The Scranton Journal, Spring 2023

Hostages

First Female to Receive Frank J. O’Hara Award, Belinda Juran, Esq. ’81 Improves Lives as Change Agent

Ashley L. Stampone ’10, G’11 Guides Accountants of Tomorrow to National-Level Success

Dr. Jennifer Janofsky ’95 Uncovers Significant History at American Revolution Battle Site

and Their Families Benefit from Alexandra Abboud Miller’s ’00 Public Service

EDITOR

Kristie G. Ceruti

DESIGNERS

Vikki Lawhon

Jason Thorne G’13

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Joseph Fitzhenry

Tom Salitsky

Stan M. Zygmunt ’84, G’95

ASSOCIATE WRITERS

Maura Sullivan Hill

Joshua McAuliffe

Caitlin E. West

ASSISTANT CLASS NOTES EDITOR

Margery Gleason

PHOTOGRAPHY

Timothy R. Dougherty

Christine Kozak

Byron Maldonado PRESIDENT

Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Gerald C. Zaboski ’87, G’95

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Robert W. Davis, Jr., Ed.D. ’03, G’10, MBA ’13

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Lori J. Nidoh ’80, G’89

DIRECTOR OF PRINTING & MAILING SERVICES

Valarie J. Clark ’12

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

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The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4615

Email: scrantonjournal@scranton.edu

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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.

© 2023 The University of Scranton

A Message from the President

Dear Friends:

Each year, countless rich traditions continue here at Scranton and they unite us as Royals. A few moments in time, though — marked by decades and even centuries — offer deeper opportunities for reflection and renewal.

In 2022, those included a conclusion and a beginning. In July, we joined Jesuit colleges and universities across the world to mark the close of “The Ignatian Year,” a celebration of the 500th anniversary of the transformation of St. Ignatius. A few months later in October, we commenced a year of events recognizing the 50th anniversary of coeducation on our Scranton campus.

This issue of The Scranton Journal discusses both of these observances, and in the process, shines a light on generations of women and their contributions to the University. We meet inspirational alumnae, community advocate Belinda Juran, Esq. ’81, officer in the Senior National Intelligence Service Alexandra Abboud Miller ’00, and public historian Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95

At the halfway point of “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story,” we hear from community partners about our roles as citizens in a democracy and our place in U.S. history. For example, Curtis Zunigha, Enrolled Member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians (Oklahoma) and co-founder/co-director of the Lenape Center in New York, visited campus in November to discuss the forced removal of the Lenape people from the Scranton area, and to advocate for their greater inclusion in the present and future of the region.

We move forward, bolstered in the knowledge that our Class of 2026 is the most diverse in the school’s history. And we look to the future through an optimistic lens, creating new pathways to innovation through in-demand advanced degrees.

Our magazine arrives in spring, the season of reawakening, which reminds us that monumental shifts can occur only when our minds and hearts are open and receptive. So consider the prayer of St. Ignatius, “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own.”

Please keep the University in your prayers and be assured of mine in return.

Yours Faithfully,

Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. President

Features 24

Celebrating Women

Our campus unites for ‘Year of Gratitude’ to commemorate 50 Years of Coeducation.

28

The Insider’s Guide to the ‘Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story’ Project

Hear from our community partners and University faculty at the center of the effort to reflect on Scranton’s place in U.S. history.

31 Graduate Education at Scranton: Taking It to the Next Level

How three advanced degrees and accelerated pathways represent an innovative new era of the University’s graduate education.

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.

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

34

Connecting with the Crowd

Hear the keynote lecture from Curtis Zunigha, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians (Oklahoma) and co-founder/co-director of the Lenape Center in New York.

Always Wanted to Visit an Archaeological Excavation Site?

View a photo gallery from Red Bank Battlefield featuring history professor Dr. Jennifer Janofsky

Graduate Education Expansion

Get more insights from students, faculty and administrators on the University’s ever-expanding portfolio of innovative, market-focused graduate programs.

PHOTOS VIDEO STORY

’95.

COVER: Photograph dated March 1972 of two University of Scranton students, James Leach ’73 (left) and Rosemary Broderick ’76. Images from this photo shoot were used to advertise the University’s adoption of coeducation using the tagline, “Their smiles mean the College of Arts and Sciences is now coed.”

Source: University of Scranton Photos and Documents

Read about the 50th Anniversary of Coeducation celebration on page 24.

On the Commons

Scranton Welcomes Diverse Class

This past fall, the University welcomed the most diverse class in the history of the school, with 285 members of its Class of 2026 identifying as students of color, representing nearly 27 percent of its incoming class. Scranton also welcomed its largest degree-seeking, graduate international student cohort in the last 15 years, with more than 60 new graduate degree-seeking international students. Incoming students included:

• More than 1,060 members in the undergraduate Class of 2026, one of the largest in Scranton’s history

• Nearly 50 transfer students

• Nearly 275 graduate students, both on-campus and online

Student from Ukraine Joins Royal Community

Eighteen-year-old Serhii Kuzmin Jr., from Kharkiv, Ukraine, arrived on the campus as a member of the Class of 2026.

A computer science major, Kuzmin completed his high school studies in Ukraine in 2021 and spent a gap year searching for a school in the United States to fulfill his dream of attending college in America. He found a fit to cultivate his love of philosophy grounded within a Catholic tradition at The University of Scranton.

Then, he was awakened by loud noises in the early morning hours of Feb. 24. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had begun and everything else stopped.

The undergraduate class, selected from a pool of more than 9,525 applicants, includes more than 30 percent identifying as first-generation college students.

In addition to the undergraduate Class of 2026, the University’s incoming graduate students represent several states and foreign countries, including the Czech Republic, India, Ethiopia, Ghana, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

Days, then weeks, passed with safety as the primary focus for he and his parents. They were able to secure documents verifying Serhii’s exemption from military service and other permissions needed to leave Ukraine. Then, they attained refugee status in Germany and made safe passage there.

With access to the internet and encouragement from his parents, Kuzmin renewed his plans to pursue his dream of attending college in the United States. He regained contact with Stacey Urgento, assistant director of graduate admissions at the University, who was able to confirm his admittance to Scranton’s Class of 2026 and that the University would be able to provide financial assistance to cover his education expenses.

Intelligent, self-motivated and resilient, Kuzmin continues to move forward with his life and his mission to tell others of the awful realities of the senseless destruction of the war in Ukraine. “I hope that by talking about how this war destroyed villages and towns, and killed, hurt and damaged the lives of so many people, maybe in the future, people will be more reasonable and peaceful and others will not have to go through what we experienced,” he said.

This past fall, The University welcomed the most diverse class in the history of the school.

Serhii Kuzmin Jr. ’26, from Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Learn more about Kuzmin’s journey at news.scranton.edu

Full stories are linked from the “On the Commons” section of The Scranton Journal website at journal.scranton.edu, or can be found at news.scranton.edu

University Celebrates Donning of the Stole Ceremony

Nearly 60 members of the University’s Class of 2022 participated in the school’s Donning of the Stole Ceremony that took place on campus in May as part of Scranton’s commencement activities. The annual ceremony, a student-led initiative, honors accomplishments of students from underrepresented identities who receive their undergraduate degrees.

The ceremony highlights success in overcoming the barri-

ers and obstacles faced by students from these groups, particularly students of color, in attaining a higher education.

More than 70 percent of Scranton’s Class of 2022 Stole recipients made the Dean’s List at Scranton. The students honored include a Fulbright scholar, outstanding academic and leadership achievement award recipients, future physicians, physical therapists, and engineers.

New Superior for Scranton Jesuit Community is Alumnus

University alumnus and former trustee, Rev. James F. Duffy, S.J., M.D.’88 will serve as the new superior for the Scranton Jesuit Community. His position became effective July 31. He replaced Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., who stepped down from that position, which he has held since 2015.

Father Duffy served as a trustee at his alma mater from 2007 to 2016. He received the University’s Frank J. O’Hara Distinguished Alumni award in 2013, which is the highest award bestowed jointly by the University and our Alumni Society.

A board-certified internist, Father Duffy earned his medical degree from Georgetown University in 1992. He served as an undersea medical officer for the U.S. Navy in Sardegna, Italy, onboard the USS Simon Lake (AS-33),

from 1993-1996. When he returned to the U.S. after four years of service, he entered the Society of Jesus as a novice in 1996 and was first missioned to complete his residency training in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital from 1998-2000. During his philosophy studies, he earned his master’s in health care ethics from Loyola University of Chicago and during his theological studies, he completed his M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.

Following ordination in 2006, Father Duffy served as associate dean of clinical education at Georgetown University School of Medicine from 2006 to 2016, before joining the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2017 in the same role.

Members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2022 who participated in the Donning of the Stole Ceremony.

Rev. James F. Duffy, S.J., M.D.’88, the new superior for the Scranton Jesuit Community.

On the

Students Exhibit Excellence at National Level Physics Major Awarded Highly Competitive $25,000 National Scholarship

Veronica Romanek’s interests are as vast as the universe.

A member of the University’s Class of 2023, she is a double major in physics and Spanish and participates in Scranton’s undergraduate Honors Program. She has presented her physics research project at several conferences, including those hosted by the American Geophysical Union, CEDAR, HamSCI, SARA, the National Science Foundation, and others. As part of another project, she built an atmospheric sensing device that was launched into space through NASA’s RockOn project.

Aside from physics, she is a certified Physical Fitness Zumba instructor and offers weekly Zumba classes on campus. She is also an active amateur (ham) radio operator, which helped her earn a highly competitive national Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) scholarship.

Romanek is among just 20 recipients of the $25,000 scholarship awarded for the 2022-2023 academic year by the ARRL National Association for Amateur Radio. Recipients must hold an amateur radio license and maintain an exceptional GPA in their coursework, in addition to demonstrating active ham radio participation and meeting other requirements.

After graduation, Romanek plans to pursue a Ph.D. in either plasma physics or astrophysics.

Scranton Cadets Earn Distinguished Military Status

Six members of The University of Scranton’s ROTC Class of 2023 have earned Distinguished Military Graduate status by the U.S. Army, which designates placement in the top 20 percent of Army ROTC graduates in the nation for this academic year. Their distinction is based on their placement in the Order of Merit List, which ranks graduating ROTC cadets from across the country. The designation requires a superior grade-point average, strong performance in the Army Combat Fitness Test, and proven experience as an exceptional leader in college ROTC training.

“These cadets represent the next generation of our military leaders. They are ambitious, talented, intelligent, and enthu-

siastic. The future of the U.S. Army is in good hands,” said Lt. Col. Jason Wenger, professor of military science who heads Scranton’s Army ROTC battalion.

One Scranton cadet, Emma Coar of Dunmore, placed No. 9 in the nation on the Order of Merit list.

Coar’s classmates who were also named as Distinguished Military Graduates are: Steven Gasperini, an international studies major from Denville, New Jersey; Sarah Kern, a nursing major from Monroe, New York; Declan Maurer, an accounting major and member of the University’s Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey; Josephine Middleton, a biology major from Sugarloaf, and Zachary Turnitza, a nursing major from Cumbola.

Students Named Sanofi Excellence in STEM Scholars

Five University of Scranton undergraduate students were selected as 2022 Sanofi US Excellence in STEM Scholars, which provided support for the students’ summer independent research projects.

The grant, which totaled $20,000, was received from Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical company that is involved in the research, development, marketing and manufacturing of various medicines and vaccines. Every year, Sanofi offers multiple grants to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that are working to advance participation in STEM fields.

Five University students were named 2022 Sanofi US Excellence in STEM Scholars. From left: James Russo ’23, Michael Quinnan ’23, Olivia Sander ’23 and Nathaniel Smith ’23. Angela Hudock ’23 was absent from photo.

Six members of The University’s ROTC Class of 2023 earned Distinguished Military Graduate status by the U.S. Army. First row, from left: Sarah Kern ’23, Josephine Middleton ’23, and Emma Coar ’23. Second row: Steven Gasperini ’23, Declan Maurer ’23, and Zachary Turnitza ’23.

Students Advance to Final Four in National Contest

Five students from The University’s Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Chapter were selected as one of the final-four teams for the national IMA Case Competition held in Austin, Texas in June.

Marissa Angelo ’22 of Dickson City; Matthew Earley ’23 of Perkasie; Andrew Faulkner ’23 of Randolph, New Jersey; Claudia Pitts ’22 of Scranton; and Russell Young ’22 of Charleston, South Carolina, presented in front of a live audience during the IMA Annual Meeting.

At the final four competition, the Scranton student team presented against three student teams from The University of Nevada — Las Vegas, with one of those being named the winner. Just for making it to the finals, the University team received a cash prize of $2,000 and their trip was sponsored by the IMA.

This is the first time that a student team from Scranton was selected to present at the annual meeting since the student

chapter’s inception in 2017. Ashley Stampone ’10, G’11, assistant professor of accounting, served as the faculty advisor for the final-four team and the student IMA chapter at the University.

Scranton Offers First Ph.D. Degree University Celebrates Closing of Ignatian Year

The University’s Board of Trustees approved the change of the doctoral business administration degree to a Ph.D. in Accounting degree, beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year. The curriculum and degree requirements will remain the same. This is the first Ph.D. degree to be offered at Scranton.

The business doctoral degree, which the University began in 2017 and graduated its first cohort of students in 2021, has already been internationally recognized when in 2019 the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) listed the program among the “Innovations and Best Practices in Canada, Latin America and the United States.”

“The doctoral program was developed in direct response to calls made by the Pathways Commission to transform experienced accounting professionals into exceptional academics and teachers capable of producing original-practice relevant research grounded in the ethical foundation of Scranton’s Jesuit identity,” said Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., C.P.A., C.M.A., professor and chair of the University’s Accounting Department and Ph.D. program director. Students currently enrolled in the program and students entering the program for fall 2023 will receive a Ph.D. degree.

The University joined Jesuit colleges and universities across the world to mark the close of “The Ignatian Year,” a year-long, worldwide celebration of the 500th anniversary of the transformation of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

Events included a Spirituality Luncheon presented by The Jesuit Center, and an ice cream social for faculty and staff hosted by Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president, and Daniel Cosacchi, Ph.D., vice president for Mission and Ministry.

The University lit its Class of 2020 gateway sign with a white cross and purple background the evenings of July 28 to July 31, the Feast Day of St. Ignatius, and the official closing date.

At the Institute of Management Accountants’ Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas shown, from left, are University students with Ashley Stampone ’10, G’11, case competition team faculty advisor and assistant professor of accounting at Scranton; and IMA Community Relations Associate, Julianna Napalit ’03.

PBC Dinner Exceeds Fundraising Goal

The University’s President’s Business Council (PBC) presented Patti Byrnes Clarke ’86, P’17,’19, global chief talent officer, Havas Group; and Tom O’Brien ’86, P’19, senior managing director, SumRidge Partners, a Raymond James company; with the President’s Medals at its 21st Annual Award Dinner on Sept. 29 at Gotham Hall in New York City. Proceeds from the gala, which raised more than $1.1 million, support the University’s Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund.

The President’s Medal recognizes individuals who have achieved excellence in their fields and demonstrated extraordinary compassion for others, representing lifetime achievements that reflect the University’s mission of Catholic and Jesuit excellence and service.

Through its past celebrations, the PBC has generated more

than $19 million for the University’s Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund. Class of 2023 Presidential Scholar Dominic Finan ’23, Malvern, a neuroscience, and philosophy double major in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, spoke at the award dinner on behalf of the Presidential Scholars.

“Collectively, the 18 of us (from the class of 2023) have 28 majors, 18 minors, and 5 concentrations. … These academic pursuits, research opportunities and moments of profound growth would not be possible without the contributions of everyone in this room. So, for that, I say thank you. Thank you for empowering our unique gifts, talents, and interests; and thank you, most importantly, for helping us call the University of Scranton our home. You have changed our lives, and our family’s lives, for the better,” said Finan.

University of Scranton Marks the Passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

The University of Scranton lit its four-story, Class of 2020 Gateway sign in memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Jan. 3, 4 and 5. The sign displayed a white cross with a gold background. White and gold are worn by the Pope during Christmas and Easter, symbolizing the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These colors are also worn during funerals because they symbolize life rather than mourning, according to an ABC News article about the meaning of the colors worn by the Pope.

“As a true pastor and scholar, his writings and teachings will continue to inspire theologians for generations to come. More than that, as a great pastoral leader, he called us all to a deeper relationship with God, one grounded in love and fidelity,” wrote Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., in a statement on the passing of Pope Benedict XVI.

Presidential Scholars of The University’s Class of 2023 attending the President Business Council’s 21st Annual Award Dinner at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Students Take on Project With Homeboy Industries

Jesuit values seamlessly permeate every aspect of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Only the Latin phrases like “cura personalis” or “magis,” so familiar with Scranton students, do not appear anywhere at their facilities or in their marketing materials. Members of the University’s Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program may help to change that.

The group of elite business students at Scranton have adopted a comprehensive set of projects involving branding, new revenue opportunities, and program replication for Homeboy as part of their Business Leadership Consulting Theory and Practice course taught by Douglas Boyle, D.B.A., professor and chair of the Accounting Department.

Two students along with Dr. Boyle and Ashley Stampone, D.B.A., assistant professor of accounting, visited Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles in September 2022 to begin the project. The students and faculty members met with Homeboy’s founder Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J., CEO Tom Vozzo and other key leaders at the nonprofit organization.

Robert McKeage, Ph.D., associate professor of management, marketing and entrepreneurship and long-time director of the Business Leadership Honors Program that bears his name, expects the project will take about two years to complete.

Scranton/Le Moyne Sign Memorandum of Understanding

The University and sister Jesuit school Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish new academic relationships and engage in other collaborative programs. Supplemental agreements create opportunities that each school can offer to new undergraduate students enrolling in the fall of 2023.

Under the innovative agreements, Scranton can enroll up to five qualified students for direct entry into Le Moyne’s Physician Assistant (PA) program after graduation, and Le Moyne can likewise enroll up to five qualified students with a guaranteed seat in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Scranton.

“The Memorandum of Understanding prudently leverages the existing resources and strengths of two sister Jesuit institu-

tions that share a common mission of Catholic higher education,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton.

The University of Scranton and Le Moyne College have signed over-arching memorandum of understanding. From left: James Hannan, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, Le Moyne College; Linda LeMura, Ph.D., president, Le Moyne College; Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., and Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president, The University of Scranton.

ABOVE: From left: Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries; McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program students Emma Boyle and Matthew Earley; Douglas Boyle, D.B.A., professor, and chair of the Accounting Department at Scranton; Tom Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries; and Ashley Stampone ’10, G’11, assistant professor of accounting at Scranton. INSET: University students outside the offices of Homeboy Industries in Boyle Heights with a mural that features the organization’s slogan, “Jobs not Jails.”

Scranton President Meets With Taiwanese Officials

Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., met earlier this year with the director-general and representatives of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York to discuss current and future programming opportunities.

The University has a long-standing relationship with TECO that began in 2010. Programming established through the University’s international partnership with the Education Division of TECO-New York and Taiwan Ministry of Education includes university-level faculty- and student-exchange programs with elite Jesuit universities in Taiwan, such as Fu Jen Catholic University.

Most recently, the University and Fu Jen Catholic University entered into an articulation agreement for a 4+1 MBA degree partnership. The agreement allows qualified students at Fu Jen Catholic University’s College of Management to take graduate-level courses at Fu Jen during their senior year, which will be recognized at The University of Scranton and allow the students to earn an MBA from Scranton in as little as one year after completing their bachelor’s degree at Fu Jen.

ADMINISTRATION CHANGES

Daniel Cosacchi, Ph.D., was named vice president for mission and ministry. He will also serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet. As vice president for mission and ministry, Cosacchi is responsible for articulating, enhancing and promoting the University’s Catholic and Jesuit identity across all constituencies. He previously served as assistant professor of religious studies at Marywood University and taught at Fairfield University.

Robert W. Davis Jr., Ed.D. ’03, G’10, MBA ’13, was named vice president for University advancement. Davis, who joined the University in 2006, previously served as the vice president for student life at Scranton and in other capacities, including as director of the University’s historic Pride, Passion, Promise Campaign. Prior to his tenure as vice president for student life, he served as interim vice president for development and alumni relations and as chief of staff in the President’s Office at Scranton.

Sarah Kenehan, Ph.D. ’02 has been named executive director of the University’s Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities. Previously, she served as a professor of philosophy at Marywood University.

Ryan Sheehan, J.D. was named executive director of the Jesuit Center. Sheehan joined The University of Scranton in 2012 as assistant director of The Jesuit Center. During his time at Scranton, he has led numerous retreats and seminars for staff and faculty members to learn, experience, and explore Ignatian spirituality. Sheehan also serves as an adjunct professor in several departments at Scranton, including political science, philosophy, English and history. He served as interim executive director in 2017.

Read expanded and more University news at news.scranton.edu

From left, James K.J. Lee, director-general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York, and Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J.

University Racks Up More Top Rankings

The Princeton Review

• Included Scranton among its “Best Colleges” for the past 21 years

• Named the Kania School of Management one of the “Best Business Schools” for 17 consecutive years.

• Recognized the University as a “Top Green College” for its commitment to sustainability

• No. 7 in the country for “Best Science Lab Facilities”

• No. 25 “Best Campus Food”

U.S. News & World Report

• No. 5 among “Best Regional Universities in the North”

• No. 6 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching”

• “Best Undergraduate Programs” in Accounting, Engineering, Computer Science, Nursing

Other Notable Rankings

• Washington Monthly ranked Scranton among top master’s universities in the nation for its contribution to the public good.

• Money Magazine included Scranton among the “Best Colleges in America Ranked by Value.”

• Named among the Top 7 percent of colleges in the U.S. for “ROI of a college degree” by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

• Named a “Top College” by The Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education and Forbes

For the complete list of University rankings and other recognition, visit scranton.edu/pointsofpride

Welcome, New Members of the Board of Trustees

The following seven members of the Board of Trustees, including four alumni, began their tenure in 2022:

William Canny ’77

• Executive director of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) with more than 30 years of service to the Catholic Church and to refugees and migrants

Joseph Collins ’90

• Vice president, Medical Intelligence, Patient Insights and Solutions at Astellas Pharmaceuticals, a global Life Sciences organization

Matthew Cooper, M.D. ’90

• Chief of the Division of Transplantation in the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Director of the Joint Solid Organ Transplantation Program at Froedtert Health and Children’s Wisconsin and the Mark B. Adams Chair in Transplant Surgery

Lisa DeNaples, D.M.D.

• Owner and managing trustee at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, a premier resort in the Poconos

Rev. Keith Maczkiewicz, S.J.

• Director of campus ministry and university Chaplain at Fairfield University, where he has served since July 2021

Mary Collins, Ph.D.

• Associate provost and resident Chaplain at Le Moyne College with 40 years in Jesuit Catholic higher education

For full bios of all University of Scranton trustees, including those newly appointed, visit scranton.edu/trustees

Rev. Adam Rosinski, S.J. ’07

• Current Socius and assistant director of novices at the St. Andrew Hall Jesuit Novitiate in Syracuse, New York

ONE-ON-ONE with Assistant Professor in the Accounting Department

Ashley L. Stampone ’10, G’11

Professor Ashley Stampone is a Royal through and through. She earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from the University’s Kania School of Management. Then, after five years in the field, she returned to guide the next generation of accountants in the classroom and through the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Chapter.

In the business world, Stampone amassed experience with a global manufacturer, a leading producer of salt, one of the nation’s top 25 accounting firms, and, most recently, multinational-retailer QVC.

She talks with The Scranton Journal about leveraging insight from her time in public accounting and private industry to help students understand concepts critical to their future careers. She explains how institutional membership at the national level benefits students and all the ways they make her proud.

How has your role at the University evolved, and what does it encompass today?

I started at the University as a faculty specialist in the fall of 2016 and, since then, have transitioned to an assistant professor role. I serve as the faculty adviser to the IMA Student Chapter, director of the on-campus MBA, and on a variety of University committees. I teach courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level, including those within the [Kania School of Management’s] Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program and the Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program. As the on-campus MBA director, I have the pleasure to interact with and advise our domestic and international graduate students. I also oversee graduate assistants within the business school.

Prior to joining the University faculty in 2016, you worked for businesses with global footprints, including QVC Inc., Bridon American Corp., International Salt Co. and ParenteBeard LLC. How does that experience inform what you do?

The accounting industry is continuously changing! Whether it is an update to an accounting pronouncement, a new required disclosure, new technology or new framework, the day-to-day tasks of what students will experience right after graduation will not be the same as they progress through their career. I help students develop the skills they need to be successful once they graduate, but also try to instill in them the ability to be adaptable and accepting of change.

The University’s IMA student chapter has been recognized as one of the top five in the country. What have your students gained through that organization?

Since its inception in 2017, our student chapter has attained gold-level achievement for four years, and in three of those years we have received the IMA Award of Excellence. Last year, one of our teams made it to the finals in the IMA Case Competition, where students were able to present in front of a live audience at the annual meeting in Austin, Texas. Three students were chosen for the highly selective “Jimmie Smith” Leadership Experience, in which only five students worldwide are selected to participate in the IMA governance process. Also, many of our members have been selected for academic scholarships.

I am so proud of our members for all they have achieved, and of past and current student officers for their leadership and commitment. They organized valuable meetings and events for our student members, especially during the pandemic when we needed to pivot to a virtual format.

You have received numerous honors over the last few years, including the 2019 Faculty Leadership Award from the IMA, the University’s Kania School of Management Professor of the Year award in 2020 and 2021, the 2021 Ursel K. Albers IMA Campus Advocate of the Year Award, and the 2021 Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Young Leaders Award. You also were recognized among the

Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Top 20 Under 40 in 2022. What do you think makes you stand out to those groups?

Overall, it was a humbling experience to receive these recognitions from the students, the professional organizations (IMA and PICPA), and the community. I truly enjoy teaching and helping students understand critical accounting concepts, and I believe that excitement and care for their academic and professional goals translates to the classroom. Students know that they can stop by my office or email with any questions regarding class material, job or internship opportunities or the accounting field in general.

In 1972, The University of Scranton began accepting women into undergraduate education as full-time students. As an alum, what does that milestone mean to you?

Given the amount of very successful alumni from the University who are women, it is crazy to believe that it has only been 50 years! It shows that when the opportunity is available for women to succeed, we will. It gives me a great amount of pride to have a Scranton education and to be able to fulfill my career aspirations at an institution that has given me so much.

I remember reading a previous Scranton Journal article about Rose Marie (Rosie) Loven Bukics (also an accountant and in academia!) in which she shared her experiences from one of the first graduating classes. I was not surprised to read that the business school faculty created a learning environment that was challenging, but also caring and supportive. My views mirror that sentiment about the culture: It’s a place where the education is unsurpassed, and the faculty want to see the students succeed to the best of their abilities.

As a professor, what do you enjoy about being able to mentor other women and seeing them carry on that legacy of coeducation at the University?

There is no more rewarding feeling than seeing your students succeed. In my short time back at the University, I have had the pleasure of working with many female student leaders on campus who have been role models to undergraduates and are now doing a phenomenal job in industry. They are the product of that legacy. Their success knows no bounds.

I help students develop the skills they need to be successful once they graduate, but also try to instill in them the ability to be adaptable and accepting of change.

— Ashley L. Stampone ’10, G’11

Focus on Faculty

Margarete L. Zalon, Ph.D., Receives Earl Award

Margarete L. Zalon, Ph.D., professor of nursing, received the John L. Earl III Award for service to the University, the faculty, and the wider community. The 2022 John L. Earl III Award was presented at the Fall Convocation on Sept. 2. 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 from 1964 to 1996.

During her more than three decades of service at the University, Dr. Zalon has served on numerous committees,

including in leadership roles on the Faculty Senate and FAC. As director of the online Master of Science in Health Informatics Program, Dr. Zalon has played a pivotal role in the program’s success. In 2021, the graduate program received accreditation from the prestigious Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Dr. Zalon, who has been a member of Scranton’s faculty since 1988, was inducted as an American Academy of Nursing Fellow in 2010 in part for her positive influence on health care policy and delivery. Her research focuses on vulnerable elders.

Professor Uses Fulbright to Promote Occupational Justice

Michael Bermudez, Ed.D., assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University, will research “Educational Technology for Inclusive Learning in Uganda” through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Through the Fulbright research and teaching award to Uganda for 2022-2023, he will spend six months

Professor Awarded Six-figure NSF Grant

Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering at The University, was awarded a $399,211 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to support a collaborative research project, “Measuring Daily Ionospheric Variability and the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse Ionospheric Impacts Using HamSCI HF Doppler Shift Receivers.”

with faculty of the Special Needs and Rehabilitation Department at Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda.

Dr. Bermudez, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 2019, will study perceptions of college students regarding the use of educational technology before and after introducing student learning experiences with 3-D Printer and simple circuit technologies.

An annular solar eclipse will take place on Oct. 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse will take place on April 8, 2024. “These are the last solar eclipses to traverse the continental United States until 2044, and are therefore important, time-sensitive, information rich opportunities for running unique and ‘controlled’ ionospheric experiments,” said Dr. Frissell, who joined the faculty at Scranton in the fall of 2019.

Shown at Fall Convocation, from left, are: Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Panuska College of Professional Studies; Jacqueline Earl Hurst daughter of the late John Earl; Dr. Zalon, John L. Earl III Award recipient; Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president; and Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Professor Among Those Interviewed by BBC World News

University Political Science Professor Jean Harris, Ph.D., was among those interviewed by BBC World News America anchor Laura Trevelyan during BBC World News coverage of the U.S. midterm elections.

The team from BBC’s Washington, D.C., Bureau included Scranton alumnus Ted Tait ’86, chief engineer for BBC. They broadcasted live interviews and reports throughout the day on Oct. 31 from the balcony of the Rose Room of Brennan Hall.

Professors Study Impact of Social Network on Health

Dr. Cyrus P. Olsen III, D.Phil., associate professor of theology and religious studies at The University, is part of an inter-disciplinary team of professors from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School awarded a Templeton Foundation Grant. The multi-year grant in the amount of $500,000 funds

Research Shows Shape Matters at Nano Level

Research by John Deák, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry at The University, published in the Journal of Molecular Liquids shows that commonly used assumptions of the shape of a microscopic structure at a certain scale range were incorrect.

Understanding how structures interact at the microscopic and even molecular scales has been studied for decades, with applications developed for numerous products ranging from pharmaceuticals and medical

research on how “social networks” among Ugandans includes one’s ancestors and may influence health-seeking behavior in the context of brain health.

Through the 2022-2025 period of the research study, they will collect and analyze empirical data on patient behavior and social connections of 50 participants in Uganda to determine the various ways that “social networks” impact treatment-seeking actions.

treatments to dry cleaning. In researching nanostructure interactions, certain approximations of structural properties that could not be precisely measured were commonly used.

“The research finding means a lot of textbooks will have to be updated,” joked Dr. Deák of the significance of his research, which will lead to more precise calculations of nano-level interactions that can be applied to drug delivery systems and other life-saving, or life-changing, applications.

Dr. Deák worked on this project for five years and has been a faculty member at Scranton since 2002.

Intersession Grants Awarded for January 2023

Four University of Scranton faculty members received faculty development intersession grants for 2023.

• Gerard Dumancas, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, received a grant to research “A facile, convenient, and affordable method to determine the authenticity of liquid chicken egg whites.”

• Christopher Hauser, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, received a grant to research “Aristotle’s Epistemology of Essence.”

• Adam Pratt, Ph.D., associate professor of history, received a grant to research “The Noble and Indefatigable Auxiliary of the Republican Party: The Wide-Awake in Pennsylvania.”

• Brian Snee, Ph.D., ’93, associate professor of communications and media, received a grant to research “The Scene of the Crime: Rhetorical Silences in Fetterman’s Gun Violence.”

Jean Harris, Ph.D., shown, left, with BBC World News America anchor Laura Trevelyan, on the balcony of the Rose Room of Brennan Hall.

Alumni News

2022

Together Again at Last

In June, alumni from all class years were given the opportunity to return to the University to celebrate Reunion 2022, the first full-scale gathering to bring Royals “together again at last” in person since 2019. See more pictures from the event at Scranton.edu/alumni

Members of the Class of 1972 gather for a photo after receiving their 50-Year Reunion Medals during Reunion Weekend 2022.

Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, J.D., J.C.L. ’72 joins Kenny McGraw on piano to play a rendition of Stephen Schwartz’s “Day By Day” at the 50-Year Class Medal Reception at Reunion Weekend 2022.

Alumnae reminisce with Rev. Ronald H. McKinney, S.J., at Reunion Weekend 2022.

Members of the Class of 1997 gather for a photo at Reunion Weekend 2022.

Members of the Class of 2017 gather for a photo at Reunion Weekend 2022.

In Case You Missed It…

Enjoy these photos from a few of our signature alumni events

Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner Honors Tony Rice

In June, the University honored Tony Rice, Notre Dame legend and quarterback of the 1988 National Championship Team, with the 2022 Peter A. Carlesimo Award at the annual Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey. The event raised nearly $125,000 for Scranton Athletics.

The Class of 2026 Legacy Families Reception

In August, incoming first-year students of Scranton alumni gathered together with their families and Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, for the Class of 2026 Legacy Families Reception.

The Inaugural Alumni/ Student Golf Outing

In October, John Mullan ’88, Kyle Dunn ’24, Brendan O’Donoghue ’24 and Mark Familo ’87 won the inaugural Alumni/Student Golf Outing at Pine Hills Country Club. Upon winning the outing, Dunn and O’Donoghue were presented with matching purple jackets symbolizing their victory.

The President’s Business Council 21st Annual Award Dinner

In late September, the President’s Business Council 21st Annual Award Dinner honored Patti Byrnes Clarke ’86, P’17, ’19, global chief talent officer, Havas Group, and Tom O’Brien ’86, P’19, senior managing director, SumRidge Partners, a Raymond James company, with the President’s Medal at New York City’s Gotham Hall. The gala welcomed 470 attendees and raised more than $1.1 million for the Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund. For more information, visit scranton.edu/pbcdinner.

Presidential Christmas Receptions

In December, alumni, parents and friends of the University in Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia celebrated the Christmas season with Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of the University.

From left, Edward R. Leahy ’68, H’01, Father Marina and James Dyer ’66 share a moment at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

From left, Hank Roeder ’65 and Matthew Cooper, M.D. ’90, P’19 celebrate the season together at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

From left, Taylor Roman ’21, Breanna Cole ’21, Father Marina and Jeffrey Colucci ’21 gather together for a second consecutive year at The New York Athletic Club.

From left, Patrick Haveron, CPA ’83, Mary Haveron, CPA ’85, Larry Lynch, CPA ’81, Keli Lynch, Tim Kacani ’87 and Karen Kacani ’88 enjoy a moment together at The New York Athletic Club.

From left, Joseph L. Sorbera III ’08, Kristen Sorbera ’09 and Matthew Tirella ’10, G’10 celebrate together at The Madison Hotel in Morristown, N.J. The reception was held in January because of inclement weather.

From left, Father Marina, Art Kania ’53, Angela Kania and Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., enjoy the festivities at The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia.

Several members of The Class of 2006 recently reunited with the class banner they signed at their Grad Finale in 2006 at the Philadelphia Presidential Christmas Reception at The Bellevue Hotel. They took the opportunity to mark the occasion by posing for a photo with the Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president. Front row, from left:

Caleb Knippenberg ’07, G’08, Dan Kottke ’06, Colin Hendsey ’06, Kevin Farrell ’06, Jason A. Shrive, Esq. ’06, Father Marina, John “Bud” Heppler ’06, David Ganley ’06, Michael J. Jenkins, Ph.D. ’06, and Michelle Jastrzemski Ganley ’06. Back row: Colin Flannery, D.P.M. ’06 and Drew Clancy ’06.

Athletics

Teams ‘Set the Standard’ With Fall Season

The University of Scranton student-athletes and the Athletic Department delivered another successful fall season, which included three Landmark Conference Championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances and an individual NCAA Championship qualifier.

This marks the second consecutive fall that the Royals have seen at least three teams advance to the NCAA Tournament after field hockey, volleyball and women’s soccer did so a year ago.

“I’m very proud of the way our student-athletes competed and represented us throughout the fall season. All of our fall teams provided us with exciting moments and memories! They have certainly set the standard for our winter and spring sports,” Executive Director of Athletics Dave Martin said.

For the Royals, the women’s soccer team advanced to a second straight Sweet 16 against Bowdoin College and Westfield State University, while the volleyball team earned a second consecutive at-large bid to NCAAs and notched the second tournament victory in program history with a 3-0 win over St. John Fisher University.

The men’s soccer program also advanced to the NCAA Tournament when they captured the Landmark title as the No. 4 seed via consecutive 1-0 shutout victories over Catholic University and Elizabethtown College.

Elsewhere in Landmark competition, it was a third consecutive conference title for the women’s soccer program, and they did so in dramatic fashion. The team scored game-winning goals in overtime of the semifinals against Catholic University, and with just 13 seconds left in the title game versus Drew University.

The women’s cross country team also won the second Landmark title in program history as they edged out Elizabethtown College by just one point. Graduate student Jessica Hoffmann became the third student-athlete in the history of the confer-

The women’s cross country team celebrates their Landmark Conference Championship title, the second in program history.

The volleyball team garnered a second consecutive at-large bid to NCAAs and notched the second tournament victory in program history.

The men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament when they captured the Landmark Conference Championship title.

ence to be named Performer of the Year on two different occasions.

Two weeks later, Hoffmann posted a second-place finish at NCAA Mideast Regionals to become the first two-time NCAA qualifier in women’s cross country program history. At the NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Mich., the Millington, New Jersey native earned All-American honors by virtue of a program-best 29th place finish, which was 13 spots ahead of her 42nd place finish in 2021.

University Midfielder Joins Team Poland for World Lacrosse Men’s U21 Championship

This past summer, senior midfielder Christopher Crapanzano, of The University of Scranton men’s lacrosse team, had the opportunity to play for Team Poland at the World Lacrosse Men’s U21 Championship.

Crapanzano’s mother was born in Poland, which present ed Crapanzano, a native of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with eligibility for dual citizenship, and the potential to represent the country at the Championship.

The tournament was hosted by Ireland Lacrosse at the Uni versity of Limerick from Aug. 10-20, 2022, and featured 23 teams that were split into five pools during the group stage of the tournament.

Team Poland finished in 21st place and notched a total of four victories, with two wins over Uganda, as well as victories over Kenya and Chinese Taipei.

“A couple of years back, I reached out to the Polish La crosse Federation and was able to attend a few of the local tournaments that they had in the United States with the local Heritage teams,” Crapanzano said. “It kind of took off from there, and I ended up playing on the U21 team this summer.”

Crapanzano scored five goals in the tournament over eight games and also registered 17 ground balls. He scored a hat trick in Poland’s 17-2 victory over Kenya during group play.

Though the primary focus of the trip was lacrosse, the senior Finance major also got the chance to explore the city of Limerick.

“I was able to travel throughout the city of Limerick, and see the main downtown area, as well as some of the historical castles,” Crapanzano said. “It was just unbelievable.”

Advancing to a second straight Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament gave the women’s soccer team reason to celebrate.

Prior to the tournament, Crapanzano had met only a few teammates, because most were native to Poland. He met the

Senior midfielder Christopher Crapanzano scored five goals over eight games playing for Team Poland at the World Lacrosse Men’s U21 Championship.

CELEBRATI NG WOMEN

50 YEARS of COEDUCATION

THEUNIVERSIT Y OF SCRANTON

Campus Unites for ‘Year of Gratitude’

At their regular business meeting on October 13, 1971, a group of changemakers signed a document formalizing University-wide admittance for women. Attending were University President Rev. Dexter Hanley, S.J., and trustees: the Rev. J.A. Panuska, S.J., and Mary Scranton, the Board’s first female trustee.

Fifty-one years to the date of that monumental decision, the University community gathered in the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room to begin what the event’s presenter Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., described from the podium as “a year of gratitude”: the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Coeducation.

As event emcee, Dr. Maldonado, the interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, offered a tribute to the women accepted into undergraduate education in 1972, and the others before them who put that change in motion:

“These celebrations matter. I’m very aware that I’m standing in front of you in this space because of these women, and because of this decision … it’s so important for us to remember that there are still women alive who created spaces for us that did not exist for them.”

“All of these good people are standing on the shoulders of giants,” said the 29th President of The University of Scranton Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J.

“In thinking about these remarks for today, I learned a lot about the history of women’s contributions to the life of the University long before the first undergraduate class.

• In 1938, women began to be admitted here, but only in the night school. During that same decade, the University began to hire women as adjunct instructors.

• In 1937, the original library hired … the first female librarian.

• In 1950, the master’s degree in education program included nine men, but also three women.

• In 1969, women were hired for full-time tenure track positions and their names should be known: Dr. Ellen Casey in English,

Terry McGlinchey in Theology, and Sister Alice Louise Davis in Education.

• In 1970, Mary Scranton became the first woman trustee.

“And so, we see the evolution of justice unfolding throughout the years.”

After initial conversations over the summer, a workgroup with representation from constituencies across the University was formed at the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

“The Coeducation 50th Anniversary Workgroup has been tasked with identifying ways for the University to honor and observe this important milestone in our history,” said Lauren Rivera, J.D., M.Ed., interim vice president Student Life and dean of students and event co-chair.

The Coeducation 50th Anniversary Workgroup Chairs

• Lauren Rivera, J.D., M.Ed., interim vice president Student Life and dean of students

• Elizabeth Garcia, J.D. executive director, Office of Equity and Diversity/special assistant to the president Committee Members

• Gerald Zaboski, senior vice president for the Office of the President

• Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., interim provost/senior vice president, Academic Affairs

• Frani Mancuso, assistant vice president, Annual Giving and Engagement

• Maryjane Rooney, director, Strategic Outreach/president’s events

• Sarah Kenehan, Ph.D., executive director, Center for Humanities

• Gerianne Barber, director, Counselor Training Center

• Brandice Ricciardi assistant director, Cultural Centers, Jane Kopas Women’s Center

• Susan L. Poulson, Ph.D., professor of history

• Marzia Caporale, Ph.D., professor of world language/culture

• Samantha Gurn ’22, G’23, student representative

• Mackenzie Longo ’23, student representative

Coeducation 50th Anniversary Events

Fall 2022

Thursday, Oct. 13

The University’s Class of 2020 Gateway illumination

To begin a yearlong 50th Anniversary Celebration of Coeducation, the University offered a tribute of light, illuminating the Class of 2020 Gateway to represent a milestone of change, and held an opening ceremony at the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Heritage Room.

Upcoming / Ongoing Events Details at news.scranton.edu

10.11.22 – 4.23.23

“Going Coeducational: Women on Campus 1923 –1972”

This exhibit at the Weinberg Memorial Library presents the history of women’s educational opportunities on campus starting with Nellie Brown, the first woman to take a class at what was then St. Thomas college in 1923, through women taking evening classes starting in the mid1930s, women being admitted to the new graduate school in 1950 and culminating in the University going fully coeducational in 1972. The exhibit is based on research conducted by Kathleen Reilly ’17 for her honors thesis “Girls at the “U”: A History of Coeducation at the University of Scranton.”

3.01.23 – 3.31.23

Women’s History Month programming

4.12.23

“50 Years of Coeducation” Alumni Panel

Standing On the Shoulders of Giants

Less than two decades after women achieved the right to vote, women established a presence at the University. Women were officially admitted into the evening college beginning in 1938, and to the graduate school since its inception in 1950. The first female reference librarian M. Dorothy Lynn, below, was welcomed in 1937, and the first faculty were hired for full-time tenure track positions in 1969.

“The 50th anniversary we celebrate is that of the University becoming fully coeducational. In 1972, women were admitted into what were then the two day-school undergraduate schools, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Management, [now the Kania School of Management],” said Frank X.J. Homer, Ph.D. ’64, professor emeritus of history, University historian and current adjunct professor in history. While recognizing this milestone, the University remembers and celebrates all of the women who came before

1937:

The library hired M. Dorothy Lynn, A.B. in Library Science as the University’s first female reference librarian.

Source: University of Scranton Yearbooks

1938:

Brother Denis Edward, then president, formally decided to admit women to the University’s evening programs, codifying a practice that had begun a few years before. The day school remains exclusively male. Source: Scranton Journal, Fall 2013

Evening School students (and siblings) James, Lucille, Jane, and Margaret Loftus, 1942

Source: University of Scranton News Clippings

1942:

Source: University of Scranton Photos and Documents 1950:

The graduate school was coeducational from its inception in 1950. Shown, the first graduates, earning an M.A. in Education, June 1952.

Women students attended evening classes in 1960, and by June 1961, 61 area women had earned degrees.

Source: Alumni Magazine, June 1961

1960:

All images from the Weinberg Memorial Library Digital Collections digitalservices.scranton.edu/cdm/ and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center 25th Anniversary collection.

‘U of S Goes Modern; Admits Women Students’

Trustees signed a document formalizing University-wide admittance for women Oct. 13, 1971. Five weeks later, in an interview with The Scranton Times, University officials reported a “sharp hike in the number of admission inquiries” with “co-ed applications” accounting for one-third of a 65 percent increase in freshman applications for the 1972 fall term. One headline from that time: “U of S Goes Modern; Admits Women Students.”

1970s:

Extreme Makeover: Dorm Edition. Dormitory counselor Mrs. Brenda Bosha welcomed to Fitch Hall the first 53 women who lived in campus dorm rooms for the fall 1972 semester. Source: University of Scranton Photos and Documents

1976:

Orientation Day for #Royals1976. Admissions Director Fr. Bernard McIlhenny, S.J., welcoming several women students and their parents outside of Gunster Memorial Student Center during freshman orientation. The students were among the first women to enroll in the University’s daytime undergraduate school.

In 1976, Grace Hosie, shown, was the first woman enrolled as a full-time student at the University to win a Fulbright Fellowship.

Source: University of Scranton Newspaper Clippings, Mayfield Gazette, May 3, 1978

1972:

Graduates at the 1976 commencement, shown, included the first women accepted into full-time undergraduate education at the University in 1972.

Source: Terry and Paula Connors Photograph Collection

1976:

Sweeping Away the Competition Since 1980

New on campus in the 1970s: women’s athletics, including women’s basketball, field hockey, and soccer teams, shown, among others. In less than a decade, they were earning the spotlight for excellence on the field. “Scranton Women Sweep Away Competition” reported The Scranton Times, referencing varsity and junior varsity victories that continued “the Lady Royals’ three-year domination of the Middle Atlantic Conference.” Source: University of Scranton Athletics, University of Scranton Course Catalogs, University of Scranton Yearbooks

A Decade of Milestones

Notable accomplishments by women continued throughout the 1980s, with milestones marked by firsts: coed valedictorian, class with nearly 50 percent women enrolled, national athletics championship and Dean.

Karen Pennington, a graduate from the groundbreaking class of 1976 is the first woman appointed as associate dean.

Source: University of Scranton Newspaper Clippings, The Scranton Times, Nov. 30, 1980

1980:

1981:

Belinda M. Juran, shown, the first female valedictorian in the history of the University College of Arts and Sciences, is congratulated by Dr. Vincent Ponko Jr., academic vice president.

Source: The Scranton Times, July 26, 1981

In 1985, the largest class in the school’s history at the time was comprised of 48 percent women. Freshmen women students ranked 126 points above the national average for SATs. On the court, the Lady Royals earned a national championship. Source: The Scranton Times and University of Scranton Course Catalogs

1985:

Education, Empowerment and Mentorship

1991:

The University approved a concentration in women’s studies in 1991. Named as the program’s first director was Jean Wahl Harris, Ph.D., who coordinated work on the concentration from the time it was proposed in 1989. Source: The Scranton Times

Women’s Center is renamed to honor its founder, Jane Kopas, Ph.D. Kopas, shown at far left, began her career at the University in 1978 and contributed to the progress of both the women’s studies program and the committee on the status of women. She established the center in 1994, just prior to her retirement.

Source: University Press Release, 2001

2021-2022 Forward Thinking:

2001:

Over the past two years, athletes have earned All American Honors in women’s cross country, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and field hockey. Women’s teams lead the school in Landmark Championships in basketball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, cross country, and softball. Source: University of Scranton Athletics

In 2022, undergraduate school enrollment at the University reflects 35% more women than men. Graduate school enrollment at the University reflects 43% more women than men.

The Insider’s Guide to the ‘Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story’ Project

Hear from our community partners and University faculty at the center of the effort to reflect on Scranton’s place in U.S. history

The “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project kicked off in Oct. 2021, delving into the diverse human experience in the city of Scranton, and how that experience is reflective of the greater American story. In the year and a half since, through scholarly programs at the University and story sharing efforts across the city, members of our community have reflected on local and national identity, and our role as citizens in a democracy.

The project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom grant and seeks to use these conversations and reflections to fulfill our national ideals of freedom, justice, and equality. The team behind “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” has focused on envisioning a future where we all belong, by highlighting Scranton’s well-celebrated history as well as underrepresented and often-overlooked voices, including Black, Indigenous, and recent immigrant and refugee experiences.

The events and reflections are ongoing throughout 2023, including winter events with local nonprofit and heritage initiative Black Scranton, and a spring neighborhood tour organized by the Lackawanna Historical Society, exploring the religious and ethnic tapestry throughout the city. In 2022, other programs focused on Scranton’s migration stories, past and present.

When the project wraps up in the fall of 2023, a repository of oral histories will be preserved at the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library, where they will be used for future programming and research.

“We have learned so much about one another, about our community, and this country over the past year. In 2022, we sought to bring out less-explored Scranton stories, such as the role of women in the garment industry after the decline of coal, the experiences of recent immigrants from Latin America and refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the impact of forced removal of the Lenape people. We identified commonalities and explored differences, all with the hope that we can, in fact, still form that ‘more perfect union’ when we have the courage to confront painful history and when we celebrate and value each member of the community,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for Community Engagement and Government Affairs and the project director.

Here, three leaders in the “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project share their reflections about programs that looked at the Indigenous heritage of our region and its industrial past:

Understanding The Indigenous History of the Wyoming Valley

“To understand how the city of Scranton took shape, we need to have a healthy dose of understanding why and how Natives were expelled from this area. Lots of different people have called the Wyoming Valley home, and there are archaeological digs that recover materials that date back thousands of years. When Europeans arrived in what is now New York, New Jersey and the Philly area, the people residing here were the Lenape and the Munsee. In central Pennsylvania, there were the Susquehannock, and to the north, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, or the Iroquois. All three of those groups inhabited the Susquehanna River Valley at different times and for different reasons, but few lived here permanently until the 1730s, when pressure from settlers on the coasts, the ravages of disease, warfare and dislocation caused numerous groups to converge on the Wyoming Valley as a potential safe haven, a refuge from a turbulent world. It wouldn’t last, mostly because the American Revolution upended their fragile existence. In order to survive, most of those peoples, but especially the Lenape and Munsee, migrated west.

The University’s Land Acknowledgement Statement was an important first step in addressing this, and including Native stories and perspectives in ‘Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story’ is the next step.

Projects like these should be what all universities do — we shouldn’t be walled off, but should actively try to engage, inform, and work with the public to shape a more just society. It’s especially fitting for Scranton, as a Jesuit university, as we place so much emphasis on care of the whole person, which is not possible without caring for and understanding our community.”

In November 2022, Curtis Zunigha, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians (Oklahoma) and co-founder/co-director of the Lenape Center in New York, came to campus for a keynote lecture about the forced removal of the Lenape people from the Scranton area, and to advocate for their greater inclusion in the present and future of Scranton. More than 300 people, both from the university and the local community, attended the event and gave Zunigha a standing ovation. Pratt said it was like nothing he had ever seen at a lecture in his academic career. Schumacher Cohen added that the event and visit was memorable and impactful in considering the wounds of colonization, and importantly, is opening new dialogue and relationship building with the Lenape people moving forward.

“I’ve been coming back to the homeland for 25 or 30 years. With all of that history, being pushed westward with each succeeding generation, in this horrible atmosphere of war and domination, you can imagine children, mothers, elders holding on for survival, carrying with them what’s happening in their lives as each mile goes along, to each new border, to each relocation. As each forced removal occurs, it creates a trauma. You can imagine — think what the people of Ukraine are going through, when their cities are getting bombed and their children are getting killed. That’s what we went through, and they carry with them this collective, generational, and historic trauma. And it becomes manifested in our health conditions today. We’ve got a lot of mental health stuff we still have to work out, and oftentimes, that becomes manifested in our physical health and physical behaviors. A lot of people, it’s easier to medicate your anxiety, your depression, your fear with drugs, alcohol, whatever the case may be.

And yet, when I head back to the east, when I come back to the homeland, when I stand at the banks of the rivers, when I look up at the mountains, I call it blood memory. The scientists say it’s your DNA, it’s deep inside you. Now, instead of being this orphan displaced from my mother, the homeland, I come back after centuries and I stand on the banks of the river in my own homeland. I take out my tobacco, I offer a little thanks and a prayer that I’m back. Thank you, Creator, I’m back. Because it stimulates that blood memory and that DNA, and it helps soothe the pain of generational and historic trauma, when I come back to the homeland and engage in these practices of reconnecting with the land, the water, the mountains. It’s like my mother has put her arms around me and welcomed me back. It’s a spiritual connection.”

Shown at the November 2022 event on campus are Curtis Zunigha, with The University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina.

Adam Pratt, associate professor of history and collaborator on The University of Scranton Land Acknowledgement statement:

Curtis Zunigha, Enrolled Member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians (Oklahoma) and co-founder/co-director of the Lenape Center in New York, excerpted from his keynote:

See the video of the event at scranton.edu/journalextras

Connecting Scranton’s Industrial History to the Economy of Today

At the Sept. 9 talk on the Anthracite strike co-organized with the Historical Society, sociologist Dr. Bob Wolensky discussed the different aspects of labor history, including how it intersected with immigration to the area. He also shared how a spokesman for the coal mine owners made this statement during the 1902 anthracite strike hearings: “These men don’t suffer. Why, hell, half of them don’t even speak English.” The project has sought to underscore the discrimination immigrants have faced in the past and continue to today, as well as the ongoing importance of welcoming inclusion.

’10 M.A., Assistant Director of the Lackawanna Historical Society, completed her thesis on the effects of the 1877 railroad and coal strike, a national story that took place in Scranton:

“As a history major at the University, it is nice to put into practice what I learned and to work on this project with people who were my mentors originally and now see me as a peer.

One of our favorite stories is the coal strike of 1902, which is a national story that took place in Scranton. The strike by the United Mine Workers of America began in May 1902, in the anthracite coal fields in eastern Pennsylvania, and threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to other major American cities. When the strike was finally over, in October of 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt convened the anthracite commission to hear the workers’ concerns about wages and working conditions. The commission met in the Lackawanna County courthouse for two months before moving on to Philadelphia, and we hosted a panel about the strike in the same courtroom.

This labor history is important on a national level, because it changed the playing field. Before 1902, the federal government didn’t get involved with strikes, except to send in the troops. In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt said, ‘No, no, we have to talk about this,’ and started the Anthracite Coal Commission. That was the beginning of the acceptance of unions, collective bargaining and arbitration, rather than firing everyone. It all happened in Scranton. At the time, everyone relied on coal, and it all came from Scranton.”

Sharing and Exploring Migration Stories Past and Present

In 2022, other programs focused on Scranton’s migration stories past and present, in support of the theme “From ‘Immigrant’ to Citizen.” On Oct. 25, 2022, an Interactive Story Exchange and Writers Panel “All The Places We Come From: Stories, Food, & Community,” took place at the Scranton Cultural Center. An evening of story-sharing around the theme of migration featuring nationally-acclaimed writers Anna Badhken, Joseph O’Neill, Chinelo Okparanta and Monica Sok. The event began with appetizers and sweets from Scranton’s multi-ethnic restaurants, and a story-exchange facilitated by the artist-driven international empathy building organization, Narrative 4.

Now It’s Your Turn: Share Your Scranton Story

What does it mean to be a Scrantonian? What hopes do you have for Scranton as we look to its future? As alumni of The University of Scranton, how did the city play a role in your learning? We’re looking for a diverse array of stories and experiences — submit your contribution to the oral history collection at scranton.edu/iamscranton

Sarah Piccini ’08,

Bharat Tamang and members of the Resham Band from Scranton’s Bhutanese community offered music at the start of the Oct. 25 event.

University students, alumni and community members engaged in conversation.

Graduate Education at Scranton

Taking It to the Next Level

College of Arts and Sciences

There’s no place for complacency in higher education today, as colleges continually evolve to meet the needs of an ever-changing workplace.

The University of Scranton has long taken a proactive, innovative approach to its academic offerings, ensuring students receive not only a Jesuit education grounded in excellence and personal attention, but one that sets them on the path to a rewarding career.

This philosophy can clearly be seen through an ambitious goal of the University’s Strategic Plan to “advance the University into the future by challenging ourselves to educate and support an ever-changing, diverse landscape of students in ways that are affordable, relevant and innovative.” One area of clear progress is in graduate programs.

During the past few years, all three of Scranton’s colleges have added several in-demand advanced degrees, with three of the most recent being the College of Arts and Sciences’ Master of Science in Cybercrime Investigation & Cyber Security, the Kania School of Management’s Master of Science in Business Analytics, and the Panuska College of Professional Studies’ Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology.

Meanwhile, the University recently introduced its first Ph.D. program, in accounting, and last year formed a partnership with LeMoyne College that will allow five students direct entry into Le Moyne’s Physician Assistant (PA) program after graduation, and five Le Moyne students a guaranteed place in the University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program.

“If we are going to continue to endure and to excel … we must pay more attention to the delivery of high-quality market-driven graduate programs, as well as programs for non-traditional adult students,” University President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J. said.

“This will move the university forward in maintaining excellence in traditional undergraduate education, as well we should, but also breaking into new markets where we have significant opportunities for growth. This fall we had nearly twice the number of international graduate students than we did last year, and the overall number of graduate students is 40 more than it was last year. These are important growth factors that we need to cultivate,” he added.

Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the University stands at “an exciting moment in its educational growth” as it actively expands its portfolio of graduate programs.

“While our undergraduate programs are definitive of the Scranton education, too often we forget our rigorous contributions to graduate education,” Maldonado said. “With online, in-person, and hybrid programs, The University of Scranton offers a wide variety of instructional modalities to meet the needs of our students. And the inauguration of our first Ph.D. programs marks a new era in graduate education at the University.”

How three advanced degrees and accelerated pathways represent an innovative new era of the University’s graduate education.

Kania School of Management

Panuska College of Professional Studies

M.S. in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity

The rationale for that is simple, Dr. Jenkins said — students will need to be just as skilled in criminology as they are in the technological aspects of the job.

“We’re training students to work within the criminal justice field, from the county DA’s office and the state police all the way up to federal agencies like the FBI. But private corporations want students with backgrounds in criminology and criminal justice, as well,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Determining why a cybercrime has occurred is very complex, so we need to train our students to develop the expertise to carry out these investigations.”

Sixteen students have enrolled in the program, “which is huge for a first year,” said Dr. Jenkins, crediting the faculty with going above and beyond in developing the curriculum.

This spring, University senior Anastasia Lepka ’23 is taking her first two courses in the program while completing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She intends to complete her master’s in a year, then pursue a job in the federal government.

Launched in the fall, the 30-credit, online Master of Science in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity comes on the heels of the University’s thriving new Cybercrime and Homeland Security undergraduate program.

In hopes of attracting young professionals, international students and current University students looking to continue their education, the program can be completed in an accelerated one- or two-year timeframe. The curriculum is aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework and is designed to prepare students for several professional certifications, including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI).

David Dzurec, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the University sees the program as “an opportunity to establish a spot in the market” for this highly competitive field.

“And we wanted to make sure that there was an opportunity for our current students to accelerate into the program,” Dr. Dzurec said. “That was really important, because it allows our undergraduate students to benefit directly from these graduate programs.”

While many cybersecurity programs are part of computer science departments or business schools, the University’s is housed within the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, and Sociology, said Michael Jenkins, Ph.D.,’06, professor and chair of the Criminal Justice department.

Her decision to continue her education at the University was “kind of a no-brainer.”

“I knew the professors, I knew it would be a quality program, and I knew I would get so much out of it,” Lepka said. “I knew I wanted to work in the realm of preventing cybercrime. We live in a world where cyber is only going to grow, and cybercrime is only going to grow along with it. That’s something I want to prevent and reduce. And being able to complete the program in a year so that I can get out there and start my career was very appealing to me.”

This spring, University senior Anastasia Lepka ’23 is taking her first two courses in the online Master of Science in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity program while simultaneously completing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Shown, Lepka with, from left, faculty members Sinchul Back, Ph.D. and Mehmet F. Bastug, Ph.D.

David Dzurec, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the University sees the new online Master of Science in Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity program as “an opportunity to establish a spot in the market” for this highly competitive field. Shown, Anastasia Lepka ’23, Dr. Dzurec and Michael Jenkins, Ph.D.,’06, professor and chair of the Criminal Justice department.

M.S. in Business Analytics

The Kania School’s Master of Science in Business Analytics began in the fall of 2020, following the creation of the MBA specialization.

The practice of evaluating reams of data that allow organizations to make more informed decisions, business analytics is now among the fast-growing fields in the world. Jobs can be found in any industry — from insurance and banking to health care and higher education.

Available both online and in-person, the 30-credit program is designed to prepare students to use advanced techniques such as data visualization, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics to solve complex business problems.

“The program is consistent with the University’s mission to create innovative, market-driven programs,” said Nabil Tamimi, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Operations and Analytics department.

“We also have a graduate certificate in business analytics, because you will always have a segment of the business community who want to get a micro-credentialing certificate to advance their knowledge.”

Business analytics is also a designated STEM field, which is especially attractive to international students who can secure extended visas if they elect to work in the field — a win-win for both them and their employers, said Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School.

“Nabil and his faculty have done an outstanding job with the program and with the students,” Dr. Higgins said. “We’re also seeing a lot of students who are pursuing their MBA who are picking business analytics as their concentration. And there’s an analytics track for the Master of Accountancy, and we hope also finance, so it’s helping to draw people to those degrees, too.”

Currently, about 150 students are enrolled in the program, with the majority taking courses on campus. Many of them are from India, including Varshenne Reddi, who decided to pursue the degree after receiving a master’s in business administration from the University of Rome in Italy.

“Of all the different programs I came across, The University of Scranton’s checked all of the boxes for what I wanted,” Reddi said. “I really like the course curriculum because it allows you to learn different types of software. Another reason was the faculty members; when I looked at their backgrounds, I was very encouraged by their research interests. And they are student-friendly and down to earth, which I also appreciate.”

The program also gives students the chance to apply their knowledge in a real-world context via the capstone course taught by the University’s Executive in Residence, Albert Turano, senior director of global professional services at Dell Technologies.

Based on the undergraduate course Turano teaches on the big data ecosystem, the capstone is geared around real business cases and culminates with a project where students are tasked with creating a “smart” future society.

M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

The 63-credit Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) is currently an applicant for candidacy by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. With approval, the program will launch this fall, said Hope Baylow, D.A., assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance.

A longtime professional in the field, Baylow was hired in 2020 to serve as the founding director of the Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD) undergraduate program and the SLP program, both of which the University established to address the growing need for professionals in the field. In just the past year, the CSD program has seen a 41 percent increase in qualified applicants, according to Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., dean of the Panuska College.

M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology continued on page 40

Nabil Tamimi, Ph.D.

Varshenne Reddi

Mark Higgins, Ph.D.

Hope Baylow, D.A.

History According to Dr. Jennifer Janofsky

Inspired by Scranton professors she saw as storytellers, this public historian embarked on a career teaching both students and the public.

Last summer, Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95, organized an archeological dig at Red Bank Battlefield Park, the American Revolution battle site and recreational park across the river from Philadelphia where she is the curator and head of historic operations. She made a point to include more than 100 volunteers from the public working alongside the archeology team, because she always wants people to connect with history in a new way.

Throughout the four-day dig, they found musket balls and pieces of pottery, even a 1776 King George gold coin.

“It made my public historian heart so excited to see everybody so engaged, connecting with history in a way that you don’t connect with a traditional history textbook,” said Janofsky, who is also a history professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, in tandem with her work at the park. Whether she is in the classroom teaching about a historical event or onsite

at the park, Janofsky focuses on the human element, the lived experience of the people involved.

That approach became even more important when the summer dig took an unexpected turn. On the final day, they uncovered bones that were the remains of 15 Hessian soldiers, who were German troops hired by the British to fight in the war. The area had not been marked as a burial site in previous surveys of the land, so Janofsky and her team were shocked by the findings and immediately notified local police and the state police forensic anthropology unit. Janofsky said the remains are some of the most significant archeological finds at any Revolutionary War battlefield, ever.

“We were completely overwhelmed — it was exciting, sad and stressful,” Janofsky said. “Essentially, what we were dealing with was battlefield gore. We had femurs, jaw bones, skulls.

In tandem with her work as curator and head of historic operations at the Red Bank Battlefield Park, Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95, is also a history professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Dr. Janofsky and Rowan senior history major Raluca Muscan, shown, discuss a find from last summer’s archeological dig at the American Revolution battle site and recreational park.

They were the remains of the battle that were buried the day after the battle took place.”

Now, they are working with a DNA lab to learn more about the soldiers from their remains, and making plans to educate future visitors to the park about the lives and experience of the Hessian soldiers. It will be part of the other historical programs the park offers, including educational visits for school groups, special exhibits, battlefield tours and even a History Tots program designed to expose preschoolers to historical sites at an early age.

“One of the things that I’m most proud of in my work at the park is the way that we’ve developed inclusive narratives about who participated in the park space,” Janofsky said. “So, that could be the Quaker family who owned the historic house. It could be the African American troops who fought at the Battle of Red Bank on Oct. 22, 1777. It could be the Hessian soldiers who we uncovered from our recent archeological study. Bringing all the voices to the table to tell this inclusive story of the American Revolution.”

Meeting People Where They Are

At Rowan University, Janofsky is the Megan Giordano Fellow in Public History, and many of her students participated in the dig that uncovered the Hessian soldiers’ remains. She uses her work at the park to teach students how to share history with a public audience, outside a classroom. No matter where she is teaching, Janofsky aims to meet people where they are, influenced by her Jesuit education at Scranton.

“It still surprises me how far you can take the conversation, both with students and outside the classroom, if you present information in a storytelling way, if you share it in ways that are accessible and interesting. You can take them on quite a journey, whether it’s at Rowan University or at Red Bank Battlefield Park,” she said.

That storytelling approach is one she learned from two of her favorite history professors at the University, Dr. Michael DeMichele and Dr. Jack Earl.

“I loved their classes because they were natural storytellers. They would go to the front of the class and they wouldn’t look at their notes. And for 45 minutes, they would tell stories about intriguing people and events,” Janofsky said. “And it just felt so natural, the way they taught and shared information, that it absolutely influences the work that I do today, not only as a university professor but as a public historian.”

Janofsky’s time at the University shaped other areas of her life, as well. It’s where she met her husband, Thomas Janofsky

’96, who was also one of the volunteers at that summer dig. Their daughter, Grace, is a freshman at Villanova University and 16-year-old Luke is a junior in high school, and the family also has two boisterous dogs.

In a career working in military history, Janofsky has often been one of a few women in a male-dominated field. After graduating with a history degree from Scranton, she earned a Master of Arts in history from Villanova and a Ph.D. in history from Temple University. In a way, she says she can relate to the first women who attended the University when Scranton became fully coeducational 50 years ago.

“I can absolutely appreciate what those women must have been going through, especially today as a mentor of young women in the field. How can we coach young women to be confident in these academic spaces? I do think it must have been tremendously challenging for them to go into that environment, and incredibly brave,” Janofsky said.

And for that, Janofsky wanted to share thanks to those who blazed the trail for future women at the University.

One of the things that I’m most proud of in my work at the park is the way that we’ve developed inclusive narratives...

— Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95

Archaeologist Dana Linck confers with Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95 at the Fort Mercer trench excavation site during the Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project.

See photos of the event at scranton.edu/journalextras.edu

From Philadelphia to Scranton, and Then the White House

Throughout her career in national security, Alexandra Abboud Miller ’00 has created and implemented policies that impact hostages, their families, and fellow government employees.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Alexandra Abboud Miller ’00 always watched the national news and Sunday news programs like “Meet the Press” with her parents, brother, and sister.

“My parents quizzed us on current events, so I knew from a very young age that the world was a big place,” Miller says. “I knew I wanted to know more and see more, and I think that’s a real gift from my parents, Khalil and Maureen. My father was an immigrant from Lebanon and had such a unique perspective, coming here from Lebanon and seeing the way our government works. He had a deep love for our democracy and our government, and because I grew up with that, I always knew I wanted to go to the center of that. And for me, that was DC.”

Miller has spent her career working for the federal government, starting in 2003 as a Presidential Management Fellow, which is a two-year training and leadership development

program in public policy. In the years since, she worked in public affairs at the State Department, managing web and social media tools, and then transitioned to national security. Miller served on the National Security Council at the White House from 2021-2022 as the Director for Counterterrorism, Hostage and Detainee Affairs.

Her work involves tact and discretion, and sometimes, emotionally demanding situations. Through it all, Miller stays focused on the people who government policy can impact.

“While I was at the State Department, I had the ability to both manage amazing people and develop new policies and procedures to try to engage foreign audiences — it was where policy and people meet,” Miller says. “I knew I found what I love to do, and that has continued through my entire career.”

Securing Safe Recovery of Hostages

Today, Miller is an officer in the Senior National Intelligence Service at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She also served there as the Deputy Director of National Policy, and at the National Counterterrorism Center.

“In 2015, I had the privilege to work with government partners, former hostages and the families of hostages to develop Presidential Policy Directive 30, which supports the safe and rapid recovery of U.S. nationals taken hostage or wrongfully detained outside of the United States,” she says. “I use the word privilege a lot, but I really feel that way. I have had such a privileged career, to support these efforts. At the White House, I worked to continue to implement the policy and goals I helped develop in 2015.”

As she thinks back on her career journey, Miller admits that she never expected to work in the hostage and detainee sector of national security.

“I was really worried that I wasn’t equipped to do it, but a leader and mentor in my organization told me that I could. Frankly, it changed my life in many ways,” she says.

“When I talk to folks early in their career, and I do that a lot, the first advice I give is to take risks. If something feels like a stretch, it absolutely means you will grow. You are stronger than you think.

I have been lucky to have mentors who have believed in me and really pushed me to my limit ... when I doubted myself.”

On Mentors and Life’s Defining Moments

At The University of Scranton, those mentors included her political science professors, Dr. Gretchen Van Dyke and Dr. William Parente. As a history and political science major, Miller participated in Van Dyke’s annual European Union simulation in Washington, a program that Miller likened to a Model United Nations experience.

“I remember I gave a speech at that simulation, and it felt so good to see people responding to what I was saying.

“It was one of the first times that I had to present large amounts of information that I had just learned to a very large audience. I remember how nervous I was. Now I find myself in situations where I must express large amounts of information to our government’s most senior leaders in a succinct way. That EU simulation and those experiences were the start of building confidence in my ability to do that,” Miller says.

After graduating from Scranton, Miller attended law school at the Catholic University of America. She was in Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, living in Dupont Circle with her Scranton roommate, Anne Marie Mulcahy ’00.

“We could see the plumes of smoke from the Pentagon from our rooftop. As you can imagine, it was a defining moment for so many of us,” Miller recalls. “And so, my upbringing and my experiences culminated in my career in public service in government.”

Seeing the Whole Picture is Critical

Miller says that her support system — including her husband, Richard, and daughter Layla, plus Mulcahy and the friends who lived in the house at 416 Taylor in Scranton — have helped her succeed in her work. Layla is 10 and in fifth grade, and the family spends most weekends at her swim meets and with their dogs.

With such a dedicated support system of her own, Miller has made it a point throughout her career to encourage the next generation of government public servants. Miller says she has mentored both informally and officially, the latter as chief of workforce planning and recruitment at the National Counterterrorism Center. In that role, she traveled the country to recruit a diverse network of students for government occupations.

“In life and work, without perspectives that are different than your own, you miss critical details and don’t see the full picture,” Miller says. “Especially in national security, seeing the whole picture is critical.”

On the 50th anniversary of coeducation at the University, Miller says she is inspired by the women who came before her at Scranton. “I won’t forget those who came before me, and I will do everything I can to pave the way for folks to succeed. That is how we pay our gratitude to those who took the hard route.”

If something feels like a stretch, it absolutely means you will grow. You are stronger than you think.

— Alexandra Abboud Miller ’00

Belinda Juran, Esq. ’81 believes in the power of making connections.

After dedicating her first career to the high-tech industry and her second career to the law, the self-described “Lovellian,” a word she coined to describe someone who lives in Lowell, Massachusetts, “by choice and loves the vibrancy and diversity of the city,” began a third act as a change agent for her community when she transitioned from a partner at WilmerHale, an international law firm, to a retired partner in 2019.

“Some people have said I’m a community activist,” she said. “I’m not an activist in the sense that I’m trying to be an instigator, but I’m a community advocate who tries to connect people. Making connections between people throughout the city who should know each other is a big part of what I do.

“I do whatever I can to help.”

Since then, she’s devoted herself full-time to improving the lives of her fellow Lovellians (see sidebar).

“I didn’t plan to retire to not do things,” she said. “I’m doing exactly what I wanted to be doing at this phase of my life.”

Community Advocate & Change Agent Improving Lives

First female recipient of the Frank J. O’Hara Award for General Academic Excellence believes connections are key to community development.

How did a native of Queens, New York, travel through the crossroads at The University of Scranton to become a dedicated Lovellian? Strangely enough, it all started with a University window decal that someone without Juran’s eye for opportunity may have dismissed entirely.

Ridgewood, Queens

Juran’s parents emigrated to the United States from Austria in 1952 and settled in Ridgewood, Queens, where they instilled both the value of working hard and the importance of community into their daughter and her younger brother. As a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a teacher, but the social dynamics of the time caused her parents to assume she would become a secretary. Fortunately, she excelled academically, and her teachers suggested she apply to college. This coincided with a move her family was planning from Queens to Hawley, Pennsylvania, which is located about an hour outside of Scranton. While considering her options, Juran noticed a University of Scranton decal in the back window of a car parked on a New York street and decided to apply.

“I’d never even heard of the University until that point,” she said.

When she learned she had received a presidential scholarship, Juran and her family knew Scranton would be the best place for her to continue her education.

“(The scholarship) gave me the opportunity to map a path of my own,” she said.

Pursuing Excellence

At Scranton, Juran threw herself into her studies, majoring in math and taking as many computer science courses as she could find. She spent the summer after her junior year working in the Boston area at GTE Labs, which opened her eyes to the opportunities available in Boston’s then-thriving high-tech industry for someone with computer science training. At the close

of her senior year, Juran became both the first female valedictorian and the first woman to receive the Frank J. O’Hara Award for General Academic Excellence in University history, and she set out for the Boston area a few weeks later to accept a position in computer-aided engineering at Honeywell Information Systems.

The Reinvention Realization

At Honeywell, Juran initially worked as a software engineer.

“Because it was growing so quickly as a field, women were quite welcome and didn’t face, I think, some of the harassment and other issues you read about more recently,” she said. “I think we have actually made negative progress in that space over time.”

She met her future husband, Evan Schapiro, her second week on the job, and the two eventually settled in Westford, Massachusetts. A few years into her career at Honeywell, Juran, then 25, attended a colleague’s retirement party and experienced a quintessentially Joycean epiphany when the gift presented to the guest of honor — a 35mm single-lens reflex camera — illustrated the rapid pace of technological advancement.

“I realized then that, given the speed at which technology changes, I wouldn’t have the same job — or even the same career — in 25 years, even had I wanted to,” she said. “We are all going to need to reinvent ourselves multiple times throughout our careers.

“My mindset changed and I became open to, and invited, new opportunities to grow.”

Open to Opportunity

Soon afterward, Juran moved into management and steadily climbed the ladder. She began working on an MBA at Boston University, and she took a position as a consultant at the Boston-area site of Cadence Design Systems, which was based in California. When Boston’s high-tech sector experienced a downturn and Juran and her husband began contemplating a move to the West Coast, she knew she would regret leaving Massachusetts without at least applying to Harvard Law School.

“Imagine the delight — and terror — of receiving the accep-

tance notice that changed my life,” she said. “Quitting my job to return to school full time and switch careers was a risk, but worth it.”

After graduating from Harvard Law, Juran joined the firm that would become WilmerHale and began practicing transactional law on behalf of biotech companies. She worked her way to a partnership eight years in and remained at WilmerHale until her retirement in 2019. In 2006, the couple saw a real estate open house flyer for a home in Lowell, and they became dedicated Lovellians soon afterward.

As a change agent, Juran plans to continue to advocate for her community by fostering connections between its citizens, its stakeholders, and similar cities like Scranton, for the good of all.

“I think the concept of showing up and doing the work is really important,” she said. “I’m learning a lot by trying to figure out ways in which to have some small impact.

“I would love to show you Lowell. There is a lot to like about Lowell.”

Belinda Juran has served several organizations in a variety of capacities over the years, including:

• Board Member, UTEC, an organization dedicated to reducing youthful recidivism through positive relationships and wraparound support (2010-2022)

• Board Member, Pollard Memorial Library Foundation (2015-Present)

• Fellow, Advanced Leadership Institute at Harvard University, a program for retiring professionals interested in making a social impact (2020-Present)

• Board Member, International Institute of New England, a nonprofit that serves immigrants, refugees and asylees in the Boston area (2021-Present)

• Advisory Board Member, University of Massachusetts Lowell, College of Education (2021-Present)

• Advisory Board Member, Free Soil Arts Collective, an organization that amplifies the voices of artists of color in the Merrimack Valley (2021-Present)

• Advisory Board Member, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University (2021-Present)

From right, seated, Belinda Juran, Esq. ’81 and Michael J. Bevilacqua, Esq. ’78 host a group of Scranton students at a networking event at WilmerHale in 2019.

Then-University of Scranton Academic Vice President Vincent Ponko congratulates Belinda Juran for winning the Frank J. O’Hara Award for General Academic Excellence with a perfect 4.0 quality point average at Class Night 1981.

“We had a very successful candidacy site visit by CAA in September 2022. They commented on the terrific job Dr. Baylow did in preparing the candidacy accreditation documents and how much of an asset she is for the University,” Dr. Castellanos said. “Dr. Baylow has a tremendous amount of energy to go along with her extensive clinical and academic experience. I’m very proud of the SLP program that Hope and her colleagues have put together — it’s met or exceeded all our expectations.”

Conceived as a “blended” learning environment, the program’s coursework will primarily be delivered online synchronously (i.e., live). On the experiential side, students will complete a summer residency at the Scranton School for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children and gain additional clinical experience within their home communities.

Students can also complete an additional 10 credits to obtain a healthcare specialization.

“I took all that I like from my experiences in the field and what I think is most appropriate for our profession and the University,” Dr. Baylow said. “I think our program is going to stand

out. I think with the synchronous interactive model, we’re being extremely creative in how we’re going to deliver the education to students. We have state-of-the-art software and tools we’ll be able to use. It’s going to be a very unique program.”

Twenty students will be selected for the program’s first cohort. Gia Maayan ’23, a senior majoring in health promotion (formerly community health education), is among those applying.

Maayan said she was inspired to pursue a career in speech-language pathology after taking one of Baylow’s courses.

“It was one of my favorite classes — I just love the way Dr. Baylow teaches. I enjoy learning how people process things differently and how language is processed differently,” Maayan said. “It would be nice to stay in Scranton and continue my education here. I love the campus, the size of it, the people. There are always places to get help. And I think the values of a Jesuit education are great.”

Lepka echoed that sentiment.

“I think the University is very in tune with what’s happening in the world — and that’s definitely reflected in their programs,” she said.

Gia Maayan ’23

Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D.

Class Notes included in this edition were submitted prior to December 13, 2022. To submit your own news or see additional class notes, visit scranton.edu/classnotes

Milestones

Jim Moran ’66, Philadelphia, recently published his essay, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Struggle with Polio, online at FDRRESEARCH.COM.

Paul Majkut G’66, San Diego, California, retired in 2020 after a career teaching undergraduate and graduate literature and philosophy. During that time, he was also an active journalist, both within the USA and abroad. He has been awarded five Fulbright Senior Specialist and Scholar grants (Argentina, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Estonia) and two National Endowment for the Humanities awards (Oxford, Cambridge). He is a Reader of Medieval Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Cambridge University Library, and The Huntington Library. He has received numerous journalism awards for his writing (the San Diego Press Club, the Los Angeles Press Club, the Southern California Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews). In 1998, he founded the Society for Phenomenology and Media. He has lectured as a visiting professor widely in universities in the United States as well as internationally. Since retiring, he was asked by university colleagues abroad to teach classes online. Refusing pay, he decided to teach a course at the University of Jos, Nigeria, an impoverished university beset by religious violence.

John Colonna ’67, G’73, G’76, Binghamton, New York, was recently inducted into the Binghamton University Athletics Hall of Fame (coach) and was also inducted with his team into the Catholic Central/Seton Catholic Central High School Hall of Fame.

ClassNotes

Thomas F. McNevin, Ph.D. ’74, G’77 , Yardley, retired last year after 36 years as a research scientist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where he worked on chemical and radiological hazardous site remediations and air pollution and energy issues.

Patricia McCormack, M.D. ’76, Scranton, recently published her first book, Life After Martin. Inspired by one of the staples of flute repertoire, it chronicles an adult amateur musician’s quest to master this work. Life After Martin is available in paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple books.

R. Kevin Ball ’77, Levittown, retired from teaching after 46 years at Archbishop Ryan High School. In addition to teaching Math and Engineering, he acted as the Technology Coordinator for 40+ years, coached soccer for more than 20 years and coached hockey for 40 years.

William (Bill) Savage ’79, Lemoyne, has spent the fall semester teaching writing and rhetoric as an adjunct faculty member at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and Alvernia University in Reading. Savage previously taught at Towson University, York College of Pennsylvania, and Harrisburg Area Community College. Savage has spent nearly 40 years in journalism, most recently at The Morning Call in Allentown as well as several years at The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre and The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, among other newspapers. A member of the Dramatists Guild, Philadelphia, Savage has had some of his plays read or performed publicly in Philadelphia, London and Mount Gretna. He has also written two novels: To the Mill and Back based on his teen years working in the textile industry in Scranton, and Redemption by the Bay

Richard J. Scalione ’81, Franklin, Tennessee, has written his first children’s book, The Mean, Hungry Washing Machine, which is available on Amazon.

Daniel J. Herman, M.D. ’82, Seattle, Washington, associate clinical professor of Family Medicine, was named the 2022 Attending of the Year at the University of Washington/Valley Family Medicine Residency, where he has helped train more than 160 Family Medicine Physicians since the year 2000.

Carol Peters ’82, Scranton, celebrated 42 years as vice president of Peters Design Group, Architectural Engineering.

Marion Munley ’83, Moosic, of Munley Law, was named to the 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers List. Munley recently presented at Northeast PA Trial Lawyers Association’s Personal Injury Seminar on Auto Law Update and the Impact of New Joint and Several Liability Case Law PLUS Using Electronic Evidence to Prove your Case. Munley also recently spoke at the Melvin M. Belli Society 74th Annual Seminar in Seattle, Washington, on the topic, Using Electronic Evidence on a Case. The Melvin Belli Society was created in 1981 to promote courtroom excellence through the international exchange of ideas among the country’s top trial lawyers via meetings and education.

Gary Jones G’84, South Abington Township, Eastern Division Vendor Relations manager at Hajoca Corporation, received the Fred V. Keenan Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the American Supply Association, for a long history of service and dedication to the association and the PHCP-PVF industry.

Howard F. Mulligan ’85, New York, New York, joined Greenspoon and Marder as a partner. Mulligan focuses his practice on the intersecting disciplines of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, structured finance, fund information, commercial real estate, securities law, capital markets and business restructuring.

Richard W. Peuser ’86, G’87, Brookeville, Maryland, became the director, Processing and Release Division, National Declassification Center, Archives II, College Park, Maryland, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in September 2021. Peuser began his career at NARA in July 1988.

Charlie Flint ’89 , Smyrna, Georgia, launched Filmland Spirits, a new business, in September 2022. Filmland Spirits (www.filmlandspirits. com) is an award-winning spirits brand bringing people together through captivating stories and great-tasting spirits. Their current lineup includes two bourbons and a rye, which are available online and in fine retail shops in California and Kentucky.

Mark Chopko ’75 and Peter A. Persuitti ’75 attended an event for diocesan fiscal offices at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where the bishop of Portland, Maine, was honored with the J.P. Gallagher Audax Award.

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

Milestones continued

Lisa Witowski Shearman ’89, Lansdale, a partner in the firm Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, was recently interviewed on Legal Talk with Stacy Clark TV (MLTV21-Main Line Network). In the interview, Shearman covered the importance of everyone having a will and other estate planning documents up-to-date and in place, including a Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney and an Advance Medical Directive. Sherman was selected to the 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in Estate Planning and Probate law.

Ellen T. Wayne, Ed.D. ’89, Florida, is the CEO and executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach.

Daniel W. Munley ’90, Waverly, of Munley Law, was named to the 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers List.

Brett Lapinski ’93, Elk Grove, California, was promoted to the director of Medi-Cal Regulatory Oversight Operations for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in January 2022. In her role, Lapinski is accountable for activities throughout Kaiser Permanente related to Medicaid regulations and contract requirements and ensuring quality, affordable and accessible member care. Lapinski also earned her national board certification in Informatics Nursing.

Jennifer Lawrence Janofsky, Ph.D. ’95, Glen Ridge, New Jersey, a public historian at Rowan University and the director of Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park, New Jersey, the site of a critical 1777 Revolutionary War between the Hessians and the American fighting force, led a series of four public digs at the park in the summer of 2022. The remains of as many as 13 individuals, believed to be Hessian soldiers, were discovered. This discovery was a surprise. No maps from the period showed there would be human remains at the sight. Find details in an interview with Dr. Janofsky on pages 34 and 35.

Ron Prislupski ’95, Moosic, was recently named President of the Nativity Miguel School of Scranton

Heather Rowan-Kenyon, Ph.D.’95, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, was promoted to full professor and department chair of Education Leadership and Higher Education in the Lynch School of Higher Education and Human Development at Boston College.

Timothy M. Powers ’97, G’00 , Pittston, was appointed to a one-year position as a lecturer in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at The University of Scranton. Powers will be teaching undergraduate courses on case

management, multiculturalism, counseling theories, human adjustment and family systems.

Samuel J. Denisco ’98, Harrisburg, has joined Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies in their government relations practice. Denisco joins Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as a principal and will work out of its Harrisburg office.

Brian J. Gavin ’00, Alexandria, Virginia, senior vice president of communications and marketing for Volunteers of America, has earned his CFRE certification from Certified Fundraising Executive International. Established in 1981, CFRE is the only globally-recognized fundraising certification and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute as the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals.

Jed D. Gonzalo, M.D. ’02, Hummelstown, has joined the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine as senior associate dean for medical education. He will lead its curricular and educational programs.

Glynnis Jones ’02, G’03, Lansdale, recently accepted a position as an assistant professor in the master’s degree Level Occupational Therapy program at Moravian University in Bethlehem.

Melanie Natoli ’02, Front Royal, Virginia, a winemaker, received the Virginia Governor’s Cup on behalf of Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg. This marks the first time in the 40-year history of the event that a female winemaker won the cup.

John Swarts ’02, G’08, Dickson City, participated in the Ritz Theater’s 115th anniversary celebration by writing a modern-day adaptation of Pinocchio. The 15-minute play was performed each day of La Festa and starred some of the theater’s best actors.

Jennifer Miller Koehl, VMD ’04, State College, was appointed assistant teaching professor and program coordinator for the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences undergraduate major at the Pennsylvania State University.

Colin J. O’Boyle ’04, Plymouth Meeting, a shareholder at Elliott Greenleaf PC in Blue Bell, was honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Young Lawyers Division with its Michael K. Smith Excellence in Service Award at an awards ceremony during the PBA Annual Meeting in May 2022. The award is presented to a young Pennsylvania lawyer who, through his or her exemplary personal and professional conduct, reminds lawyers of their professional and community responsibilities.

Erica Fischer-Cartlidge ’06, Springfield, New Jersey, was appointed to the role of chief clinical officer of the Oncology Nursing Society.

Amanda (Mandy) Bair ’07, G’09, Williamsport, was hired as School Counselor at Curtin Intermediate School in the Williamsport Area School District in Williamsport.

Patrick J. Cummings ’07, Havertown, was elected partner at Weber Gallagher on August 1, 2022.

Jonathan P. Forte ’07, G’09, Easton, Maryland, was appointed president/CEO of RiverStone Health and will lead both the RiverStone Health Clinic, Home Health & Hospice, and the Yellowstone County Health Department, Montana Family Medicine Residency Program in Billings, Montana, effective January 2023.

Cecilia Baress ’08, Old Forge, joined the Department of Communication and Media at The University of Scranton as an adjunct faculty member. The former managing editor and editor-in-chief of The Aquinas is also an adviser to the student news publication.

Davina Capik, Ed.D. G’08, Windsor, received the Samuel T. Gladding Unsung Heroes Award presented by the American Counseling Association (ACA) at the 2022 ACA Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

Timothy Gallic ’09, Warren, New Jersey, a longtime Catholic school administrator who has served institutions across the country, became president of Powers Catholic High School on Oct. 1, 2022.

Father Henry Graebe ’09, Jackson, New Jersey, was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 21, 2022.

Mary Desmarais ’10, Arlington, Virginia, started Catholic Inclusion, LLC, a consulting company which works with Catholic schools to help them become accessible and inclusive to students with intellectual disabilities.

Jude Krushnowski ’10, Champaign, Illinois, was hired as director of the Foreign Language Teacher Education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Krushnowski was also elected as incoming director of Region 4 of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Lauren E. Lefevre ’10, Ewing, New Jersey, joined the firm Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC in their Education Law and Municipal Law Practices Group. Lefevre assists school board and municipal clients in a wide range of

matters, including day-to-day legal issues, labor and employment, discipline and harassment, governance, OPRA, and public contracting,

Matthew W. Smeltzer ’12, North Wales, has joined STV, a leader in engineering, architectural, planning and program, and construction management services as corporate controller. In this role, Smeltzer will report directly to STV chief financial officer and will be responsible for STV accounting, reporting and financial audits.

Althea Penn, Ed.D. G’13, Snellville, Georgia, is the new director of Early Education at The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Dr. Penn brings more than 30 years of experience in organizational leadership as well as primary and secondary education to ACSI, most recently serving as Executive Director of The Shepherd’s Academy for Teaching Excellence in Snellville. She has served thousands of educators, administrators and schools as an educational consultant and professional development specialist. Penn will lead the ACSI EE team in developing biblically-based resources and providing professional development to support early educators. She collaborates with other

Marriages

Alicia Yanac, D.O. ’10 to Tom Robinson

Allison Carbone ’12 to Andrew Freer

Evan Canavan ’13 to Melissa Molinari

James Ranslow ’13 and Anali Meza

Elizabeth McCabe ’14 to William Stallone ’14

Tim Janes ’15 to Kellie Reidinger

Bridget Gallaher ’16 to James Lolli ’14, G’17

Larissa Hoffmann ’16 to Timothy Harding ’15

Nicole Lasota ’16 to Ryan Strelec

Meghan Tighe ’16 to Phillip Dunbar ’16

Christopher Vatter ’17 to Meghan Miller ’17

Marco Carnovale ’18 to Katie Moloney ’19

Kat Fletcher ’20 to Charlie Nugent ’20

Christopher Mingone ’20 to Emmaline Freeman ’21

departments to carry out initiatives in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan, including the integration of current research for ECE program practices. As a principal, Dr. Penn was awarded Ford’s Freedom Unsung Teacher Hero of COVID-19 Award for courageously launching an EE-12th school during the pandemic.

Jonathan B. Schall ’13, Philadelphia, has joined Fox Rothschild LLP in Philadelphia as an associate in the Corporate and Health Law Practices.

Zachary R. Morano ’15, Wayne, has joined the firm Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin as an associate in the firm’s Real Estate and Land Use Department.

Michael D. Azzato ’17, Harrisburg, was hired as a tax staff accountant at Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz, Camp Hill.

Ashley Hill ’17, Aurora, Colorado, is a new lead of the competency restoration program at Denver Health on its forensic psychiatric unit, where she is working toward stabilizing and educating inmates with acute psychosis in preparation of defending themselves in court.

Lorenzo Antonio Singotti ’17, Duryea, recently graduated from Marywood University with a Master of Social Work degree. Singotti recently accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a social worker in the Emergency Department at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Laura Romanovich ’18, Peckville, began a fulltime science instructor position at Johnson College in Scranton.

Olivia Borges ’22, Bethlehem, is a research technician level 2 in the Han Lab at Duke University, where she will be studying how gut microbiota regulate host aging alongside Dr. Duke Han. In addition to conducting research, she also performs lab manager duties and acts as PI for the Day in her absence.

Melissa Molinari married Evan Canavan ’13 on October 7, 2021, with more than 25 Scranton alumni in attendance, including Eric Buonpastore ’13 Stephen Baum ’13 Robert Crossan ’13 Michael Giammarusco ’13 Joseph Bertino ’12, Sean O’Connor ’13, Christian Gabucci ’13, Michael Cuerou ’13, Garret Wolan ’13, Michael Pannone ’13, Jerry Mantone ’13, Jack Hambrose ’13, Jacqueline Giammarusco ’13, Kaitlin O’Connor ’13, Meghan Buonpastore ’13, Kimberly Mantone ’13, Melissa Canavan (Bride), Evan Canavan ’13 (Groom), Jonathan Schall ’13, Lindsay Wolan ’13, Catherine Fischer ’13, Colleen Coleman ’13, Megan Etzel ’13, Michael Longest ’13, Catherine Appell ’13, Anthony Pisciella ’13, Devin Patel ’13 and Brianne Longest ’13

Marriages continued

Elizabeth McCabe ’14 married William Stallone ’14 of Township of WashScranton friends, Molly Cassidy ’13 and Patrick Cassidy ’13

On Oct. 9, 2021, Alicia Yanac, D.O. ’10 married Tom Robinson in the presence Kat Brokus Mark

James Ranslow ’13 married Anali Meza on May 7, 2022, in Santa Barbara, CA.

Timothy Janes ’15 married Kellie Reidinger on April 23, 2022, in Chatham, NJ. Scranton alumni present included, from left, Matthew ’07 and Jennifer Calvert ’07, Kaitlin Kneafsey ’15 , Jason Weinpel ’15 , Matthew Tirella ’10, Brian McAvoy ’13 and Fernando Borrego ’15

Christopher Vatter ’17 married Meghan Miller ’17 on March 26, 2022, surrounded by fellow members of the class of 2017.

Bridget Gallaher ’16 married James Lolli ’14, G’17, Havertown, on May 1, 2020, and they held a celebratory reception on April 29, 2021, surrounded by many Scranton alumni.

Larissa Hoffmann ’16 married Timothy Harding ’15, son of William Harding ’80 P’13,’15,’18, on May 5, 2022. Alumni ranging from the Classes of ’80 to ’22 were in attendance.

Marco Carnovale ’18 married Katie Moloney ’19 on June 25, 2022, with many Scranton alumni in attendance.

Births & Adoptions

A daughter, Adeline, to Will and Tracey Moller ’07, Summit, New Jersey 1

A daughter, Michelle Agnes to Dan ’07 and Dawn Leavy Neenan ’10, Staten Island, New York 2

A daughter, Sofia Lucy, to William ’08 and Ashley Miller Colona ’09, Teaneck, New Jersey 3

A daughter, Adelynn Everly, to Grif and Jennifer Gentile Gassert ’09, Alpharetta, Georgia 4

A son, Leo James, to Meghan and John Nebzydoski ’10, G’12, Pleasant Mount 5

A son, Russell Walter, to William and Leigh Magnotta Fennie ’11, G’19, Scranton 6

A daughter, Isabella Antonia, to Nicholas ’13, G’15 and Christina Walsh Minissale ’15, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 7

A son, Cameron Vincent, to Brendan ’11 and Jill Lowry Reilly ’11, East Norriton 8

A daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth, to Brice ’11 and Jasmine Santiago Sachs ’11, Morristown, New Jersey 9

A daughter, Emaline Jamie, to Michael ’11 and Elizabeth Lukowicz Sunkel ’11, Fieldsboro, New Jersey 10

A daughter, Emma Anne, to Kevin P.’13 and Jacquelyn A. Tofani Dermody ’13. In total, Emma is related to over 20 graduates from the University, including Prof. Eileen Cummings Dermody ’84 and Colleen O’Hara Tofani ’81, her grandmothers, and the late Marie E. MS ’77 and Thomas P. Cummings, Sr. ’52, her paternal great-grandparents. 11

A son, Anthony Thomas Santino, Jr., to Thomas and Kaylee Hatfield Santino ’13, Delran, New Jersey 12

A son, Logan Charles, to James ’14, DPT ’17 and Bridget Gallaher Lolli ’16, Havertown 13

University of Scranton Alumni celebrate the marriage of Nicole Lasota ’16 to Ryan Strelec.

Christopher Mingone ’20 married Emmaline Freeman ’21 with many Scranton alumni in attendance.

Kat Fletcher ’20 married Charlie Nugent ’20 on October 15, 2022, surrounded by many Scranton friends in attendance and a few in their bridal party. The couple met and started dating during their sophomore year at The University of Scranton.

In Memoriam

Victor F. Greco, M.D. ’47, Drums

Selig S. Strassman, M.D. ’48, Bainbridge, Ohio

Stanley J. Burke ’50, Port Carbon

John M. O’Connor ’51, Falmouth, Massachusetts

Robert W. Weibel, M.D. ’51, Lansdale

Irwin Schneider ’52, Fleetville

Joseph N. Demko, Sr., M.D. ’54, Scranton

William G. Lowry ’54, Louisville, Kentucky

Donald J. Kemple ’56, Syracuse, New York

John A. Richards ’56, Pittston

Robert F. Duffy ’57, Rockville, Maryland

A. Jerome McCormick ’57, Clifton Park, New York

Tito A. Minella ’57, Old Forge

Roman Salamon ’57, Susquehanna

Robert T. Kelly ’58, H’93, Jessup

John F. Callahan, D.O. ’60, Dallas

Timothy L. Curtin ’60, Scranton

John F. Lepkowski ’60, Liverpool, New York

John E. McCawley ’60, Endwell

James J. Miskell ’60, Bardstown, Kentucky

Thomas E. Sheridan, Sr. ’60, Hawley

Joseph T. Valonis ’62, Annapolis, Maryland

Francis R. Zuleski ’62, West Chester

Col. James W. Patterson, USA, Ret. ’63, Roaring Brook Township

In Memoriam Friends & Family

Cheryl L. Augustine, sister of John Major ’10

Pamela Carlson, wife of Kevin Carlson ’78

Thomas V. Tinsley ’63, Glen Summit

Michael M. Echan ’64, Vestal, New York

Thomas J. Egan, D.D.S. ’65, Silver Spring, Maryland

John J. Grace ’65, Lakewood, Colorado

Karl Kempter ’65, Scranton

Bernard Troy ’65, Scranton

John R. Walsh ’65, G’67, Clarks Summit

Ronald L. Lemoncelli, Ph.D. ’67, Archbald

Joseph J. Rescigno ’67, G’73, Scranton

Joseph A. Gentile ’69, Scranton

Hon. Robert P. Meehan ’69, Freedom

J. Timothy Cannon, Ph.D. ’71, Scranton

J. Brian Durkin ’71, Philadelphia

Peter J. Igoe ’72, G’75, G’85, Dunmore

Joseph R. McDonald ’72, Clarks Summit

Terrence P. Zealand, Ed.D. ’72, Howell, New Jersey

Philip W. Gumble ’73, Bethlehem

Paul M. Swift ’75, Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Melissa Conway Luther, Ph.D. ’76, Carlsbad, California

Charles F. McElwee ’76, Hershey

Michael P. O’Malley ’76, Scranton

Ronald E. LeKarz ’78, Ellicott City, Maryland

George T. Dervas ’79, G’81, Dunmore

Leo E. Garvey G’79, West Pittston

Catherine M. “Kitty” Fisch, grandmother of Robert J. Fisch ’11, G’15, Timothy M. Fisch ’15, G’16, and Matthew N. Fisch ’20, and mother-in-law of Patrick M. Scanlon ’81

Ellie Grech, mother of Thomas J. Grech ’84 and Robert Grech ’87

Claire Lukaschek, mother of Mary Claire Lukaschek Aitken ’82 and mother-in-law of Linda Green Lukaschek ’83

Sharon A. Troynacki G’80, Pittston

Thomas J. Simrell, D.M.D. ’81, Greenfield Township

Malcolm A. Kline ’81, Triangle, Virginia

Pamela W. Lewis ’81, Lutz, Florida

Christopher J. Hunt ’82, Howell, New Jersey

Rita Koshinski-Uchida, D.O. ’82, Monterey, California

Michael J. Carroll ’83, Monroe, New York

George R. Huhn ’83, Venice, Florida

William G. Maile ’84, Carbondale

Richard Kazmerick ’86, Exeter

Gregory A. Nelson ’86, Wyoming

Brian L. Carpenter ’87, Olyphant

Matthew Ryffel ’87, Mahwah, New Jersey

David J. Lauriha ’88, Archbald

Diane M. Grande ’91, Scranton

David W. Fritz ’92, Old Forge

Scott J. Collins ’94, Sarasota, Florida

William F. Holmes, Ph.D. ’94, G’96, Worcester, Massachusetts

Richard J. Sweeney, M.D. ’99, Seattle, Washington

Ryan J. Martin ’01, Danielsville

David R. Hudachek ’02, Eagleville

Mary S. Sylvester ’03, Scranton

Timothy R. Kapp ’06, Dunmore

Brian Leahy, husband of Susan Paige Leahy ’91 and brother of Michael Leahy ’05

William Mangan, husband of Wendy Yeager Mangan ’94

Doris J. Pierce, mother of Thomas M. Pierce ’87

Elizabeth Bush Schmidt, sister of Peter Bush ’79

Helen Mary Simrell, mother of the late Thomas J. Simrell, D.M.D. ’81, grandmother of Nathan J. Ratchford ’18, Charles J. Volpe III ’10, G’14 and Jennifer A. Wolff ’06, G’10, and mother-in-law of Thomas J. Ratchford, Jr., Esq. ’77 and Charles J. Volpe, Jr., Esq. ’82

Barbara Valtos, sister of Dennis Darlak, Ph.D. ’65

Class Notes Publication Policy: The University of Scranton accepts submissions of news of professional achievements or personal milestones for inclusion in the Class Notes section of The Scranton Journal. Submissions can be submitted electronically to alumni@scranton.edu or by mail to Marge Gleason, Class Notes editor, The University of Scranton, 800 Linden Street, Scranton, PA 18510. Digital photos should be 300dpi, JPG or TIFF format and at least 3x5 inches. The University of Scranton reserves complete editorial rights to all content submitted for Class Notes, and posts and publishes listings in as timely a fashion as possible, as space permits. Reasonable steps are taken to verify the accuracy of the information submitted, but the University cannot guarantee the accuracy of all submissions. Publication of achievements or milestones does not constitute endorsement by The University of Scranton.

The University of Scranton is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory employment and educational environment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination and sexual harassment and sexual misconduct policies may be directed to Elizabeth M. Garcia, executive director, Office of Equity and Diversity, 570.941.6645.

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

The Estate Society

THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON

Erin O’Malley Tysko, M.D. ’89, a cardiologist at Main Line Health Care, Lankenau Heart Group, knows a thing or two about the value of encouragement. As a senior at Scranton’s Bishop Hannan High School, she won a presidential scholarship to The University of Scranton, giving her the opportunity to pursue her desire to become a physician. As a medical student at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, the example set by the female cardiologists she encountered gave her the confidence to specialize in a traditionally male-dominated field, and she wants to encourage future generations of young women to do the same.

“We need more women to pursue their interests and not be discouraged from science and technology careers,” she said. “Having other women encourage you is extremely important.

“Anything is possible with the right foundation, support and mentoring.”

Dr. O’Malley Tysko and her husband, Gregg Tysko, a director of market access at Pfizer, recently chose to help provide that foundation by establishing The Erin O’Malley Tysko, M.D. ’89 & Gregg Tysko Women in STEM Scholarship, an award that, once fully endowed, will be given to need-based female undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

“I always wanted to give back to Scranton,” she said. “The financial challenges associated with medical and advanced science degrees can be overwhelming, and we hope to alleviate some of those concerns for aspiring STEM candidates.

“My profession is so rewarding, and I want other women to have the opportunity to experience that.”

Growing up, Dr. O’Malley Tysko knew she wanted to pursue a career in the sciences and was also aware of the University’s excellent track record for medical school acceptances. She recalls being excited and relieved to earn a presidential scholarship.

Erin O’Malley Tysko, M.D. ’89: Encouraging Excellence

“Tuition was expensive and becoming a physician requires years of education and training,” she said. “The scholarship was a big financial help.”

As a first-generation college student commuting to her classes, Dr. O’Malley Tysko knew she had to focus on academics to achieve her goals. Although the scholarship helped with tuition, she worked a variety of jobs during her time at the University, including stints at the campus bookstore, a downtown law firm, a local hospital and a restaurant. Despite juggling a demanding class schedule and her work commitments, she made many friends who continue to be an important part of her life.

“We are all still close and have great memories of our time on campus,” she said. “I don’t think we have ever missed a reunion.”

As a consultative cardiologist, Dr. O’Malley Tysko sees patients across the spectrum of cardiac disease, treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary disease and valve disease. She is board certified in cardiology, nuclear cardiology and echocardiography, and she currently serves as director of outpatient echocardiography for Main Line Health Care.

“Cardiology is a constantly evolving specialty that allows us to utilize the most advanced technology to improve quality of life for patients,” she said. “I’m so happy I chose this particular field.”

When she was a cardiology fellow, Dr. O’Malley Tysko met Gregg at a college friend’s wedding, and the two eventually married and settled in Blue Bell, where they reside today.

“I’m lucky — I have a spouse who continually encourages me,” she said. “He always says, ‘If you want to do it, just do it.’”

In addition to her clinical work as a cardiologist, Dr. O’Malley Tysko serves others in a variety of ways, including participating in multiple educational programs to encourage cardiovascular health, promoting awareness of women and heart disease, and by previously acting as a “Go Red Champion” for the American Heart Association. A true woman for others, she hopes the scholarship will encourage future Scranton women to follow their dreams.

“Lots of people will tell you that you can’t do it,” she said. “If that’s all you ever hear, that might be what you start to believe.

“We want to help young women get past the doubts and focus on their future in STEM.”

Alumna and her husband establish scholarship to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM fields.