Villanova’s distinctive academic programs, world-class faculty, cutting-edge research and super-star students place the University in the national media spotlight. Below is a sampling of media highlights from January-February 2020.
The Further Adventures of Betelgeuse, the Fainting Star
The New York Times
Edward Guinan, an astrophysicist at Villanova University who has been following Betelgeuse, called the new images of a squashed star “fantastic.” But based on his own observations he took exception to the idea that Betelgeuse was hiding behind a veil of dust. “We think the star itself is doing this — not dust.”
The Washington Post
“It’s a vicious cycle,” said Teresa Boyer, an expert in social equity and gender economics and founding director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership at Villanova University.
Miscarriage Matters: Rainbow Babies
Today
"One of the biggest misconceptions is that parents no longer grieve upon a subsequent healthy pregnancy," Dr. Rayna D. Markin, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of counseling at Villanova University, told TODAY Parents.
Witnesses at Harvey Weinstein trial show how #MeToo has changed whose voices matter
CNN
So why are they seemingly becoming more common? It's part of a feedback loop across the many parts of the legal system, said Michelle Madden Dempsey, a law professor at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law.
Not yet voters, teens of color strike for change
USA Today
“It’s not new work,” said Jerusha Conner, an associate professor of education at Villanova University and the author of “The New Student Activists,” out Feb. 18. “It’s been steady and slow, especially in low-income communities of color,” Conner said. “People are organizing, but they often have not had the national spotlight on them.”
How to Win a Fulbright Scholarship
U.S. News & World Report
Michael Westrate, director of the Center for Research and Fellowships at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and an alumnus of the Fulbright scholarship program, says selection committees like to see evidence of community service and community engagement.
Super Bowl ads dialed up fun as an antidote to politics
The Associated Press
Charles Taylor, marketing professor at Villanova University, said many ads were “busy” with a lot going on. “They’re going by quickly and it is hard to pick everything up.”
CNBC
“I guess I would call it toddler steps,” said Charles Taylor, a marketing professor at the Villanova University of Business. Taylor has performed research on the portrayal of women in Super Bowl ads.”
A Chinese cultural treasure in US is (mostly) saved from fire
CNN
Jason Steinhauer is the director of Villanova University's Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest and Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
So, You Want To Be A Great Mentor... Here’s How
Forbes
It’s national mentoring month, which means it’s time to reflect on the value of mentoring. … Joyce E. A. Russell is the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business.
'Orange dwarfs' could be best place in universe to look for aliens
Fox News
NASA is committed to finding life in the universe and new evidence shows that they might be best suited looking at "Goldilocks stars" instead of stars known as red dwarfs. … "K-dwarf stars are in the 'sweet spot,' with properties intermediate between the rarer, more luminous, but shorter-lived solar-type stars (G stars) and the more numerous red dwarf stars (M stars)," Villanova University researcher Edward Guinan said.
Prohibition Was the Anti-Opioid Crusade of Its Time
The New York Times
Temperance crusaders weren't crackpots. They were fighting the business of making money off addiction. Mark Lawrence Schrad, an associate professor of political science at Villanova University, is the author of the forthcoming book “Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition.”
Recapping The Democratic Presidential Debate In Iowa
National Public Radio (NPR)
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Mark Alexander, dean of Villanova University's law school, about the latest Democratic debate. He has prepped candidates for previous debates.
Former Pope Benedict breaks silence on celibacy debate after synod
Reuters
Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova University in the United States, called it “a serious breach” by the former pope, who vowed “unconditional reverence and obedience” to his successor.
Upending Bankruptcy ‘Myths,’ Judge Erases $220,000 Student Loan Debt
The Wall Street Journal
More bankruptcy attorneys are directing student loan borrowers to seek adversary proceedings to try to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy, said Jason Iuliano, a bankruptcy law professor at Villanova University.
'Your Body Being Used': Where Prisoners Who Can't Vote Fill Voting Districts
National Public Radio (NPR)
A recent study about Pennsylvania's state legislative districts by Villanova University professors highlights the impact this process can have on the political voice of incarcerated people's home communities.
Making NewsHour Weekend: Filming in challenging locations, tracking climate change
PBS NewsHour
Samantha Chapman, Villanova University: What we see at least in our first six months of data is that the mangroves seem to be growing faster in the warming chambers.
Over the last decade, the climate emergency became front-page news
Salon
Over the past decade, it’s not just the climate that’s changed drastically — media coverage of and public interest in the issue have increased dramatically as well. Stephen Strader is an assistant professor of geography and the environment at Villanova University.
A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode
Smithsonian
Astronomers are unsure what will happen next. Perhaps Betelgeuse will perk back up in a matter of weeks. But “if it keeps getting fainter, then all bets are off,” Edward Guinan, an astronomer at Villanova University, tells Drake.
Villanova's Jay Wright named AP coach of the decade
The Associated Press
The final seconds of the 2016 national title game were some of the most dramatic in college basketball history. North Carolina’s Marcus Paige hit an off-balance 3-pointer to tie the game with 4.7 seconds left, only to be upstaged by Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hitting a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer