Campus Currents March 2007

Volume 15, Number 6
The official news publication of Fairfield University

Index for March 6, 2007

FACE AIDS Conference inspires students to act
CAS Dean Snyder accepts post at Loyola College
Fairfield Awards Dinner honorees announced
Faculty share core initiatives in poster session
Campus Newsbreakers
Service Anniversaries
Special Olympics honors three from Fairfield University
Shays kicks off Politics Meets Faith series
On the Faculty Bookshelf: A message for the laity
Peter Lynch to deliver Charles F. Dolan Lecture
Glee Club celebrates 60 years of friendship and song
Dr. Berry recalls the court case that sparked change
Rev. Sachs discusses Catholic identity, Jesuit "style"
Students to launch project at NASA's space center
Students give lesson in diversity
Student honored for her poetry
Helping colleges develop religious leaders
New faculty bring diverse expertise
Fairfield participates in NEASC event
Early action applications increase
Fairfield celebrates Chinese New Year
Sports
Stag gets shiny new coat
SPORT SHORTS
Basketball postseason honors
Gifts and Grants
Restauranteur to deliver annual Women and Entrepreneurship Lecture
The Campus View
Diversity Week set for March
Author Gore Vidal to speak at Open VISIONS Forum on March 21
La Guitara shares global music

FACE AIDS Conference inspires students to act

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

In a keynote address that was alternately humorous and stormy but consistently passionate, Stephen Lewis, considered one of the foremost experts in the world on the humanitarian crisis caused by HIV/AIDS in Africa, spoke to an audience of students and members of the community in the Egan Chapel on Friday, Feb. 23. The address signaled the opening of the FACE AIDS National Leadership Conference, organized by students Jen Miller '07 and Marco Ambrosio '07 along with Dr. Renee White, co-director of Black Studies.

FACE AIDS is a national, student-run organization with chapters in schools and colleges across the country. Its aim is to educate students about the pandemic and mobilize them to raise money for community-based organizations providing AIDS treatment in Africa.

Referring to his five and a half years as U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Lewis said he ran out of patience last year and quit. "I found myself in a constant mood of anger and emotional volatility. Not even the Black Death of the 14th century begins to correspond to this pandemic." There are more than two million children on the continent living with the disease, he said, and only 5 to 10 percent of them receive treatment. He described a pediatric ward in Zambia where four or five children shared each cot. Every 10 minutes, a mother's cry of anguish would pierce the ward as a nurse would cover yet another tiny body with a white sheet. "We are 25 years into this pandemic. How is the world allowing this to happen?" he asked. "The international community has been profoundly delinquent."

In some African countries, 40 to 60 percent of orphaned children are being looked after by their grandmothers, a fact that has led to a complete redefinition of family. "There is no issue more important than gender inequality," said Lewis. Women must have the power to refuse sex, to inherit property, and to have some economic control over their lives, or the pandemic will continue to spread. He urged students to write to their representatives in Congress, to study, and to make their views known, and applauded them for getting involved in organizations such as FACE AIDS.

Jonny Dorsey, a Stanford University student who was one of three founders of FACE AIDS, greeted students from Fairfield and from 25 other universities as far away as Arizona, Ohio, California, and Texas, who traveled to Fairfield for the two-day conference. The students spent Saturday morning in workshops learning about the U.S. response to AIDS, AIDS in the media, and medical research being done for treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS. On Saturday afternoon, they rotated through a series of skills-based training workshops to help them with fundraising, event planning, and leadership within their own FACE AIDS chapters. 

The Rev. Jim Keenan, S.J., chair of the Catholic Theological Coalition on HIV/AIDS Prevention and advisor to the global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, noted that many universities don't teach any courses on issues relating to AIDS at all, and urged them to consider ways the issue could be integrated into curricula.

Dr. Evan Lyon of Partners in Health challenged students to be bold and think creatively about the way they advocated for their cause. He also stressed the importance of experiencing the suffering around them in order to be more effective at alleviating it.

"This conference gives life and meaning to the concept of social justice," said Academic Vice President Dr. Orin Grossman. Money raised by the various FACE AIDS chapters is funneled through Boston-based Partners in Health, a world leader among non-governmental healthcare organizations.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

CAS Dean Snyder accepts post at Loyola College

By Martha Milcarek, Assistant Vice President for Public Relations

Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), has accepted the position of vice president for Academic Affairs at Loyola College in Maryland and will begin work there in July.

Of his decision, Dean Snyder said, "I am honored to join Loyola College, a sibling Jesuit institution known for its outstanding faculty and its many innovations and successes. The Fairfield community - its students, faculty and staff, alumni, parents, friends, and administrative colleagues - have shared countless and continuous gifts of wisdom and joy during my years as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. I am honored to have been associated with Fairfield and am confident that the coming years here will witness yet greater accomplishments."

Academic Vice President Dr. Orin Grossman, said, "Tim has been a tireless advocate for the College of Arts & Sciences. He has found ways to increase the faculty under very difficult budgetary constraints. In addition, he spearheaded major curricular reviews with an eye to integrative learning. Under his leadership, the College developed an external Board of Advisors that has led to great benefits. Loyola Maryland is getting a terrific academic leader and we will all miss him."

During his tenure, Dean Snyder also led the process of formulating the College's first Long Range Academic Plan – a process which involved the collaboration of nearly 150 members of the faculty – and he was a member of the Drafting Committee for Fairfield's Strategic Vision document. Graduate program enrollments in CAS have also grown under his leadership and there have been new initiatives for living, learning, and intellectual life, including the Sophomore Symposium and the Women in Science and Math residence community.

 "This is a bittersweet moment, indeed, and a great loss for Fairfield," said University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. "Loyola will be very fortunate to have Tim at the helm of the academic area. We will miss both Tim and his wife, Carol, as part of our community, but we are delighted that they remain within the Jesuit family. My sincere congratulations and every good wish go with Tim for his future at Loyola."

Dr. Snyder came to Fairfield in 2001 from Georgetown University, where he spent 14 years serving in a variety of positions. He also taught for two summers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. A graduate of the University of Toledo with degrees in psychology and mathematics and an M.S. in mathematics, he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in applied and computational mathematics at Princeton University.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Fairfield Awards Dinner honorees announced

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

The Alumni Association will honor the Rev. Charles Allen, S.J., executive assistant to the president, with the Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award at the 20th annual Fairfield Awards dinner, to be held on April 12.

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, photographer, author, activist, and wife of tennis champion, the late Arthur Ashe Jr., will be the keynote speaker. The dinner will be held in the Grand Hyatt in New York City and will benefit the Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund in support of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students. Since this event began in 1988, nearly $7 million has been raised.

The chairman for this year's event is Brian Hull '80, senior vice president of Global Private Client, Merrill Lynch, and a firm believer in diversity initiatives. "The markets we serve, the markets we work in are diverse," he said. "If our people aren't, we're not as prepared and productive as we should be."

Moutoussamy-Ashe will be presented with the Alumni Association's Distinguished Leadership Award for her dedication to service and commitment to excellence. Also honored at the dinner will be Larry Rafferty '64, P'03, chief executive officer of Rafferty Capital Markets, who will receive the Alumni Service Award; Michele Macauda '78, P'09, senior vice president at AT&T, who will receive the Alumni Professional Achievement Award; and AIDS activist Paula Donovan '77, M.A.'88, who will receive the Alumni Humanitarian Award.

For more information about the 2007 Fairfield Awards Dinner or to attend, contact the Office of Corporate Relations via e-mail at rcottle@mail.fairfield.edu or crusso@mail.fairfield.edu, or call ext. 2927. Fairfield employees receive a special discount on event tickets.

Return to top

Faculty share core initiatives in poster session

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

Dozens of faculty gathered to discuss real, nuts-and-bolts ways they are teaching across the core curriculum in a Core Integration Poster Session on Feb. 21 in Alumni House.

The session, including several bulletin boards outlining how specific courses integrate the core and foster integrative learning, was an outgrowth of more philosophical discussions held earlier in the year to make the strategic plan a reality, said Dr. Kathryn Nantz, associate professor of economics in the College of Arts & Sciences.

"The goal is to provide people with real examples of how they can create more integrative learning with their students," said Nantz, who facilitates the Core Integration Project, promoting Goal I of the University's strategic plan. "It turns out we're doing a lot of really good things already, but we need to be intentional about it."

The poster session included informative displays on courses being taught across the schools - from "Ethics in Engineering," which requires 20 hours of volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, to a Medieval art project that examines church design, the liturgy, and political propaganda. The presentations included sample syllabi and course assignments, as well as student reflections on what they learned.

Dr. Shitao Yang, adjunct professor in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, (left) and Dr. Peter Bayer, assistant professor of English in CAS, review ideas on integrating the core.

Dr. Wendy Kohli, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, offered suggestions from her course "Educational Imagination" in the Department of Curriculum's session organized by Dr. Jen Goldberg, assistant professor in GSEAP. "I bring in the arts and multiculturalism to get to the issues of equity and social justice," Dr. Kohli said.

"We're looking at critical reflection as a major initiative across campus," Dr. Nantz said. "As we're thinking about the three goals (of the strategic plan) and knitting them together, we're bringing the 'Jesuitness' of our institution to life."

Core integration can be a challenge for the professors, who are often urged to think outside their area of expertise in team-taught classes in the Honors Program, said Dr. Susan Rakowitz, the program's associate director. "We hope that people are really crossing lines," she said.

Two March events will also consider core integration. On March 5, Dr. Leslie Ortquist-Ahrens, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Otterbein College, will present "A Conversation About Faculty Learning Communities." Steven Brookfield, professor at the University of St. Thomas, will offer a workshop on critical reflection on March 28 and 29. 

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Dr. Marsha Alibrandi, professor in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), presented at the Florida Educational Technology Conference, attended by some 10,000 educators. Her presentation with her colleague, Dr. Kristen Alvarez of Keene State College, was entitled "Comparing Geographic Information (GIS) Tools for K-12." Dr. Alibrandi has promoted GIS in education since 1994 and is currently co-teaching a course that incorporates digital storytelling and GIS with Dr. Elizabeth Langran, assistant professor in GSEAP.

Dr. Sandra Billings, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in GSEAP, presented "The New Gay Teen" at the international conference of the National Association of Multicultural Education held in Phoenix in November. Dr. Billings presented with four teens from a group called 1 n 10 from Phoenix: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual, who spoke about their life experiences. Dr. Billings says that, although there is much homophobia in our society, young people are coming out at a younger age and families are more accepting, in part because of the media attention on gay marriage and the entertainment field's acknowledgement of the work of LGBT people.

Men's basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley was quoted in a Feb. 4 Connecticut Post story about the rise of African-American coaches. "To have two African-American coaches in the Super Bowl, it's a tribute to those organizations," he said.

Dr. Edward Deak, professor of economics in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), was a guest speaker at a Nov. 8 town forum planned to encourage businesses to relocate to or expand in Trumbull. Dr. Deak was quoted in a Nov. 10 Greenwich Time story on Bayer HealthCare's plan to close its West Haven research facility, saying the state wants to preserve biotech and pharmaceutical jobs. The Hartford Courant also used the comments. On Nov. 15, the Waterbury Republican-American covered Dr. Deak's job forecast for 2007, quoting him as saying, "Given the current pace of job creation, Connecticut is not expected to recover all of the 60,400 jobs lost from July 2000 to September 2003" until 2008. The Courant quoted Dr. Deak on Nov. 18 in a story about the lull in home construction, which he said the state seemed to be weathering well.  In a Nov. 30 Fairfield County Weekly story on Bridgeport ranking among the top 10 cities worth buying real estate in, he said that, if the county is going to grow and the housing shortage grows, "people are eventually going to come looking in Bridgeport." Dr. Deak told The Boston Globe that Connecticut's high cost of living is offset by well-paying jobs for many in a Feb. 4 story about the state's declining population. "But as people retire they tend to leave the state, and as young people graduate from college they find more attractive opportunities for entry-level positions elsewhere," he said. Dr. Deak was also quoted in a Feb. 4 Hartford Courant story on the census figures.

Dr. Nancy Dallavalle, associate professor of religious studies in CAS, presented the paper "Is Abortion the New Hubris? Recent Catholic Anthropology, Gender and Public Policy" at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., in November 2006. She also spoke at Vanderbilt University Law School in February 2007, on a multidisciplinary panel titled "Life, Choice and Women's Rights in the 21st Century." In a Feb. 24 Stamford Advocate article, Dr. Dallavalle described one parish's decision not to use girls as altar servers, "a mistake in judgement."

Jeanne Di Muzio, director of wellness and prevention, was quoted in a story on underage drinking in the Nov. 17 Fairfield Citizen-News, saying educating children on the dangers of alcohol abuse needs to start "in the schools, churches, and neighborhoods." She also commented on underage drinking in the Nov. 22 Easton Courier, Monroe Courier, and Stratford Star, and other Hometown Publications editions. The Dec. 29 online version of several Hometown Publications newspapers included comments from Di Muzio on student drinking. "It is well documented, the sooner a person drinks, the more likely they will be to continue drinking through college and even well into their 20s," she said.

Dr. Rao Dukkipati, associate professor in the School of Engineering, has been elected a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. His membership was noted in the News India Times on Nov. 10.

Dr. Jesús Escobar, professor of Visual and Performing Arts in CAS, delivered the paper, "A Forum for the Court of Philip IV: Madrid, ca. 1650," at the international conference, The Politics of Space: Courts in Europe and the Mediterranean, ca. 1500-1750, held on Jan. 26 and 27 at the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. On Feb. 2, Dr. Escobar delivered a lecture in the Daniel Silberberg series at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. The title was "History-Writing and Myth-Making: The Case of Spanish Baroque Architecture." On Feb. 15, Dr. Escobar co-chaired a scholarly session on "The Court of Philip IV" at the 95th Annual Meeting of the College Art Association of America in New York City.

University swim Coach Bill Farley was quoted in a Feb. 8 Connecticut Post story on swimmer Matt Rimmer '09, who was honored by the state for saving a 71-year-old man who stopped breathing while swimming at Hammonasset State Park, where Rimmer was lifeguarding last summer. "If you're responsible for saving a person's life, I think it changes your outlook and I think, at least to some degree, it must have happened to Matt," he said.

The Day of New London ran an essay on energy independence by Dr. Dina Franceschi, associate professor of economics in CAS, and Kevin Mohatta, of the New Energy Future campaign of the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group, in its Nov. 19 edition.

On Jan. 31, NBC Channel 30 interviewed Dr. Donald Greenberg, chairman of the political science department in CAS, when Probate Judge Paul Ganim, whose brother, former Mayor Joe Ganim, is now serving a nine-year prison sentence, announced he was considering a run for Bridgeport mayor. Dr. Greenberg said even Joe Ganim would be a popular candidate. "Certainly he would be a very formidable candidate if he were out of prison and legally able to run again." The Hartford Courant quoted Dr. Greenberg in a Feb. 12 story about Congressman Chris Shays' past support for the war and how it might affect voters. "There's no question the district is very much opposed to the way the war's being prosecuted, and Chris Shays has a lot to answer for."

Robert Hardy, University College curriculum coordinator, was quoted in a Nov. 3 Litchfield County Times article about interest in the ancient art of feng shui. "It has been popular on the west coast, which is somewhat more open to the spiritual, and has moved east."

On Feb. 8, Dr. Tim Heitzman, assistant professor of psychology in CAS, presented his research findings to the International Neuropsychological Society in Portland, Ore.  His research demonstrated residual emotional and cognitive effects associated with undiagnosed head injury in college students. 

Dr. Philip Lane, associate professor of economics in CAS, told the Danbury News-Times that reports that state Americans are saving less, though they are troubling, don't reflect true wealth because they don't figure in the worth of homes and stock portfolios.  "We do need to save more," he said in the Feb. 2 article. "We still are a very consumer-oriented society."

In February, Dr. Mark Ligas, professor of marketing  in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB), presented "Can I Please Pay More?: Some Consequences of Value," co-authored with Dr. Arjun Chaudhuri, Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J., Professor of Marketing, at the American Marketing Association's winter conference in San Diego, Calif.

The Stratford Bard's Dec. 8 edition quoted Larri Mazon, director of institutional diversity initiatives, in a story on race relations in Stratford. "Do you want your community to be defined by chaos and conflict, of which you have had your share, or do you want your community to be defined by unity and harmony?" Mazon asked the crowd.

Dr. John McDermott, associate professor of finance in DSB, is quoted in the March 2007  issue of Better Investing magazine.

DSB faculty Roselie McDevitt, assistant professor of accounting, and Dr. Catherine Giapponi, assistant professor, and Dr. Cheryl Tromley, professor, both in management, authored the article "A Model of Ethical Decision Making: The Integration of Process and Content" in The Journal of Business Ethics, which appeared online in December 2006 and will appear in print in October 2007.

Dr. Curt Naser, associate professor of philosophy in CAS, Roselie McDevitt, assistant professor of accounting in DSB, and Dr. Michael Tucker, professor of finance in DSB, presented "Assessment of Student Outcomes: Online and Embedded" at the New England Educational Assessment Network fall forum on Nov. 3 at the College of the Holy Cross. The three professors also presented "Assurance of Learning, an Online Approach: From Idea to Implementation," at the AACSB International conference on Nov. 17 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Women's basketball Head Coach Dianne Nolan was inducted into the South Jersey Basketball Club Hall of Fame on Feb. 12. Nolan, a graduate of Gloucester Catholic and Rowan University, received the honor at a ceremony held in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Dr. John Orman, professor of politics in CAS, was quoted in a Oct. 26 New York Times story about the 2006 election's strain on candidates, saying Congressman Christopher Shays' derogatory comments about Sen. Edward Kennedy showed "the pressure, I think, was getting to him." He made similar comments in an Oct. 18 Connecticut Post story. The Post turned to Dr. Orman again on Nov. 14, for post-election insights. In an article on Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Fairfield County Weekly quoted Dr. Orman on the senator's party affiliation. "Joe can get really upset, and get his feelings hurt, and he can change on a dime," he said. "So Democrats have to not tick Joe off." Dr. Orman discussed his chairmanship of Connecticut for Lieberman in the Nov. 18 New Haven Register. The New York Times ran a story about Dr. Orman becoming the party's chairman in its Jan. 4 edition. "It was a joke," said Dr. Orman, of Lieberman's request to be called an "Independent Democrat." The Jan. 22 online version of the Stamford Advocate included a story about ballot controls for state elections. Dr. Orman, who had recently taken over Lieberman's party, urged Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz to pursue a "sore-loser" law in future elections. In a Feb. 5 story about metal detectors in Bridgeport schools, Dr. Orman told the Connecticut Post that Americans are more accustomed to security searches.

Dr. David Schmidt, associate professor of applied ethics in DSB, authored five articles for the Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society, including work on employee stock ownership plans, sexual harassment, and reasonable person standard. They will be published by Sage this summer. Dr. Schmidt was quoted in a Nov. 8 Greenwich Time story on a financial overhaul at diocesan parishes, saying ethics reform is not unique to the Catholic Church. "I would say that this is pleasing that the church is also responding to previous problems in a constructive and institutional way."

Dr. Emily Smith, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in GSEAP, has written a paper, "Negotiating Power and Pedagogy in Student Teaching: Expanding and Shifting Roles in Expert-Novice Discourse," in Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning.

Debra Strauss, assistant professor of business law in DSB, gave a featured presentation, "Judicial Clerkship Program: Diversity and the Courts," for the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association at an ABA conference in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 9. The impetus for this program, which fosters outreach to minority law students, was the National Clerkship Study, which Strauss authored in 2000.

Brian Torff, director of jazz and popular music in CAS, was interviewed by WTNH Channel 8 for a Feb. 2 story on the anniversary of the deaths of Kim and Tim Donnelly, who have been memorialized by a University music scholarship. Torff is helping to plan an April 20 benefit for the scholarship fund at Black Rock Art Center. 

The Connecticut Post's Feb. 19 edition included a Q&A with Dr. Yohuru Williams, co-director of the Black Studies program in CAS, who offered his reflections on Presidents Day. Dr. Williams wrote a book review of Matthew Countryman's Up South: Civil Rights and Black Power in Philadelphia for Diverse Issues in Higher Education, which ran on Feb. 8.

Return to top

March Service Anniversaries

10 years

Darren Elderton
Patrick Jacquot

20 years

Robert Bernier
Pierrette Evanko        

25 years

            Michael Lauzon
            Michael Walsh

Births

Tracey Sonn, coordinator of international education at University College - daughter, Hannah Rachel, born on Jan. 31.

Heather Petraglia, assistant dean and director of undergraduate programs in the Dolan School of Business - son, Logan, born on Feb. 9.

Brain Remigio, project coordinator, Computer & Networking Services - daughter, Maya Rose, born on Feb. 13.

Condolences

Florence Dobieski Zera, mother of Dr. David Zera, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, died on Feb. 8.

Geraldine Vigneron, mother of Marianne Gumpper, director of Graduate and Continuing Studies Admission, died on Feb. 13.

New Employees

Vernon Downes - senior network support specialist, Computing and Network Services
Julie Frassetto - program assistant, Dolan School
Jenny Hodges - area coordinator, Residence Life

Return to top

Special Olympics honors three from Fairfield University

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

Acknowledging the many valuable contributions they've made over the years, Special Olympics of Connecticut (SOCT) inducted three members of the University community into its newly formed Shriver Society on Feb. 15. The Society is named in honor of Tim Shriver, former chairman of the SOCT Board and now chairman of the national board of Special Olympics. It was formed to recognize those who have been particularly generous with their time and talent to Special Olympics over the years.

The three - Todd Pelazza, director of public safety; Jim Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president for student affairs; and Dr. Joseph Dennin, professor of mathematics and computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences - all remember the years when SOCT held its summer games on campus. "You had to be here to see the way the entire University, from the president to food services to public safety, rallied behind the event," said Fitzpatrick, who was the campus coordinator for the event each year. Before one of the games, he remembered, torrential rain flooded access to the tennis courts. "Campus Operations was phenomenal. Before I even finished telling them what I wanted they were constructing makeshift bridges and ramps so the athletes could get around. That was just one example of many where they had to pitch in at the last minute."

Like Fitzpatrick, Pelazza has been involved with the games since the Special Olympics began coming to campus in the 1980s; he was also here when the Special Olympics chose Fairfield as one of its sites for the World Games in 1995. (The combination of construction on campus and the growing numbers of athletes forced the games to move to another campus about 10 years ago.) Today, he's actively involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, organizing law enforcement officers from cities and campuses in Connecticut for an annual, four-day run leading up to the opening of the summer games. "The highlight is the final leg of the journey, when you have at least 200 officers running, cycling, and motorbiking into the stadium and being cheered on by the four to five thousand athletes in the stands. The atmosphere is electric," he said. He also helps organize the 'Tip a Cop' event, in which law enforcement officers wait tables and donate the money they earn. Several years ago, Pelazza won the SOCT's Unsung Hero award in recognition for all the work he's done to make the games a success.

Through his son David, now 31, Dr. Dennin has been involved with Special Olympics for years. "We were just obnoxious parents for the first few," he admitted. "It's only been in the last 15 years that the family has been heavily involved." That involvement includes being on the SOCT Board of Directors and running the golf program; his wife, Nancy, is a golf coach and currently serves on the board. "I did, however, refuse to do the Penguin Plunge in March - I told them I have kids who can do that!" he says. (For the record, Fitzpatrick says the Penguin Plunge "is the only thing SOCT has ever asked me to do that I've just flatly refused. I figured I'd turn into a popsicle!") David Dennin is a weight-lifter and golfer, and participates in track and field. "He absolutely loves the combination of athletics and socializing," said his father. "There's a lot of waiting around for events to begin with the Special Olympics, but the athletes don't mind. They're tossing Frisbees, playing cards, and revisiting friendships."

Because the games have grown, it's unlikely Fairfield will be asked to host them again. And that's a shame, noted Fitzpatrick. "Hosting those games really personified our Jesuit mission. There's no question that we're a better community because of our involvement with Special Olympics."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Shays kicks off Politics Meets Faith series

Congressman Christopher Shays, a Republican representing the Fourth District, had a lively conversation with Fairfield students, as the first to participate in the Politics Meets Faith Series. The Center for Faith and Public Life is creating the series, which interviews politicians from a variety of religious backgrounds and different parties.

On Feb. 26, Rep. Shays spoke candidly about how his faith, Christian Science, plays a role in his work and in his decisions on legislation. The Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J., began the discussion with a few questions before opening it up to the student audience. The Center plans to tape each interview and package the series for national distribution. For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/cfpl_polfaith.html.

Congressman Christopher Shays (center) and the Rev. Richard Ryscagage, S.J., discuss politics and faith with Fairfield students.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

On the Faculty Bookshelf: A message for the laity

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

Dr. Paul Lakeland, Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Professor of Catholic Studies, has one message for the Catholic laity: Grow up! Or, more precisely, help the Roman Catholic Church grow up, the only way he can see to preserve the true meaning of Vatican II and move the Church forward.

In his latest book, Catholicism at the Crossroads: How the Laity Can Save the Church (Continuum, March 2007), Dr. Lakeland picks up where his last book, Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church, left off, replacing some of that tome's weightier theology and history with a straightforward call to action.

"After Liberation of the Laity came out in 2003, I did a lot of speaking around the country and I realized the book hadn't been written for the people who were coming to the talks," he says. "These were the grizzled veterans of the Vietnam War and Vatican II, the salt of the Earth, the people who are keeping the church going."

So he decided to speak directly to them, going so far as to dedicate the book to "the wonderful people of Voice of the Faithful, FutureChurch, and Call to Action" in recognition for their concern for the Church. His latest book features chapters on the role of the laity, accountability, American culture, and the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Church. In one chapter, "Ten Steps toward a More Adult Church," he lays out a game plan, encouraging the laity to educate themselves, seek a more equitable relationship with the ordained, place more women in power, and demand more say in choosing pastors and bishops.

He believes the Church, as it operates now, creates a parent-child relationship with the flock, whereas in its earliest years, everyone was part of the "laos," or people of God. "This book is written," he says in the preface, "for adult Catholics who want an adult church that can sustain their adult faith."

Return to top

Peter Lynch to deliver Charles F. Dolan Lecture

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

Peter Lynch, vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research and an Advisory Board member of the Fidelity Funds, will deliver the Charles F. Dolan Lecture on April 17 at 8 p.m. in the Quick Center for the Arts.

"Peter Lynch is one of the outstanding mutual fund managers of the last quarter century. This alone would make him an outstanding person to deliver the prestigious Dolan Lecture," said Dr. Norm Solomon, dean of the Dolan School. "In addition, his commitment to philanthropy and social justice makes him an ideal person to speak to and with our students and faculty."

Mr. Lynch joined Fidelity in 1969 as a research analyst and was later named director of research.  During his tenure, he has served as a managing director of Fidelity Investments, an executive vice president and director of Fidelity Management & Research Company, and a leader of the growth equity group. Lynch was portfolio manager of Fidelity Magellan Fund, the world's best performing fund under his leadership from 1977 to 1990. By the time he retired from the fund, it had grown from $20 million to more than $14 billion in assets. He is also the author of the bestselling books, One Up on Wall Street and Beating The Street.

Mr. Lynch received a B.S. degree from Boston College (1965) and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (1968). In addition to professional awards, Mr. Lynch has received the National Catholic Education Association 1992 Seton Award, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children 1993 Family Award, and the 1997 United Way Bay Leadership Award. For 15 years, he has served as chairman of the Inner City Scholarship Fund.

The Charles F. Dolan Lecture series, featuring highly accomplished, visionary, and internationally recognized business leaders, is named after Charles F. Dolan, founder and chairman of Cablevision Systems Corp. and longtime friend and trustee of the University. The lecture series began in 2001 with Jack Welch, then-chairman and chief executive of General Electric.

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

Return to top

Glee Club celebrates 60 years of friendship and song

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

There was a time, not so very long ago, when Fairfield University had only one classroom building, no dorms, and of course, no women. One thing it proudly boasted, however, was its Glee Club, which numbered between 60 and 80 young men who aptly nicknamed themselves "The Ambassadors of Song." "We really were a traveling road show," recalls George Lacovara '56, now president of the Alumni Association and a tenor back in his college days. A typical concert back then, he says, was held jointly with one of the women's Catholic colleges in the area and included show tunes or songs by Cole Porter and Mitch Miller, followed by a supper.

"In many ways, the Glee Club was our fraternity," adds Lacovara, in a statement echoed by others. "Fairfield was a commuter school. The Glee Club was not only the biggest organization on campus, it was the first. We spent a lot of time together, between rehearsing twice a week and long road trips to Boston or New York State, and that helped us develop a very close bond."

Fr. John Murray, S.J., organized the original group when the University was founded in 1947. "He was a tiny man and a stern taskmaster, but he was well-loved," recalls Lacovara. "Simon Harak was the musical director. I remember that we had a concert on the night his son was born, and I was chosen to step out in front and make the announcement." That baby boy is now a Jesuit, adds Lacovara.

Sixty years and a few changes later (the biggest being the addition of women in 1987), the Glee Club is stronger than ever. Its members number more than 100, and its director, Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell, is known as a musical force to be reckoned with, demanding - and getting - excellence from her singers.

"Joining the Glee Club is the best decision I've made since coming here," says senior Joe Duffy, club president. "I had not done anything musical before, so it's given me a chance to develop that talent. I've learned leadership skills and have met a ton of people, some of my closest friends, in fact. We're a very close-knit group."

While concert venues still include Stamford and Philadelphia and other cities fairly regional, the Glee Club has also wowed audiences in England, Italy, Canada, Ireland, and Germany over the years. "It's my hope that an overseas concert will be an every-other-year event," says Dr. Maxwell.

So positive has the Glee Club experience been for some Fairfield grads that, 22 years ago, alumni decided to form the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, which makes its home in Norwalk and is considered one of the outstanding choral organizations in the state. Dr. Maxwell also directs that group.

The Glee Club is planning a special Gala Concert to celebrate its 60th. It will be held at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on April 14 at 8 p.m.; music for the event has been commissioned by the Center for Catholic Studies from noted American composer Gwyneth Walker. Glee Club alums are invited to join current students in some of the selections, and those who do will be invited to a dinner sponsored by the University. For anyone interested in participating, please contact Kathy Beatty at 07_kbeatty@stagweb.fairfield.edu. For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Dr. Berry recalls the court case that sparked change

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

Dr. Mary Frances Berry was shopping for material for school play costumes with her beloved teacher Minerva Azalea Johnson, when they heard Brown v. Board of Education had been decided.

"I said, 'Miss Johnson, isn't that great?'" she told an appreciative crowd at the Quick Center on Feb. 22. "That means next year all the children will be able to go to school together. And she said, 'Not so fast, Mary Frances. Not so fast.'"

Dr. Berry, the former chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and a professor of American social thought and history at the University of Pennsylvania, was the seventh speaker in the University College's Open VISIONS Forum series. Her talk, "Race, Gender, and the American Courts," was co-sponsored by The Center for Multicultural Relations and funded, in part, by the Patrick J. Waide Fund for Ethics and Public Policy.

Dr. Berry said she's been blessed to see "marvelous changes" since the historic court decision: There were only seven African-Americans and a dozen or so women in her law school class of 800, whereas now women are the majority and African-American attorneys regularly argue at the Supreme Court level. Before the decision, she said, her mother's generation expected no more than menial jobs and the stigma of watching movies "from the crow's nest after walking down the alley (to get into the theatre)."

"Afterward, we thought change was possible," she said. "What Brown did was transform what black people and white people thought black people could do."

She still sees "headwinds against opportunity," including issues of voting rights, job discrimination, and immigration, and she believes the 14th Amendment is too often used to combat reverse racism instead of to remedy the situation of African-Americans after slavery.

She also questions America's response to injustices abroad. Dr. Berry, a frequent guest in the Clinton White House, remembered a dinner at which a woman whose family had been massacred in Rwanda took President Clinton to task for his inaction on the genocide. She wonders when the world will learn to act when faced with such atrocities.

"Most of us looked at Rwanda and said, 'Never again.' We say 'never again' every time something happens," she said, pausing. "And then what about Darfur?"

Dr. Berry discussed her latest book, My Face is Black is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations, and took time to consider the cast of presidential hopefuls, often with hilarious results. She dubbed Sen. Barak Obama "very cute," but said she doesn't know enough about his views yet. She praised Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's passion and intelligence, and said she believes New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is really running for the vice presidential spot. On the GOP side, she's watching former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the first Mormon ever to declare his candidacy. 

She also wondered aloud who will still be standing by the Iowa Caucus, which is about a year away. "We don't have the attention span for this," she said. "We're still on Anna Nicole Smith."

Photo by B.K. Angeletti

Return to top

Rev. Sachs discusses Catholic identity, Jesuit "style"

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

"I've been asked, several times and without any irony, if indeed Jesuits are Catholic," said the Rev. John Randall Sachs, S.J., academic dean of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, as he opened the 2007 Bellarmine Lecture on Feb. 21. Clarifying what Jesuits hope and believe their role is within Catholicism was part of the reason for his topic: "Catholic Identity Today: Jesuit Style."

"The substance of our hope and faith is better expressed in the Bible than in any collection of documents," he said. In the Bible, "there is sight for the blind, liberty for the oppressed, and social justice for the poor. It is a manifestation of God's goodwill here on earth, not in heaven."

Fr. Sachs went on to outline some of the significant changes in the Church that came out of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). The more positive and open attitude toward other Christian religions, Judaism, and Islam is the most important, he said, along with a less autocratic, more collaborative approach to doctrine.

"Never before had the Church taught this," he said, referring to Vatican II's teaching on freedom of religion. But the dramatic changes did not come out of the blue, he said, citing theologians like Karl Rahner and Yves Congar, who had long been championing a return to the Bible and entering into a dialogue with contemporary science and philosophy. "After Vatican II, an authentic Catholic identity cannot exist ... in a milieu of 'us versus them'. If we cannot enter into respectful dialogue, how can we say we have a Catholic (i.e. universal) identity?"

Authentic Catholic life is not a "flight from the world, but an engagement with God in the world," Fr. Sachs said, turning to the particular Jesuit "style" of post-conciliar openness. Catholicism should be marked by "active engagement for the good, especially for those who are poor or whose freedom is denied." Jesuits, he said, are trained to be in the world, promoting the common good.

The Bellarmine Lecture Series was established in 1988 to bring distinguished Jesuit scholars to lecture and interact with the community. The series is part of the programming sponsored by the Center for Catholic Studies.

Fr. Sachs joined the Weston Jesuit School of Theology faculty in 1986, and became the academic dean in 1999. He is also the director of the school's M.A. Program in Spiritual Direction. Prior to that, he was a member of the Religious Studies Department here at Fairfield. The Weston Jesuit School of Theology trains both men and women at the graduate level for service in universities, parishes, social outreach programs, and much more. Fr. Sachs' book, The Christian Vision of Humanity: Basic Christian Anthropology (Liturgical Press, 1991), is a concise introduction to Christian theological anthropology, and he credits Fairfield Jesuits for their encouragement and support in helping him write the book.

Photo by Peter Sarawit

Return to top

Students to launch project at NASA's space center

By Meg McCaffrey, Assistant Director of Media Relations

Four Fairfield University physics majors have been selected by NASA to go to the Johnson Space Center in Houston at the end of March to conduct an experiment on a specially-equipped DC-9 airplane that can create weightlessness, conditions similar to being in space. This is the first time that Fairfield University has applied for and received a grant of this nature.

The Fairfield University Microgravity Team includes Brendan Hermalyn '06, now a graduate student in the math program; John Stupak '07; Jessica Kurose '07; and Mike Zaffetti '07. The faculty advisor is Dr. Leslie Schaffer, a physics instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Fairfield team is one of 34 who will take part in the highly competitive Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, alongside students from such schools as Brown, Yale, Cornell, and Smith. Called Microgravity University, the program asks students to propose and design an experiment that requires or uses a novel application of microgravity. Microgravity is the condition of having very little gravitational force: such as when an object free falls or is orbiting the earth. The students' mission culminates in late March with a flight onboard NASA's DC-9 reduced gravity aircraft out of the space center, where they will work in microgravity to complete their experiments, much like astronauts do while in orbit, according to NASA.

Academic Vice President Dr. Orin Grossman said these research endeavors will add significantly to the students' learning. "Our faculty are committed to faculty-student research that produces real science, in addition to giving students the experience and knowledge to be competitive for these special opportunities," he said.  "These bright and hard-working students headed to NASA will undoubtedly be rewarded with the adventure of a lifetime."

The students' experiment takes inspiration from a University of Chicago study. In that study, researchers discovered that when atmospheric pressure is lowered enough, splashing from a droplet hitting a surface can be completely eliminated. Stupak, one of the Fairfield students on the team, noted, "Our experiment is original and has many practical applications, ranging from printing and surface coating to wing icing on airplanes. This experiment has never been performed with drops as large as we are investigating, and therefore will yield new scientific information." With many applications, the students believe a robust knowledge of these phenomena would be a welcomed contribution to scientific and industrial communities.

Project leader Brendan Hermalyn, who completed his bachelor's degree in physics last semester, said, "It is the closest thing anyone my age can come to being in space. Smaller liberal arts universities don't usually get this grant. It's usually reserved for the Ivy League or much larger research schools, so we are quite excited."

According to NASA, the overall program experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations, and educational/public outreach activities. For the Fairfield team, those outreach activities will begin in April and will include extensive work with Bridgeport public school students through a partnership with The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, and Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe high schools. Hermalyn said, "We hope to do presentations and demonstrations and, in a way, serve as an avenue for students to get interested and excited about science."

Weather permitting; the students will fly sometime between March 22 and 31. To read the research proposal, visit http://students.fairfield.edu/physicsclub/microgravity.html.

Return to top

Students give lesson in diversity

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

Laurel Bailey, a fourth-grader at Mohegan Elementary School in Shelton, got a taste of what it's like to use a wheelchair at the school's Diversity Day on Feb. 9.

After taking a turn at trying to balance a lunch tray, hold books, and even shoot a basketball while maneuvering the wheelchair, Laurel came to a clear conclusion. "Riding in a wheelchair was fun, but if you had to use it your whole life, that would be hard," said Laurel, with many of her classmates nodding in agreement.

Building understanding and compassion is a goal of Diversity Day, an event organized by Dr. Paula Gill-Lopez, associate professor of psychology, and her students in the School Psychology program in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. Fourth- and sixth-grade students participate in a series of eight activities meant to show them what it feels like to have a physical or learning difference, such ADD or severe allergies, or to come from a different race or class. "This is a critical age for these students," said Dr. Gill-Lopez, noting the prevalence of bullying in these grades. "This is just about the time when they need to have these discussions and  experiences."

As part of this awareness and prevention program, the entire school participates in a poster and slogan contest for Diversity Day. The winner's work was used in the publicity for the event.

The learning began in January, when Dr. Gill-Lopez taught a lesson on diversity to each fourth- and sixth-grade class. On the event day, she and her graduate students had pre- and post-activity discussions with students to answer questions and talk about their experiences.

Diversity Day also provides a service-learning component for future school psychologists. The elementary school has allowed the GSEAP graduate students to survey the participants from the school, to determine the impact of such a program. Dr. Gill-Lopez, Dr. Faith-Anne Dohm, and a graduate student team will present their findings at the National Association of School Psychologists in New York City at the end of the month.

Photos by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Student honored for her poetry

Molly Mellinger '09, one of five college students in the state selected to "ride" the Connecticut Poetry Circuit, will travel with the other winners to several campuses this spring to read from her works. The students read their poetry at Fairfield University on Feb. 26. The excerpt below is from her poem, "Marshland."

"... Gathering the sheets in her fists like nestlings,
she scours the room with violent eyes; no matter

that the price has already been exacted,
years since the emergency have passed.

After all, daughters, like landscapes, can sense
when a vital thing, without fuss, is leaving them;

one day turning in the nest, wings harrying the
rough fibers, unfolding, swallowing wind, gone;

one day a long tongue of dust and litter
where water used to slide between rocks;

and me, curling against my mother, watching
the way her mouth moves as she cries."

Photo by James Nguyen

Return to top

Helping colleges develop religious leaders

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

From March 23 to 25, Fairfield University will host the Religious Vocations Conference to explore ways colleges and universities can encourage a new generation of young people to give serious consideration to the ordained life.

Representatives from 10 Catholic universities and colleges from the New England area are scheduled to attend the three-day conference, facilitated by the Rev. James Bowler, S.J., University facilitator for Jesuit Mission and Identity, and the Rev. James Mayzik, S.J., director of the Ignatian Residential College. The goal of the gathering is to develop models of conversation with students about the option of becoming an ordained priest or a vowed sister or brother in a religious congregation. Participants will also identify some of the challenges of doing so. The conference is funded by a $14,370 grant to Fairfield University from the Fund for Theological Education, a program of  the Lilly Endowment.

The Rev. John F. Baldovin, S.J., will deliver the keynote address, "Finding My Place in God's World: Discerning Vocation Today." Fr. Baldovin is a professor of historical and liturgical theology and the director of the master of divinity program at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. He also serves on the Fairfield University Board of Trustees.

At the conference, Sr. Mary Charlotte Chandler, R.S.C.J., director of the Center for the Study of Religious Life in Chicago, will give an overview of the different forms of consecrated life in the Church today. Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference in Chicago, will speak on the concrete ways campuses can build a culture of vocation and discernment.

Panel discussions will provide a diversity of perspectives, including those from two young Fairfield alumni, John Gallagher '06 and Talia Pettinni '06; Fr. Peter Lynch, vocation director for the Diocese of Bridgeport; Sr. Josita Colbert, S.N.D., vocation director of the BIC Vocation Team; and Fr. Robert Beloin, chaplain of the St. Thomas More Center at Yale.

For more information, please contact Carolyn Arnold at ext. 3415.

Return to top

New faculty bring diverse expertise

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

This year Fairfield University welcomes several new faculty members, each bringing expertise in a variety of academic fields. This is the final installment of the column introducing each faculty member.

Camelia Micu

Dr. Camelia Micu joins the Marketing Department in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB) as assistant professor. Dr. Micu earned a bachelor's degree in production systems and a master's degree in methods and techniques in management and marketing from Polytechnic University in Romania. She earned a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Connecticut. She previously served as a visiting professor at the Dolan School. Her research interests include consumer behavior, integrated marketing communication, and advertising effects and effectiveness. Dr. Micu has been published in The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and teaches "Creating Customer Value" and "Advertising."

Rajasree Rajamma

Also joining the Marketing Department in DSB as an assistant professor is Dr. Rajasree K. Rajamma. Dr. Rajamma received a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Kerala University in India and an MBA in marketing management from Cochin University of Science and Technology, also in India. She went on to earn another MBA in management information systems from Indiana University. She recently received her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. She previously worked for Indian companies Terumo Penpol and Kerala State Bamboo Corp. Her research has been published in the Journal of Internet Commerce, the Proceedings of the American Marketing Association Winter and Summer Educators' Conference, the Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, and the Journal of Services Marketing. Among the classes Dr. Rajamma teaches are "Marketing Research" and "Business to Business Marketing."

Debra Strauss

Debra Strauss joins the Management Department in DSB as assistant professor of business law. Strauss earned a bachelor's degree with distinction from Cornell University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to earn a J.D. from Yale Law School. She served as a law clerk for the Hon. Charles L. Brieant, then Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and practiced commercial litigation at Rogers & Wells (now Clifford Chance LLP) in New York. She is the author of Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships (BarBri Group, 2002) and Courting the Clerkship: Perspectives on the Opportunities and Obstacles for Judicial Clerkships (National Association for Law Placement, 2000). Her work has been published in scholarly journals including the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, the International Lawyer, and the Food and Drug Law Journal. She taught "The Legal Environment of Business and International Business Law" last fall, and is teaching "The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business" this semester.

Brian Walker

Dr. Brian Walker joins the Biology Department in the College of Arts & Sciences as an assistant professor. Dr. Walker most recently was an assistant professor at Gonzaga University. He has also taught at Seattle Central Community College and the University of Washington. Dr. Walker received a bachelor's degree in biology, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Drake University; a master's degree in biology from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia); and a doctorate in zoology from the University of Washington. An "ecological physiologist," he researches how human activities affect the physiology of wild animals. Specifically, he has conducted research on the effects of ecotourism on Magellanic penguins. He has published articles in Conservation Biology, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, the Canadian Journal of Zoology, and Hormones and Behavior. He is teaching "Comparative Physiology" and "General Biology II."

Min Xu

Dr. Min Xu joins the Physics Department in CAS as an assistant professor. Since 1998, Dr. Xu has been teaching general physics as a lecturer and later an adjunct professor at the City College of New York. He received a bachelor's and master's degree in physics from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and earned a doctorate in physics from the City College and the Graduate Center of City University of New York. Dr. Xu's research interests include applied physics, biomedical optics, inverse problems, and laser applications in medicine for cancer detection. In 2001, Dr. Xu was the lead investigator for the research project, "Time-resolved spectral optical breast tomography," funded by a $150,000, three-year research award from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command. He has published in numerous scholarly publications, including Physics Review Letters, Optics Letters, and the Journal of Biomedical Optics. He published the book, Random Process in Physics and Economics, with M. Lax and W. Cali (Oxford University Press, 2006). Dr. Xu is teaching "General Physics II" and "Physics of Light and Color."

Return to top

Fairfield participates in NEASC event

Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president and University liaison to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), spoke with U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) after his keynote address at NEASC's annual meeting in Boston. At the meeting, University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., was elected to be one of the organization's commissioners. In that capacity, he and his colleagues will evaluate and vote on the recommendations that NEASC accreditation teams submit to commission after assessing the institution's self-study and making a site visit. Also in attendance were Dr. Curt Naser, associate professor of philosophy (CAS) and Amy Boczer, research assistant, who are coordinating the self-study aspect of the NEASC accreditation process now underway at Fairfield.

Return to top

Early action applications increase

For the second year, Fairfield University has offered prospective students the opportunity to apply for early action consideration. This year, the University received 4,076 applications for early action consideration, up from 3,650 last year. Of those, 2,365 students were admitted. The early action pool tends to be particularly strong because any student who would like to be considered for an academic scholarship is required to apply under the early action guidelines.

AHANA students represented 10 percent of the University's admitted early action students, up from 7 percent last year. Admitted students came from 30 different states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Early Action is a nonbinding process, so students have until May 1 to make their final college selection.

Return to top

Fairfield celebrates Chinese
New Year

The Wushu Shaolin group from South Windsor performed at Chinese New Year celebration on Feb. 23 in the Barone Campus Center. Students watched the performance and enjoyed a Chinese dinner. The Asian Student Association sponsored the event.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Sports

Courageous swimmer honored for saving a life

By Kelly McCarthy, Assistant Director of Sports Information

It was a quiet August day on the waters of Hammonassett State Parkin Madison, Conn. Fairfield swimmer Matt Rimmer '09 had just climbed into his chair to settle in for the second half of his shift as a lifeguard, when the serenity was shattered by a call for help.

Rimmer was summoned by a woman running toward him, yelling that a man had been pulled from the water down the beach. Rimmer, as he had practiced so many times before, jumped from his chair and into action. He sprinted about a half-mile down the beach to an unguarded area where a 71-year-old man lay motionless in the sand near the water's edge. He immediately began CPR and continued the life-saving measure for about 10 minutes with fellow lifeguard and friend Alex Kowalsky. The pair was able to stabilize the man until paramedics arrived.

"It was just scary," said Rimmer, who was finishing his third year as a lifeguard at the park and had never needed to use his CPR training. In fact, the August incident was the second of the summer and only the second life-threatening situation any of the beach's lifeguards had faced in several years.

Aside from a television news report and a couple of newspaper articles about the incident, Rimmer barely told anyone what he had done.

It was not until January that his coaches, his team, and the Fairfield University community learned of Rimmer's heroic summer. While on the team's training trip in Hawaii, Rimmer got a phone call from his father saying that he had received an award.

The award? A commendation from Governor M. Jodi Rell. He was one of 13 lifeguards across the state to be recognized for their valiant efforts in the summer of 2006.

"I don't know if I really deserve an award or anything. I was just doing my job, but it's a pretty nice thing to be recognized for," Rimmer said. "I don't consider myself a hero. I was just doing what I practiced every morning. Except, this time it was real and it was a lot more intense."

Director of Athletics Gene Doris said Rimmer's courage set an example for the entire Fairfield community."It is not everyday that we have a student-athlete called upon to save a life," Doris said. "As a lifeguard and a skilled swimmer, Matt sprung into action when it mattered most. The entire Fairfield community is proud of him."

While a humble Rimmer doesn't think that the incident or the award has changed him, his coach, Bill Farley, saw a more-focused swimmer and student-athlete arrive on campus in the fall. Farley saw the sophomore begin to emerge as a team leader. This season, Rimmer helped set four school relay records bringing his career total to four. He won the consolation final and placed ninth overall in the 100-yard backstroke at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships.

At the beginning of the spring semester, Rimmer again sprung into action when one of his friends began to choke on a piece of lettuce while dining in Barone. He gave his friend the Heimlich Maneuver.

"That was just random," Rimmer said modestly. But the fact that he was willing to act when it mattered reveals the kind of person that he is and shows how much of an asset he is to the Fairfield campus.

Return to top

Stag gets shiny new coat

At a Jan. 26 men's basketball game, Fairfield cheerleaders gave the ever-active Stag a halftime makeover. Before play resumed against St. Peter's, the combed and fluffed mascot strutted his new look for a delighted crowd at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

Photo provided by The Mirror

Return to top

SPORT SHORTS

By Kelly McCarthy, Assistant Director of Sports Information

Swimming & Diving teams compete at ECAC Championships

Eight swimmers and divers competed at the 2007 ECAC Championships held Feb. 16 to 18 at Harvard University. Senior Brittany Hunter shattered her 20th school record at the event, breaking a 20-year-old mark in the 200 butterfly. Hunter will leave Fairfield holding 13 individual records and seven of Fairfield's nine possible relay records. Sophomore Drew Kingman, coming off a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship performance in which he set three individual and a relay record, recorded a ninth-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke. Junior Liz Lawlor took eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke. On the boards, freshman Taylor Stecko placed eighth in the men's 3-meter diving and seventh on the 1-meter while junior Katharine Yee notched an eighth-place finish in the women's 1-meter and ninth in the 3-meter. Overall, the women's team placed 12 out of 32 teams while the men finished 15th out of 32 teams. Both finishes are the best for the Stags in several years.

Spring openers

The Fairfield men's and women's lacrosse teams got underway at the end of February. The men's team defeated Providence, 6-5, on Feb. 24 while the women's team fell to Yale, 14-7, on Feb. 26 on a snowy Alumni Field. The next home game for both teams will on March 10 as the women's team hosts Wagner at 11 a.m. followed by the men's game against Rutgers at 2 p.m. The baseball team will host its home opener on March 21 at 3 p.m. against Central Connecticut while the men's tennis team will open on the same day and time as it faces Boston University. The softball team will host its home opener with a doubleheader against Wagner on March 22 at 2 p.m. The women's tennis team will play its first home match of the spring on March 31 against Niagara at noon. Be sure to visit www.FairfieldStags.com for all the latest schedule information.

Basketball postseason honors

The men's and women's basketball postseason honors from the MAAC were announced on Feb. 26, prior to the 2007 MAAC Basketball Championships. The women's team was well-represented as junior Sabra Wrice earned All-MAAC first team honors, while sophomore Baendu Lowenthal was elected to the second team. Freshman Stephanie Geehan was named to the MAAC All-Rookie squad. Wrice closed out a phenomenal regular season by tallying 36 points in her final home game to set a Fairfield and Arena at Harbor Yard record. Lowenthal was second on the team with 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and Geehan led the team with 7.4 boards per contest and 41 blocks. On the men's side, senior Michael Van Schaick earned All-MAAC second team accolades and freshman Greg Nero was selected to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Van Schaick wrapped up the regular season averaging 15.1 points per game while Nero posted 9.2 points per game and 32 blocks.

Return to top

Gifts and Grants

Fairfield awarded $100,000 for Nursing Learning Resource Center

The McKeen Fund has awarded Fairfield University a $100,000 gift to support the Learning Resource Center in the School of Nursing. The Center allows students to practice and master a variety of skills prior to using them in a live clinical setting. The Center's state-of-the-art classrooms and lab provide a teaching environment where students can learn the physiologic components of patient care, safety and technical skills, and the communication, leadership, and teamwork skills necessary to deliver exceptional healthcare.

This gift is earmarked for faculty and curriculum development, which is being done in collaboration with the Center for Academic Excellence. The nursing faculty will form a  Faculty Learning Community with eight participants this spring. They will attend bi-weekly meetings and work together to redesign courses that incorporate the rich resources available in the new lab and classrooms, including a human patient simulator.

"It is so important to have resources to support faculty as we explore and create innovative ways to educate students to meet the demands of healthcare in the 21st Century," said Dr. Suzanne Campbell, assistant professor of nursing and the project director. "We appreciate the generosity of the gifts that have helped our vision for the Learning Resource Center become a reality."

Fairfield University also has received foundation grants for the Center from the Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Foundation ($10,000), the Gladys Brooks Foundation ($10,000), and the Schechter Foundation ($25,000). The McKeen Fund, a family foundation, has been supportive of the University, giving two grants totaling $51,000 in 2005 to help the establish the annual School of Nursing lecture series and launch the School of Nursing Advisory Board. The Advisory Board, a development-focused leadership group, has been instrumental in raising funds for the Center.

Nancy Lynch P'95, chair of the Advisory Board, said it was rewarding to see people outside the Board understand the importance of the Learning Resource Center. "I think this will certainly spur other people to be more involved and more interested in the School of Nursing, and it's a wonderful step for us in the success of our goals and the success of the School of Nursing."

Return to top

Restauranteur to deliver annual Women and Entrepreneurship Lecture

Carole Peck, renowned chef and owner of Good News Café in Woodbury, Conn., will deliver the second annual Women and Entrepreneurship Lecture on March 27 at 12:30 p.m. in the Dolan School dining room. Peck's café is rated one of America's top restaurants in 20007 Zagat's Survey, and was named Best American Restaurant Statewide by Connecticut Magazine's 2007 Reader's Choice Poll. The event is sponsored by the Charles F. Dolan School of Business and is part of the Women's History Month celebration.

Return to top

The Campus View

Head chef Johnny Colon prepares chicken for a dinner in the Barone Campus Center dining hall. Colon is one of approximately 80 Sodexho employees on campus who provide dining and catering services for the University community.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Return to top

Diversity Week set for March

A  Diversity Week is planned in March to showcase the research projects of the first group of Student Diversity Grant recipients. Each of the four groups will present their research findings at a special event on March 27 at 6 p.m. in Alumni House.

The week of events begins on March 22 with the screening of a hip hop documentary followed by a discussion in Loyola Commons from 5 to 8 p.m. A Spoken Word Poetry Night is scheduled for March 26 at 8 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center lower level. "Women's Day" will be celebrated on March 28, honoring women in art and literature. A rally will be held at 4 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center, followed by a performance at 7 p.m. More events are currently being scheduled.

Fairfield University is once again seeking proposals for the Student Diversity Grant program. In March, information sessions on the diversity grants will be offered in the Center for Multicultural Relations each Wednesday at noon. Preliminary Proposals are due April 26, 2007. Each team selected will receive up to $1,500 for program expenses and a $500 cash prize. The grants are funded by the Earl W. and Hildagunda A. Brinkman Private Charitable Foundation, the Humanities Institute of the College of Arts & Sciences, and a number of other institutional and private donors.

For more information on the events, contact Dr. Betsey Gardner at ext. 2463 or visit www.fairfield.edu/sdg.

Return to top

Author Gore Vidal to speak at Open VISIONS Forum on March 21

Gore Vidal, one of America's great writers, will take the Kelley Theatre stage on March 21 at 8 p.m. He is the next speaker in the University College's Open VISIONS Forum, which is celebrating its 10th year.

Versatile and prolific as a novelist, essayist and playwright, Vidal continues to produce notable works of non-fiction and thoughtful fiction from Myra Breckinridge to the National Book Award winner United States. This program is presented in collaboration with Pequot Library.

For more information, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

Return to top

La Guitara shares global music

La Guitara, compilation of women guitarists from around the world, will perform on March 23 at 8 p.m. at the Quick Center. Singer/songwriter Patty Larkin has immersed herself in a musical world that knows no borders. Larkin's newest project La Guitara, which includes fellow artists Ellen McIlwaine and Badi Assad, is a melting pot of styles and genres that has been in the works for several years. There will be a free wine tasting from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Box Office at ext. 4010.

Return to top

Campus Currents is the official news publication of the Fairfield University community. It is published monthly. The editorial office is located in Dolan West. Telephone: 254-4000, ext. 3392. Fax: 254-5554. E-mail: anavarro@mail.fairfield.edu.

Editor
Alejandra Navarro
Publications Writer and Editor

Editorial Board
Martha Milcarek
Assistant Vice President for Public Relations
Barbara Kiernan
Director of University Publications
Jean Santopatre
University Photojournalist

Return to top