Dear Friend of the College,

The trees on campus, once lush with leaves, all of a sudden appear bare as we gear up for winter and the homestretch of the fall 2011 semester. During this term, I have learned so very much about the College and all of you who contribute to the fulfillment of its mission.

I welcome you to the November 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S. Here, you'll read about upcoming events -- lectures, films, science colloquia, and more -- all designed to enhance our students' learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.

VITAL – the Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning – is continuing to offer brown-bag lunch discussions during the Fall 2011 semester to encourage faculty development across the University.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, in Connelly's Rosemont Room, or Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Connelly's Rosemont Room, VITAL will sponsor "CATS CUES:  LOOKING AT TEACHER BEHAVIORS THAT AFFECT CATS RATINGS."

As VITAL says, if you have wondered which factors influence student ratings of teaching on Villanova's CATS form, you’ll find this discussion helpful. We’ll look at research on which other CATS items appear to have the greatest impact on the two overall evaluation items, “Quality of Instruction” and “Overall Value.”  We’ll then explore strategies for improving students’ ratings of specific CATS items and of clusters of related CATS items.

In addition, the College is pleased to recognize and celebrate the lives and accomplishments of a few of its most distinguished alumni at an awards ceremony to be held later this month.

The Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Nora Pillard Reynolds, ’02, BA Communication and Spanish, BA Honors, and Brian Katulis,’94, BA History; the Young Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Randy Foye, ’06, BA Geography; and the Graduate Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Mark J. Servodidio, '87, BA, Psychology; '89, MA, Human Resource Development.

You can read more about the awardees here.

I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and eagerly look forward to our return to campus.

Sincerely,

Seventh Annual Senghor-Damas-Césaire Lecture in Africana Studies Features Dr. Tess Onwueme

The Africana Studies Program proudly welcomes internationally renowned playwright and performer, Dr. Tess Onwueme, who will deliver the seventh annual Senghor-Damas-Césaire Lecture in Africana Studies on Monday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. in Connelly Cinema. The title of the lecture: “ERUPTING SILENCES: DR. TESS ONWUEME SPEAKS/
PERFORMS THE SOUL OF AFRICANA.”

The esteemed University Professor of Global Letters at the University of Wisconsin is the author of more than 20 plays. Productions of her work have been featured at the National Theatre in Lagos, the BBC World Drama Service, and off Broadway at the New Federal Theatre. 

The winner of numerous awards and grants, Dr. Onwueme was appointed to the U.S. State Department's Public Diplomacy Specialist/Speaker Program for North, East, and West India in 2007 with the mandate to "win friends for America."

The event is co-sponsored by Cultural Studies and the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies.

Villanova a Top Producer of Fulbrights Once Again

Villanova has placed among the Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students in master's-level institutions as reported in October 23, 2011 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Villanova has a long history of producing U.S. Fulbright students, dating back to 1976 when Donna Collins received a Fulbright to Romania, said Jane Morris, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Every year since 1994, Villanova has had one or more Fulbright students, placing consistently on this list from the Chronicle since 2004.

"Such a wonderful accomplishment is testament to the excellence of Villanova's academic and co-curricular programs and to the outstanding students who seek to extend their Villanova education by serving as representatives of Villanova and the United States abroad as U.S. Fulbright students," said Morris.

Lauren Shohet Appointed First Chair Holder of the Luckow Family Endowed Chair in English Literature

The Luckow Family Endowed Chair in English Literature will be inaugurated during a ceremony Thursday, Nov. 3, at 4:30 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. College faculty and staff, University administrators, and members of the Luckow family together will celebrate the special event.

Lauren E. Shohet, Ph.D., a professor of English at Villanova, has been appointed the first holder of the Luckow Family Endowed Chair in English Literature.

The Chair is designed to support a nationally recognized scholar and highly-regarded teacher, enhancing the scholarly reputation of the department, college, and university, as well as advancing the education of Villanova literature students, both undergraduate and graduate. Dr. Shohet will hold the chair for five years. Learn more here.

Kiplinger’s 2011–2012 “Best Values in Private Colleges”: Villanova Maintains No. 31 Ranking

Villanova was ranked the #31 Best Value among the Top 100 Private Universities nationwide. (Villanova also was ranked #31 last year.)

Learn more here.

Join the Center for Peace and Justice Education for the Global Smackdown

Join the Center for Peace and Justice Education for the Global Smackdown hosted by Dr. Tim Horner. This event is on Wednesdays in the Corr Hall Lounge from 2:30 to 2:55 p.m. The Global Smackdown is a 25-minute multi-media look at PJ-related happenings around the world. This short weekly forum for students is discussion-based, and no preparation is needed.

Ryan Center Invites You to November 2011 Events

On Tuesday, November 8, at 7 p.m. in Tolentine 215, Dr. Matthew O'Brien, Jack Miller Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Matthew J. Ryan Center, will give a talk entitled, "A Natural Desire for God?  Augustine, Aquinas, and Us."

On Thursday, November 10, at 4 p.m. in Bartley 1011, Dr. Harry Jaffa, Professor Emeritus, Claremont McKenna College and Claremont Graduate University, will be give a lecture entitled, "Jaffa on Jaffa: A Tour of Political Philosophy."  Dr. William B. Allen, Dean Emeritus, James Madison College, and Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University, will act as moderator.  

On Tuesday, November 29 at 4 p.m. in the Falvey Library Cafe, Dr. Robert Maranto, 21st Century Chair in Leadership at the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, will give a talk entitled, "Thinking About the Politically Correct University."  

These events are free and open to the public. 

Fritz Nova Lecture: "The Neighborhood Effect: Community and Wellbeing in the American City"

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and the Social Sciences Forum present Dr. Robert J. Sampson, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University, for the 2011 Fritz Nova Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in the CEER Lecture Hall (Room 001). The title of his lecture is "The Neighborhood Effect: Community and Wellbeing in the American City." Robert J. Sampson is Chair of the Department of Sociology at Harvard University and President-Elect of the American Society of Criminology. He received the Stockholm Prize in Criminology in 2011. His talk will cover his latest work summarizing over a decade of pathbreaking research in neighborhoods dealing with topics such as crime, disorder, the life course, neighborhood effects, collective civic life, urban inequality, ecometrics and the social structure of the city. Learn more about Dr. Sampson here.

College Honors Exceptional Alumni

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences proudly announces its 2011 Alumni Medallion recipients, who will be recognized at a special on-campus celebration to be held later this month.

The Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Nora Pillard Reynolds, ’02, BA Communication, BA Honors, and Brian Katulis,’94, BA History.

The Young Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Randy Foye, ’06, BA Geography.

The Graduate Alumni Medallion is being awarded to Mark J. Servodidio, '87, BA, Psychology; '89, MA, Human Resource Development.

Learn more here.

College Launches Flickr Site ... Be sure to check out the photos on the College's new Flickr site. Here is a sample of what you'll find:

History Professor Moderates Book Discussion at National Constitution Center

Judith Ann Giesberg, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, will serve as moderator for a discussion with Tony Horwitz on his new book, Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War, at the Constitution Center on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. Learn more here.

Teach Philosophy 101 Receives More Than 2,500 New Web Visitors Each Week

Teach Philosophy 101, an initiative supported by the Department of Philosophy in the College, receives on average more than 2,500 new Web site visitors from all over the world weekly. The mission of Teach Philosophy 101 is to enhance undergraduate student learning in introductory philosophy courses by providing strategies and resources to faculty members and teaching assistants. Learn more here.

"Journalism Today: Radio, Video, Text -- or all at once!"

Join Mark Hamrick, president of the National Press Club and AP broadcast journalist, on Nov. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts Room  300 for his talk, "Journalism Today: Radio, Video, Text -- or all at once!" Mark Hamrick brings 30 years of experience in broadcasting and journalism to Villanova. Event sponsored by the Concentration in Writing and Rhetoric, and the Cultural Studies Program. Learn more here.

Fall 2011 Foreign Film Series Continues in November

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is pleased to host the 2011 Foreign Language Film Series; films are screened in the original language with English subtitles on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in SAC 300. Please click here for the November films.

Hispanic Studies Program Hosts International Conference to Honor Peruvian Writer José María Arguedas

The Hispanic Studies Program in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures hosted a successful international conference in celebration of the centenary of the birth of José María Arguedas, the famous 20th century Peruvian writer, on October 28-29, 2011, in Connelly Center. Learn more here.

An On-campus Look at “Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus”

By Caroline Foley

On Wednesday, September 28, Victoria Conte, museum educator and programs coordinator for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, spoke about the museum’s Rembrandt exhibition. The event was well attended, filling Driscoll Auditorium beyond its extensive seating capacity. Learn more here.

WFI Hosts Successful 2011 Symposium: The Challenge of Communicating Truth

On Oct. 21, WFI hosted its successful 2011 symposium: “The Challenge of Communicating Truth."

According to Bryan Crable, Ph.D., an associate professor of communication and founding director of the Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society, the inspiration for this event came from Barnett Pearce’s work, especially the emphasis upon communication's role in making better social worlds and upon the practical nature of theory.

During the symposium, participants (including academic and professional leaders and activists in the field of Communication, as well as graduate and undergraduate students) engaged in a rich and inspiring dialogue about the meaning, implications, and practice of communicating truth in multiple contexts.

The Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (WFI) — housed within Villanova University’s Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — was founded on the principle that the study and practice of communication requires attention to values, ethics, and social justice. Properly understood, communication is central to the creation of positive social change. Read more about the 2011 symposium and stay up to date about future events by visiting the WFI Web site.

Physics Department Invites You to Attend Upcoming Colloquia

The Department of Physics welcomes you to attend two upcoming colloquia on campus.

Bruce D. Holenstein (Gravic, Inc.) will present "Lightweight Medium-Aperture Mirrors for Astronomy and Power Generation" on Monday, Nov. 7, at 4:30 p.m. in Mendel 341. Learn more here.

On Monday, Nov. 14, at 4:30 p.m. in Mendel 341, Dr. Michael F. Corcoran, director of the Universities Space Research Association Goddard Space Flight Center, will deliver a lecture entitled,"Against the Wind: How Extremely Massive Stars Lose Weight." Learn more here.

The Diversity Programming Committee Presents Dr. Peggy McIntosh

Save the Date! The Diversity Programming Committee presents Dr. Peggy McIntosh, anti-racist activist and feminist scholar, November 9, 2011. Dr. McIntosh will present a Keynote Address at 6 p.m. in Garey Hall 102.

During the day, she will participate in a Faculty, Staff, and Student Leader Lunch (12:30 to 2 p.m.) and a Student Workshop (3 to 4:30 p.m.) in the Garey Hall Cafeteria. Space is limited; please reserve a seat for any of these events through Villanova Tix.

See Me Ghana Gallery: A Collection of Photography by Villanova Professor Hezekiah Lewis

Please join us for a light reception for the See Me Ghana Gallery on Friday, November 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Alumni Event Room in Garey Hall.

See Me Ghana is a collection of photography by Hezekiah Lewis, Ph.D., an assistant professor of communication. His works were created while shooting his film Warrior Queen in Ghana, West Africa. It represents the love, culture, beauty, and truth of the Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast regions of Ghana.

Villanova Theatre Presents Woman and Scarecrow

Villanova Theatre proudly presents Woman and Scarecrow from November 8 to 20, 2011. Learn more here.

Villanova University Announces Historic Exchange Program with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland's National Theatre

Villanova University has accepted a prestigious invitation from the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre, to form an historic intellectual/artistic partnership. The University’s exchange program with the Abbey Theatre will create a bridge between the renowned Irish institution and Villanova’s Theatre and Irish Studies programs. The collaboration will bring Ireland’s preeminent theatre practitioners to the University’s campus to offer graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as workshops, conferences, lectures and other events that will be open to the public. The new joint venture will also enable a scholarly exchange giving Villanova students the opportunity to travel to Dublin to intern and study at the Abbey Theatre. Learn more here.

Catherine Staples to Read From Never a Note Forfeit

Catherine Staples, M.A., Honors program, will be reading from her chapbook, Never a Note Forfeit (Seven Kitchens Press 2011), in Garey Hall on Friday, Nov. 11, at 1:30 p.m. Her first full length collection, The Rattling Window, nominated by Eamon Grennan for the Robert McGovern Series, is forthcoming from Ashland Poetry Press in spring 2013.

Summer Research Fellowship/Research Support Grant Program for Faculty: Visit ORSP for More!

The Summer Research Fellowship/Research Support Grant Program is announcing the submission cycle for 2012 project funding for faculty. The deadline for the submission of proposals is November 11, 2011. For details regarding program eligibility and submission, please click here.

Peter Godwin on "The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe"

The Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies (GIS) welcomes Peter Godwin to campus. He will discuss his latest book, The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m., in Garey Hall.

Augustine, Friends, and Family: Best Friends Forever -- Featuring the Thomas F. Martin Saint Augustine Fellow,  Dr. Maureen Tilley

The Thomas F. Martin Saint Augustine Fellow, Dr. Maureen Tilley, will deliver a public lecture entitled, "Augustine, Friends, and Family: Best Friends Forever," on Nov. 3 a 4 p.m. in St. Thomas of Villanova Church.

In his Confessions, Saint Augustine claimed that as a young man he was in love with love and with loving. While most commentators focus on his passion for sex, his passions extended to friendship too. Like many of us he cultivated all sorts of relationships: friends, acquaintances, lovers and family.

When Augustine became a Christian he re-evaluated his friends and family members and friendship generally. His re-evaluation and the form it takes in the Confessions have implications for modern friends who pledge "Best Friends Forever."

Sponsored by The Augustinian Institute. Click here for more information.

Gender and Women's Studies Welcomes Professor Karen Barad

Karen Barad, Ph.D., a professor of feminist studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will speak on campus on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 12:30 p.m., in Room 200 of the Health Services Building. Learn more about Professor Barad here.

Cultural Film and Lecture Series Explores Movie Heroes and Villains

The Cultural Film and Lecture Series explores the movie characters we love to love and love to hate in this semester’s films. Each film will be shown three times: Sundays at 3:30 and 7 p.m. and Mondays at 7 p.m. Only the Monday evening screening will feature a speaker, and admission is free to all patrons for every screening.

Treats from the Serial Box: November 6-7. Various directors, USA, total running time, 80 minutes, various years. Speaker: George Strimel. A collection of great film serials, including “Captain America,” that set the stage for much of the comic book hero films of today. Get ready for some cliffhangers!

Hunger: November 13-14. Directed by Steve McQueen, UK, 90 minutes, 2008. Speakers: Joseph Lennon and John Buckley.  his powerful film chronicles the hunger strike of IRA activist Bobby Sands.  One critic observed “Relying on images more than words, it’s a plea for humanity in times of insanity.”

No Greater Pain: November 20-21. Directed by Desiree Holm and Matt Marencik, USA, 34 minutes, 2011. Speakers: Student filmmakers. This moving student documentary examines “Mothers in Charge,” a Philadelphia peace advocacy organization that assists women who have lost loved ones due to violence. Dorothy Johnson started the organization in 2004 after the murder of her son. The movie looks at the ways Dorothy and the courageous women she works with labor to achieve a more peaceful and just society.

Vivian J. Lamb Lecture Series on Augustinian Thought and the Sciences Features Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J.

The Vivian J. Lamb Lecture Series on Augustinian Thought and the Sciences will feature Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J., from Specola Vaticana, Vatican City State, on November 9, 2011, at 4:30 p.m., in the Driscoll Auditorium. Learn more here.

Irish Studies Program Announces Fall 2011 Programming Line-up

The Irish Studies Program at Villanova invites you to attend the following upcoming events. For more information, please contact Joseph Lennon, Ph.D., director of the Irish Studies Program.

• November 1: Patrick McGuinness, Booker nominated novelist, will read at 5:30 p.m. in the Falvey Library Lounge.
  
  
• November 8 to 20: Marina Carr’s Woman and Scarcrow (directed by Fr. David Cregan) opens in Vasey Theater; Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
  
  
• November 11: Eamon Grennan presents his play, Hunger: A Dramatic Recital, performed at 4 p.m. in Vasey Theater.
  
  
• November 14: Irish Film Night features Hunger at 7 p.m. in Connelly Center Cinema. The film will be introduced by Professors John Buckley and Joseph Lennon.

CRS and Villanova Partnership Sponsor a Series of Fall 2011 Events

The Villanova University and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) partnership is sponsoring a series of events during the fall 2011 semester. Be sure to mark your calendar now to attend the events. Learn more about them here.

• Fall 2011 GSN Sessions Focus on Transitions in the Middle East and North Africa

Co-founder and Executive Director of Project H.O.M.E. to Deliver 2011 Hunger & Homelessnes Awareness Week Keynote

Sister Mary Scullion, co-founder and Executive Director of Project H.O.M.E., a nationally recognized organization in Philadelphia that advocates and provides services for people living in poverty, will deliver the 2011 Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Keynote Address on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 4:30 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center.

Final Fall 2011 Ethics for Lunch Event

The Ethics Program invites you to attend its final Ethics for Lunch event of the fall semester.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Devon Room of Connelly, please join Dr. Michael Moreland from the Villanova Law School for a discussion on "Mistakes About Intention."

All are invited to attend.

Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Distinguished Speaker Series Lecture Features Dr. Joan L. Saverino

The Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Distinguished Speaker Series Lecture features Dr. Joan L. Saverino, Adjunct Professor, Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, at Arcadia University, speaking on women’s lives after immigration from Italy to the United States on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., in the first floor lounge of Falvey Library.

“People and Places in Dante’s Purgatorio”

Dr. Paul Wright, former ACS professor, now Assistant Professor, English Department, Cabrini College, and co-director of the Honors Program, will discuss “People and Places in Dante’s Purgatorio” on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m., in Driscoll Auditorium.

Professor George Dowdall to Visit Campus Nov. 29

George W. Dowdall is Professor of Sociology at Saint Joseph's University. His research and teaching interests include mental health, substance use, and research methods. He will speak on campus on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m., in Bartley 1011. The event is sponsored by Gender and Women's Studies.

His most recent publication is College Drinking: Reframing a Social Problem  (Praeger, 2009). Other major publications include books, book chapters, and journal articles on mental health, research methods, and on college student binge drinking, including one commissioned by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Task Force on College Drinking. Dowdall has been interviewed by media including Newsweek, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, and Philadelphia public television and radio stations, including four appearances on WHYY’s Radio Times.

Harvard Historian Jill Lepore to Deliver the Third Annual Kephart Lecture

Jill Lepore, Ph.D., David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History, Harvard University, will deliver the third annual Lore Kephart '86 Distinguished Historians Lecture on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly. Lepore also is a staff writer at The New Yorker. The title of the lecture is "Poor Jane's Almanac: The Life and Opinions of Benjamin Franklin's Sister."

To register to attend the event, please click here.

Learn more about Dr. Lepore here.

A Closer Look at Villanova Theatre's Comedy of Errors

By Tania Jachens Psychedelic cowboys using slapstick and iambic pentameter? Like Shakespeare once wrote,“Every why hath a wherefore.”

In Villanova Theatre’s latest production, Comedy of Errors, the Wild West and psychedelic ‘60s collide in this Shakespearean comedy of mistaken identities. When two sets of identical twins separated at birth coincidentally arrive in the same town, Antipholus and his servant, Dromio, of Syracuse are quickly confused with their twin brothers of Ephesus. Soon, wild mishaps lead to wrongful arrests, misplaced beatings, seduction attempts, in addition to comical demonic possession. Learn more here.

Special Olympics Disabilities Panel Examines Disabilities on Campus

By Tania Jachens

In the spirit of Villanova’s annual Special Olympics Fall Festival, the first Disabilities Panel was held to discuss, answer questions, and raise awareness about different types of disabilities present on campus. 

The predominantly student audience packed into the Villanova Room on September 27 to listen to a panel of students, professors, parents, and staff at Villanova discuss their personal experiences with disability.  Carl Nathan Ober, who is this year’s Head of Awareness for Villanova’s SpO Committee, moderated the event.  

Learn more here.

Find the Office for Undergraduate Students on Facebook

The Office for Undergraduate Students has a new Facebook page. “Like” us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information from OUS, including information for students regarding academic advising, professional development opportunities, and other events and resources available through OUS.

OHS Participates in Day of Service

The Organization of Human Services (OHS) has continued its four-year partnership with the Paul J. Robeson High School for Human Services in Philadelphia and spent the Day of Service assisting the students and staff with painting the weight room and cleaning other areas of the school. OHS has made plans to visit and mentor students at the school and to bring the students to Villanova for a day to visit the campus, classes, and talk about majors in the field. Pictured are OHS officers and Faculty Advisor Joan Novelli Capolupo, MA, NCC, LPC.

New Graduate Certificate in Peace and Justice Studies

The Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Liberal Studies program are pleased to announce the creation of a new Graduate Certificate in Peace and Justice Studies. This certificate helps to prepare students for careers in social justice, advocacy, peacemaking, conflict resolution, journalism, teaching, and activism. Learn more here.

College Presents "A Day in the Life": A New Short Film About the College

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is proud to present the short video documentary, A Day in the Life, featuring the lives of three Villanova students majoring in the liberal arts and sciences. The video was first screened during Candidates' Day on Saturday, April 16, 2011.

College Supports the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies

Staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences don their phinest Phillies attire and cheer on the Phils. Unfortunately, the Phillies' journey to the World Series ended abruptly in a heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 NLDS. There's always next year!