacKinnon, vice president for University Advancement, Matthew Tirella ’09, G’10 (cousin of the bride), Janine Saggese ’16 (cousin of the groom), Christopher Desch ’08, Amy Piacente-Desch ’08, Scott Gunst ’08, Andrew Tworischuk ’09, James Gamrat ’09, G’12, Casey Converse ’09, G’10, Jennifer Danei ’09, Sarah Hardy ’09, Colin Gibson ’09, John McCarthy ’09, Brian Tenazas ’09, Edwin Rodriguez ’09, Jessica Palmeri ’11, Mara Smith ’13 and Jessica Cranmer ’15.

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Class Notes

On May 25, 2019, many Scranton alumni from the Classes of 2013 and 2015 joined in celebrating the marriage of Nicholas Minissale, D.O. ’13, G’15 and Christina Walsh ’15 in Philadelphia.

Jennifer Fretts ’03 married W. Austin King.

Births & Adoptions A son, Owen Michael, to Andrew and Erin Elizabeth Jennings Cody ’01, Vestal, New York 1

1

2

3

4

A son, Michael Joseph, to Michael ’01 and Julie Quinn Husek ’03, Chalfont Twins, Austin David and Jane Edith, to Jim and Joy Oliver Herrick, Ph.D. ’02, Springfield, Virginia 2 A daughter, Molly Josephine, to Michael and Kara Armstrong McMorrow ’04, Northvale, New Jersey 3 A son, Patrick Holden, to Patrick ’06, G’16 and Nadia Gougeon Dunn ’05, G’06, G’17, Warwick 4 A son, Daniel Francis, to Daniel ’07 and Michelle Constantino Crowe ’07, Commack, New York 5

5

6

7

8 4

A daughter, Rosemary Margaret, to Arlen ’07 and Eileen Honan Stabbe ’07, North Haven, Connecticut 6 A daughter, Olivia Rose, to Paul ’09 and Rebecca Smith Biagioli ’13, Throop 7 A son, Everett Norris, to Kevin and Cate McKenna Furman ’09, Newtown Square 8 A son, Hank Joseph, to Rich Kaminski ’09 and Georgia Rose ’09, Montclair, New Jersey 9 A son, Gonzaga Alexander, to Siloé and Charlotte Brown Perez ’10, Glassboro, New Jersey 10

9

10

11

12

A son, Gavin John, to Michael and Kristina Russo Joyce ’12, DPT ’15, Midland Park, New Jersey A daughter, Natalie Elizabeth, to Alex’12, G’15 and Jennie Hofmann Rizzi ’12, G’15, Flemington, New Jersey 11 A son, Joseph Paul, to Sean and Maribeth Castaldi Baress ’13, G’14, Scranton 12

S PRING 2020

47

Class Notes

“May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Eternal rest grant unto them, Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”

In Memoriam Frank A. Cimini ’39, Dunmore Col. Paul F. Toolan, USA (RET) ’42, Gwynedd Valley John J. Holmes, M.D. ’48, Clarks Summit Stanley E. Kowalski ’49, Vestal, New York Donald J. Murphy ’49, Camp Hill Edward J. Thomas ’49, Holmdel, New Jersey David F. Hoeschele ’50, Boyertown James J. Balzano ’52, Easton Edward J. Brislin ’52, Orange, California John Krochta ’52, Ruskin, Florida Rudolph L. Lantelme ’52, New Windsor, New York Robert W. Munley Jr. ’52, Dalton Eugene Pronko ’52, Vienna, Virginia Nicholas J. Rossi ’52, Apalachin, New York Joseph Leonard, Ph.D. ’54, Gainesville, Virginia Hon. James J. Walsh ’55, Washington, D.C. Msgr. Francis J. Beeda ’56, Wilkes-Barre Dominic R. Scott ’56, Clarks Summit John J. Helring ’58, Clarks Summit Martin J. Kushmerick, M.D., Ph.D. ’58, Seattle, Washington

Robert C. MacGregor Sr. ’58, Scranton Roger W. Davies G’60, Binghamton, New York Sheldon Liberman ’60, Scranton Michael J. Melnick ’60, G’67, Scranton John B. Pryle ’60, Archbald William N. Seibert ’60, Bedford, Massachusetts Peter G. Loftus Sr. ’61, Waverly John P. Carroll ’62, Goldsboro, North Carolina Robert J. Gaudio G’62, Drums John Brier ’63, Spring Brook Township Earl A. McGeever ’63, Norcross, Georgia Paul J. Brazill ’64, Vestal, New York William J. Wright ’66, Covington Township Lt. Col. Everett R. Jenkins USA (RET) ’67, Orangeburg, South Carolina Jeremiah F. Munley ’69, G’76, Sturges David Clouser, D.D.S. ’70, Montoursville Edward J. Linnen G’70, Duryea William J. Lonstein ’70, Oak Hill, Virginia John J. Barrett Jr. ’73, Scranton Gayle Thorpe Baar G’74, Scranton

John M. Moxen, M.D. ’76, Clarks Summit John D. Cenera Jr. ’77, West Pittston Joseph Hessmiller ’78, Bethlehem William F. Jackson ’80, Olyphant Thomas E. Pocius, D.M.D. ’80, Scranton James Conlon ’81, Blakely Kathleen M. Schultz ’81, Wilkes-Barre Marilyn Lozinski Watkins ’81, Madison Township Michael P. Albano ’82, Washington Township Carl J. Vonden Steinen, Psy.D. ’82, Lafayette, New York Richard A. Ritts ’88, Mountaintop Louis “Sonny” Giordano ’91, Scranton Linda L. Biberman ’98, Las Vegas, Nevada Bruce T. Moore ’02, G’05, Scranton Elizabeth Tokarcsik-Heilers ’05, Blakeslee Matthew Fairbanks, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Philosophy Maurice I. Hart, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Chemistry Ileana Szymanski, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Philosophy

In Memoriam Friends & Family Richard Bourcier, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, father of Camille Bourcier McCreavy ’85, Jeanine Bourcier Holmlund ’85, Normand Bourcier ’89, G’91, Michelle Bourcier ’91 and Paul Bourcier ’92 Joseph and Gloria DeFrank, parents of Gina DeFrank Abbott ’89 Raymond W. Holland, father of MK Holland ’92, Lorraine Holland ’95 and Raymond Holland ’97 Eugene G. Kemmerer, RPh, husband of Kathleen M. Kemmerer G’88

Joan Ksiazek, sister of Michael P. Glinsky ’66 Donna Lewis, RN, sister of William George ’79, G’81 Catherine M. Lillie, mother of Raymond Lillie ’81 Dennis P. Lyons, father of Dennis J. Lyons ’83 Thomas Monaghan, father of Linda Monaghan ’89 Stefanie Neugebauer, mother of Doris Neugebauer ’79

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48

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

The Horse & The Jockey Alumni Couple Leads the Way for Future Students with Endowed Scholarship

The Estate Society

TH E UNIV ERSI T Y OF S CR A N TON

After 47 years of marriage, Don Broderick ’72, G’74 has come up with the perfect metaphor for his relationship with the love of his life, Rose Broderick ’76, G’80, G’89.

“Rose is the horse and I’m the jockey,” he said as they both laughed. “Patience is not her strongest virtue. When she commits to something, she is in 100 percent, and at a fast pace, and I’m like, ‘Whoa! Hold on a minute.’ You can’t have one without the other. If you don’t have the horse, you’re not going anywhere, and if you don’t have the jockey, you’ll burn out before you get a quarter of a mile.”

“I think we complement each other,” Rose said with a smile, “although you’re far more patient, I do admit.”

“That is true,” he said. “I admit that, also.”

If you’re ever lucky enough to break bread with the Brodericks, you’ll see that it’s an apt description. The South Abington Township residents, who first met at The University of Scranton, share the type of easygoing, finisheach-other’s-sentences vibe that current students might describe as “#couplegoals” on social media. Together, they are the proud parents of Stephen, who lives in Maryland with his fiancée, Anne, and Sara, who lives in London, England, with her husband, Jamie. And, like a horse and a jockey united in pursuit of a common goal, they have spent their lives serving the greater good of their community.

Rose, the president and CEO of Summit Peak Associates, a professional consulting practice serving nonprofit and for profit organizations in planning and development initiatives, spent decades as a health care executive at several institutions before founding the company in 2015, while Don recently retired after serving more than 40 years

as executive director of The Arc of NEPA, an organization that promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to go out and make a difference in the lives of other people,” said Rose, who has served on 30 nonprofit boards, including the Scranton Area Foundation, United Neighborhood Centers and the Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission.

“That’s basically my purpose in life, to give back.”

“We’re often in sync with each other,” said Don, who, in addition to serving with Rose as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Scranton, has also served on several nonprofit boards, including WVIA TV/FM, The Arc of Pa in Harrisburg, the Abington Community Library and the Pastoral Council of the Church of St. Gregory. “It makes you feel good when you do for others.”

While both Don and Rose credit Scranton with strengthening the strong moral foundation their parents and family members created during their formative years, Rose, in particular, feels indebted to the University and the Jesuit order for transforming her life. Growing up in a large family, she had been told that her family would not be able to afford to send her to college; after high school, however, she began working full-time for the University, which allowed her to attend classes for free.

“The Jesuits at the University put me through college,” she said. “They really, literally, changed my life because it opened up so many new opportunities for me.”

Seeking to provide others with those same opportunities, the Brodericks recently chose to establish an endowed scholarship at the University that will benefit future students struggling to find the resources to complete their degrees.

By ensuring that future generations of Scranton students will continue to work for a better world, “the horse and the jockey” will lead the way to a brighter future.

“It’s a nice way to pay it forward and do for someone what the Jesuits did for me,” Rose said.

For helpful planning tools, articles and spotlights on Estate Society members, please visit our website scranton.edu/plannedgiving.

For personalized illustrations or options, contact Carol Maculloch, director of Planned Giving, at carol.maculloch@scranton.edu or 570.941.7799.

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SAVE the DATE

2020

Council of Alumni Lawyers Philadelphia Mixer

March 11

Shamrockin’ Eve

March 13

University Preview Day & Alumni Legacy Family Reception

March 28

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Game

April 4

Day of Service

April 18

Scholarship Brunch

April 19

PBC Boston Event

April 30

5.06K

May 2

5.06: The University’s 6th Annual Day of Giving

May 6

Commencement Weekend

May 29-31

Class of 2020 Legacy Family Reception and Photo

May 30

50-Year Class Processional at Commencement

May 31

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Game

June 5

Reunion Weekend

June 12-14

Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner

June 22

PLAN TO JOIN US for these UPCOMING EVENTS

The University of Scranton • University Advancement • scranton.edu/advancement