Campus Currents September 2006

Volume 15, Number 1
The official news publication of Fairfield University

Index for September 1, 2006

Class of 2010 arrives with double the diversity
Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Center gets high marks
Dr. Paul Farmer to lead Convocation on Sept. 8
Fairfield begins self-study for NEASC accreditation
News Breakers
Service Anniversaries - September
Strategic planning: the implementation begins
Fairfield named to top college rankings
Former Ambassador to Discuss Middle East Peace
Rev. Michael Doody, S.J., to lead Campus Ministry
New associate dean of students: Deborah Cady
University daycare center to open in fall 2007
Five Fairfield alumni awarded Fulbright Scholarships
Julie Briggs wins McGowan Scholarship
Open VISIONS Forum celebrates 10 years
Sports
Gifts and Grants
News Briefs

Class of 2010 arrives with double the diversity

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

It's been only a year and a half since Fairfield University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., pledged to increase diversity across campus, and already diversity is blossoming. The Class of 2010 illustrates this perfectly; it has twice as many AHANA students as the previous class. This was not by chance, but because of a well thought-out plan of action and with the help of people from across campus, including members of the newly established Diversity Council, said Karen Pellegrino, director of undergraduate admission. In the last admission cycle, the University conducted more aggressive recruiting, offered more attractive financial aid packages, and enhanced and developed programs that will draw students of diverse backgrounds to Fairfield.

"I am pleased to see people from across the University working together to ensure that qualified students have access to a Fairfield education," said Fr. von Arx. "The gifts and talents these students bring to the classroom will only enhance the quality of the education we have to offer."

The Class of 2010 arrives on campus with 942 students, including 169 AHANA students (18 percent). That's a dramatic increase over the Class of 2009, which had 82 AHANA students (8.7 percent). The Admission Office received 30 percent more applications from AHANA students than it did the previous year.

"It's encouraging," said William Johnson, associate director of admission for diversity. "I don't think anyone thought we would make such strides." Johnson, however, cautioned that the challenge now is to continue to hit that mark and attract students from a variety of backgrounds.  "There are still a number of areas where Fairfield needs to continue to diversify itself: geographically, religiously, and economically - attracting students from various socioeconomic backgrounds," he explained. "So we still have a long road ahead."

Johnson joined the University in September 2005 to spearhead the recruitment of diverse students. Since then, he and admission representatives have traveled to regions with high concentrations of diverse students and have built strong relationships with the students, parents, and school guidance counselors in these areas.

Last spring, Pellegrino and the Rev. Charles Allen, S.J., made a special trip to Puerto Rico at the invitation of a Fairfield University student's family. In the past Fairfield has traveled to Puerto Rico with a group of Jesuit universities, but that trip was held at an inconvenient time for the students. This year, the family hosted a reception for prospective students that provided a more intimate view of the University. As a result, nine students from Puerto Rico enrolled at Fairfield - a jump over last year, when only one enrolled. "To get that many students is very rewarding," Pellegrino said.

One of the largest obstacles to attracting a more diverse student body has been the cost of attending college. The University has made a commitment to enhancing the financial aid packages for students with a financial need. "That has allowed students to consider colleges on their merit," Pellegrino said. "They just weren't considering the financial aid package."

Many AHANA students were sold on Fairfield after attending Horizons Weekend. The event offers accepted students and their parents an opportunity to explore the campus and meet faculty, administrators, and students. This year, 47 students and their parents participated, compared with 28 last year. Offices from across campus provided tremendous support for the weekend's events, Pellegrino said. Students spent time with their peers, and parents attended information sessions to better understand the value of a Fairfield education.

"You can't underestimate the role the parents have, particularly with this generation of students," Pellegrino said. "Parents are much more aware of what's going on in their lives, and reaching out to the parents was an important part of our success with the program."

In addition, as a recommendation by the Diversity Council, the University created the Academic Advantage program, a summer program that gives students a taste of college life. Modeled after Project Excel, students in Academic Advantage live on campus for four weeks and take two three-credit classes. This gives them an opportunity to become familiar with University resources before the fall semester begins. Although the two programs are separate, the students attend classes and activities together. This year, 12 students participated in Academic Advantage and 18 in Project Excel. Unlike Project Excel, which is federally funded and has strict requirements, the Academic Advantage's criteria for student selection is more flexible.

To help students succeed once they arrive on campus, the Center for Multicultural Relations has developed the Cura Personalis Mentoring Program to provide AHANA first-year students, or scholar protégés, with mentors who can guide them as they begin their academic programs.

 "The program has been designed to provide the participants with applicable information for their college career and an opportunity to begin building a strong support system inclusive of faculty, staff, and students," said La'Kicia Fuller, the new assistant director for the Center for Multicultural Relations who is in charge of the program. "I am very excited to watch this program unfold, as I believe the scholar protégés, mentors, and the Fairfield University community at large will be blessed by the process."

Fairfield welcomes class of 2010

This fall, Fairfield University welcomed the 942 new students in the Class of 2010. The University received 8,034 applications and admitted 60.6 percent. Fairfield accepted more students in December than in past years thanks to a move from Early Decision, a binding agreement, to Early Action, which is not. The process gives the Admission Office more time to build a rapport with these prospective students.

Here's a few distinguishing features of this year's first-year students:

• Most students were ranked in the top 20 percent of their class
• More than half of students applied using an electronic application
• 26 states and Puerto Rico are represented by the class
• 118 students have ties to Fairfield, including 59 who are the child or grandchild of an alumnus
• 68 graduated from a Jesuit high school
• 13 students are Fairfield Prep graduates
• 28 served as class president or vice president
• 70 served as editor of the school newspaper or yearbook
• 65 percent participated in a service activity while in high school.

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Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Center gets high marks

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

On July 7, Marianne Gumpper, director of Graduate and Continuing Studies Admission, shared an office in Canisius with a part-time work/study station and her department's storage space. What a difference a weekend makes.

By the following Monday, she was happily ensconced in a private office in the new Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Center, which will be formally dedicated on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 4:30 p.m. Denizens settling in had high marks for the new building, saying they appreciate the forethought that went into the airy design and state-of-the-art technology.

"It's heavenly," Gumpper said. "I truly enjoy coming to work."

The 23,707-square-foot building is a welcoming center for prospective students and their families and others visiting the campus, and a "one-stop shopping" administrative center for current students. In addition to Graduate and Continuing Studies Admission, the site now houses the Career Planning Center, New Student Programs, Academic and Disability Services, Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, MarketiMng for Academic Programs, the Registrar, the StagCard Office, and Enrollment Management. Despite the complicated logistics, the moves took place over a few weeks in July with little trouble, said Judy Dobai, associate vice president for enrollment management. 

"The Kelley Center move went very smoothly, in large part due to a great combination of internal teams including the building and grounds staff, Computing & Network Services, and others who really made it happen," she said.

Dobai, who chaired the building committee, worked closely with Michigan-based Workstage, the project's design-build firm, to make sure the building centralized services and created a dramatic sense of arrival for visitors. In addition, the team used state-of-the-art technology, most notably the raised floor system that allows all electricity, data, heating, and cooling to be delivered to modular offices above, providing a high degree of flexibility and better air quality.

New residents praised the office's modular design that offers more storage space and the feel that everything is within reach. Modular units also give each department a spacious feeling and, though there are no hard-bearing walls except those on the exterior, Gumpper said white noise makes a solid sound barrier between the offices.

 "Undergraduate admissions has a fantastic hospitality and processing space as well as parking for our visitors, and I think I will only appreciate this more as we get busier," said Debra Johns, senior associate director of admissions.

The Kelley Center houses a 90-seat auditorium for multimedia presentations that will also serve as a stepping off point for campus tours. Seven interview rooms and a larger reception room complete the welcome center portion. The conference rooms are reserved on an automated system with schedules posted on screens outside the doors, making for smoother meeting planning, Gumpper said.

University Registrar Robert Russo said those who have seen the Kelley Center were impressed. "It's much more convenient for students, too, with us being on the ground floor and having 15-minute parking spaces for students who have to run in and run out," he said.

With space freeing up across campus, several other offices have moved. Former Financial Aid offices in Donnarumma will now be faculty offices. The Office of Residence Life moved into the John A. Barone Campus Center, where new office space is being constructed for the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA). The Center for Multicultural Relations and the TRIO Programs will move into the former FUSA offices.

The former Registrar's suite will house the Center for Faith and Public Life and the Center for Religious Studies by mid-September. The vacated spaces in Bellarmine Hall will allow staff housed in temporary quarters to return.

"Everyone has been incredibly cooperative - from the building occupants to the service department - so the moves have gone very smoothly during this campus 'shell game,'" said Ric Taylor, associate vice president for campus planning and operations.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Dr. Paul Farmer to lead Convocation on Sept. 8

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

In the early 1980s, a Harvard medical student named Paul Farmer arranged to continue his medical studies while working among the poorest of the poor in Haiti, showing up in Cambridge for exams and lab practicums only. With his background in anthropology, he was interested in the way cultural mores affect health; he found that politics, economic inequality, and crushing poverty have led to nonexistent healthcare for most Haitians. Over the next 25 years, Dr. Farmer and colleagues would successfully challenge critics who claim that quality healthcare is impossible to deliver in resource-poor settings. Both the community-based model of HIV prevention and treatment developed by Dr. Farmer, and the protocol for drug-resistant tuberculosis he and his colleagues pioneered, are being used in other poor settings around the world.

Dr. Farmer's continued work in Haiti and his fight for social justice through his Boston-based foundation, Partners in Health, are the subject of author Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains. The book was given to all incoming freshmen during Orientation and Farmer's work will be the subject of the Fall Convocation on Friday, Sept. 8.

"We are thrilled that Dr. Farmer has agreed to speak to the Fairfield University community in September," says Dr. Debnam Chappell, dean of freshmen. "Dr. Farmer's life and work truly exemplify the Jesuit ideal of men and women for others, as well as the importance of social justice and social responsibility."

Students had been asked to read the book over the summer and to share their thoughts on a blog (http://library2.fairfield.edu/blog) established through the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, which also has postings by faculty. On Sept. 5, three days before Convocation, freshmen will participate in small group discussions of the book that will be led by faculty. Also on that day will be a kick-off event at the library featuring a Haitian band, food, and displays about Dr. Farmer's work.

Dr. Farmer has been influenced by liberation theology - the doctrine that states the Church has an obligation to fight political and economic oppression - calling it "a powerful rebuke to the hiding away of poverty." An anthropologist as well as a physician, he addresses his patients' cultural beliefs along with their medical needs, and he has been a vocal opponent of the political and economic forces that mire millions of people in deprivation, poor health, illiteracy, and hunger. He is widely published and has received numerous medical and humanitarian awards, including a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant.

All staff and faculty are urged to attend the Convocation, which will be held on the Bellarmine Lawn at 3:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will take place in Alumni Hall.

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Fairfield begins self-study for NEASC accreditation

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

This month, Fairfield University will begin a campus-wide self-study required for re-accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In this accreditation cycle, the University has the opportunity to focus the self study on the three goals of the University Strategic Vision: integration of the core curriculum; integration of living and learning; and integration of the Jesuit values in graduate and professional education.

"It gives us an opportunity to really engage people with the Strategic Vision and make this self-study a viable project, not solely a project that must be done every ten years," said University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.

NEASC, the body that accredits colleges and universities in the six New England states, requires each university to conduct a rigorous self-examination addressing the 11 standards developed by NEASC's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Schools now may apply for an alternative option to develop abbreviated reports for the 11 standards and delve into three areas that are relevant to the mission and goals of the institution for the bulk of the self study. Fairfield University is one of only a handful of universities to pursue this option.

This alternative review process gives universities more flexibility in illustrating their achievements. "There has been a great deal of pressure on institutions to actually demonstrate that they are succeeding in what they say they do," said Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president and co-chair of the steering committee. "NEASC is a real leader in recognizing the importance of tying an institution's mission very deeply, not only with what it does, but what it measures. NEASC has a deep respect for each institution's mission and how each institution lives it out. It's not just a checklist of one size fits all."

The University is hosting a kick-off lunch on Sept. 15 for the more than 100 members of the University community who are participating in the self-study. Fifteen committees have been formed including: a steering committee; committees for each of the three areas of emphasis; and small committees for each of the 11 standards. (The standards address mission and purposes, planning and evaluation, organization and governance, the academic program, faculty, students, library and other information resources, physical and technological resources, financial resources, public disclosure, and integrity.) The committees in the areas of emphasis have many of the same members who were a part of the Strategic Vision task forces.

These committees will develop individual reports, which will be compiled into a single self-study document, scheduled to be complete by July 2007. A team of peer evaluators will conduct an on-site evaluation and write a report. The Commission will review both the self study and the evaluation team's report to approve re-accreditation.

"The self study offers us an opportunity to examine our three major goals and ask four basic questions:  Where are we now; where do we want to be; how will we get there; and how will we know we got there," said Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president, who has overall responsibility for the self-study. "These seemingly simple questions will provide us with a guide for the next five to 10 years on how we will live out our educational mission here at Fairfield."

Fairfield is progressive in its conducting of the self-study. Dr. Curtis Naser, associate professor of philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences and faculty co-chair of the steering committee, is developing an electronic resource room, which will house documents for re-accreditation, including the Academic Long Range Plan, the division plans, minutes from the Strategic Vision task forces, and pertinent speeches by Fr. von Arx, such as his inaugural address. "I want to put all the documents they might need at their fingertips," Dr. Naser said. He is working on the electronic resource area with Amy Boczer '99, chief administrative assistant for the re-accreditation project. "When the steering committee takes those reports and creates a final self study, we'll have all those documents in one place." After the process, documents may be added to this resource area for the next accreditation.

The self study is important work for divisions across campus, said Dr. Naser. "The self study helps evaluate how well we've been doing and how best we can achieve the goals that were laid out by the president."

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On June 16, the Fairfield Citizen-News  ran a picture of the Rev. Charles Allen, S.J., executive assistant to the president, and noted that he was the emcee for the 60th annual dinner meeting of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.

In a July 30 Connecticut Post  article on the planned demolition of historic Nathan's Hall in Derby, Dr. Dorothea Braginsky, professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), spoke about the 130-year-old signatures found on the plaster walls. "We all want to leave our mark in some small way," she said, "to have some representation that you were there and that there were good times had at this place."

Dr. Edward Deak, professor of economics in CAS, was quoted in a July 29 Hartford Courant  article regarding Aetna's plans to move 3,600 employees from Middletown to Hartford by 2010. "It's certainly a strong vote of confidence in the city," he said. In a Connecticut Post  article on July 21, he noted that Connecticut's job market remains lukewarm, much like the rest of the Northeast. The article also appeared in the Chronicle (Willimantic).

In a Connecticut Post  article on June 18, Jim Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president for student affairs, spoke on the opening of new hotels in Fairfield. "It probably gives parents a little more flexibility to be closer," he said of the Best Western, adding that the University is also excited to hear about the new Hilton opening in a few years.

A July 3 Greenwich Time  article on the Lieberman-Lamont debate quoted Dr. Donald Greenberg, associate professor of politics in CAS, as saying "the fact that Lieberman feels he has to debate him is a big victory already. Lieberman has to convince Democrats they really can't afford to switch horses." The article was also carried in The Advocate (Stamford) on July 2. A July 20 Advocate  article on politicking at train stations again quoted Dr. Greenberg. It makes sense, Greenberg said, because the profile of the typical commuter is similar to that of the typical voter - male, middle class, and older than 30. In an Aug. 12 article for Southern Connecticut Newspapers  on the repercussions of Sen. Joe Lieberman running as an independent in November, Dr. Greenberg said he expects Democrats to benefit from Lieberman's presence, which will focus voters on the war, especially in the race between U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, and Democratic nominee Diane Farrell. "It may affect Lieberman, but it's not going to affect Farrell," Dr. Greenberg said, noting that even if Republicans vote for Lieberman, it doesn't guarantee a vote for Shays. "People are notorious for ticket-splitting."

A Connecticut Post  article announcing the $467,645 grant to the School of Nursing for elderly care - the largest federal grant ever received by the School - cited Dr. Philip Greiner and Dr. Jean Lange as co-directors of the initiative. The announcement was also carried in the Fairfield Citizen-News  on July 26, The Hartford Courant  on July 18, and the Business Times' July issue.

Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president, was included in a July 28 Milford Weekly  article on the Fairfield Arts Council's 10th Anniversary Gala. The article noted that Dr. Grossman, a gifted pianist, would perform Gershwin and act as master of ceremonies.

Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, dean of the School of Engineering (SOE), was pictured in the Fairfield Citizen-News  on July 5 and in the Fairfield Minuteman  on July 20 with Fairfield High School students honored by the SOE for excellence in math and science.

Assistant Professor of economics Dr. Robert Kelly and Associate Professor of philosophy Dr. Curt Naser in CAS were both cited in an Associated Press article on the use of hand held "clickers" by students in their classrooms. The clickers allow students to respond to questions anonymously, and can be used to graph student responses.

Dr. Marti LoMonaco, professor of visual and performing arts in CAS, was a 2006 Michigan Humanities Scholar working with the Grand Traverse Heritage Center on their exhibition, Summer Stock Theatre and the Cherry County Playhouse. She gave a public lecture at the Heritage Center in August, was a guest on the Michigan Public Radio program "Points North," and helped to develop the wall text for the exhibition.

A "Diversity Day" to promote awareness and acceptance of others was held at Shelton's Mohegan Elementary School and was organized by Dr. Paula Gill Lopez, associate professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. Students visited different stations to experience differences in hearing, vision, gross and fine motor skills, social skills, etc. The event was chronicled in the Shelton paper on May 31.

Dr. Philip Lane, associate professor of economics in CAS, said in a June 6 News-Times (Danbury) article on Americans and credit card debt that incentives like zero-percent interest often draw people in. What many don't realize is that these terms can change quickly. "You miss one payment and you go from zero to 21 percent (interest)," he said.

In a July 19 NewsTimesLive.com article on one congressman's proposal to eliminate the penny, Dr. Nick Laopodis, associate professor of finance in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB), said store owners would likely raise their prices if the penny were eliminated. This could cause inflation, he suggested.

A July 31 NewsTimesLive.com article on new technology in supermarkets quoted Dr. Mark Ligas, an associate professor of marketing in DSB, who said grocery stores often introduce new technologies to help busy customers save time. "In grocery stores, there is no window shopping aspect," Dr. Ligas said. "It's just a necessary evil. I think these grocers realize we have to do something to make it a more tolerable experience."

Dr. R. James Long, professor of philosophy in CAS, had his review of The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Philosophy  published in the October 2005 issue of The Thomist.

A July 28 Connecticut Post  article featured Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell, director of choral and liturgical music, in a story on the Summer Festival Chorus and the Mozart program they performed at the Quick Center. In an Aug. 8 Connecticut Post  article on the Glee Club's tour of Italy, she said, "Our warm-up outside St. Peter's became a concert in itself. I couldn't believe it when I turned around and saw a crowd gathering, and they wanted more, so we went through all our a cappella repertoire on the steps at St. Peter's." The article noted that the group was touring during the final World Cup matches, lending even more excitement to the trip.

Women's Basketball Head Coach Diane Nolan was a speaker at The Learn to Lead Summer Institute, a program for students funded through the city of Bridgeport, according to the Monroe Courier  on July 13.

Dr. John Orman, professor of politics in CAS, noted in a May 24 Journal Register News Service  article that U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd would have a much better chance in a run for the presidency in 2008 than Sen. Joseph Lieberman had in 2004. In a June 18 Connecticut Post  article, he noted that Connecticut would be a "bellwether state" for those following the race between incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman and challenger Ned Lamont. A June 19 Newsday article on celebrities using their star appeal to draw attention to the problems of Africa quoted Dr. Orman, author of Celebrity Politics. He noted that celebrity activism in Africa probably began with singers Bob Geldof and Bono, who were instrumental in the 1985 Live Aid concerts. On July 3, The Washington Post  cited Dr. Orman in an article on the continuing scandals that have given the state the nickname "Corrupticut". In a July 9 Advocate (Stamford) article, he said that Lamont's recent decision to release his tax returns is moot. "The implication is Ned is trying to hide his wealth. In reality, Ned is so rich you can't calculate what he's worth," Dr. Orman said. "(But) it's a nice thing to try to do in a debate. 'I showed my tax returns, why won't you?'" In a July 12 Connecticut Post  article on the Malloy-DeStefano race, he said, "The race has been largely overshadowed by the Lieberman-versus-Lamont race, but it's going to be real close once the candidates get out there and become well-recognized." In a July 16 Advocate article, he was interviewed about the well-known Democrats coming to Connecticut to show support for incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman. He also discussed the topic in a July 25 interview on WSHU, an NPR affiliate. A July 23 Day (New London) article quotes Dr. Orman as saying that the question of the candidates' great wealth is immaterial in the Lieberman-Lamont race. An Associated Press article on July 26 cited Dr. Orman in a story noting that author Frank McCourt recorded a message in support of Stamford mayor Daniel Malloy, who was running for governor. A July 30 Connecticut Post  article on U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays and his tendency to vote with Democrats on social issues quoted Dr. Orman. He was also quoted in another article on his inability to get Joe Lieberman to debate Ned Lamont on the Fairfield campus.

In an Aug. 5 Connecticut Post  online article on whether or not Sen. Joe Lieberman should have accepted an invitation to appear on "The Colbert Report," Orman said, "It would be a goofball moment" for Lieberman to show up on that kind of show, so not doing the interview "is probably a good decision for him." On Aug. 6, he explained Ned Lamont's strong poll numbers against Lieberman by noting that Lamont was enjoying the perfect political storm. "He has tried to talk about his endorsements, voting record, saving jobs but has not changed his tune on the biggest issue for voters - his support of the Iraq war," he said. Dr. Orman commented on the race in an Aug. 7 article appearing in the Los Angeles Times  and the Seattle Times. "We've got a battle between a millionaire and a multimillionaire, and the multimillionaire is coming off as the populist," he said. An Aug. 9 WTNH.com article discussed Lieberman's decision to run as an independent in November.

A News-Times (Danbury) article on June 25 quoted Dr. Milo Peck, assistant professor of accounting in DSB, on the illegal practice of putting "ghost" employees on the payroll. Business owners might put non-employees on the payroll to hide assets from a business partner, shareholders, or other groups, he said. Or, they might have an agreement with the recipients to kick some of the money back.

A Fairfield Minuteman  article on June 27 on the changing grade structure in Fairfield public schools quoted Karen Pellegrino, director of undergraduate admission. Addressing parental concern that high-achieving students might see their chances of getting into top-tier schools reduced with the new system, she said, "We would never let a decision of how to weigh courses hurt a student in the admissions process." She added that the University recognizes that high schools have their own grade weighting systems, so the University applies its own system to evaluate applicants on a level playing field.

A July 2006 Hospital News  article on the Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing noted that Dr. Teresa Quell, assistant dean in the SON, was keynote speaker.

In May, the Rev. Rick Ryscavage, S.J., director of the Center for Faith and Public Life, was personally introduced to Pope Benedict XVI at a private Vatican audience organized by Centissimus Annus Pro Pontifice, an international group of lay persons who promote Catholic social teaching. In July, Fr. Ryscavage gave a lecture on globalization and religion at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. He also participated as a respondent on several panels on religion and politics at the International Political Science Association biannual meeting held in Fukuoko, Japan. Fr. Ryscavage was also invited to join the board of directors of the International Institute of Connecticut, founded in 1918 to assist immigrants and refugees.

Ted Spencer, head coach of the men's lacrosse team, was the keynote speaker at a scholarship awards ceremony sponsored by the Weller Foundation of Woodbury, Conn. The event was announced in the Connecticut Post  on July 24.

Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of CAS, was quoted in a July 16 Hartford Courant  article on the University's new certificate program in financial mathematics. "Fairfield's new certificate program offers a timely bridge to the financial professional who seeks a guided tour of financial mathematics, or to the mathematician who seeks to gravitate toward mathematics that relates to finance," he said.

The Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation appointed Dr. Winston Tellis, the Camille and Stephen Schramm Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in DSB, to its distribution committee, according to a notice in the Connecticut Post  on July 6.

Dr. John Thiel, professor of religious studies in CAS, was elected to the American Theological Society by the membership of the ATS at its spring 2006 meeting. The ATS is the oldest theological society in North America. It was founded in 1912 and has 100 active members.

On July 30, The Hudson Reporter featured Brian Torff, music program director in CAS, as a prelude to a performance by the Django Reinhardt All-Stars. The performance was part of the Music on the Hudson free summer concert series.

In a May 26 News Times  article on the unraveling of energy giant Enron, Dr. Joan Van Hise, associate professor of accounting in DSB, said legislation has helped limit the chance of future large-scale fraud. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, signed in 2002, toughened accounting rules and made top company executives sign the accuracy of financial statements. "Right now, the (financial) preparers still have their feet to the flame," Van Hise said. That could change, she said, if the public's attention continues to focus on Iraq and the general economy. "Will the pressure lessen since the public has already started to not pay attention?"

During a Contributed Paper Session at the Northeastern Section of the Mathematical Association of America Meeting at Boston University, June 2-3, Dr. Joan Weiss, professor of mathematics in CAS, presented her paper, "Trigonometric Identities on a Graphing Calculator."

Dr. Dana Wilkie, assistant dean of graduate programs in DSB, was quoted in an article on professionals returning to the classroom in the Business Times' July issue. Business people seek a new degree "to retool, to redirect, to gain a new skill set, and move up a tier in the ladder. It's about job advancement," she explained.

The Fairfield Citizen-News  carried an article on the University's Girls' Technology Camp, begun by Dr. Michael Zabinsky, professor of physics in the School of Engineering. "The anticipated long-term effect of the project is to help shape tomorrow's female leaders in the field of technology," he said.

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5 years
Ricardo David Court
Lorraine Coyne
Robbin Crabtree
Jo Ann Drusbosky
Catherine Giapponi
Donald Gibson
Linda Henkel
Virginia Kelly
Jennifer Klug
Nikiforos Laopodis
Jennifer Ann Mauritz
John Minopoli
Tod Osier
Konstantinos Pontikis
Tracey Robert
David Alan Sapp
Mark Spellman
John Vangor

10 years
Colleen Doherty
Jesus Escobar
Philip Greiner
Patricia Poli
Stephen Sawin

15 years
Patricia Behre
Susan Bickel
Arjun Chaudhuri
Sheila Grossman
Sally O'Driscoll

20 years
Christine Bowers
George Gallarelli, S.J.
Virginia Hodgkinson
Richard Magdon
Sharlene McEvoy
Kathryn Nantz
Thomas Sacerdote
Richard Schwatlow
Suzanne Tucci

25 years
Paul Lakeland
Laurence Miners
Ronald Perry, S.J.
Fred Wheeler

30 years
Diane Brousseau
Joseph Dennin
Pamela Dudac
Dennis Hodgson
Joseph Sarneski

35 years
Joseph Bouchard
Donald Greenberg
John Szablewicz

40 years
Bruce Jaffe
Lawrence Kazura

Births

Kristen Newmark,  assistant director of Admission - daughter, Abby Jeanette, born on June 5.

Jill Kasiewicz Caseria,  managing Web editor - daughter, Annabel Rose, born on June 19.

Diane Cerritelli,  assistant director of Advancement Research - granddaughter, Katie McTigue, born on June 27.

Bonnie Gleason,  secretary in Annual Giving - grandson, Garrett Francis Ziegler, born on July 17.

Condolences

Rev. William Carr, S.J., assistant professor of philosophy emeritus, died on June 13 at Campion Center in Weston, Mass. Fr. Carr joined the Philosophy Department at Fairfield in 1958, teaching courses in logic, theories of knowledge, medieval philosophy, and ethics. He developed a special expertise in the ethics of healthcare and of what compassionate end-of-life care entailed. With a School of Nursing colleague, Fr. Carr created and taught a healthcare ethics course for nursing students. In 1995, he retired from full-time teaching but continued to offer his ethics course until 2002 and to serve on the Institutional Ethics Committee at St. Vincent's Medical Center until 2003.

David Feeney, husband of Kathleen Feeney, operations assistant for Counseling Services, died on June 18.

Egea Logan, retired faculty secretary to the Department of Arts and Sciences, died on June 20.

Richard Taylor, father of Ric Taylor Jr., associate vice president for Campus Planning and Operations, died on July 7.

Michael Rossi, grandfather of Tara Danner '99, program assistant in the Office of Special Events, died on July 24.

Sonia Little, former secretary to the dean of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, died on Aug. 3.

Frank Cardaci, grandfather of Michael Labella, area coordinator for Residence Life, died on Aug. 19.

Anne Marie Phelan-Ehlers, sister of Elizabeth Blagys in the Advancement Office and daughter of former trustee, John Phelan, died on Aug. 21.

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Strategic planning: the implementation begins

By Barbara D. Kiernan, Director of University Publications

Editor's note: Throughout the year, Campus Currents will update the University community on activities related to the strategic vision, approved by the Board of Trustees in June 2006. Eighteen months in the planning, the document now becomes the touchstone for decision-making and the basis for implementing its major goals as well as the required elements of diversity woven through each. These goals are: 1) integration of the core curriculum; 2) integration of living and learning; and 3) integration of Jesuit values into graduate education. This month we feature Goal I.

Goal I: integration of the core curriculum

Dr. Kathryn Nantz, associate professor of economics in CAS, has been appointed chair of an 11-member faculty committee now in the early stages of its work. Because the long-term goal for the core includes greater coherence among core courses and a more deliberate relationship to major courses, the committee membership includes both CAS faculty who teach the core and one each from DSB and GSEAP.

Dr. Nantz is working closely with the Drs. Larry Miners and Roben Torosyan, director and associate director of the Center for Academic Excellence, to begin a process of facilitating general conversations among faculty that will build new bridges over time. "Implementing this goal challenges us as a faculty to identify elements of connection among our fields," says Dr. Nantz. "Finding common items on our syllabi and discussing our approach to them can only energize and strengthen our teaching." A logical consequence, she and the committee believe, will be increased student interest in and engagement with course material.

For the fall semester, plans approved by the committee include a late-September reception for all faculty and an overnight retreat in Sturbridge, Mass., on Nov. 3 and 4, to which all faculty will be invited. "The level of institutional support for this endeavor is phenomenal," says Dr. Nantz, "and we hope for strong participation not just by faculty who teach the core, but by faculty who teach major courses as well. We all have a vested interest in making the potential for intellectual integration across disciplines a reality."

Committee on Core Integration

• Dr. Beth Boquet, professor of English and Director of the Writing Center
• Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics
• Dr. Jennifer Goldberg, assistant professor, GSEAP
• Dr. Dennis Keenan, professor of philosophy
• Dr. Paul Lakeland, Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Professor of Catholic Studies
• Dr. Laura McSweeney, associate professor of mathematics
• Dr. Kathryn Nantz, associate professor of economics (chair)
• Dr. Shelley Phelan, associate professor of biology
• Dr. Marice Rose, assistant professor of art history
• Dr. Vincent Rosivach, professor of classical studies
• Dr. David Schmidt, associate professor of religious studies and business ethics

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Historical Society honors Bellarmine Hall restoration project

The Historical Society of Fairfield honored Fairfield University with a Historic Preservation Award for the restoration work completed on Bellarmine Hall. The award was presented to University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., at a ceremony on June 27 at the Pequot Library. "It's a beautiful building," said Bruce S. Graham, awards committee chairman and architect with Coleman Graham Architects in Fairfield. "It has extremely unique details on the interior." He added, "We try to draw attention to important structures in town that otherwise wouldn't receive it."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Fairfield named to top college rankings

U.S. News & World Report, one of the first college guides out for 2007, has ranked Fairfield University fourth in the top tier of colleges with master's degree programs in the North.

Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president said, "This is the 16th year that U.S. News & World Report  has ranked Fairfield University in the top four among universities in our category, so we are delighted that Fairfield's overall quality is recognized as among the best in the region." Over the years, Fairfield has moved among the number two, three, and four positions.

In addition, Fairfield was named in The Best 361 Colleges, called by its publisher, The Princeton Review, "The Smart Student's Guide to Colleges."

In analyzing the value of such guides, Dr. Grossman said, "Fairfield University has begun a major initiative to integrate the living and learning experiences of our students while increasing the socio-economic and ethnic diversity of our student population. In keeping with our Jesuit heritage, Fairfield also provides important links between the classroom and the world with internships, special study abroad programs, research opportunities and community-based programs in social justice.  These programs greatly enhance the education our students receive, and yet they are good examples of qualities that are difficult to quantify for ranking purposes."

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Former Ambassador to Discuss Middle East Peace

The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences at will present former U.S. Ambassador Dennis B. Ross on Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Ambassador Ross will deliver this year's Bank of America Lecture in Judaic Studies, entitled "The Missing Peace - The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace." The event was rescheduled from April.

Ambassador Ross is The Washington Institute's counselor and Ziegler Distinguished Fellow. For more than 12 years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and dealing directly with the parties in negotiations. A highly skilled diplomat, Ambassador Ross was the U.S. point person on the peace process in both the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in assisting Israelis and Palestinians to reach the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the 1997 Hebron Accord, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and worked intensively to bring Israel and Syria together.

"The struggle for peace in the Middle East is one of the defining legacies of our time and Ambassador Ross has played a significant role in the journey," said Dr. Ellen Umansky, director of the Judaic Studies Program and the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies. "It is our honor to bring him to Fairfield University to offer his thoughts on the road that we have traveled and that which still lies ahead."

A scholar and diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Soviet and Middle East policy, Ambassador Ross worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Prior to his service as special Middle East coordinator under President Clinton, Ambassador Ross served as director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff in the first Bush administration.  His book, The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, August 2004) offers comprehensive analytical and personal insight into the Middle East peace process. For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

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Rev. Michael Doody, S.J., to lead Campus Ministry

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

This July, the Rev. Michael Doody, S.J., from the Class of 1970, assumed his new role as director of Campus Ministry, and says he is delighted to return to the Fairfield campus. "It was while an undergrad philosophy major here that I answered the call to become a Jesuit, and I entered the Society of Jesus in my junior year."

For the past 16 years, Fr. Doody served as chaplain of St. Louis University in Missouri. His approach there, as it will be here, was to be visible to the students; he lived in the residence hall there and plans to do so at Fairfield, and he was active in many student organizations. In fact, the St. Louis student government association recently recognized Fr. Doody's commitment with an award for outstanding service to student life outside the classroom.

"I don't expect to sit in my office and have students come to me," Fr. Doody says. "My model is to go out to students and engage them where they are, whether in the dining hall or at basketball and rugby games. And I'd eventually like to make the physical space at Campus Ministry more inviting, with easy chairs and sofas to make it feel like a living room, so students will feel welcome."

Born in the Bronx, Fr. Doody spent much of his childhood in Canada, moving back to the U.S. in time to complete high school at St. Dominic's on Long Island. His mother's cousin, a Jesuit, convinced him that a Jesuit college was the only kind worth attending, and he ended up at Fairfield largely because of its proximity to home. And while he loved the four years he spent here, it was a far different campus than it is today. "For one thing, all the bedroom doors had opaque glass windows, and if you were up after 11 p.m., you got a rap on the door telling you it was past lights-out," he recalls. "I don't remember anyone ever having a drop of liquor on campus, but we all smoked in class. And each of us had a card that we turned in every time we went to Mass, because they checked to make sure we attended at least twice a week."

Some of the most influential people in his life were the Jesuits he met at Fairfield, Fr. Doody says, referring to then-president Rev. William McInnes, S.J.; Rev. George Mahan, S.J., his executive assistant; and University Chaplain Ray Bertrand, S.J., who became his novice master.

Back in the late 1960s, the Rev. George Gallarelli, S.J., now at Prep, was dean of men and lived in Loyola, the freshman dorm. "He knew everything; you couldn't burp without him finding out," Fr. Doody recalls. "If you misbehaved, you got 'campused', which meant you had to stay on campus all weekend and check in with a prefect every hour. I remember once that Fr. Gallarelli campused the entire third floor of Loyola." The crime? "Something involving shaving cream and general mischief," says Fr. Doody.

After graduating from Fairfield, Fr. Doody received an MBA from Boston College and a master's degree in divinity from the Weston Jesuit School of Divinity. He was ordained in 1978.

One positive focus among today's students is their sense of community outreach, says Fr. Doody. "Years ago, we were much more ‘Catholic' in that we went to Mass and confession, yet we had no thought of doing service in Appalachia or Mexico or even in Bridgeport."

Making sure the mission programs at Fairfield stay strong will be one of his priorities, he promises. Another will be to broaden the types of retreat programs so that there will be options for everyone - faculty and staff as well as students. He also plans to add a late afternoon Mass on Sunday. "All the issues that students are interested in are there in the Gospel - relationship issues, self-esteem, stress, self-centeredness, failure, you name it. These are the real concerns that students need addressed, and when they are, they'll come to Mass."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Feast of St. Ignatius celebrated

University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., celebrated the Feast of St. Ignatius
on July 31 at the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

New associate dean of students: Deborah Cady

By Nina Riccio, Publications Writer

On July 1, Dr. Deborah Cady joined Fairfield University as the new associate dean of students and director of residence life. In her new role, Dr. Cady will be responsible for residence life and housing, and for overseeing the housing staff.

Dr. Cady is a graduate of Saint Michael's College in Vermont. She earned her M.Ed. at the University of Vermont and her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at Boston College, where she also worked. She has been a frequent speaker and panelist for the National Association of Student Personnel Administration, and has authored several articles on student leadership and the role of spirituality in the development of the student. For four years, Dr. Cady worked in campus ministry at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass. "I was looking to work for a Jesuit institution," says Dr. Cady of her decision to come to Fairfield. "I wanted to be in a place where faith is a part of a student's educational experience. When I came here and met with some of the RAs, I was impressed with their energy and enthusiasm, their obvious pride in Fairfield, and their concern for the students in their care. I knew I would feel at home."

The caliber of the applicant pool for this position was very high, notes Dean of Students Dr. Tom Pellegrino, "but Deb's candidacy stood out, not simply for the wealth of knowledge and experience she brings to the position, but because of her demonstrated ability to attend to the critical and often competing interests of student development and operational functions. As the University moves forward in its strategic initiatives regarding the integration of life and learning, we are fortunate to have Dr. Cady in Residence Life.  Her experiences and her broad knowledge base make her uniquely qualified to foster a new and dynamic approach to the moral, civic, and intellectual development of our students."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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University daycare center to open in fall 2007

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

For employees with young children, a call from the daycare center could mean a long drive to pick up a child and the loss of a productive afternoon. Next fall, Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep employees may well have their children in a daycare that's only a short walk away. After five years of planning and pending appropriate state and town approvals, the University is set to open an on-campus daycare center for approximately 36 children in September 2007. The University is reviewing options for the center's home.

University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., made the official announcement in the spring and has been a driving force in bringing it to fruition.

"Fr. von Arx was very supportive, and that was integral to the proposal's success," said Dr. Robert Epstein, associate professor of English in CAS and member of a committee that researched the possibility of a daycare center. Support came from across campus, he said, noting the contributions of Associate Academic Vice President Mary Frances Malone, Academic Vice President Orin Grossman, Vice President for Finance and Administration Bill Lucas, and Associate Vice President for Campus Operations Richard Taylor.

Dr. Epstein gave special credit to Dr. Dina Franceschi, associate professor of economics in CAS. "She was incredibly dogged and organized," he said. "She did so much work to make this happen." 

An outside consultant will run the daycare center. The University is paying for the renovation of Southwell Hall, utilities, and some administrative personnel time. However, the cost of running the facility and salaries will be covered by tuition. The number of students in the daycare center will depend on the square footage of the facility. The committee hopes to have room for 36 children, including eight infants from 6 to 18 months old; eight toddlers from 2 to 3 years old; and 20 pre-school children up to 5 years old. A lottery will be held for the daycare spots, with preference given to those who need full-time care.

Information sessions for interested parents will be held in late February. The goal is to have the children enter the daycare center the week before students return to campus in the fall.

The University plans to establish a parental advisory committee, which will act as a conduit between parents and the consultant running the center, as well as an educational policy committee, which will work with the educational director. The organizers would like to see parents get involved in the daycare.  "The nice thing about having a facility on campus is that you might have a better opportunity to raise concerns about the quality of care," Dr. Franceschi said.

The educational director will be working on ways to integrate the daycare center into the University. Some faculty members are already thinking about possible projects. In the School of Nursing, for example, students who typically work with sick children can observe and, in some cases, interact with healthy children of a variety of ages, said Dr. Suzanne Campbell, assistant professor of nursing. Projects could include monitoring the development of a child and creating health education brochures for parents, she said.

Ultimately, organizers hope that parents and the University benefit from the center.

"We really hope there is a positive impact on productivity," Dr. Franceschi said. "I think it's a really important service for any organization of our size to provide. The labor productivity is critical, the peace of mind factor is critical, and it fits so appropriately with the mission of a Catholic university."

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Five Fairfield alumni awarded Fulbright Scholarships

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

Five Fairfield University graduates have been chosen to receive Fulbright Scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year, tying the record set in 2000 for the number of Fairfield students to receive the honor.

The Fulbright Grant is the most prestigious international scholarship awarded by the U.S. government. The grant funds students to go abroad for one year after graduation to engage in independent research, study, work, or teaching.

The five 2006 graduates who won Fulbrights are: Alexis Cedeno of Valley Stream, N.Y.; Jessica Martin of Doylestown, Penn.; Annie McKittrick of Greenwich, Conn.; Vivian E. Rodriguez of West Orange, N.J.; and Laura Woelflein of Nashua, N.H.

The five new winners bring to 39 the number of Fairfield University students who have been awarded Fulbrights since 1993. "We are proud of the caliber of our undergraduates and of our faculty committee members who have made this large number of awards happen," said Miriam Gogol, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinator of the Fulbright program at Fairfield.

"Fairfield's extraordinary success in post-baccalaureate Fulbrights is a great tribute both to our wonderful students and to a great team of administrators and faculty members who guide their efforts," said Dr. Orin Grossman, Fairfield's academic vice president. "Students have developed successful proposals with intensive mentoring and concern for the individual student that is the hallmark of a Fairfield education."

Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, agreed, saying the Fulbright process ties in with Fairfield's Jesuit tradition of working toward social justice and fusing living and learning. "From their earliest moments at Fairfield - sometimes even before they arrive! - our Fulbright student applicants contemplate ways in which they may apply their learning to promote international understanding," he said.

The 2006 Fulbright recipients have a wide array of research and study interests.

Alexis Cedeno will travel to the United Arab Emirates, where she will be affiliated with the University of the United Arab Emirates. Cedeno will research the UAE's immigration policy, its formation, the country's migrant population and its impact on the economy. Cedeno is no stranger to the Middle East, having spent a semester abroad studying Arabic and politics at the University of Jordan. A member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, and Sigma Iota Rho, the international studies honor society, Cedeno was on the Fairfield University Dean's List. While at Fairfield, she served as an assistant to the associate chair in International Studies and completed internships at the Red Cross, Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, BarQ Research Co. in Amman, Jordan, and the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport.

Upon her return to the States, Cedeno plans to pursue a master's degree in international affairs, take the Foreign Service exam, and embark on a career working with immigrants through the U.S. Department of State.

Jessica Martin will study the resurgence of civil society after years of suppression in China at The Beijing Center at the University of International Business and Economics, where she spent a semester abroad in 2005. Martin was so intrigued by the country and its culture, she stayed through the summer as an English tutor, declared herself an Asian Studies minor, and wrote a thesis examining the emergence of Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations.

Martin, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in international studies and economics, also completed a summer study abroad program in India, conducting field research and participating in South Asian Studies seminars. At Fairfield, she was vice president of the Model United Nations Club, was inducted into three honor societies, and completed internships with Bank of America in New York City and a money management firm in Fairfield.

After her Fulbright year, Martin is considering working in journalism before attending graduate school.

Ann McKittrick's proposal deals with peacekeeping techniques. She will travel to The Lester B. Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, a non-profit organization in Ottawa, Canada, that conducts education, training, and research on all aspects of peace operations and works closely with the United Nations. McKittrick, an international relations major, believes the United States might benefit from research at the site, which is named for a former prime minister of Canada who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. McKittrick will be an intern with Claire Turenne-Sjolander, director of political science at the University of Ottawa, where she will take courses focusing on Canadian foreign policy, contemporary issues and international organizations.

While at Fairfield, McKittrick developed an interest in the international community, completing a project entitled "Justice and the Developing World" and taking a trip to Cuba in 2003. In 2004, she attended Oxford University, studying the crises in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Working on her capstone thesis, "Humanitarian Assistance: Constraints on NGOs and IGOs working in the former Yugoslavia," intensified her interest.

McKittrick plans to enroll in a doctoral program and study forced migration. She hopes to become a researcher at a non-profit organization, specializing in forced migration, peacekeeping, and/or conflict resolution.

Vivian Rodriguez, who was a double major in Spanish and communication at Fairfield, received the Fulbright for an English teaching assistantship to Thailand. She will be teaching English to elementary and secondary school students at the Triam Udonsuksa School of the North in the Phitsanulok Province.

While at Fairfield, Rodriguez completed internships with Bravo Network's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and Fox's "A Current Affair." She also worked as an administrative assistant at a construction firm and as a personal assistant in a New Jersey law office. She was on the Dean's List twice and was a member of the African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American (AHANA) Association. She won student achievement awards in 2004 and 2005.

Her Fulbright year will not be her first year studying abroad: She completed coursework in history, literature, art history and Italian culture and language during a spring semester in Florence, Italy in 2005. After her year in Thailand, Rodriguez hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting and journalism.

Laura Woelflein will be an English teaching assistant within a migrant community in Germany. She hopes working with students from Turkey, Africa, Russian, Vietnam and other far-flung locales will help them better assimilate into German life and give her a better understanding of the cultures and concerns of people around the globe.

While at Fairfield, Woelflein, a history major with a double minor in education and German, studied abroad at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she took courses in German politics and society. She also gained experience teaching, having volunteered with young immigrant children in a local daycare and student teaching in nearby Bridgeport. On campus, she worked as an usher and student house manager at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts and was a member of Ignatian Residential College.

Woelflein hopes to travel and study German literature during her Fulbright year, coming home to seek a position teaching German language and culture to American high school students.

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U of Limerick graduate awarded Conlisk Scholarship

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

Fergal Curtin of Tralee, County Kerry, has won the coveted the Rev. John Conlisk Scholarship, which provides funding for full tuition and room and board while he completes his M.S. in finance in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business. Curtin is a 2005 graduate of the University of Limerick in Ireland, and in August completed a master of economic science degree from the National University of Ireland in Galway.

"I hope to make the most of my time at Fairfield University by getting involved in as many University activities as possible, such as sport and charity work," said Curtin, whose hobbies include playing the French horn and running. "I never thought I would receive a scholarship to study in an American university and I can't thank the scholarship committee enough for giving me the chance to study at Fairfield University."

The Conlisk Scholarship at Fairfield University is awarded every year to an MBA or M.S. in finance candidate from Ireland. This is the sixth consecutive year that the Conlisk Scholarship has been awarded to a University of Limerick graduate, although it is open to business students across Ireland. Kevin Conlisk, one of the principal owners of the Alinabal Co. of Milford, Conn., is part of a group that instituted the Conlisk Scholarship in 1990. The scholarship is named for Conlisk's late brother, a 1954 Fairfield Prep graduate who served the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Curtin aspires to become a financial advisor in the pharmaceutical industry. He is currently employed with the Health Service Executive, which oversees Ireland's healthcare system.

"My parents, like a lot of other Irish people of their generation, had no hope of progressing to University because of the lack of money," said Curtin of his parents, Donal and Kitty Curtin. "This has made me even more eager to succeed in college and in my future career."

Julie Briggs wins McGowan Scholarship

By Alejandra Navarro, Editor

Julie K. Briggs has been selected to receive the prestigious William G. McGowan Scholarship of $18,000 to pay for her senior year tuition in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business.

The award, given by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund Inc. in Washington, D.C., is open to students enrolled in AACSB-accredited business schools throughout the country. It rewards applicants who achieve academic excellence, demonstrate leadership skills, show intellectual curiosity, and display entrepreneurial potential, and who are involved in campus and community activities.

"It was a nice reward for all my hard work so far, and it's a huge help for my family," said Briggs who is from Westville, N.J. She is majoring in both marketing and mathematics, and plans to enter the field of advertising.

An exceptional student, Briggs is a member of four honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the United States; Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society; Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society; and Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society. In addition, she received the Phi Beta Kappa Sophomore Book Award and the Fairfield University Fellows Scholarship, and was named to the Dolan School of Business Dean's Student Advisory Roundtable.

Briggs' parents instilled leadership qualities in her at a young age. "My parents made sure I was responsible for whatever I needed to do," she explained. From schoolwork to fundraising projects, "I had to take the initiative." It's not surprising that she has developed into a leader on campus. Briggs served as director of weekend programming for the Fairfield University Student Association. She also founded and is current president of the Advertising Club. Her academic projects include performing an extensive brand analysis for Kashi Cereal Company and completing an analysis of residential trends in suburban areas using GIS software and U.S. Census reports. She was employed as a peer tutor in math and worked as a campus tour guide and on the University's student computing help desk. Briggs also made time to volunteer, serving dinners at Prospect House and spending time with a mentally challenged young man through the Best Buddies program.

The fund is named after its late founder, William G. McGowan, a former chairman of MCI Communications Corp. McGowan faced his own struggle to finance his education while in graduate school at Harvard University. He ultimately benefited from a scholarship program that helped him finish his studies.

In her scholarship essay, Briggs wrote that she is eager to follow the path set forth by McGowan. "A determined spirit with a golden heart, brilliant mind, and unique personal leadership style, Bill (McGowan) made a difference in the world," Briggs wrote. "I can see some of those traits blossoming within myself, and hope to someday have the chance to impact the world (just like Bill did)."

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FUSA volunteers in Fairfield

Improving town-gown relations was one of goals put forth by Hutch Williams '08 and running mate Megan McConville '08 when they ran for president and vice president of FUSA last spring. Last June, they took a first step toward achieving that goal by gathering a group of students to work alongside employees of Fairfield's Parks and Recreation Department hosting a Beach Fest for high school students. "There were very few incidents that night, and I think that the presence of the eight of us helped eliminate any problems before they happened," says McConville. FUSA has other collaborations with community members planned for the future, she adds.

Open VISIONS Forum celebrates 10 years

By Meredith Guinness, Publications Writer

What do Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, Jamie-Lynn "Meadow Soprano" Sigler, and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto have in common? They've all taken the Quick Center stage as part of Open VISIONS Forum (OVF), the popular University College lecture/discussion series in which students, staff, faculty, and the greater community engage "the life of the mind."

The brainchild of Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor of art history, OVF brings some of the world's top thinkers in art, culture, and public affairs to campus in a way that allows listeners to get a sense of what makes them tick. Not just a stodgy lecture series, OVF lets listeners pose questions during a post-lecture Q&A and, in many cases, get to know the speaker through classroom visits, pre-lecture discussions, and receptions.

"It's really very Ignatian," said Dr. Edna Farace Wilson, dean of University College. "It's not just a lecture. It gives the audience time to reflect and think about what they've learned."

It also gives Dr. Eliasoph, OVF's director/moderator, and his dedicated OVF organizers some rather unusual insights into their guests. "Visiting speakers have revealed some quirky idiosyncrasies and off-guarded confessions," he said. "Andrea Mitchell told me she hits the gym at the crack of dawn while spouse Alan Greenspan would read morning dispatches in their hot tub. John Irving had a penchant for tight black spandex accentuating his trim wrestling physique. Mia Farrow's body language went limp whenever Woody Allen was mentioned. Frank McCourt admitted that he reconnected to his long-estranged daughter, tracking her down at a Grateful Dead concert."

Over the years, OVF's popularity has grown steadily. Lectures often sell out months in advance. Interest is so high in this season's first speaker, Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly, that some ticket seekers have asked whether he would speak on two consecutive nights to accommodate the crowd, said OVF Producer Elizabeth Hastings.

Support on campus is evident, from technical aid by Quick Center Executive Director Tom Zingarelli and his staff to set design by Fairfield resident Ellen Hyde Phillips to Academic Vice President Orin Grossman, a noted pianist who has even tickled the ivories at OVF events. In addition, a loyal group of professors encourage - and sometimes require - their students to attend lectures.

"I was in on it from the beginning and I remember thinking, ‘This is world class,'" said Dr. Lisa Newton, director of the Applied Ethics program in CAS. "This is going to make Fairfield University a community resource, a destination for intelligence and art and culture and current affairs. And I was right."

"I'm delight-ed to be a part of a campus that values the intellectual and creative side of life enough to have such world-renowned authors and thinkers," said Dr. Michael White, associate professor of English in CAS.

In recent years, OVF has partnered with several departments and centers on campus to bring top-notch speakers. For instance, the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies pairs with OVF for the annual Jacoby Lunin Humanitarian Lecture, and FUSA and the Center for Multicultural Relations also lend support to annual events. In addition, OVF collaborates with Fairfield's Pequot Library and other off-campus entities, showing just how much a part of the community OVF has become.

Future plans may include expansion of University College's popular Author's Forum, and an Open VISIONS Forum series geared toward young people, Wilson said.

That's good news, said Dr. Thomas Pellegrino, dean of students. "In a day and age where technology has unfortunately tended to remove the sharing of knowledge and art from public settings and from community places," he said, "Open VISIONS remedies that situation by providing a physical space for individuals to come together and share common interests as well as diverse ideas."

Left to right: Dr. Philip Eliasoph, Dr. Michael White, and author John Irving at an OVF lecture in March 2005.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Open VISIONS Forum
Fall 2006

Bill O'Reilly
Sunday, Sept. 17, 3 p.m.

Emmy-winning host of Fox New Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, the highest-rated cable news program in the country, Bill O'Reilly is the host of a radio call-in show and author of three New York Times bestsellers. His appearance is sponsored in part by Somerset Capital.

Joan Didion
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.

Joan Didion, author of Slouching Towards Bethlehem and National Book Award winner The Year of Magical Thinking, is a novelist, essayist, screenwriter and a contributor to The New York Times Review of Books and The New Yorker. The evening takes place in collaboration with Pequot Library.

U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays and Candidate Diane Farrell
 Monday, Oct. 16, 8 p.m.

Congressman Christopher Shays and candidate Diane Farrell, competing in the Fourth Congressional District race, will participate in a debate.

Phil Donahue
Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.

Open VISIONS Forum and the Fairfield University Student Association present Phil Donahue, a 19-time Emmy Award winner who changed the face of television with his groundbreaking talk show format. The evening includes a sneak peek of his moving new documentary following a soldier disabled in the Iraqi War.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Center.

Katrina vanden Heuvel and William Kristol
Election Day Special
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation and co-editor of Taking Back America - And Taking down the Radical Right, and William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard and co-author of The War Over Iraq: America's Mission and Saddam's Tyranny, face off on politics of the day.

Judea Pearl
Jacoby Lunin Humanitarian Lecture
Monday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m.

Judea Pearl, father of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan, is president of The Daniel Pearl Foundation, which fosters peace and understanding through music, lectures, media internships, and education. The evening is sponsored by the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies.

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Sports

Brzezinski coaches pro team for the summer

By Jack Jones, Director of sports information

The difference is just over 80 feet, the distance between third base and first base on the softball diamond. For Fairfield University Head Softball Coach Julie Brzezinski, that 80-plus feet was large enough to give her a completely different perspective on the game she has coached for more than 15 years.

Brzezinski spent her summer as an assistant coach with the Connecticut Brakettes, the latest addition to the National Pro Softball League. As an assistant, Brzezinski spent her time in the first-base coaching box, across the diamond from the third-base position she holds during Stags games. That change in venue was enough to give her a new outlook.

"It was very refreshing to watch the game as an assistant coach," Brzezinski said. "I was able to enjoy the game more as an assistant. Not as much falls on your shoulders as it does when you are the head coach. You are able to watch and see more of the game."

As Fairfield's head coach, Brzezinski supervises all aspects of the team and program, things like travel itineraries, class schedules, and securing umpires. During games, she worries about aligning the defense, pinch hitters, pitching changes, and how to pitch to the opponent's top hitter.

Brzezinski's duties as an assistant coach with the Brakettes included tossing batting practice before games, coaching first base, and working with the defense. She was able to concentrate more on individual aspects of the game as an assistant coach.

 "As an assistant, you can watch the game closely and see what adjustments need to be made. You are able to concentrate more on individual elements, rather than looking at the entire field at once," Brzezinski said.

Brzezinski also experienced life on the road without many of the problems she normally has to handle. She was able to enjoy trips to Arizona and Texas, as well as her personal favorite stop - Chicago.

"Chicago is a terrific city," Brzezinski said. "Plus, the games themselves were very exciting. There were about 2,500 fans at the game, and they were very loud. It was a great atmosphere. And it helped that we beat Chicago (currently first place in the league) two out of four games."

One thing Brzezinski did miss on the road trips was some of the camaraderie that she enjoys with her collegiate players.

"Players are more self-sufficient in the pros," Brzezinski said. "The only time we would really get together as a team would be when we went to the field to play the games. With Fairfield, we get together several times per day. Our meals are team meals, where everyone is together. There are more team-bonding opportunities with a college team."

Despite playing more than 40 games and traveling across the country, Brzezinski is not worried that her busy summer will affect her this season. In fact, the experience has done just the opposite.

"I actually feel rejuvenated," Brzezinski said. "I really enjoyed just being around the game without having the worries and responsibilities that a head coach has during a season. It gave me a new outlook and perspective toward the game."

It's amazing what 80 feet can do.

 Julie Brzezinski (above right) on the diamond with pro softball players.

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Sport Shorts

By Jack Jones, Director of Sports Information

Soccer teams tapped as favorites

The Fairfield University men's and women's soccer teams were selected as the pre-season favorites in the annual Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) coaches polls. The men's team, which captured the 2005 MAAC regular-season championship, collected 95 total points. The women's team secured 93 points, two points higher than second-place Loyola College.

Stag teams host golf tournaments

The women's basketball and  the men's baseball teams will sponsor their annual golf tournaments this Fall. The Red Tees  par three golf outing takes place on Sept. 9, with proceeds benefiting the women's team. The event will take place at the Short Beach Golf Course in Stratford. Players will also receive a gift and be treated to a clam bake on the beach. For reservations, call ext. 2209.

The baseball team will hold its event at the Pelham Country Club in Pelham Manor, N.Y. The annual event benefits the team in memory of former Stag baseball player Mike Andrews '89. Registration is at 10:30 a.m. with the shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. A dinner will follow. For reservations, e-mail Joe Solimine '89 at jsolimine@meridianmanagement.com or Vic D'Ascenzo at vfdacenzo@mail.fairfield.edu.

Stags' Kids Page Launched

The Fairfield University Athletics Department launched the Stags Kids' Page, an interactive Web page that offers children between the ages of 4 and 12 a way to stay up-to-date on their favorite varsity teams. Membership is free. Kids have an opportunity to earn a gift each month by completing the activity sheets on the website and bringing the sheets and their membership card to the designated game. A limited number of gifts will be available via mail for kids who join outside the state. Gifts will include a memo board, a water bottle, a Stag bobblehead, and a stadium cup. Other activities will include chat sessions with coaches and student-athletes, a scavenger hunt, and an essay (ages 8-12) or coloring (ages 4-7) contest. An enrollment form is located www.fairfieldstags.com . For more information on the Stags Kids Page, call ext. 4116.

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Coach Cooley hosts reception

Head Coach of Men's Basketball Ed Cooley (pictured above, center) chats with faculty and staff at a June 27 reception at Alumni Hall.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

FADICA funds Catholic women theologians

FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) has awarded Fairfield University a $63,000 grant to fund research and writing projects by Catholic women theologians in the subject area of theological spirituality. Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer, professor of religious studies (CAS), will direct the two-year project that will produce a series of six publications of a length and style that will make them accessible and user-friendly to busy women, and give interested and qualified scholars time to research and write a small book on some aspect of women's spirituality.

"More than at any moment in history," Dr. Dreyer explains, "women today are responsible for the spiritual formation of the faithful. From the home to the local church to formal ministry, women are overwhelmingly at the front lines. In the Roman Catholic Church, 82 percent of non-ordained ministerial positions are held by women. Since nearly 99 percent of our ideas about theology and spirituality have emerged out of male experience, it is imperative that women attend with care and openness to the specific way they encounter God, hear the call of the gospel, and respond to it in love and justice for the world." Contributing to this project were a group of eight individuals and family foundations including: The Amaturo Family Foundation; The AMS Fund; The Mary J. Donnelly Foundation; Anne Marie Doty Paine; The Doty Family Foundation; George and Marie Doty; Maureen O'Leary; the Robert and Maura Burke Morey Charitable Trust; and the Raskob Foundation.

School of Nursing receives largest federal grant for ELDER care project

The School of Nursing (SON) has been awarded a $467,645 competitive grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund the development of the Expanded Learning and Dedication to Elders in the Region (ELDER) Project. The grant, the largest federal grant received to date by the SON, will make possible the linking of the School with multiple health care agencies in the region, with the goal of updating the education of RNs, LPNs, and nursing assistants who care for older adults.

U.S. Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) supported the project and joined University President Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., in announcing the award at the SON Advisory Board's meeting in June. The ELDER Project grant builds on prior grants to SON for geriatric nursing education, and sets the stage for further partnering opportunities with community organizations. Services will include focus group meetings on-site at each agency, educational sessions, and patient care simulations at Fairfield University. Cooperating agencies represent the continuum of care: a community health center, two long-term care facilities, and one home health agency. SON faculty members Dr. Philip Greiner and Dr. Jean Lange, will co-direct the project.

Davis Educational Foundation gives $200,000 to Center for Academic Excellence

The Davis Educational Foundation has awarded Fairfield University a two-year, $200,000 grant to further the work of the Center for Academic Excellence, which was established in 2003 as a resource for faculty development in the areas of technology and pedagogy. The current grant will help widen the Center's impact on teaching practices, particularly as they affect the core curriculum. In addition, it is meant to sustain the general operation of the Center while a permanent endowment is raised. Project directors are Dr. Larry Miners, associate professor of economics (CAS) and director of the CAE; Dr. Roben Torosyan, associate director of CAE; and Dr. Kathryn Nantz, associate professor of economics (CAS) and faculty facilitator of the core curriculum initiative. 

A major goal of the University Strategic Plan calls for integration of the 60-credit core curriculum, so that students better understand the connections across disciplines and time. This strategic initiative, dependent on faculty efforts, will be bolstered by the most recent Davis Foundation grant (its earlier $200,000 award helped launch the Center and supported course redesign in economics). The core integration initiative, to begin in September, includes an annual campus Convocation related to the core; an intensive overnight faculty retreat on the topic; a series of expert speakers on pedagogical integration; and workshops on redesigning teaching and assessing the core.

Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation funds Science BASE Camp

The Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation has awarded a two-year, $10,000 grant to Fairfield University to support the development and operation of a "BASE Camp" science program to spark the interest of urban high school students and encourage them to consider careers in science. As conceived by Dr. Shelley Phelan, associate professor of biology and project director, BASE Camp will provide Bridgeport students with a hands-on science/math experience during a one-week set of intensive, research-based activities in summer 2007 and 2008. Fairfield's current science and math majors will serve as camp counselors, and the high school students will gain exposure to each of the major fields of science: biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and math/computer science.

In the first phase of the project, to begin this fall, science and math faculty will discuss curriculum with teachers in the Bridgeport high schools and identify particular areas of need. Based on this collaboration, faculty will design appropriate inquiry-based laboratory activities centered around some aspect of their own research programs, with particular emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of science in research today. After next summer's BASE Camp, designed for 50 students, the high school teachers and University faculty will together assess the research-based model and consider how best to adapt portions of it into the regular high school curriculum.

Academic Talent Search grant renewed

Fairfield University has received a $260,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Academic Talent Search, one of the three TRIO programs. The grant, authorized under the Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, will provide renewed funding for the program from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2010.  Academic Talent Search identifies students with academic potential from multicultural and disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who are the first college-bound generation in their families, and encourages them to complete high school and pursue post-secondary education. The program provides academic, personal, and career counseling to students enrolled in Bridgeport public schools.

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News Briefs

Living Theology series returns
The Living Theology series, sponsored by Fairfield University's Catholic Studies program, presents "Dialogue in the Church: The State of the Question" on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Bradford Hinze, a noted author and professor of theology at Fordham University, will lead the 2.5-hour morning workshop in the School of Nursing Auditorium. It is the first of three fall workshops that are free and open to the public.

Dr. Hinze is the editor or co-author of five books. His latest book, Practices of Dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church: Aims and Obstacles, Lessons and Laments, was published this year by Continuum Press. In this workshop, Dr. Hinze will lead a discussion examining where and how people talk to one another about faith and other issues in the Catholic Church.

The Living Theology Series began in spring 2005 and attracted participants from throughout Fairfield County. The sessions are intended to help local Catholics and others learn about the latest thinking in the Church and reflect on these important topics.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal magazine, will lead a pre-Election Day workshop entitled "Religion, Politics and the Electoral Process." The final Living Theology workshop of the semester is "What's So Fascinating about the Gnostic Gospels?" scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2. For more information, contact Carolyn Arnold at ext. 3415.

Baroque opera arrives for Jesuit Jubilee Year Celebration
The Baroque Opera San Ignacio by Domenico Zipli, S.J., will come to Fairfield University on Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14, in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola. The opera, sponsored by the Catholic Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences and part of the Jesuit Jubilee Year Celebration at Fairfield University, will be performed by Ensemble Abendmusik and directed by John Finney, a faculty member at Boston College and associate conductor of The Handel & Haydn Society.

In 1716 in Seville, Spain, a young Italian musician from Prato named Domenico Zipoli entered the Society of Jesus hoping to travel to the New World to work in the famous Jesuit Reductions of Paraguay.

The Chamber Opera San Ignacio is a musical work that became emblematic of the whole Jesuit Missionary enterprise in Paraguay and indeed in the whole world as well.

The opera is in two acts: Act I, which portrays the response of St. Ignatius Loyola to God's call, and Act II, which narrates the sending of Francis Xavier to the far East to spread the Gospel of Christ. In broad strokes, the opera incarnates many of the central themes of Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises, prompting again the eternal questions of human identity. This 21st-century production of San Ignacio is an attempt to enter once again into that mystery, not only of who we are and where we are going, but also the mission itself, which is the journey of each of us as the drama of life unfolds.

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

Sculpture Society exhibit arrives
About 50 works - from a delicate ceramic vessel to a 350-pound marble piece - will be part of the National Sculpture Society 2006 Annual Awards Exhibition at Fairfield University's Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery running from Sept. 21 through Dec. 10. An opening reception with some of the artists is set for Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

Open to NSS fellows, sculptor members and associates, the 73rd annual juried exhibit will feature works from across the country, including Montana artist Rod Zullo's "Lenore," a bronze sculpture than won Best in Show. Connecticut artists featured will be: Alice Sue Chism and Jeremy Davis, both of Old Lyme; Janice Mauro of Redding; Lisa Nonken of Hebron; and Virgil Oertle of East Lyme.

"This exhibition was met with such tremendous academic and community success at Fairfield University in 1991, we decided it was time to bring it back," said Dr. Diana Mille, director of the Walsh Gallery. "It will certainly complement the many of the Visual and Performing Arts courses being offered at the University, as well as offer a unique opportunity to see large-scale sculptural works by contemporary artists outside of the museum setting." Admission is free.

For more information, call the Gallery at ext. 2969.

Staff Association revs up for 2006-07

Elected by Staff Association members in the spring, this year's officers are (l-r) Patti Pastore, secretary; T.J. Murphy, vice president; Linda White, president; and Tim Craig, treasurer. The officers are gearing up for a busy year with luncheons and trips already being planned. Watch for announcements on upcoming events.

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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

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