Villanova’s distinctive academic programs, world-class faculty, leading research and scholarship, and high-achieving students place the University in the national media spotlight. Below is a sampling of media highlights from February-April 2022.
Synthetic blood substitute research advances rapidly
The Washington Post
Jacob Elmer's group at Villanova University is exploring hemoglobin from the earthworm commonly known as Canadian nightcrawler — which naturally circulates in the bloodstream without the protection of a red blood cell. “Earthworm hemoglobin has many favorable adaptations that makes it a great blood substitute candidate,” Elmer said.
Villanova's Jay Wright retiring as coach; Fordham's Kyle Neptune taking over
ESPN (Additional ESPN article: Jay Wright created the best culture in basketball)
Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is retiring after 21 seasons as men's basketball coach at Villanova, a shocking move that comes just weeks after he led the Wildcats to the Final Four. Villanova said Wednesday that Wright will take a new role as special assistant to the university's president. Fordham's Kyle Neptune, who spent 10 years under Wright as an assistant coach, will take over as Villanova coach.
Villanova head coach Jay Wright announces his retirement
CNN
Jay Wright has announced his retirement after 21 seasons as head coach for the Villanova Wildcats. During his tenure, Villanova won two NCAA championships -- in 2016 and 2018 -- and reached the Final Four four times.
Activision Adds Women To Board: Will Bro Culture Change?
Forbes
The giant Californian publisher of videogames like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft announced yesterday it is adding a woman to its board. It previously had eight men and two women…Having more women in board and C-suite leadership roles is a start but does not guarantee culture change. By Corinne Post, a professor of management and the Fred J. Springer Endowed Chair in Business Leadership at Villanova School of Business.
Can you still get a third relief check and other tax-related questions
Marketplace
The process of navigating tax season is changing, with the COVID-19 crisis and new laws expanding the benefits you can receive and influencing what you’ll have to report in the future. “Record-keeping and filing taxes on time — even if you can’t pay — are probably the two most important messages that people should keep in mind,” said Christine Speidel, an associate professor at Villanova University’s law school and director of its federal tax clinic.
Student loan debt has a lasting effect on Black borrowers, despite the latest freeze in payments
PBS NewsHour
Student debt has often been thought of as “good debt,” said Jalil Mustaffa Bishop, assistant professor of education at Villanova University, and one of the authors of the NAACP report. That’s because in theory, student debt results in a degree that allows borrowers access to higher-paying jobs and the ability to both pay off the debt and generate more income.
Bruce Willis is a reminder that people don't know what celebrities are going through, experts say
NBC News
Susan Mackey-Kallis, a communications professor at Villanova University who studies pop culture and film analysis, said the illusion is formed often because "people develop a parasocial relationship with celebrities because we have access to all this information about them through our social media and laptops and phones," adding, "But in reality, we only know what that celebrity or their PR agent wants us to know.”
Augusta National Should Move To The Metaverse & Let Everyone Play The Masters. NFTs Are Overdue.
Forbes
Why not “develop” Augusta National — as Augusta National — in the metaverse? Why not invite current members to extend their memberships to Virtual Augusta? By Steve Andriole, the Thomas G. Labrecque Professor of Business Technology in the Villanova School of Business at Villanova University where he teaches strategic technology, innovation and entrepreneurialism.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Villanova accepted 23% of its 23,813 applicants this year, compared to 43% in 2016 when they won the national men's basketball championship. With applications soaring since then -- something that typically happens after NCAA championships, and the Wildcats have won two in the last six years -- the school's selectivity has changed dramatically.
Tornado legislation to improve forecasting and warnings passes through Senate committee
The Washington Post
Stephen Strader, an assistant professor of geography at Villanova University, agreed. “It shows that government policy and priorities are catching up to what scientists have known for years — that physical and social sciences must work together,” he said. “This [bill] reaffirms that importance and actually it’s a good thing to see.”
Who would win NCAA basketball tournament if academics ruled?
Inside Higher Ed
Our take on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I men’s basketball tournament, in contrast, determines the winners of each game by comparing the academic performance of teams. Note: Inside Higher Ed's bracket has Villanova defeating Michigan State in the championship game.
The long history of Russian imperialism shaping Putin's war
The Washington Post
The world is trying to make sense of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent invasion of Ukraine. But his attack is not rooted in any rational calculation of costs and benefits. ... Lynne Hartnett is associate professor of Russian history at Villanova University.
Boycotts of Russian products and groups spread, but the effects may be limited
NPR
Some establishments are confused about what products actually come from Russia. A Vermont ski resort bar worker was not alone in pouring Stolichnaya down the drain. But as Mark Schrad, an associate professor of political science at Villanova University, notes, the Stoli vodka Americans drink is actually made in Latvia.
This Villanova scientist is the lizard king, and he just found another one from the age of dinosaurs
Philadelphia Inquirer
Aaron Bauer has traveled the world in search of lizards, logging more than 2 million miles in his quest to identify new species and determine how they fit into the tree of life. But when the pandemic restricted his travels, he pivoted to a type of journey he could make while staying in his lab at Villanova University: going back in time.
The New York Times
Megan Quigley, an assistant professor of English who teaches in the Irish Studies program at Villanova University, said that she welcomed the release of an illustrated “Ulysses.” … “I tell my students to find anything they can that will help us to understand Joyce’s master novel — literature or music mentioned, historical references, later novelists influenced by Joyce.”
Super Bowl ads aim to comfort and connect
Associated Press
“Comfort is key,” said Villanova University marketing professor Charles Taylor. “Being edgy is going to get attention, but it risks getting out of the comfort zone at a time people have been cooped up in their homes and economic times are tough for many.”
'We have critical nursing shortages across the country,' doctor warns
Yahoo Finance
“This isn’t the first time we’ve had a nursing shortage in the U.S.,” Donna Havens, Connelly Endowed dean and professor at the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University, told Yahoo Finance.