University News

John Cawley, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Economics and the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University, presented “The Economics of Obesity” at The University of Scranton’s 29^th Henry George Seminar on April 8 on campus. His research interests include the economics of risky health behaviors; in particular, those that relate to obesity. Examples of research projects include: the effects of food advertising on diet and of income on weight; the impact of obesity on labor market outcomes such as wages; the effect of physical education on youths; and the effectiveness of financial rewards for weight loss.

A Scranton native, Dr. Cawley is co-director of Cornell’s Institute on Health Economics, Health Behaviors and Disparities. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute in the Netherlands, and a research fellow of the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany. He is an editor of the Journal of Health Economics.

The University of Scranton will host its annual Evening of Environmental Science on Thursday, April 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The event includes environmentally themed interactive displays and activities for elementary, middle and high school students. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

The event will also display the nearly 350 essays submitted by area students in grades 5 to 12 for this year’s Earth Day Essay Contest. The winners of the essay contest will be announced at the event.

Tours of the University’s state-of-the-art Loyola Science Center will also be offered. The Princeton Review ranked Scranton among the nation’s 25 “Best Science Lab Facilities” for seven years in their annual “Best Colleges” guidebook.

The Evening of Environmental Science is among numerous Earth Day events hosted by the University and its Office of Sustainability and the Society for Sustainability and Conservation.

Visit The University of Scranton’s sustainability webpage for information about the University’s sustainability efforts and Earth Day events, or call 570-941-6267.

Rev. William J. Byron, S.J., H’84, the 21^st president of The University of Scranton, passed away Tuesday, April 9 in Philadelphia at the age of 96.

Father Byron was one of the “most prominent Jesuit leaders and a prolific writer of books on Catholicism and faith. He will be greatly missed,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, in a message to the University community about Father Byron’s death.

Father Byron served as president at Scranton from 1975 to 1982. During his tenure, the University’s operating budget doubled, while at the same time a computer-based Management Information System ensured each year’s budget produced a surplus. Father Byron embarked upon a multimillion-dollar capital campaign for the school. A new undergraduate college, the School of Management, was created, along with new programs including nursing and physical therapy. While no new buildings were constructed, the University’s physical plant continued to grow with the purchase of several existing structures. Also, two blocks of Linden Street were closed to vehicular traffic, allowing for the University’s “Commons” walkway to begin.

During his time at Scranton, Father Byron welcomed visits to campus by Saint Mother Teresa, President Gerald Ford and Senator Edward Kennedy.

In a video commemorating the 125^th Anniversary of The University of Scranton, Father Byron said the University is “a great place and it has a good tradition,” crediting “the early tradition of the Christian Brothers who established it,” in addition to the contributions of others who followed.

Father Marina, in his message to the University community, wrote of a recent visit he had with Father Byron in March, while Father Byron was in hospice care. “As I walked into his room at the Jesuit infirmary, Father Byron was sitting up in his chair, alert but struggling,” wrote Father Marina “He managed to ask if I was the President at Scranton now. When I nodded yes, he said ‘take good care of it.’”

“Father Byron is among those who have given greatly to build a solid foundation for our mission and success at Scranton on which we continue to flourish to this very day,” said Father Marina.

After his presidency in Scranton, Father Byron became the first Jesuit to serve as president of the Catholic University of America, a post he held for 10 years, from 1982 to 1992. He went on to hold professorships at Loyola University of Maryland and Georgetown University. He has also served as rector of the Jesuit community at Georgetown and as pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Washington. He served as acting president at Loyola University of New Orleans (2003-2004) and as president at his high school alma mater St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (2006-2008). He was Professor Emeritus of Business and Society at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

Father Byron was the author of nearly a dozen books, and a longtime syndicated bi-weekly columnist for the Catholic News Service. He served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and as chair of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University Hospital.

Father Byron received numerous awards during his distinguished career, including the 1999 Council of Independent Colleges’ Academic Leadership Award and the 1999 Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities’ Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for his contributions over the years to the advancement of Catholic higher education.

In 1982, The University of Scranton conferred an honorary doctorate on Father Byron, one of 30 honorary degrees he has received, and in 1986 the William J. Byron, S.J., Recreational Complex was dedicated in his honor.

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Philadelphia, Father Byron graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. In 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Army serving for one year in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Father Byron entered the Society of Jesus in 1950. As a Jesuit scholastic, he first came to Scranton teaching mathematics at the Scranton Preparatory School from 1956 to 1958. He was ordained in 1961.

Father Byron earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Maryland, two theology degrees from Woodstock College, a bachelor’s in philosophy and master’s in economics from Saint Louis University, and a certificate in educational management from Harvard.

Internationally acclaimed cellists Mark Kosower and Mingyao Zhao will visit The University of Scranton for two mid-April performances.

Kosower and Zhao will present a recital on Sunday, April 14, then return the evening of Thursday, April 18, to join The University of Scranton String Orchestra for a program that includes the world premiere of composer Nate Sparks’ new work for string orchestra and the virtuosic cello duo, “La Gran Conversión.”

Both events, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and open to the public, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

The students will work with the guest artists throughout the week of the mini-residency visit, according to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga. “We are always delighted to have Mark here – his impact on the development of our young string orchestra during previous visits cannot be overstated – and are very excited that this time his wife, also an acclaimed cellist, will be joining him.”

A frequent visitor to the University in recent years, Kosower has served as the principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra since 2010. He has appeared as a soloist with symphony orchestras throughout the world, guested at international chamber music festivals, recorded for multiple labels, regularly serves as faculty for a variety of prestigious schools and festivals. He is in demand internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, teacher and champion of the instrument. Kosower is also the founder of the “Bach for Humanity” initiative, which aims to bring people of diverse socio-economic backgrounds together via presentations of Bach’s music in various community settings.

Recognized internationally for her dynamic performances, Zhao has extensive experience as a soloist, recitalist, orchestral and chamber musician in China, the United States, Canada, Korea and Poland. She has received numerous accolades through the years, including first prize in the Haydn Competition at CelloFest, the Aldo Parisot Award, Arkady Fomin Young Artist Award, the silver medal at the Texas Young Artist Music Competition, and the bronze medal at the IX Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition. Zhao frequently performs as substitute cellist with the Cleveland Orchestra and serves on the faculty of the College of Wooster.

A 2017 graduate of The Juilliard School, Sparks has written for performing ensembles throughout the United States, including Lucky Chops, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, ABS Chamber Orchestra, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria and the Multiverse Big Band, the MSM Afro-Cuban Orchestra, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Kyle Athayde Dance Party and Joseph Boga and the Scranton Ramblers. On May 4, The University of Scranton Concert Band and Concert Choir will premiere two new works by Sparks at Performance Music’s 41st Annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert.

The University of Scranton String Orchestra is a 30-plus-member ensemble comprised of members of the University community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum – most of them undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students, alumni and faculty members. With no music major at the University, the performers are united by their mutual love of making music.

For further information about the performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For additional information on Kosower, visit clevelandorchestra.com/discover/meet-the-musicians/cellos/Kosower-mark. For more on Zhao, visit wooster.edu/bio/mzhao, and for more on Sparks, visit natesparksmusic.com.

The University of Scranton formally broke ground for a nearly 90,000 square-foot center for workforce development, applied research and outreach at a ceremony on April 8. The ceremony took place on the site of the four-story building on University-owned property on the 300 block of Madison Avenue.

“As we all know, the word groundbreaking can be used as a noun or an adjective. Obviously, we have gathered here today for the noun. But, once the doors of our new building open, the adjective will take over: groundbreaking – in other words, trailblazing, innovative, and cutting edge. This new building will be one of the forces that helps The University of Scranton move into its future,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “By embracing the opportunities of workforce development, applied research and community outreach, our new hall will help Scranton take a big step forward in its mission.”

“Our new hall will stand between downtown Scranton and the rest of our campus, always here to remind us of our responsibility to the city around us and our responsibility to the world beyond that,” said Father Marina.

Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Scranton, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the building is “designed with collaboration in mind: collaborations between students and faculty; interdisciplinary opportunities across all our colleges; and the potential to increase engagement, partnerships and programming with regional businesses and organizations in the greater Scranton area.”

The new building will house the University of Success, which is a four-year college preparation initiative for area high school-students, and The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, which was established at the University in 1980 and serves an eight-county area that spans northern tier and northeastern Pennsylvania.

“This facility includes a 10,000-square-foot innovation hub right on the first floor that we expect will be a centerpiece for collaboration and will serve as a dynamic resource for the campus and greater Scranton community,” said Dr. Maldonado.

The building also will house the University’s Student Health Services and The Center for Health Education and Wellness; and provide space for laboratories, classrooms, offices and meeting areas for the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology and the Psychology Department.

“As a department, we are especially excited about the impact these new classrooms and research labs will have, every day, on implementing our engagement-focused curriculum,” said John Norcross, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Scranton, said in his remarks at the ceremony. “This is a place designed for – and built for – reciprocal access: easy access for the public to us, and easy access for us to the community. This new building will increase student and community contact with our multiple programs, including the interdisciplinary concentrations in lifespan development, environmental and sustainability studies, integrated data analysis, and Black studies directed by Psychology faculty.”

Also speaking at the ceremony were Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology; Maria Manno, a biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major from Blue Bell and a peer health education team leader at the University’s Center for Health Education and Wellness; Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti; and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.

With the support of Congressman Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, the University received $16.62 million for this building project as part of Cartwright’s FY2023 Community Project Funding requests.

Hemmler and Camayd (HC Architects) are the architects of the building, which incorporates glass walls, steel and stone into a modern design intended to meet silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. Quandel Construction will serve as the construction manager.

The University plans to begin use of the building for the fall 2025 semester.

In recognition of Pope Francis’s call toward environmental sustainability, The University of Scranton’s Sustainability Office chose “Sustainable Living, Caring for Creation” as the theme for this spring’s Earth Day celebration, which includes nearly a dozen events, many of which are open to the public, free of charge.

The theme is inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” and The University of Scranton’s commitment to join a coalition of colleges from around the world to develop, implement and evaluate initiatives around seven ecological goals over a seven-year period to meet the Pope’s call for integral ecology and to gain designation by the Vatican as a Laudato Si’ University.

This year’s Earth Day Essay Contest, open to area students in grades 5-12, has the same theme: “Sustainable Living, Caring for Creation.” Submissions will be accepted until April 5, and winners will be announced at the Evening of Environmental Science event on April 18. For more details on the essay contest, visit the contest webpage.

The exhibit in the University’s Hope Horn Art Gallery, titled “Our Common Home, University Art Collection,” will highlight 20^th and 21^st century portrayals of scenes and nature associated with eastern Pennsylvania. The exhibit opens April 5, with a Curator’s Lecture in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by an opening reception in the Hope Horn Gallery in Hyland Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display during gallery hours through May 3. The lecture, reception and exhibit are open to the public, free of charge.

The Weinberg Memorial Library will host an Environmental Art Show featuring art of members of the University community in the Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room from April 15 to April 24. A lecture by artist Theresa O’Connor on April 15 at 5 p.m. will open the exhibit, that can be seen, free of charge, during library hours.

The University will host an Earth Day Fair on April 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The event will feature University student displays as well as, displays from university departments, local non-profits and governmental offices, which will provide information about sustainable practices and products.

The Evening of Environmental Science, set for April 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center, will feature a display of essays received for the Earth Day Essay Contest, as well interactive environmental displays and activities. Awards for the Earth Day Essay Contest will be presented at the event. The Earth Day Fair and the Evening of Environmental Science are open to the public, free of charge.

For members of the University community, the University will host a day-long Environmental Teach-In, which focuses on topics of environmental sustainability, on April 23, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Loyola Science Center. Earth Day celebrations conclude with a kayaking trip on the Susquehanna River for students on May 5, hosted by the University’s Sustainability Office and the Society for Sustainability and Conservation.

Related Earth Day events that were held on campus prior to the month of April, included a World Water Day event at the DeNaples Center on March 21 that featured interactive activities and displays to help raise awareness of water usage and its importance. From Feb. 19 to 23 the Fresh Food Company held Plant Based Meals Week for University students. Also, on March 5, the film “The Letter: Laudato Si, A Message for our Earth” was screened at the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center.

Visit The University of Scranton’s sustainability webpage for information about the University’s sustainability efforts and Earth Day events, or call the Office of Sustainability at 570-941-6267.

Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., President of The University of Scranton, announced that the Board of Trustees has approved the renaming of the Panuska College of Professional Studies to the “Leahy College of Health Sciences,” and the renaming of the “Commons” and Faculty/Student Research Program to the “Rev. J.A. Panuska, S.J., Commons” and the “Rev. J. A. Panuska, S.J., Faculty/Student Research Program,” in honor of the late, longest-serving President in the University’s history.

“Father Panuska’s devotion to students was legendary, as was the University’s growth under his leadership, and few if any Scranton graduates and benefactors can match the lifelong devotion that Ed Leahy and his wife, Patricia, have manifested over the decades,” said Father Marina.

“Ed and Patricia Leahy have consistently answered the University’s call for support from capital campaigns and annual giving to scholarship appeals and special projects. However, their philanthropic support is only part of the story. Throughout their lives, they have engaged with the University in impactful ways,” said Father Marina. “Their leadership and participation in the annual Conference on Disability, as just one example, has made possible the presence of nationally and internally recognized speakers and scholars at the event.”

Father Marina also noted that changing the title from “professional studies” to “health sciences” more accurately describes the mission and scope of the school, which offers degrees in physical and occupational therapy, nursing, healthcare administration, kinesiology and counseling.

“Since its founding in the mid-1980s as the College of Health, Education and Human Resources, and later Panuska College of Professional Studies, the College’s academic offerings have increasingly coalesced around health science disciplines. The recent movement of the Education Department to the University’s College of Arts and Sciences creates the opportunity for greater clarity of purpose,” said Father Marina.

“During his 16-year tenure as President, Father Panuska is credited not only with a construction boom that added 15 buildings to the campus, but also for raising the caliber of our faculty from excellent teachers to teacher-scholars,” said Father Marina, explaining the rational to remember and honor Father Panuska with the renaming of the Faculty/Student Research Program as well as the Commons, the stone pathway at the heart of campus that begins on Linden Street and Monroe Avenue and continues to North Webster Avenue. Three artworks, commissioned during Father Panuska’s term as President, adorn the pathway: the sculpture of Christ the Teacher at the base of the Commons; the Metanoia of St. Ignatius at the midpoint; and the statue of Jacob and the Angel at the top of the hill on the Commons.

The University will celebrate the memory, life and contributions of the late Father Panuska and Edward and Patricia Leahy and their son, Edward, Jr., and at an event April 23 at 3:30 p.m. on campus, at which the University will officially formalize the naming of “Rev. J.A. Panuska, S.J., Commons,” the “Rev. J. A. Panuska, S.J., Faculty/Student Research Program,” and the “Leahy College of Health Sciences.”

“Every day was a wonderment. This place opened the world to me.” Edward R. Leahy about his education at The University of Scranton

Edward R. Leahy, of Scranton’s Class of 1968, served as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. The University recognized his achievements and service through the Alumni Achievement Award for Distinguished and Exceptional Attainment, given in 1993, the Frank J. O’Hara Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008, and with an Honorary Degree, bestowed in 2001. In 2015, the University dedicated Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall in honor of their late son. In 2023, he and Patricia received the University’s President’s Medal, which 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.

In 1988, the Leahys created the Edward P. Leahy Scholarship, in memory of Mr. Leahy’s uncle, which awards scholarships to Scranton students annually. In 1994, in memory of their son, Edward, they created the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment at the University, which is the largest single endowment at Scranton. That endowment has supported the Clinic for the Uninsured, which includes a medical clinic, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling and low vision clinics that help individuals who are most in need in Lackawanna County. A new agreement between the University and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine will further expand the reach and services offered by the Leahy Medical Clinic. At the 2023 public launch of the University’s “A Fire That Kindles Other Fires Campaign,” Father Marina announced a $10 million gift from the Leahys, which is the largest single-donation in the University’s history.

“Edward, who was a wonderful, happy child, with multiple disabilities, passed away in 1993, just before his ninth birthday. Throughout his short life, Edward was helped enormously by doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and many other health professionals.” Edward R. Leahy

The naming of the “Leahy College of Health Science” will honor the life and memory of their son, Edward R. Leahy, Jr., and acknowledge Ed and Patricia’s lifelong commitment to and support of The University of Scranton.

“What we do here is like a pebble dropped in the sea; the effects spread, the waves grow. . . . I dream of the growth of the Scranton wave through the education of students who are not only fully qualified to succeed competitively, but who know that they have brothers and sisters all over the world. I dream of seeing our excellent faculty enabled to spend even more time with our students and with their research, of seeing our community spirit intensified so that alienation is truly alien to our life, of seeing Jesuit-lay collegiality as a full reality. . . . We can dream because we are the children of God, endowed with His power. Of course, dreams are not fulfilled by dreaming, but by planning and by hard work.”  Rev. J.A. Panuska.

The late Rev. Joseph Allan Panuska, S.J., served for 16 years as The University of Scranton’s 22nd President, from July 1, 1982, until July 1, 1998. He became the University’s first President Emeritus and was affectionately known as “Papa Bear” by members of the University Community.

The Francis and Elizabeth Redington Hall, built in 1985, was Father Panuska’s first major addition to campus, followed quickly by William J. Byron Recreation Complex in 1986, and Gavigan Hall in 1989. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Memorial Library, built in 1992, and the McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts, built in 1993, were among the buildings added to the campus during Father Panuska’s tenure as President.

During Father Panuska’s presidency, the University’s academic reputation and reach expanded throughout the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states, while continuing a strong commitment to local students. U.S. News & World Report first recognized Scranton among the nation’s best universities, and the tradition of students earning Fulbright Scholarships and other prestigious academic awards began.

In 2004, Father Panuska returned to The University of Scranton’s Campus Ministries Office, devoting particular attention to providing spiritual direction and programming for University staff. He died in 2017 at the age of 89.

The University of Scranton will host a Graduate Open House the evening of April 10 to provide information about its more than 30 advanced degree programs. Those attending the event will hear from and meet Scranton alumni, faculty, admissions representatives and current students.

A nationally recognized Jesuit university, Scranton seeks to provide the highest-quality graduate education, with programs meeting the most rigorous state or national accreditations available within their professional fields. Graduate programs include physical therapy, occupational therapy, nurse anesthesia, health care management, clinical rehabilitation counseling, business analytics and MBAs in several concentrations and other business disciplines. Scranton also offers a Ph.D. program in accounting. While most programs are offered on campus, some also offer online options.

In recent years, Scranton has added new graduate programs, such as an online master’s degree program in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity, and a synchronous remote master ’s degree in speech-language pathology.

The Graduate Open House begins on April 10 with registration at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the DeNaples Center, followed by an alumni panel presentation at 6 p.m. Program specific information sessions will run from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. Optional campus tours are available from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The event is offered free of charge.

For more information or to make reservations, visit the Graduate Open House webpage or email gradadmissions@scranton.edu.

Scranton native John Cawley, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Economics and the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University, will present “The Economics of Obesity” at The University of Scranton’s 29^th Henry George Seminar on Monday, April 8, at 4 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. His research interests include the economics of risky health behaviors; in particular, those that relate to obesity. Examples of research projects include: the effects of food advertising on diet and of income on weight; the impact of obesity on labor market outcomes such as wages; the effect of physical education on youths; and the effectiveness of financial rewards for weight loss.

Dr. Cawley’s research has been published  in the American Economic Review, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Economic Perspectives, as well as journals in health economics (e.g. Journal of Health Economics, Health Economics and the American Journal of Health Economics), public policy (Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and Health Affairs) and medicine and public health (e.g. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet and the American Journal of Public Health).

His research has also been widely covered in the media, including stories in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The New York Times, The Economist, Business Week, Forbes, Scientific American and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Dr. Cawley is co-director of Cornell’s Institute on Health Economics, Health Behaviors and Disparities. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute in the Netherlands, and a research fellow of the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany.

In addition to his affiliation with Cornell, Dr. Cawley is the Erasmus Initiative Visiting Professor of Health Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands and an Honorary Professor of Economics at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute in the Netherlands, and a research fellow of the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee “Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth” and has served on advisory boards and expert panels for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government agencies. Dr. Cawley is as an editor of the Journal of Health Economics.

Dr. Cawley has received numerous awards during his career, including the Investigator Award in Health Policy Research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the John D. Thompson Prize for Young Investigators from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and the Charles C. Shepard Science Award in Prevention and Control from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During 2016 he served as a Fulbright specialist in economics to Ireland.

Prior to arriving at Cornell, he was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in Health Policy Research at the University of Michigan from 1999-2001. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.

For more information about the Henry George Seminar, call 570-941-4048 or email janice.mecadon@scranton.edu. The seminar is free of charge and open to the public.

The University of Scranton’s Jesuit Center hosted a luncheon discussion with Joe DeFeo, Ph.D., executive director of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and University’s (AJCU) Ignatian Colleagues Program on campus in March. Dr. DeFoe presented “In This Together: How Everyone Contributes to Our Jesuit and Catholic Mission” at the event attended by nearly 70 members of the University’s faculty and staff.

While on campus, Dr. DeFoe also met with members of the University community who participated in the Ignatian Colleagues Program. He also met with University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., and University administrators.

The Ignatian Colleagues Program is an 18-month, in-depth program that engages faculty and staff from across Jesuit colleges and universities in learning about the Jesuit and Catholic mission, charism, history, pedagogy and spirituality of their institutions.

The University of Scranton will host an art exhibit Friday, April 5 for “Our Common Home: Landscapes from the University of Scranton Art Collection.”

The exhibit is inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.” In answer to the call by Pope Francis to “Care for Our Common Home,” The University of Scranton has begun an intensive seven-year journey to become designated as a Laudato Si’ University by the Vatican. The collection features 20th and 21st century representations of landscape and nature connected to eastern Pennsylvania. Artists represented include Jon Carsman, Nina Davidowitz, Berenice D’Vorzon, Earl Lehman, Walter Elmer Schofield and Melville Stark, among others.

The gallery lecture, presented by Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of the Hope Horn Gallery, will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. in Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. A public reception will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall, and is part of downtown Scranton’s First Fridays. The lecture and reception are free of charge and open to the public.

The exhibit will run from April 5 through May 3, and can be seen, free of charge, during gallery hours.

For more information on the event call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton Singers will present a concert in collaboration with Scranton Brass Orchestra on Sunday, March 24. Presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

According to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga, the concert will feature a short program by each group, followed by the performance of two pieces by the combined groups.

Founded by Boga and Hal Baillie, Ph.D., professor emeritus of the Philosophy Department at the University, and now in its 12^th season, Scranton Brass Orchestra is a fully professional 28-member ensemble comprised of brass and percussion players/teachers from across the region. Since its founding in June 2011, the group’s performances have been free and open to the public, and have featured nationally and internationally acclaimed guests, among them some of the most acclaimed brass players of our time. Some of the goals of the group include: to provide high level large brass ensemble performance and listening opportunities; to serve as an aural and visual model to aid in the tonal and technical development of student brass players and as a professional development resource for brass performers and teachers in the region; and to give participating regional brass musicians and teachers opportunities to work with and observe masters of the art of brass playing.

The University of Scranton Singers, founded in the early 1960s by the late Norbert Betti, is an SATB ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the University’s curriculum, brought together by their love of music. They are known for their eclectic and diverse styles of programming.

The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year. Programs within the Performance Music Department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, Nelhybel Collection, and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers.

For further information about the performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website.

The University of Scranton will host a free, public reception Meet and Greet with the organizers of “Scranton Stories” and local residents who shared their oral history through the project, which was supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant.

The Meet and Greet reception, which takes place Thursday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m., features portrait photographs with a citation about the chosen location and personal statements and quotes from each oral history interview participant. The reception will take place in the fifth floor Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Light refreshments will be served.

The oral history project is part of “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story,” a multifaceted two-year initiative that seeks to illustrate and preserve the unique story of Scranton and relate it to the history of the United States. The project, which involved multiple community partners, responds to the NEH special initiative “A More Perfect Union” which will commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

Premiered in the fall 2023, the exhibition showcases portraits taken by photographer Byron Maldonado and links to the 25 oral histories featuring 33 community members, giving voice to a broad array of Scranton experiences and connecting them to our national story. 

“The Scranton Stories oral history collection provides a mosaic, bringing forward rich and authentic narratives that honor the longstanding histories of this region and expand how we understand the Scranton area and who belongs in it today. The stories include local Black heritage, migration stories from the industrial era to more recent journeys from Latin America as well as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. There are experiences of reentry and recovery, economic struggle and small business creation; interviewees include educators and artists, faith leaders and civic advocates, and more,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, Scranton Stories project director and assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at the University. 

To RSVP, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonStoriesReception. To view all 25 Scranton Stories, visit  www.scranton.edu/stories and via YouTube here: www.youtube.com.

The exhibit can also be seen in the Heritage Room, free of charge, during library hours now through to April 21. For more information contact Michael Knies at 570-941-6341 or Michael.knies@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton will host several academic competitions for area middle school and high school students during the spring semester. Competitions to be held on campus include a history competition; an Earth Day essay contest; the Hayes Competition for physics and engineering; and the Integration Bee for mathematics, as well as the Brain Bee for neuroscience, which took place on campus earlier this month.

Area students in grades five to 12 can participate in the University’s Earth Day Essay Contest. Submissions are due electronically by Friday, April 5.

Earth Day Essay Contest winners will be announced at an Evening of Environmental Science, which will take place on Thursday, April 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The event, which is open to contest participants and their families as well as the general public, will include University student-run interactive science experiments and displays, as well as the exhibit of essay contest submissions.

For additional information about the Earth Day Essay Contest, call 570-941-6267.

On Saturday, March 2, The University will host Region 2 of the National History Day competition for Pennsylvania. The competition allows students from northeastern Pennsylvania to compete in the categories of historical essays, performances, documentaries, websites and exhibits on a historical theme. Contest winners will move on to the Pennsylvania state competition, which will be hosted on Scranton’s campus April 20-21. Winners in the state contest have the potential to compete in the national championship in Maryland, in the summer.

For additional information about the Region 2 of the National History Day competition, contact Sean Brennan, Ph.D., associate professor of history, at sean.brennan@scranton.edu.

On Thursday, April 18, the University will host its annual Hayes Science Competition for High School Physics and Engineering Students. The daylong contest tests high school students’ knowledge of physics through a series of hands-on games and challenges. Students compete individually and as part of a team. The competition can help participants prepare for Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Pre-registration is required.

For additional information, contact the competition administrator Rachel Frissell, faculty specialist for physics and electrical engineering, at rachel.frissell@scranton.edu or 570-941-7007.

On Tuesday, April 23, the annual Math Integration Bee for high school students will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the DeNaples Center Ballroom. The competition, which is hosted by the Mathematics Department, can help high school students improve their skills for AP mathematics tests. The Bee is offered free of charge, registration is required.

For more information, contact Stacey Muir, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, at 570-941-6580 or stacey.muir@scranton.edu.

Earlier this semester, the University’s Neuroscience Program hosted the 22nd annual Northeast PA Bran Bee Competition for high school students in grades nine through 12 on Feb. 10. The competition encouraged the study of the brain and how it relates to intelligence, memory, emotions, movements, aging and other factors. The winner of the 2024 Northeast PA Brain Bee was Rachel Thomas from Central Bucks South High School. Jordan Levin from Council Rock South High School came in second place and Bernadetta Paolucci from Seton Catholic Central High School came in third place.

For more information about the Brain Bee, contact Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., program director and associate professor of biology, at 570-941-4324 or robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton’s University of Success, a four-year pre-college mentorship program, is now accepting applications for the upcoming 2024 academic year that begins this summer. Students who are currently in the eighth grade are eligible to apply.

The University of Success is an academic and enrichment program funded entirely by corporate and foundations grants, so there is no charge to students and their families. The program's goal is to assist first generation college-bound students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university.

Accepted students will begin the program with a two-week residential summer academy which will be held on the campus of The University of Scranton from July 7 to July 19. Upon completion of the summer program, the students will continue to meet for enrichment sessions during their high school career.

The deadline for submission of applications is Monday, April 1, 2024.

Applications may be obtained by emailing Margaret Loughney, University of Success program director, at margaret.loughney@scranton.edu. Applications may also be obtained online the University of Success web site.

Rachel Thomas, Jamison, a sophomore from Central Bucks South High School, came in first place in The University of Scranton’s 22nd annual Northeast PA Brain Bee competition, held on campus in February. Jordan Levin, Holland, junior from Council Rock South High School, came in second place, and Bernadetta Paolucci, Montrose, senior from Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton, New York, came in third place.

The competition for high school students in grades nine through 12 was sponsored by the Neuroscience Program at the University and the Scranton Neuroscience Society.

For more information about next year’s Northeast PA Brain Bee competition, contact Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., neuroscience program director and associate professor of biology, at 570-941-4324 or robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.

Renowned jazz musician and noted historian Loren Schoenberg, a pianist and tenor saxophone player, will conclude a busy weekend visit to Scranton with a performance with The University of Scranton Jazz Band on Saturday, March 2.

The concert, presented by Performance Music at The University of Scranton, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Earlier on Saturday, at 3:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Houlihan McLean Center, Schoenberg and award-winning filmmaker Kris Hendrickson, a 1988 graduate of the University, will host a free screening of their new WVIA documentary, “Wham Re-Bop-Boom-Bam: The Swing Jazz of Eddie Durham,” which chronicles the life of the jazz guitar pioneer.

Durham’s works, along with those of a variety of other jazz greats, such as Benny Carter and Louis Armstrong, will be performed and their musical lives and legacies celebrated at the Saturday evening concert according to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga.

The day prior, Friday, March 1, Schoenberg will present the lecture “The Lincoln/Armstrong Connection: From Gettysburg to New Orleans” as part of the Spring 2024 Schemel Forum World Affairs Luncheon Seminars series. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall on campus. Reservations are required to attend the luncheon. For more information, visit the Schemel Forum webpage.

A nationally respected jazz musician, historian, educator, author, archivist, arranger, commentator, bandleader and teacher, Schoenberg was the founding executive director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, where he now serves as its senior scholar. He has received two Grammy Awards for Best Album Notes, and oversaw the Benny Goodman Archives at Yale University.

Through the years, Schoenberg has played and recorded with such jazz luminaries as Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Heath, Eddie Durham, Marian McPartland, Clark Terry, John Lewis, Christian McBride and Buck Clayton, and served as Bobby Short’s musical director from 1997 to 2005. He has also conducted the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, American Jazz Orchestra and WDR Jazz Orchestra in Koln, Germany.

Schoenberg has taught for several Jazz at Lincoln Center education programs and served as a screening judge for its Essentially Ellington program for 20 years. In addition, he is the author of the book, “The NPR Guide to Jazz,” and his writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times. He is a member of the faculty of The Juilliard School.

The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 23-member big band-style ensemble made up of University of Scranton student musicians from majors spanning the curriculum. The band performs four or more times each year, with the majority of their concerts open to the public, free of admission charge, and often featuring a nationally or internationally renowned guest soloist.

For further information about the performance or the documentary screening, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For more on Schoenberg, visit juilliard.edu/music/faculty/schoenberg-loren.

Area high school students can register to compete in a fun, hands-on physics and engineering competition on April 18 at The University of Scranton.

Hundreds of students from area schools compete individually and in teams annually at Scranton’s Hayes Family Science Competition for High School Physics and Engineering Students. The day-long academic competition emphasizes applied demonstrations through a series of quizzes and challenges that test the high school students’ knowledge of physics and engineering concepts.

The theme for this year’s competition is “energy and motion” and will include a “hot wheels” challenge, in addition to light, conductivity and other experiments.

The competition, organized by the University’s Department of Physics and Engineering, is intended to encourage more students to pursue careers in physics and engineering.

The registration deadline is March 22.

High school teams interested in registering or in learning more about this year’s competition can contact Rachel Frissell, faculty specialist for the University’s Physics and Engineering Department, at rachel.frissell@scranton.edu or by calling 570-941-7007.

The competition, organized by the University’s Department of Physics and Engineering, is intended to encourage more students to pursue careers in physics and engineering.

The registration deadline is Mar. 22.

High school teams interested in registering or in learning more about this year’s competition can contact Rachel Frissell, faculty specialist for the University’s Physics and Engineering Department, at rachel.frissell@scranton.edu or by calling 570-941-7007.

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum has two engaging Collaborative Programs planned for the spring semester.

On Thursday, March 21, the Schemel Forum will partner with the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities for a presentation on “Contemporary Christian Nationalism and Its Historical Antecedents: Beyond the Nazis of Copley Square” by Charles R. Gallagher, S.J., professor of history at Boston College. He was the William J. Lowenberg Memorial Fellow on America, the Holocaust, and the Jews, at the Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.  The event, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, will include a reception and is free and open to the public.

Father Gallagher is the author of the acclaimed book, “Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten History of the Christian Front,” which tells the story of the Christian Front, a group of American terrorists who, in the name of God, conspired to overthrow the U.S. government and form an alliance with Hitler. Members of the self-proclaimed anti-Semitic and anti-Communist group were arrested for seditious conspiracy, the same charge leveled against the leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers for their alleged roles on Jan. 6, 2021. In his presentation, Father Gallagher will explore the historical precursors of Christian Nationalism and introduce new concepts, actors and impulses that seem to be circulating again today.

Then, on Thursday, April 25, the Schemel Forum and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) will present the concert lecture “Ragtime: The Mind and Music of Scott Joplin.” Presented by Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director of Weill Cornell Music and Medicine, the event will begin at 6 p.m. at GCSOM, 525 Pine St., Scranton. Admission to the event, which includes a reception, is $40 for the general public and free for Schemel Forum members and University of Scranton and GCSOM employees and students.

Dr. Kogan will provide an insightful look into the life and music of Scott Joplin, the son of a slave who grew up playing the piano in minstrel shows, saloons and houses of prostitution, eventually becoming the preeminent practitioner of the ragtime genre. He makes the case that the Joplin rag is a uniquely American innovation – an original dance form clothed in sophisticated syncopated rhythms and bright harmonic colors that render it the New World's equivalent to a Mozart Minuet or a Chopin Mazurka. Dr. Kogan will intersperse his engaging narrative with performances of “Maple Leaf Rag,” “The Entertainer,” and other ragtime classics.

To register for the programs, or for more information on the Schemel Forum, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu.

The Dean of The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library, George Aulisio, spoke about the spring Schemel Forum schedule of events with WVIA’s Erika Funke on ArtScene.

Additional Schemel Forum events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will welcome acclaimed musician Dennis Lichtman and Mona’s Hot Five for a night of traditional jazz Friday, Feb. 16. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and open to the public, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

“I am very excited to bring jazz legend Dennis Lichtman and Mona’s Hot Five to the University and to share what will certainly be an exhilarating and exciting performance with the wider community,” said Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga.

A multi-instrumentalist known primarily for his work on clarinet, fiddle and mandolin, the New York City-based Lichtman is deeply immersed in early- to mid-1900’s American music, from traditional jazz and swing to bluegrass and western swing. Over the years, he’s performed at Carnegie Hall, numerous major music festivals throughout the United States, and in Europe, Brazil and China.

In August 2018, Lichtman released the album “Just Cross the River,” which he promoted with two sold-out shows at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center hosted by the New York Hot Jazz Festival. The album includes nine original compositions inspired by the migration of jazz legends into Queens, New York, starting in the 1920s.

Since 2007, Lichtman has served as the clarinetist and bandleader of Mona’s Hot Five, the famed Tuesday night trad-jazz sessions at the iconic New York bar Mona’s. The shows have been covered by The New York Times and were described by the Wall Street Journal as “ground zero for an emerging late-night scene of young swing and traditional jazz players.” In 2012, Hi-Tide Films produced “Tuesdays at Mona’s,” a 19-minute documentary about the sessions that was accompanied by a live CD of Mona’s Hot Four with 19 guest musicians.

Lichtman also leads the western swing sextet the Brain Cloud, which specializes in a wide array of American music, including original compositions and new arrangements of old songs. The band, which also features vocalist Tamar Korn, has held a Monday night residency at Brooklyn’s Barbés since 2011. Their third album, “Live At Barbés,” was released in April 2017.

In addition, Lichtman has performed and recorded as a regular member of Ghost Train Orchestra, Pokey LaFarge Band, Nation Beat and Jim Kweskin Band. He also serves on the faculty of the Welbourne Traditional Jazz Camp in Middleburg, Virginia, and has led college master classes and inner-city school workshops through the Midori Foundation, Lincoln Center’s Meet the Artist Series, and Beijing’s Ping-Pong Productions.

For further information about the January performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For more info on Lichtman, visit dennislichtman.com.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Online Graduate Programs” ranked The University of Scranton’s online master’s degree programs in business (excluding MBA) at No. 52 and its online MBA program at No. 120 in the nation.

This is the 13^th consecutive year that U.S. News ranked the University’s online programs among the best in the nation. The methodology used by U.S. News to determine the ranking has changed several times throughout the years.

For the 2024 Best Online Programs ranking, which published Feb. 7, U.S. News reviewed statistical information submitted by schools. The ranking criteria differed by category. The criteria used by U.S. News to rank online business and MBA programs included student engagement (30 percent), which looked at graduation rates, class size, one-year retention rates, and best practices such as accreditation by AACSB International, among other factors. The ranking criteria also included peer reputation score (25 percent); faculty credentials and training (15 percent); student excellence (15 percent); and student services and technology (15 percent).

Scranton offers online MBA degrees in accounting, business analytics, enterprise resource planning, finance, healthcare management, human resources management, international business and operations management; master’s degrees in accountancy, applied behavior analysis, business analytics, cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity, finance, health administration, health informatics, human resources management,  dual MBA/MHA degree and speech-language pathology, in addition to graduate certificates. For technology, recruitment and marketing support, the University partners with Wiley for some of the online programs.

In other U.S. News publications, Scranton has been ranked among the top 10 “Best Regional Universities in the North” for 30 consecutive years. U.S. News ranked Scranton No. 5 among regional universities in the north in its 2024 guidebook and No. 8 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” a selection of the top colleges in the nation that express a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.

Twenty area professionals, already serving at local charitable organizations, completed The University of Scranton’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. The program seeks to train and develop future executives to serve area nonprofit institutions. The program’s graduates were recognized at a ceremony on campus in January 2024.

The certificate program combines a rigorous academic component taught by Kania School of Management faculty with expertise in nonprofit organizations, a mentorship and experiential learning. Each participant also tackles both a capstone organizational project and a personal leadership goal during the program year.

Not including the 2024 cohort, 47 participants, representing 40 separate regional nonprofit organizations, have graduated from the program since its beginning in 2017.

The 2024 students who completed Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program and the organizations they represent are:

Kathleen Barry, deputy COO, The Wright Center;

Tiffany Benedict, Susquehanna County program manager, Women's Resource Center;

Amy Benjamin, finance director, Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission;

Laura Boyle, founder/board president, Scranton Youth Arts Coalition;

Avianna Carilli, coordinator of domestic and international service programs, The University of Scranton;

Matthew Ceruti, vice president, resource development, United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties;

Lori Chaffers, executive director, Outreach;

Andrew Chew, director of research, The Institute;

Lauryn Cleveland, executive director of administration, Friendship House;

Arrah Fisher, executive director, The Cooperage;

Susan Jeffery, administrator, Hawk Family Foundation;

Glynis Johns, founder and CEO, Black Scranton Project;

Art Levandoski, coordinator of marketing and development, Jewish Family Services;

Amy Luyster, vice president, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce;

Josh Nespoli, deputy director, Community Strategies Group;

Jennifer Passaniti, executive director, Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action;

Joan Peterson, director, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Lackawanna County;

Shane Powers, COO, NeighborWorks;

Erica Rogler, executive director, Wyoming County Cultural Center/Dietrich Theater;

John Santa Barbara, director of development, West Chester University Foundation.

Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, chair of the Accounting Department and director of the Ph.D. in Accounting Program at The University of Scranton serves as director of Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. Kurt R. Bauman, executive director of Northeast Pennsylvania Nonprofit and Community Assistance Center, and Jesse Ergott, president and CEO of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, serve as co-coordinators of the program. Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program Advisory Board members Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D., president and CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services, and Barbara Norton, director of corporate and foundation relations for Allied Services, served as peer group coaches along with Linda Ciampi, retired executive director of the Employment Opportunity and Training Center, and Cindy Yevich, retired executive director of the Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

For additional information visit the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program webpage or call 570-941-4047.

Area students in grades five to 12 can participate in The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest 2024. The contest is offered free of charge. This year’s essay theme is “Sustainable Living, Caring for Creation,” which explores topics related to caring for our common home and making changes to have a more sustainable lifestyle.

Topics students can write about include conservation, recycling, access to healthy eating, factory farming, renewable energy, single use containers, gardening, public transportation, vertical planting, plant-based meals, composting, LEDs, biking and walking, among many other subjects.

The essay theme is inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” and The University of Scranton’s commitment to join a coalition of colleges from around the world to develop, implement and evaluate initiatives around seven ecological goals over a seven-year period to meet the Pope’s call for integral ecology and to gain designation by the Vatican as a Laudato Si’ University.

Essays for students in grades five and six must be between 200 to 400 words. Essays for students in grades seven, eight and nine must be between 300 to 500 words. Essays for students in grades 10 to 12 must be between 500 to 700 words. Electronic submissions must be sent to susan.falbo@scranton.edu on or before Friday, April 5. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or by April 3 to be considered and can be sent to: The University of Scranton, Office of Sustainability, Smurfit Arts Center, 445 Madison Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, Attn: Earth Day Essay Contest.

Visit the Sustainability & Energy Management Department section of the University’s facilities management page, then scroll down to locate the 2024 Earth Day Essay Contest Guidelines.  

Winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest will be announced by the University’s Sustainability Office and student Sustainability and Conservation Society at an Evening of Environmental Science event for participants and their families and teachers on Thursday, April 18, 2024, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center on campus.

See photo gallery below for photos from last year's Evening of Environmental Science.

The University of Scranton’s Multicultural Center, the Office of Community Engagement and Government Relations, the Weinberg Memorial Library, the Black Scranton Project, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union and other organizations have planned a number of events for Black History Month.

University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., noted “the events and activities for Black History Month that call for celebration, reflection, learning and action” in his Black History Month message sent to the University community.

Events and activities planned begin Thursday, Feb. 1, with a table sit titled “MC Awareness Month Table Sit: Black Resistance” with information for University students, faculty and staff. The event begins at 11 a.m. on the second floor of the DeNaples Center. Also on Feb.1, the University will light its Class of 2020 Gateway sign in red, yellow and green for Black History Month. The sign will be lit in these colors on Saturday evenings in February.

On Feb. 7, the University’s will begin its Black History Month Film Series with the screening of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” with an introductory talk by Anthony Betancourt, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Scranton. Presented by the Weinberg Memorial Library, the films will be shown at 7:30 p.m. free of charge and open to the public on Wednesdays in February in the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center. Other films planned for the Black History Month Film Series are: “The Hate You Give,” with introductory talk by Dr. Betancourt on Wednesday, Feb. 14; and “Cooley High,” with an introductory talk by Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Scranton, on Feb. 28.

On Saturday, Feb. 17, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union will host a Freedom Fest for members of the University community, beginning at 8 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom DeNaples Center. Also, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Cultural Centers will host Black Women in Music at 7 p.m. in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall.

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture will host a Screening and Talk Back: “Black Voices: Scranton Stories.” at 6:30 p.m. in Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. The event is open to the public, however, registration is required to attend and can be made by visiting http://www.scranton.edu/scrantonstory.

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Cultural Centers will host a Dialogue Series on Race, Racism, Identity and Privilege: “Black Arts Movements: Afrofuturism” for members of the University community. The talk will be at 8 p.m. in the Multicultural Center of the DeNaples Center. Also, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union will host a Black History Month Trivia Night on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Rose Room of Brennan Hall.

For additional information about the University’s Black History Month events and learning opportunities, contact the Multicultural Center at 570-941-5904 or multicultural@scranton.edu. 

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum will welcome another prominent group of thinkers for its spring semester World Affairs Luncheon Seminars.

The series will feature six seminars in total. All take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and most are in Brennan Hall’s Rose Room, except for the Feb. 9 and April 5 events, which will take place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. In addition, a Zoom link will be provided for those who wish to attend remotely.

“As always, our luncheon lecture series, proudly sponsored by Munley Law, will feature a diverse range of world-class scholars and experts,” said George J. Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library and director of the Schemel Forum.

The series begins Friday, Feb. 2, with “Religion, Democracy, and Election Cycles,” presented by Anthea Butler, Ph.D., Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and chair of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A sought-after commentator and op-ed contributor for MSNBC, Dr. Butler will discuss how religious beliefs have polarized and destabilized elections around the world, and how it could impact democratic elections in 2024.

Next, on Friday, Feb. 9, Jeff Jarvis, Tow Professor of Journalism Innovation and director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York, will present “Rethinking Local Journalism in Scranton,” in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. Jarvis, the creator and founding editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine, will use the lecture to explore the current newspaper crisis in the United States and the Scranton area, with insights on how to increase local news consumption and civic engagement. His talk will include discussion of new models of journalism, as well as examples of what other cities are doing to address the issue.

On Friday, March 1, Loren Schoenberg, senior scholar at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and faculty member at The Juilliard School, will present “The Lincoln/Armstrong Connection: From Gettysburg to New Orleans.” He’ll discuss the parallels between President Abraham Lincoln and jazz icon Louis Armstrong, arguing both made “profound statements while at the same time subtly redefining the basic principles of their mediums.”

Schoenberg will also perform with The University of Scranton Jazz Band on Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit scranton.edu/music.

Then, on Wednesday, March 6, Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law, will present “Political Reforms to Combat Extremism.” Pildes, one of the nation's leading scholars of constitutional law and a specialist in legal issues concerning democracy, will discuss institutional and policy reforms that could improve the polarization and extremism now infecting American politics. He’ll also address threats to the integrity of the 2024 presidential election and steps being undertaken to address the issue.

Pildes will present the seminar on Zoom, but only in-person attendees will be able to participate in the question-and-answer portion of the seminar.

On Monday, March 25, Patrick Bringley, author and former New Yorker magazine staffer, will present “All the Beauty in the World: A Portrait of the Met Museum.” Bringley will discuss his decade working as a guard at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, which became the inspiration for his critically acclaimed memoir, “All the Beauty in the World.” A collection of fascinating stories set against the backdrop of one of the world's most iconic museums, the book delves into the transformative power of art and its profound impact on both observers and caretakers alike.

“I’ll be talking about the relationship between a great museum and any solitary individual, be it you, me, or the guard who stands in a gallery’s corner,” Bringley said. “I’ll be covering my time as a guard at the Met; the museum’s extraordinary collections, diverse visitors and talented corps of guards; and various ways we might derive meaning from art spanning continents and millennia. I hope attendees will walk away inspired and emboldened, and race straight for the nearest museum.”

Finally, on Friday, April 5, the series concludes with area native, former CNN correspondent and Russia expert Jill Dougherty returning to the University to present “The World in Disarray,” in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. Dougherty, now an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute Advisory Council, will discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and its global ramifications.

“Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine is transforming his own nation, as well as bringing death and destruction to Ukraine,” Dougherty said. “Russia now is a nation at war, its economy focused on building its war machine; mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Russians to fight in the military; weaponizing the media, as well as history and the educational system to propagandize citizens; destroying any opposition; and strengthening its ties with rogue regimes in North Korea and Iran. Putin faces re-election in March, but the Kremlin is closely watching the U.S. election too, intent on doing what it can to influence the outcome.”

Admission to the seminars is free for University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the seminars are $30 in-person (buffet lunch included) and $10 for remote access.

To register for the seminars, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

Dean Aulisio spoke about the spring Schemel Forum schedule of events with WVIA’s Erika Funke on ArtScene.

Additional Schemel Forum events can be found on the Schemel Forum’s webpage.

Lackawanna and Wayne County residents whose households earned $60,000 or less in 2023 can receive free assistance in completing and filing their federal, state and local tax returns from University of Scranton accounting students through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

University students have assisted residents with low and moderate incomes who need help with their basic tax returns for more than 30 years.

Walk-in service in Brennan Hall on the University’s campus begins on Monday, Feb. 5. The VITA service is offered on a first-come, first served basis during scheduled hours. Appointments are not available at the University.

Residents can schedule appointments at other locations by contacting the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties by visiting www.uwlc.net or calling 570-602-3133, or 1-866-662-8887, 211. 

Residents who qualify for the free VITA service are asked to bring the following items: a valid photo ID; Social Security cards for all taxpayers and dependents; all W2 forms; last year’s tax returns; all 1099 forms (interest, dividends, pensions); unemployment paperwork; Form 8332 for non-custodial parents; information related to income and expenses (business, rental properties, sale of stocks); a personal banking account check if direct deposit is desired; documentation related to health insurance for themselves and anyone on the tax return, such as Form 1095-A, -B or –C; and real estate tax receipts if you qualify for the rent/tax rebate.

Walk-in VITA service without an appointment is available in room 111 of Brennan Hall, Madison Avenue, on the University’s campus on Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesdays, from noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Service begins on Monday, Feb. 5, and continues to Friday, April 5, except for the week of March 11 to 15, when the University is closed for Spring Break, and during Easter Break, March 29 and April 1. 

 The VITA office may also close due to inclement weather.

The University reserves the right to cap the number of walk-in residents they can serve within a single day.

Residents with questions may call the University at 570-941-4045.

Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, announced plans for a nearly 80,000 square-foot center for workforce development, applied research and outreach, to be built on University-owned property on the 300 block of Madison Avenue. Pending approvals by the city, construction will begin this spring and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.

“This new facility is designed to engage the community in ways not currently possible, including the potential for collaboration with manufacturing, health care, government, K-12, higher education, and various other economic sectors,” said Father Marina at the building announcement that took place on the University’s campus on Jan. 23. “It will be another further testament to the University’s pivotal role in workforce development as a Catholic and Jesuit institution that is steadfastly committed to serving our community and our region.”

The open design of the four-story building and its central location on campus near Mulberry Street is intended to facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary opportunities between departments from across the University’s three colleges, and to foster interaction and programs with and for members of the greater Scranton community. The facility will house the University of Success, which is a four-year college preparation initiative for area high school students, and The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, which was established at the University in 1980 and serves an eight-county area that spans northern tier and northeastern Pennsylvania.

A key feature of the building will be a 10,000-square-foot maker/innovation space on first floor.

“Based on what we have seen at other colleges, we expect it to be a centerpiece for collaborations with faculty and students. We are also anticipating partnership with regional business, manufacturing and healthcare. We envision the maker/innovation space will be a dynamic resource for the campus and greater Scranton community,” said Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Scranton, who noted that University is “still building on the considerable consultation we have already done to determine how best to design, equip and structure this space.”

Thanks to the support of Congressman Matt Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, the University received $16.62 million for this building project as part of Cartwright’s FY2023 Community Project Funding requests.

“Bringing our fair share of federal tax dollars back to our region is the main reason I ran for Congress,” Rep. Cartwright said. “With this successful Community Project Funding request, I am encouraged that the University of Scranton will have the resources to ensure that our local workforce is properly trained and ready to lead the way in American innovation. The University will play an instrumental role in educating the next generation that will help our community meet the ever-growing demands in STEM related fields.”

The facility will also house laboratories, classrooms, offices and meeting spaces for the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology and the Psychology Department. The building will provide space for the University’s Student Health Services and The Center for Health Education and Wellness, as well as allow room for growth to support academic programs that will emerge in the future.

In addition to Father Marina, Rep. Cartwright and Dr. Maldonado, also speaking at the announcement were Lisa Hall Zielinski, director of The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, and Edward J. Steinmetz Jr., senior vice president for finance and administration at the University. Hemmler and Camayd (HC Architects) are the architects of the building, which incorporates glass walls, steel and stone into a modern design intended to meet silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. Quandel Construction will serve as the construction manager.

The University plans to begin use of the building for the fall 2025 semester.

The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum returns this spring with three nighttime courses focused on everything from prominent African American entertainers to contemporary culture war issues to one of the great comedic minds of the 20^th century.

Taught by three University faculty members, the courses begin Monday, Jan. 29, and will be presented in six weekly sessions in the Weinberg Memorial Library.

“These three topics are all very timely, and I expect rich discussions to accompany each session,” said George J. Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library and director of the Schemel Forum.

Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., associate professor in the University’s Department of History, will present “Hidden Figures of Black History” Mondays Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26 and March 4 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

During the course, Dr. Anyiwo will discuss the contributions of some of the most noteworthy Black entertainers in American history, with an emphasis on those who used their artistry to “shine a light that inspired change.” The list will include such luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr., Nina Simone, Beyonce and Lisa Bonet.

“My background is in American studies and visual media, so I have always wanted to teach a narrowly focused course on inspiring Black lives to celebrate rather than mourn the Black experience,” Dr. Anyiwo said. “I already teach a class called ‘Black Success on Screen’ that does a similar thing.  So that’s what I want to get out of it – that and teaching to an older, more willing and hopefully engaged audience.”

Dr. Anyiwo also wants those taking the course to appreciate that social activism is “as much about everyday acts of bravery and simply acting as if you are free and equal.”

“The people who effect the greatest change are not necessarily politicians but Black citizens with the same dreams as white Americans and the strength to refuse to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable prejudice and racial violence,” she said.

Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Philosophy, will present “Identity Politics” Wednesdays Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 and March 6 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

Dr. Meyer will use the seminar to examine contemporary identity politics, which have become an increasingly corrosive aspect of American political discourse and have even driven recent policies like Florida Governor – and Republican presidential candidate – Ron DeSantis’ controversial “Stop WOKE Act.”

Through looking closely at topics like critical race theory, wokeism, intersectionality, structural discrimination, systemic injustice and privilege, Dr. Meyer hopes students get a better sense of the ideas driving these debates.

“Questions about race, gender, sexual orientation and identity have taken center stage in our contemporary political landscape, even rivaling the importance of economic issues,” Dr. Meyer said. “Attacks on critical race theory, ‘wokeism’ and identity politics are frequent, but few understand what they are or what they mean. I felt that such a course would serve an important civic function with the hope that it will make a small contribution to having better informed and more engaged citizenry."

Charlie Cino, instructor in the Department of English and Theatre, will present “The Sitcoms of Norman Lear” Mondays March 25 and April 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Cino will use the course to take an in-depth look at the career of the highly influential TV writer and producer, who recently passed away at age 101. Lear did nothing less but redefine American television during the 1970s with his hit sitcoms “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” all of which challenged societal norms with their groundbreaking portrayal of contemporary issues.

In addition to Lear’s biggest hits, the class will delve into and review some of his lesser-known works via screenings and discussions. Meanwhile, actors and producers who worked with Lear will join the class via Zoom, providing a unique glimpse into the world of a man who continued to make an impact in television well into his final years.

To register for the courses, or for more information on the Schemel Forum, call 570-941-4740 or email schemelforum@scranton.edu. Registration is free for University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members; and $100 per person and $150 per couple for non-members. To pay for courses online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.

Dean Aulisio spoke about the spring Schemel Forum schedule of events with WVIA’s Erika Funke on ArtScene.

On Sunday, Jan. 28, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will kick off their spring concert season with a performance by ELEW, master of the piano and creator of “Rockjazz” and “Counterbop.” The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

“I am very much looking forward to offering our students and audiences the opportunity to hear this creative genius in a live concert setting – few artists spin my head with their virtuosity and creativity as consistently as ELEW,” said Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music.

A native of Camden, New Jersey, Eric Lewis began his musical studies at 2 years old and received the Rodgers and Hammerstein full merit scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. Upon graduation, he toured the world, recorded, and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove and John Hendricks, among others. In 1999, he won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, at the time the most coveted prize in jazz.

A decade into his career, Lewis reemerged as ELEW and began fusing his piano techniques with rock guitar-based ideas and experimental prepared piano methods, generating a powerful crossover brand he coined “Rockjazz.” Over the course of multiple award-winning, critically-acclaimed albums, ELEW has re-imagined songs by The Killers, Nirvana, Coldplay and Michael Jackson to name a few. Throughout his career he has built an elite fanbase of distinguished leaders and celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Gerard Butler, Barack and Michele Obama, Prince Albert II, Will Smith, Eli Roth, Al Pacino and many others.

Inspired by the European masters of Baroque counterpoint, ELEW has innovated the technique of simultaneously executing two independent melodies which precisely detail harmonic forms bursting with idiomatic verisimilitude and wide-ranging historical references, all while flawlessly maintaining the idiosyncratic Afrocentric timing at the core of jazz improvisation. He has named this technique “Counterbop.” His album Cubism - ELEW plays Rosenwinkel, a solo piano exploration of contemporary jazz legend Kurt Rosenwinkel, provides perspective an insight into the nature of what Counterbop is and how it may be implemented.

In addition to performing on piano and appearing in and scoring for films, ELEW is a prominent international DJ. He has created disco infernos for multiple events such as The World Economic Forum, TED, Art Basel, A-list Oscar parties, the Monte-Carlo Gala, the Cannes Film Festival and multiple celebrity birthdays and weddings. This has led to him creating yet another innovation he calls “Piano Turntablism,” literally playing two different yet recognizable songs simultaneously as a DJ would, but on the piano.

For further information about the January performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For more info on ELEW, visit elewrockjazz.com.