Campus Currents August 2004

Index for August 3, 2004

Author and educator Kozol will deliver Convocation address

By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer

Jonathan Kozol is best known for his shocking and thought-provoking examinations of the inequities in the American system of education. His latest book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, focuses on young children in the depressed Mott Haven section of the Bronx, an area characterized by urban poverty, imprisoned fathers, AIDS, and other chronic health problems - foreign issues to most first-year students entering Fairfield University.

And that's just the reason his book was selected to be given to the Class of 2008 during its June orientation, and why Kozol was asked to deliver the fall Convocation address on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. Incoming freshmen, as well as faculty and staff, are invited to attend the talk, which will be held in the Kelley Theatre of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Kozol, who spoke at Fairfield University in 1998, began teaching in the poor Roxbury-Dorchester section of Boston back in the '60s. "But in those days, there was a great deal of hope in the air," he said in an online interview. "Great, great leaders were emerging from the southern freedom movement ... (and) there was a firm conviction that this nation was going to eradicate apartheid." The families he sees now have no such illusions, he added. "If you grow up in the South Bronx today or in south-central Los Angeles or Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you quickly come to understand that you have been set apart and that there's no will in this society to bring you back into the mainstream."

Kozol grew up in Newton, Mass., and graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University. He won a Rhodes Scholarship, and made the decision to become a teacher after three young civil rights workers were killed in Mississippi in 1964. His teaching stint in Roxbury-Dorchester lasted just one year, after he was famously fired for reading a Langston Hughes poem to his fourth grade class. The following year, he taught in an affluent Boston suburban school, and the shock of the inequities between the two schools fueled his passion to become a champion for the poor.

The author describes Ordinary Resurrections as a more hopeful book than his previous ones. In it, he lets the personalities of the children he meets take center stage. These children can be funny, inquisitive, naughty, and nurturing, and Kozol focuses on their strengths and triumphs while refusing to gloss over the difficulties in which they are forced to live.

In addition to receiving a copy of the book, incoming freshmen were given a reading guide with discussion points, and will meet in informal groups with a faculty member to discuss the book just before Kozol's talk. Discussion leaders and their students will attend the Convocation together.

Seating for this event is limited to the Kelley Theatre and the Black Box. However, every effort will be made to accommodate any member of the Fairfield University community who wishes to attend. Members of the faculty who are not leading a discussion, staff, and administration who would like to attend should contact Dr. Debnam Chappell, dean of freshmen, at dchappell@mail.fairfield.edu.

Contributed photo

A cool summer gathering

The Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., chats with Dr. Phil Greiner, associate professor of nursing, at the July 6 ice cream social held in the Oak Room of the Barone Campus Center. The informal gathering smoothed the re-entry to work after the long Fourth of July weekend, and gave the new president a chance to mingle with faculty and staff. Fr. von Arx has a rigorous schedule of inaugural activities coming up the first week of October, when he is formally invested as president by the Board of Trustees.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Lakeland: Exploring Catholicism as author and new chair

By Alejandra Navarro, Publications Writer

When Dr. Paul Lakeland, chair of religious studies and author, began writing his most recent book, he was often reluctant to talk about it. The book was on the topic of lay people in the Roman Catholic Church - interesting to people in the Church and to theologians, but not necessarily captivating to mainstream readers.

"People were asking, 'what are you going to be writing about'," said Lakeland, who received a grant from the Louisville Institute to write the book during the 2001-2002 academic year. "I would sort of hedge around it and not tell them." Then, right around Christmas, the crisis hit the Boston Diocese.

"Suddenly, this book is very topical," said Dr. Lakeland, with a slight accent revealing his English roots. His book, The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church, explores the role of the laity throughout history and suggests how a more empowered laity could help the Church in its current crisis. The book, his sixth, was also a literary success, winning the first place 2004 Catholic Press Award in the category of theology.

Since the book was published, Dr. Lakeland has attended speaking engagements across the country and provided interviews with major publications and newspapers - including The New York Times, The Economist, and CNBC - all eager to tap into his expertise. "I'm somewhat fashionable, which is something that doesn't happen to theologians," he said with a chuckle of disbelief.

The exposure boosted the book's readership. For Lakeland, that means he's helping more people understand the intricacies of the Catholic Church. That is at the heart of his responsibilities as the first holder of the Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Chair in Catholic Studies.

The chair, which was announced at a May 16 ceremony honoring former University President Fr. Kelley, will help expand existing programs on campus, and begin new ones relating to the exploration of Catholicism.

"Paul Lakeland is the right match for this position," said Fr. James Bowler, S.J., University facilitator for Catholic and Jesuit Mission and Identity. He has worked closely with Dr. Lakeland and will continue to do so in his new position. "He's a nationally acknowledged scholar and enjoys a strong credibility with the faculty, staff, and administration on campus. Paul also has a strong appreciation for the Catholic intellectual tradition and a wonderful ability to communicate it."

These qualities will assist Dr. Lakeland in achieving the position's four main objectives:

• establish a new minor in Catholic studies,
• work with Fr. Bowler to guide the academic aspect of the University's work related to mission and identity,
• promote an understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition in the University community, and
• work to put resources of the University at the service of the local Church, perhaps creating educational forums on issues concerning the Church.

"I anticipate doing a considerable amount of extracurricular activities," Dr. Lakeland said. In neighboring churches, he would like to promote an issue close to his heart: understanding the role of lay people in the Church. He plans to organize gatherings on campus for the University community to discuss, comment on, and learn about changes in the Catholic Church.

"I would hope to create programming that helps people to appreciate not only the richness of the Catholic tradition, but also the religious tradition, the intellectual tradition, and the artistic tradition of the Church," Dr. Lakeland said.

Similarly, the new minor in Catholic studies, which Dr. Lakeland expects to be running by next year, will take a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of the Catholic religion, exploring it in subject areas such as literature, history, art, and sociology, as well as philosophy and religious studies. The new chair will be able to provide funding to encourage the development of new courses for the program.

Dr. Lakeland has concentrated on the study of the Catholic Church for most of his adult life. Raised in an English Catholic family, Dr. Lakeland has spent 47 of his 58 years working and studying alongside Jesuits: as a student in a Jesuit school, as a member of the order for 15 years, and currently as a professor at a Jesuit university. Dr. Lakeland received degrees from Oxford University, London University, Heythrop Pontifical, and was finishing a doctorate in religion from Vanderbilt University when he was tapped for a job by Fairfield University in 1981, where he had been ever since.

Religious courses are sometimes a hard sell to students, even at a Jesuit university. But Dr. Lakeland teaches with a contagious enthusiasm. "I want my students to leave wanting to know more," he said. "And I think some of them do."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Marvel wins McGowan Scholar award

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

Christopher A. Marvel '05, an accounting major in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, has been chosen to receive a prestigious William G. McGowan scholarship.

The award, which is open to students enrolled in accredited business schools throughout the United States, rewards applicants who achieve academic excellence, demonstrate leadership skills, show an intellectual curiosity, display entrepreneurial potential, and are involved in campus and community activities. Marvel will receive $21,000 toward his senior-year tuition.

The Washington, D.C.-based William G. McGowan Charitable Fund is dedicated to providing financial assistance to students. The fund is named after its late founder, William G. McGowan, former chairman of MCI Communications.

For Marvel, a resident of Manasquan, N.J., the scholarship is a means to alleviate financial pressures on his family and avoid taking out loans that would make it harder for him to continue his schooling after graduation. This summer, Marvel is pursuing an internship in forensic accounting and is considering law school after graduation. The ability to communicate in a second language is important to Marvel, who has a minor in Spanish and another in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. "Exceptional communication skills and a strong regard for social justice are paramount to becoming a good leader," he says.

"Chris Marvel is an exemplary student who lives Fairfield University's mission every day," says Dr. Norm Solomon, dean of the Dolan School. "He is a serious scholar who is committed to the well-being of his fellow students and to the well-being of the community at large."

With a cumulative GPA of 3.94, Marvel has made the Dean's List every semester at Fairfield. A member of the Dean's Roundtable Advisory Council for the Dolan School, Marvel is perhaps most proud of his recent induction into Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business honor society. It had been the fervent hope of his late grandfather, Benedict Harter, a former dean of the graduate school of business at Fordham University, that his grandson be eligible to join. "That was really important to me, as a tribute to him," says Marvel.

In addition to his studies, Marvel has been a radio co-host on Fairfield University's WVOF-FM, a member of the Greek Club, and a campaign manager for a Fairfield University Student Association presidency candidate. He has played club rugby and intramural softball and is an accounting tutor with Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society (the professional business and financial information fraternity). Recently elected to the Student Beach Resident Association, Marvel hopes to foster a "clearer, stronger relationship between the campus and its beach resident students."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Rev. Charles Allen, S.J., executive assistant to the president, served as master of ceremonies at the Thomas Merton Center Celebrity Breakfast on June 2. The event was covered in the June issue of Fairfield County Catholic.

Robert Bolger, associate professor of mathematics, recently spoke on "Mathematical Miracles" to the Institute of Retired Professionals. In July, he participated for the fourteenth consecutive summer in the mathematical activities of the Park City (Utah) Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics. Last February, a profile in the Fairfield Minuteman highlighted Professor Bolger's unique running style (up and down the Bannow hallways in leather loafers) and his longevity (50 years!) in the classroom.

Dr. Dorthea Braginsky, professor of psychology (CAS), commented on the advantages good-looking people experience for a June 8 Fairfield County Business Journal article. "Self-presentation and how you look is probably the most important aspect of a job interview," Braginsky said. It's an issue that's more pronounced now than ever before, she said. The article also ran in the June 28 edition of Black Enterprise Magazine.

Lisa Brailoff, adjunct professor in visual and performing arts, was profiled along with her family in an article in the Norwalk Citizen-News on June 11. The article discussed the family's involvement in theatre, and specifically in Shakespeare on the Sound's production of The Winter's Tale.

The naming of Dr. Arjun Chaudhuri as holder of the first Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J., Chair in Marketing at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB) was noted in the June 21 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine and the July/August issue of BizEd.

In the Connecticut Post as well as MSNBC, Michael Dalton, director of career planning, recommended that students do an internship while in college. "It's the surest way to get your foot in the door and find out if a specific kind of job is for you," he said. Dalton also said he sensed more optimism in the '04 grads than in the classes that preceded them.

Several recent articles on job growth and worker productivity quoted Dr. Edward Deak, Roger M. Lynch Professor of Economics in CAS. "Expansion is now well under way, and we may see the federal funds rate at 2 percent by the end of the year," he said in an article appearing in both Black Enterprise Magazine and CNNMoney. In a May 17 article in the Westchester Business Journal, he speculated that banks may feel the pinch as interest rates move upwards because they did not write as many mortgage loans as they did during the housing boom. In a June 5 Connecticut Post article, he said that rising costs and wages will force companies to charge more for products and services, but they won't have to turn to job cuts because a weaker dollar and productivity gains have made American companies' product prices competitive with cheaper foreign goods. The Connecticut Post also quoted Dr. Deak in a June 11 article on the fall in jobless claims, an interview that was picked up by WGY-Radio (Albany), WORK-TV (Rochester), News Channel 34 (Binghamton), and WIXT-TV (East Syracuse). In several late June articles, Dr. Deak noted that the state's gain of 4,100 jobs has made Connecticut "officially part of the national recovery and expansion." His comments appeared in the Connecticut Post, CNNMoney, Black Enterprise Magazine and the Fairfield County Business Journal. Dr. Deak spoke about the rise of the elderly population in Connecticut for contact.com.

Dr. Johanna Garvey, associate professor and chair of the English Department, was the opening speaker for a four-day celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses. The event took place at the Westport Public Library in June.

Dr. Donald Greenberg, associate professor of politics in CAS, was quoted in a June 29 Connecticut Post article on the early turnover of power in Iraq. "It's not a positive sign," he said. "This should have been a very big deal with pomp and circumstance and ceremony. Instead it was done secretively. The (U.S.) couldn't be certain it could control an event like the formal changing of sovereignty." Dr. Greenberg was also interviewed by ABC-TV regarding former governor Rowland's resignation.

Articles on a new study conducted by Dr. Linda Henkel, professor of psychology in CAS, appeared in the Newtown Bee and Fairfield Today. Dr. Henkel is looking for volunteers over 65 to participate in a study on cognitive function in seniors.

In an article on psychologists who incorporate spirituality in their treatments, the Massachusetts Psychologist quoted Dr. Martin Lang, professor of religious studies. He has conducted studies investigating how spirituality and psychology interface.

Dr. Dee Lippman, professor of nursing, attended the American Nurses Association annual convention held in Minneapolis in June. Dr. Lippman is president of the Connecticut Nurses Association and represented its position on many issues.

Dr. Martha LoMonaco, associate professor of visual and performing arts and theatre program director, recently had her book, Summer Stock! An American Theatrical Phenomenon, published by Palgrave Macmillan. She held a book reading and signing at the Drama Book Shop in Manhattan on July 12.

Dr. Doug Lyon, associate professor of engineering, recently published his third book, Java for Programmers (Prentiss-Hall, 2004).

On June 8, Larri Mazon, director of the Center for Multicultural Relations, spoke at the Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Board annual dinner meeting on the topic, "Stratford: A Town for all People."

Professor Marsha McCoy, classics instructor, delivered the presentation "Colonization, Power and Money: The Foundation of Narbo Martius" to the Bridgeport Area Cultural Italian Organization (B.A.C.I.O.) on June 14 at the North Branch Library in Bridgeport.

Duane Melzer, coordinator for off-campus students, was interviewed for a June 3 article in the Fairfield Minuteman on the problems between college students living at the beach and area residents. Melzer serves as the liaison between students, homeowners, and the police; regularly speaks with beach residents; and patrols with police every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening in the fall and spring. Dean of students Mark Reed '96 was also interviewed for the article.

T.J. Murphy '94, business manager of the Quick Center for the Arts, was chosen to appear in the National Register's Who's Who in Executives and Professionals, 2004-05 edition.

An outright ban on the acceptance of gifts by politicians is the only way to go, said Dr. Lisa Newton, professor of philosophy and director of the applied ethics program, to The Day (New London) in an article on ethics standards and interpretations in the wake of Gov. John Rowland's legal woes. Going for the toughest standard possible leaves nothing to interpretation, Dr. Newton said.

Dr. John Orman, professor of politics in CAS, was the keynote speaker at the annual Fairfield Chamber of Commerce dinner on June 9, where he discussed his most recent book, Celebrity Politics. On June 9, shortly after former president Ronald Reagan's death, Dr. Orman described to a Fairfield Citizen reporter Reagan's 1984 visit to Fairfield, when 25,000 people turned out in an enthusiastic welcome. At the time, Dr. Orman was running for U.S. Congress as a democrat. "It was kind of like sitting with a Boston Red Sox T-shirt in Yankee stadium," he said. In a June 8 article in The News-Times of Danbury on former Gov. John Rowland's legal troubles, Dr. Orman said he didn't believe the lack of witnesses would prevent the impeachment committee members from making their case. "It seems to me if they don't have the testimony, they've got enough evidence in the public record to remove John Rowland." He spoke to WNPR in Hartford on June 1 and WCBS on June 10. When the governor resigned on June 21, Dr. Orman was interviewed by WCBS, NPR and NBC-TV. In a June 22 article in the Boston Globe, Dr. Orman said the Governor's resignation took him "...out of the political woods; he's not out of the legal woods." Dr. Orman was also quoted in The New York Times, Middletown Press, Newsday, the Greenwich Time, The Advocate (Stamford), the New Haven Register, the Christian Science Monitor, the Providence Journal, the New Haven Register, and WAMC radio on the governor's impending impeachment and resignation. In a June 23 Wired News online article noting the involvement of celebrities in "green" energy, Dr. Orman said that, although it is rare, it is possible for celebrity activism to influence opinions on a large scale.

Dr. Judy Primavera, professor of psychology in CAS, published the paper, "You Can't Get There from Here: Identifying Process Routes to Replication," in the June issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology.

Mark C. Reed '96, dean of students, was named associate vice president with reporting oversight for varsity athletics as well as recreation. Approximately 400 students compete in varsity athletics.

Dr. Nicholas Rinaldi, retired professor of English, held book readings at several local bookstores and at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison. Dr. Rinaldi's book, Between Two Rivers, focuses on diverse personalities living in the same building in Manhattan and continues to follow them in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11. "Rinaldi ... indulges his characters in their untidy lives, and readers who do the same will find their patience rewarded," wrote a reviewer in the New York Times Book Review on June 20. Entertainment Weekly called Rinaldi "a master of elegant prose and psychological insight." The Economist called it a "rich, ambitious book. Above all, he shows himself alive to the subtle bonds that develop between people who, by choice or by chance, happen to live together." The book also received favorable reviews in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, popmatters.com, BookPage Fiction Review, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and Elle magazine.

In June, Macintosh Network Manager Jay Rozgonyi presented at a North East Regional Computing conference held at the College of the Holy Cross. He spoke on content management systems.

Public Safety Officer David Salthouse was interviewed by News 12 Connecticut on May 8 for the "Tip-a-Cop" Special Olympics Connecticut fundraiser at Dunkin' Donuts. Officers from the University's Department of Public Safety donated their time and service to raise money for Special Olympics.

On June 8, the Connecticut Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication hosted a talk by Dr. David Alan Sapp, assistant professor of English in CAS. Drawing on his recent article, "Technical Writing in Cuba" published in the May 2004 issue of Intercom, Dr. Sapp discussed the outsourcing of U.S. jobs in the computer software industry.

Dr. James Simon, associate professor of English and director of the journalism concentration in the English Department, was among the Stratford residents honored in May for his work with high school journalism students in the town's "school-to-career" initiative. In May, Dr. Simon judged the annual Mighty Pen contest, a competition for reporters for the Journal News. In his role as vice chair of the Small Program Interest Group, he organized 12 proposed panels for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in Toronto this month.

Brian Torff, music program director in CAS, performed in New York City on June 11 with pianist Florence Melnotte and violinist Vitali Imereli. On July 16, he and Melnotte performed at Norwalk's Silvermine Tavern. During the week of July 19-24, he was an instructor and performer at the International Music Camp in Dunseith, N. D. On July 28, he appeared at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center as part of the Django Reinhardt New York Festival, then flew to California for a performance at the west coast jazz club, Yoshi's, another venue for the Django Reinhardt festival.

The Connecticut Post ran an editorial welcoming the Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., as the eighth president of Fairfield University, and citing former president Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J.'s accomplishments during his 25-year tenure.

Dr. Meredith Wallace, assistant professor in the School of Nursing (SON), has received an $8,000 Oncology Nurse Society Foundation Nursing Research Grant, given to an investigator actively involved in an aspect of care, education, or research for patients with cancer.

Dr. Kathleen Wheeler, professor of nursing, spoke at the University of Connecticut Health Center on May 26. Her talk, "Hypnosis and Meditation: Getting to the Source of Emotional Pain with EMDR and the Color Breathwork Method," was sponsored by the Connecticut Holistic Health Association.

The Irish Echo published a feature article on professor Michael White and his fourth novel, The Garden of Martyrs, about two Irish immigrants who were unjustly tried and convicted of murder in Massachusetts in the early 19th century. In addition, the book received rave reviews from Jim Curran in the Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican (Mass.), who wrote, "I have placed 'The Garden of Martyrs' in the pantheon of the best historical novels I've ever read."

Luncheon for retirees

Last month, retirees representing various areas of the University enjoyed a special lunch in their honor with fellow retiree Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. From left: Mary Ellen Voytek, operations assistant, Campus Operations, Judy McCormack, assistant to the dean, Charles F. Dolan School of Business, Fr. Kelley, retiring after 25 years as University president, Rev. Joseph MacDonnell, S.J., professor of mathematics, and Elaine Conti, operations assistant, Public Relations.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Births

Jodie Fitzpatrick, secretary, department of physics, son - James D. Fitzpatrick lll, born June 7. Grandparents are Jim and Phyllis Fitzpatrick.

Laurie Conley, assistant director of undergraduate admissions, daughter - Kathryn Rose, born July 5.

Condolences

Dr. John I. Griffin, founding dean of the School of Business at Fairfield University, died on May 24 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. at the age of 87. Dr. Griffin, professor of quantitative analysis and dean emeritus, came to Fairfield in 1977 and served as chair of the Department of Business Administration for one year. A year later, given the increased number of students seeking to major in business, the department was reborn as a separate academic entity, the School of Business, and Dr. Griffin was named its dean. "I worked with John at Baruch College of the City University of New York, and for three years here at Fairfield," says Dr. R. Keith Martin, professor of business, "before succeeding him as dean. His leadership contributed significantly to the early development of the school."

Frank Pennachio, father of Susan Allen, student health center nurse, and grandfather of students Sarah and Christopher Allen, died on May 31.

Kathleen McBride Croke, mother of Kathleen Feeney, counseling services, and grandmother of Ellen Feeney '06, died on May 27.

Helen Pavlik, mother of Ann Burritt, secretary, academic vice president's office, died on June 15.

Carmen A. Tortora, Sr., father of Joan Finlay, Stag Card assistant, died on June 28.

Michael McGregor, brother of Rev. Mark D. McGregor, S.J., associate professor of visual and performing arts, died on June 29.

New Employees

Donald Barton - accounting manager, office of the controller
Judith Dobai - associate vice president for enrollment management
Nicole Jackson - academic counselor, Project Excel
Stephen Luttge - assistant director, Student Activities
Eileen McGrath - accounting assistant, controller office
Richard Medica - network manager, computer and network services
Thomas Pellegrino - assistant director, Student Activities
Carrie Picardi - human resources coordinator
Loren Testani - human resources representative
Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. - university president

New rector of Jesuit community welcomed

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

The Rev. Walter "Skip" Conlan, S.J., who has promoted the spirit of the Jesuit tradition at Boston College for the last seven years, has been named rector of the Fairfield Jesuit community.

A Jesuit priest is essentially "a man on a mission," said Fr. Conlan, who sees the primary responsibility of his new job as keeping the men of the Fairfield community focused on their apostolic responsibilities and character through dialogue and hospitality.

"Each Jesuit should be able to find in his community - in celebration of the Eucharist, in shared prayer, in conversation with his brothers - the spiritual resources he needs for the apostolate," Fr. Conlan says. "So my primary responsibility as the rector is to see to it that the community realizes that character."

The rector is the religious superior of a Jesuit community, responsible for coordinating apostolic activities and attending to spiritual growth and personal care. During his six-year term, Fr. Conlan will oversee all community finances by serving as the president of the Fairfield Jesuit Community, a legal corporation.

"Because of my interest and experience in Ignatian spirituality and work with the poor, I am really excited to be joining a community which has distinguished itself so well in these ministries," Fr. Conlan says.

Fr. Conlan replaces the Rev. John Higgins, S.J., who has been named executive assistant to the Very Rev. Thomas J. Regan, S.J., provincial of the Society of Jesus of New England. Though Fr. Higgins held the rector's position for the traditional six years, he has been affiliated with Fairfield University for about 24 years.

Born in Gardner, Mass., Fr. Conlan graduated from Boston College in 1971 and has done graduate work at the University of Michigan and several other schools in Massachusetts, Brazil, Bolivia, and Italy. He holds a master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan and a master of divinity degree from Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

Fr. Conlan entered the Society of Jesus in 1967 and took his final vows in Salvador, Brazil, in 1983. He is currently a member of the Jesuit's Bahia Province of Brazil, where he was missioned in 1980 and worked for 17 years.

The new rector is no stranger to Fairfield University: He was an administrative assistant to the president in 1967 and studied sociology at Fairfield in the summer of 1968. He has had a long career as a teacher, research assistant, and a chaplain, and has been strongly involved in the religious life of the communities in which he lived. In Brazil, he was rector of Igreja de Santo Antonio de Barra in the early 1990s and he was vice-president for student/community affairs at Catholic University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, before joining the Boston College Department of Human Resources in 1997.

Contributed photo

Fairfield signs groundbreaking partnership agreement with Nicaraguan Jesuit university

By Barbara D. Kiernan, M.A.'90, Director of University Publications

Rev. Jim Bowler, S.J., almost didn't get there, given that he "lost" his passport en route to Nicaragua for the signing of an historic collaborative agreement between Fairfield University and its Jesuit counterpart in Nicaragua, the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA). Fortunately, the gentleman who had taken Fr. Bowler's passport from the counter (and then watched as he searched his bags frantically) came forward just before panic set in. Feigning innocence, former University President Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., asked, "Jim, did you lose something?" A few laughs later, the trip proceeded without further ado.

An initiative of the Office of Jesuit and Catholic Mission and Identity, which Fr. Bowler facilitates, and the efforts of several faculty members, the new partnership holds within its fertile ground the seeds of hope. Among the potential benefits to Fairfield are the opportunity to focus and define its mission in Latin and Central America, and the chance to have Fairfield's own mission influenced and defined by the activities now taking shape. "In many ways, it's a natural," said Fr. Kelley. "Many of our faculty have a special interest in Latin America, because of social justice issues and because a portion of their work, research, and teaching touches on the region and the particular challenges of immigration and globalization there." It is hoped that during the five-year agreement, UCA will serve as a focal point and facilitating agent for the teaching, research, and outreach of Fairfield's faculty, and reciprocally for UCA faculty as well.

Possibilities being discussed include curricular projects, scholarly collaborations, service learning opportunities, and faculty and student exchanges. Discussions to date have distilled three areas ready for an immediate response:

• Providing online access to Fairfield University's information technology resources to selected UCA faculty and doctoral candidates in support of their teaching and research.
• Tapping into the significant expertise among UCA faculty in the economic and social problems created by migration, an issue that has been identified as a priority for the Jesuit Conference of the United States. Fairfield's ongoing relationship with that agency will provide opportunities for our faculty to partner with faculty members at UCA for exciting opportunities in both research and programs.
• Beginning immediate collaborative activity and exchange in the field of communications, which enjoys a major emphasis at UCA and a solid reputation at Fairfield. "In conversation," says Fr. Bowler, "it became quite obvious that this is an area where the opportunity for immediate activity is readily perceived by all."

Looking ahead, it is clear that all Fairfield's professional schools will have the option to become involved in this partnership. The objective is to begin slowly as a way to ensure quality control - an obvious need if meaningful achievement is to result from this multi-level collaboration.

Striding Stags

Proud members of the Fairfield University Striding Stags team pose for a group picture before the start of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Walk at Fairfield beach in April. Fifty-two members of the Fairfield University community turned out for the event, raising a total of $5,080 for research and essential services for those with MS.

Contributed photo

Happenings

Summer Festival Chorus presents some hot summer sounds

The Summer Festival Chorus of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts will present its 11th annual concert on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Quick Center's Kelley Theatre. This year's program, "Hot Summer Sounds of the World," is an eclectic program that includes the work of British composer John Rutter, Spanish composer Tomás Luis Vittoria, David Fanshawe, and many others. The program also includes music from New Zealand and contemporary arrangements of American folksongs.

"'Hot Summer Sounds of the World' will be an exciting and innovative concert of music generated from all points of the globe," says Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell, director of choral and liturgical music, who will once again lead the group."The fascinating rhythms and heartpounding drum beats will be heard in African selections, as well as the percussive and exciting sounds of Cuban jazz music."

For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

Gifts and Grants

Barnes Foundation funds musical supplies

Since the fall of 2003, Fairfield University's music department has been working, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), to provide professional development to music educators in Bridgeport schools. Supplementing the $672,379 USDOE grant is a new grant from the Barnes Foundation.

This additional $5,000 grant is designated strictly for music supplies such as instruments, CDs, and sheet music, items that are often in short supply since the city gives the program only about half the funding teachers need. "Music is an especially important content area in an urban district, but without adequate supplies it is quickly undermined, says Dr. Laura Nash, visiting assistant professor of visual and performing arts. "Some music teachers are learning just now that they are receiving no supplies or materials for next year, yet they are still expected to deliver meaningful content to students. Thanks to grants such as that from the Barnes Foundation, Fairfield (University) is able to facilitate Bridgeport music teachers getting the materials they need to help their students succeed."

Templeton grant funds religion and science dialogue

The Ignatian Residential College has received a generous $15,000 grant from the Templeton Foundation's Metanexus Institute on Religion and Science. The purpose of the grant is to develop a program to foster dialogue on science and religion between students, professors, theologians, and members of the community. Through semi-monthly gatherings and an annual seminar program, people from diverse academic disciplines will consider advances in the sciences that provoke theological and religious reflection - issues such as human cloning, evolution, genetic engineering, and stem cell research.

"This program will be a wonderful opportunity for Fairfield University to share its expertise and exploration of the issues with the extended community, since various churches will be joining in the dialogue," says Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president. Noted theologians will be invited to speak, and gifted high school students along with members of the Fairfield University community will be invited to attend the annual seminar.

The project chair is Dr. Glenn Sauer, associate professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Sauer teaches biology and biochemistry as well as the course, God and Modern Biology. "My own interest in this area comes from the recognition that, as science advances, new developments and ideas can challenge our fundamental values or sense of purpose" he says. "These challenges can cause people either to reject religious faith in favor of science, or to push away the scientific ideas in order to safeguard their faith. Either position is unfortunate and not necessary; we now have a chance to explore how the disciplines of science and religion interrelate."

The associate chair of the Metanexus program is Dr. David Schmidt, associate professor of business ethics in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, business consultant, and ethics authority. Both Dr. Sauer and Dr. Schmidt have previously won awards from the Templeton Foundation for curriculum design projects that address various issues of the intersection of science and religion.

news Briefs

A new Public Safety Department with the same sense of security

The State of Connecticut has a Department of Public Safety, and now so does Fairfield University. On July 1, the University changed the name of its Security Department to a new one - the Department of Public Safety.

Though the staff will remain the same, the new name more accurately describes the role of the department, says Todd Pelazza, director of public safety. The department, with 18 full-time and two part-time officers, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. "Security" doesn't reflect the wide range of services the department and its officers provide to the University and local community, Pelazza says. "Our department is so much more complex in the services we provide."

Fairfield is joining other university campuses that have moved to using the term ''public safety'', as the responsibilities of campus officers have increased over the years. On campus, public safety officers investigate and report any violations of University regulations, and state or federal laws. All Fairfield University officers are trained emergency medical technicians.

"We are the first responders to all medical calls and we provide the same medical support that an ambulance crew would be able to provide," Pelazza says. The University's officers are also supplemental first responders for the Town of Fairfield.

By Sept. 1, the department plans to have its new badges, business cards, and patrol car graphics, but the campus will continue to have the same sense of security.

Senior citizens invited to participate in study of cognitive functioning

Dr. Linda A. Henkel, assistant professor of psychology, is looking for people aged 65 and older to participate in the Fairfield University Cognitive Aging Project. The project is a study of the changes in cognition and thought across the lifespan, including attention, memory, and decision-making.

Participants in the study will be asked to answer questions that examine how they make decisions about things they see and things they imagine, how they choose between different options, and how they remember both recent and childhood experiences. Seniors who participate in the study will be paid $10 per hour. The studies usually take one hour, and all participants will receive a newsletter highlighting the major findings.

"The broad goal is to get a better understanding of which aspects of cognitive function change as a person gets older, and which do not," says Dr. Henkel, who received an Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) of more than $129,000 last year from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging to study the comparison between cognitive function in older adults and younger adults.

Dr. Henkel and her research team at Fairfield University's Department of Psychology conduct the cognitive tasks on participants individually and all information is kept confidential. The study will continue through the fall. Anyone interested can contact Dr. Henkel at ext. 3387 or e-mail her at lhenkel@mail.fairfield.edu.

Basketball camp

Micah Smith, 14, participates in a drill at Tim O'Toole's Basketball Academy in Alumni Hall. Micah's mother, Joyce, works in Human Resources and father, Steve, works in the mail room.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

And the winner is ...

University photojournalist Jean Santopatre won an honorable mention in Company magazine's national photo contest for this photo of two deer grazing by the Bellarmine pond.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Campus Currents is the official news publication of the Fairfield University community. It is published monthly. The editorial office is located in Bellarmine Hall, Room 203. Phone: 254-4000, ext. 2556. Fax: 254-4167. E-mail: jcaseria@mail.fairfield.edu.

Interim Editor
Nina M. Riccio
Publications Writer/Editor

Editorial Board
Martha Milcarek
Assistant Vice President for Public Relations
Barbara Kiernan
Director of University Publications
Alejandra Navarro
Publications Writer/Editor
Jean Santopatre
University Photojournalist

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