Provost's Newsletter

• Dr. Wenqing Xu, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded the National Science Foundation’s coveted CAREER grant for “Transforming the Synergistic Interactions between Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Matter and Sulfur Species into Solutions for Contaminant Detoxification.” Her work will be used to develop engineering solutions that will effectively destroy environmental contaminants.

• The College of Engineering established the Center for Cellular Engineering (NovaCell), with the mission of leading efforts to improve cell and gene therapy products and the bioprocesses used to make them. 

• The Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership was awarded $565,000 to continue its efforts in clean water protection for the suburban Philadelphia area watersheds. The project is being led by Dr. Andrea Welker, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

• Drs. Hashem Ashrafuion and Sergey Nersesov, Mechanical Engineering, were awarded a three-year, $336,043 grant from the Office of Naval Research for “Robust Control of Networks of Heterogeneous Nonholonomic Vehicles in Uncertain Environments.” Their work will benefit coordinated shipboard landings, collaborative missions involving surface and underwater marine and air vehicles, and formation flying for ensembles of heterogeneous unmanned air vehicles.

• Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Kristin Sample-Lord, received a National Science Foundation grant to advance the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-chemical behavior of bentonite, a high-swelling clay, which is critical to addressing the challenges of growing energy demand and environmental protection.

• VSB was recognized as the top school in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Online Graduate Business Programs ranking. VSB scored well in other areas, including the #1 rank for Student Engagement and #8 for Admissions Selectivity. VSB offers two online specialized master degree programs: the Master of Science in Analytics and the Master of Science in Church Management.

• VSB’s new Laboratory for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research (LAIR) is a behavioral research lab which provides space for VSB students and faculty to conduct studies ranging from survey research to focus groups. The LAIR will be used for class projects that incorporate data collection to support cutting-edge research practices. LAIR capabilities include audio and visual recording equipment, and a main area where participants will participate in research studies with an adjacent room for researcher controls.

• VSB hosted its inaugural Research Insights Symposium, featuring a keynote address by Andrew J. Hoffman, PhD, Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. The Symposium featured a series of presentations by VSB faculty on topics related to creating sustainable value in countries, industries and organizations, and how companies can advance sustainability in their markets, products and employees.

• VSB’s Center for Church Management is pleased to announce a partnership with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to offer our innovative two-year, online Master of Science in Church Management degree designed to provide students with a high-level skill set in effective church management. 

• Michael Pagano, PhD, The Robert J. and Mary Ellen Darretta Endowed Chair in Finance, received the Villanova University Outstanding Faculty Research Award. This is the highest award bestowed to a Villanova faculty member for outstanding accomplishments in scholarly research. The ICE Institute awarded the Meyer ICE Award to Shawn Howton, PhD, the Faculty Director of The Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate and Professor of Finance. Dr. Howton has been an innovator for many years as the creator and developer of the DiLella Center, its courses and programs. 

• The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing was dedicated on April 7. The naming honors Dean Fitzpatrick’s memory and legacy after serving as dean for nearly four decades. 

• The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing bestowed a new award—the M. Louise Fitzpatrick Award for Transformative Leadership—on alumna Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN for her remarkable, worldwide contributions to health care as the architect of the Transitional Care Model. She is also a Villanova University Trustee.  

• Donna Sullivan Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN was announced as the new Connelly Endowed Dean of the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing on June 4. An alumna, she is an internationally recognized scholar, health-systems researcher and experienced leader who has served as interim dean at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.   

• Faculty achievements included Professor Suzanne Smeltzer, EdD, RN, FAAN, director of the Office for Nursing Research and Evaluation, appointed as the inaugural holder of the Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professorship in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations; Associate Professor Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD, MPH, RN, director of the  Center for Global and Public Health, was honored at the United Nations with a Global Impact Award and this summer began five months as a Fulbright scholar in Finland studying and teaching climate change and health; and Associate Professor Melissa O’Connor, PhD, MBA, RN was the inaugural recipient of the Villanova University Scholarly Achievement Award.  

• In June, the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing welcomed 10 new PhD students to an existing cohort of 53 students studying with faculty expert mentors to become teacher-scholars developing science and educating nurses for the health of the nation. Similarly, the College welcomed 14 new students to its Doctor of Nursing Practice program who joined its cohort of 11 students to lead innovation in nursing practice and health care.

• Dean Mark Alexander announced the establishment of two endowed faculty chairs—the Harold Reuschlein Leadership Chair and the Harold Reuschlein Scholar Chair. The Chairs will serve to model the importance and synergy of the three major aspects of exemplary faculty life—teaching, scholarship and service—to the Law School.

• The inaugural class of the Lawyers as Leaders program completed their training. The program is open to presidents of Villanova Law’s 30+ student organizations. Through strength and personality assessments, workshops and self-reflection opportunities, students identified and honed their individual leadership skills.

• The team-taught Race and the Law course debuted in spring 2018. Developed after students requested more opportunities to discuss laws and their effects on marginalized people, the course covers areas such as voting rights, environmental justice, criminal justice, health care and more. 

• The Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance partnered with leading criminal justice organizations to examine the ethics of Mass Exoneration. The event brought together legal experts from around the nation—and across the ideological aisle—to investigate and consider large-scale reviews of cases affected by systemic errors or misconduct.

• Christine Kelleher Palus, PhD was named Dean of the College of Professional Studies. Dr. Palus has been a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) since 2006 and also serves as Dean of Graduate Studies in CLAS. In her new role, she is the chief administrator of the College, leading its strategic and academic planning and faculty engagement; strengthening the student experience; providing financial oversight; and overseeing fundraising and alumni relations.

• Marvin Meissner, MBA became the first full time faculty member in the College of Professional Studies. With over 25 years of experience in quality and training, specializing in areas such as Lean Six Sigma, Change Management and Continuous Improvement, CPS is thrilled to have Marv as a Professor of the Practice.

• The US Department of Education Program Participation Agreement was submitted in June to request continuation of participation in the Title IV programs of aid. In September, the University received approval from the US Department of Education for continuation in the Title IV programs of aid for another six years.

• Three hurricanes devastated parts of Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico in the 2017-18 academic year, putting many of our families in financial jeopardy. As a result, the OFA was able to assist 24 students with an additional $85,774 of need-based Villanova Grant support and $3,000 in Perkins loans.

• Numerous staffing changes have occurred in the Office of Financial Aid, including two new assistant directors of Financial Assistance (Ashley Frisbie and Jennifer McKeighan).

• The Office of the Registrar scheduled 1,682 new undergraduate freshman students into fall schedules prior to their arrival in late August.

• In collaboration with the Office of International Students, the Registrar’s Office verified F-1 visa compliance for 340 new and continuing international students, and completed registration within the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. 

• Villanova awarded 2,561 degrees in May, and 580 degrees in September 2018.

• Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni have participated in leadership and career development discussions and workshops, dialogues on race and gender and implicit Bias, and networking events focused on women’s advancement. Highlights from the past spring include a Big East Networking Luncheon in New York, a dialogue on sisterhood with a focus on the intersectional experiences of women of color and the ways white women can serve as allies, and a conversation with Fran Hauser, author of The Myth of the Nice Girl.

• The McNulty Institute is building a Community of Scholars whose research advances equity. The McNulty Institute has hosted research panels in collaboration with others on campus, and has commissioned cross-disciplinary white papers on topics like Care Work and its physical, emotional and economic impact on our society.

• The Institute launched its McNulty Leadership Ambassadors program and Leadership Academy, which focus on developing leaders who can articulate gender equity’s centrality to the common good, and who advocate for change and speak out against injustice. The inaugural cohort of 10 represents students from across the undergraduate colleges, from sophomores to seniors, and both men and women. 

• The Institute launched a Leadership/Professional Development Fund for students with support from the Provost’s Office. 

• During the last academic year, CRF expanded every program and service that it provides, completing 2,579 one-on-one student/alumni/faculty consultations. These sessions included, but were not limited to, consultations on fellowships, research, graduate school applications and Presidential Scholar advising.

• CRF continued with the reorganization of the Presidential Scholars Program. Many aspects of the program were improved thanks to input from across the University as well as a successful external review. Notably, a new program was introduced to provide Presidential Scholars access to professional development funding. Additional major enhancements are planned for 2018-19.

• CRF awarded a record 40 students the Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellowship for research in the summer of 2018, and was additionally able to accommodate requests for undergraduate on-campus housing. Over 100 students participated and received their certifications as part of the fourth annual Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop, which is mandatory for all summer undergraduate researchers.

• Our students broke the Villanova records for three prestigious awards: the Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship for graduating seniors and alumni, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for sophomores and juniors in STEM, and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a multiyear award for students heading to PhD programs in STEM. Overall, nearly 100 Villanovans won awards from these and other national programs, including Fulbright US-UK Summer, Gilman, Boren, Humanity in Action, JET and DAAD. 

• In the spring, CRF conducted a campus-wide initiative—Ignite Fulbright!—which resulted in a record number of applications for the fall 2018 (90 submitted applications, a 53% increase over last year). 

• Villanova hired HDR Architects to initiate a comprehensive assessment of our vivaria this fall. HDR engaged PIs, department and College leadership, and the offices of the Provost and Research Protection to inform these planning efforts. Their evaluation will identify opportunities for facility improvements and develop future alternatives to build capacity, increase support and plan new facilities.

• The LSS staff, in partnership with UNIT, prepared for the fall 2018 launch of the ClockWork Data Management System, a web-based software platform that streamlines and secures all communications related to student accommodations and test proctoring. Existing on Villanova’s server, ClockWork provides a safe and efficient way to transmit sensitive disability-related information between faculty and students.

• LSS sponsored a full-day Mental Health First Aid Program for members of the various student services offices. Facilitators from the Delaware County Office of Behavioral Health allowed for a class of 30 students, with a waiting list for attendees.

• Demand for academic coaching and exam proctoring continued to grow. This was the third consecutive year in which there was over a 30% increase in the number of tests proctored. Nearly half of the students requesting academic coaching are students without a disability diagnosis.

• The Math Learning and Resource Center (MLRC) had 1,371 visits in spring 2018, bringing the total for the academic year to nearly 4,000 visits—a new record high.

• The MLRC provided a Precalculus Refresher Program for the second time this summer, with 455 students participating. Over 80% of students surveyed found the program was helpful in preparing them for Calculus. 

• Tutor training sessions are again being held to improve the MLRC tutors’ ability to help with specific courses and topics. Recently, a Maple workshop was held to better familiarize the tutors with the program. 

• The MLRC received an average student survey rating of 3.85 out of 4 for “Satisfaction with visit” and 3.91 for “Service provided by your tutor” for the academic year.

• Our varsity student-athletes have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher for 30 consecutive semesters.

• The Nnenna Lynch Team GPA Award for the highest overall academic year GPA was awarded to Women’s Cross Country with a 3.615 GPA for 2017-2018.

• Athletics features an overall 95 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate. In the most recent cohort, 14 programs tallied a perfect 100 percent GSR, including Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Field Hockey, Golf, Men’s Lacrosse, Rowing, Men’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo.

• Villanova led all Division I programs in the nation with the highest percentage of teams (82%) recognized with NCAA Public Recognition Awards for having an APR in the top 10% of their sport. We had 18 teams recognized which is the Athletic Department’s most teams ever recognized in a single year. The teams receiving public recognition include Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Men’s Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Rowing, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Women’s Tennis and Women’s Track & Field. 

• The Office of Education Abroad supported over 800 study abroad experiences for graduate and undergraduate students during the 2017-2018 academic year.

• The Learning Communities Abroad program launched another site offering in Dublin, Ireland for summer 2018. The program offers internship opportunities for first-year students in the summer in either Dublin or London.  

• Villanova had 10 Gilman award recipients who studied abroad in the 2017-2018 academic year. 

Center for Speaking and Presentation (CSP)

• The CSP provides free one-on-one and small-group guidance in all things public speaking, from formal presentations to interviews to how to participate effectively in seminar courses. Now in its second year, the Center has already exceeded the number of appointments it had last fall semester.

• Tutors’ conference proposal was selected to be presented at the Fall 2018 National College Learning Center Association conference in Niagara Falls, NY.

The Learners’ Studio (TLS)

• TLS provides free one-on-one and small-group content-based tutoring in over 100 courses, including Romance Languages, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and more. Now in its second year, TLS has already exceeded the number of sessions it had last fall.

• TLS is hosting a number of special events for National Peer Tutor Appreciation week.

• In her role as VITAL Faculty Associate, Dr. Valentina DeNardis, Director of the Classical Studies Program and Microsoft Innovative Educator, shared her expertise and experience with Office 365 Tools. She conducted several in-person and online workshops on how faculty can use these tools to enhance teaching, student advising and program administration. She also provided department-specific sessions and consulted with small groups of faculty or individual faculty in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. She is in the process of writing a blog about faculty experiences learning and using Office 365 in higher education. 

• Partnering with UNIT, VITAL hosted the campus-wide Teaching and Learning Strategies program in May. The event provided a collegial forum for faculty to share, discuss, and/or model a range of teaching and learning approaches in support of students’ learning. 120 participants—along with 36 presenters who facilitated 18 concurrent sessions and 4 posters—explored various learning-centered teaching approaches including applying cognitive science in teaching, interactive tools for instructions, the flipped classroom and creating engaging video lectures. Dr. Terry Doyle, Professor Emeritus at Ferris State University, delivered a keynote on Helping Students Understand How the Research on Learning Supports a Learner Centered Approach to Teaching.

• In response to new faculty members interest in having access to Villanova instructional resources, polices and sample materials prior to their arrival on campus, VITAL prepared an online resource that faculty can access 24/7 from any location. Special attention was given to support faculty as they begin to prepare their fall courses, develop course materials and finalize their syllabi. In addition, the blog offered onboarding information and served as an efficient, effective communication tool.  

• The Villanova University Writing Center provided 5,244 tutorials for the 2017-2018 academic year. 

• Mary Beth Simmons and Emily Carson, Post-Doctorate in Faculty Writing Assistance, presented “Writing Centers and Faculty Writing Retreats: Fostering Community, Productive Writing, and Increased Faculty Support" at the Mid-Atlantic Writing Centers Association conference.  

• The Writing Center hosted two productive faculty writing retreats in January and May with faculty from all colleges participating.