Up Close
Crossing the finish line: Norm Solomon
the finish line at the 2007
New York City Marathon.
When we last caught up with him in October, Dr. Norm Solomon, dean, Dolan School of Business, was spending much of his free time training for his first New York City Marathon. So how did he do?
Dr. Solomon ran the grueling 26.2-mile race, his fourth marathon, in a respectable 5:01:18, a time that qualified him - and about 30,000 others - for mention in the New York Times coverage of the event. More importantly, Team for Kids, the official charity of his running club, the New York Road Runners, raised more than $3.5 million to fund youth fitness programs to curb childhood obesity both in New York City and around the world.
"There were lots of interesting sights along the way, including runners dressed as Superman, Spiderman, a ballerina, a can-can dancer, and a Viking," he said. "Only in New York!"
Fairfield welcomes Campus Compact
Starting June 1, Fairfield University will be the administrative home for Connecticut Campus Compact (CTCC). Campus Compact, with national offices at Brown University in Rhode Island, is a national coalition of more than 1,100 colleges and universities, representing close to six million students, dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement, and service learning in higher education. State Campus Compact offices provide leadership at the state, regional, and local level to mobilize resources and provide support for member campuses. A revolving office, CTCC had most recently been housed at the University of Hartford under the direction of Dr. Bernard den Ouden, professor of philosophy.
The Center for Faith and Public Life and the Office of Service Learning will coordinate the efforts of CTCC from their offices. Dr. Robbin Crabtree, director of service learning who will become the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in August, along with Melissa Quan, the assistant director of the Center for Faith and Public Life, are working closely with Dr. den Ouden in the changeover. "Robbin and I are very excited to have the CTCC office here at Fairfield," said Quan. "The mission of the Compact is aligned so closely with the mission of Fairfield, and more specifically, the Center for Faith and Public Life and Office of Service Learning. We look forward to working with the CTCC members to increase membership and to develop new programs for faculty, staff, and students in our member institutions and beyond that inspire them to deepen their involvement in civic life, community service, and service learning."
Fairfield's goals with CTCC include strengthening existing services, building membership (there are approximately 15 member institutions in Connecticut), and creating more programs for students and professional development opportunities for faculty and community partners. Fairfield will also begin allocating several mini-grants, made possible by funding from the state Department of Higher Education's Commission on Community Service. The goal of the mini-grant program is to further the work and mission of Campus Compact and the Commission and to promote greater collaboration between Connecticut institutions of higher education on projects related to the mission of these organizations. The grants will be available to any accredited institution of higher education in Connecticut.
The CTCC move supports Fairfield's strategic plan, according to Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president, who was initially involved in Fairfield's membership. "Fairfield University's strategic plan places the Jesuit principle of service to the community as an important component of our University mission, and Campus Compact is a natural vehicle for helping us realize that goal," she said. "In the academic division, we have been exploring membership in Campus Compact for a number of years and are gratified that, after only three years of membership, Fairfield has been recognized as a capable and committed institution to lead CTCC."
Diana Hulse-Killacky
Dr. Diana Hulse-Killacky is a professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. From 1996-2007 she was coordinator of the Counseling Graduate Program at the University of New Orleans (UNO). She holds a B.Mus from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and an M.S. and an Ed.D. from Indiana University. Her professional interests include group work training and practice, corrective feedback exchange in group settings, and process observation as a teaching tool. Dr. Hulse-Killacky has served as both counselor and training faculty member at several university counseling centers. She has co-authored two books, published numerous refereed articles, and served on the editorial boards of The Journal for Specialists in Group Work and The Journal of Mental Health Counseling.
How did you become interested in your field?
When I taught piano in the 1960s in the inner cities of Boston and Detroit, I became interested in who my students were: their personalities and styles. This interest, in addition to volunteer experiences with a women's crisis center in Bloomington, Ind., eventually led me to graduate studies in counselor education at Indiana University.
What is your most daring moment in life?
Leaving my small town in eastern North Carolina and heading to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1961.
What has been the proudest moment in your life?
Two moments: giving birth to my sons, Chris and Tim.
How do you keep peace or balance in your life?
I use my walking time to reflect on my life. I try and get a good night's sleep and I depend on my faith and a small network of wonderful friends.
Do you volunteer?
I am planning to volunteer for hospice work with AIDS patients.
What is your favorite quote?
"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." This quote is attributed to John Lennon. I think it captures the reality of how life really unfolds.
What is your favorite song?
"Nessun Dorma" from the opera Turandot, sung by Jussi Björling.
Katsiaryna Salavei
Dr. Katsiaryna Salavei joins the Dolan School of Business as an assistant professor of finance. She received a B.A. in management from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining the Fairfield University faculty, she worked as a visiting assistant professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, where she taught real estate and corporate finance courses. She taught at the University of Connecticut while in the Ph.D. program. Her industry experience includes modeling the riskiness of mortgage portfolios for General Electric Consumer Finance Group.
How did you become interested in your field?
I was growing up in the former Soviet Union at a time when there was no functioning financial system. When I came to the U.S. to study business, I was fascinated with how much of a difference a strong and sophisticated financial system makes in the life of the society at every level, and especially at the level of an individual.
Do you have a favorite moment in teaching?
The moment you see students comprehend a concept or an idea that you are trying to get across.
Have you held other jobs in other professions?
When I was a child, I was a dancer in a professional children's folk dance group in Belarus. It was one of the best experiences of my childhood.
What sports, if any, do you play?
Volleyball, tennis, and racquetball. Unfortunately, I do not play as often as I would like.
How do you keep peace or balance in your life?
Connecting with nature is my therapy. My husband and I try to spend as much time outdoors as we can on the weekends. Depending on the season, we go hiking, biking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing. Spending a few hours hiking up a mountain in the Catskills or skiing in Vermont reenergizes me and keeps me balanced.
Cavanaugh joins luminaries
Adjunct English professor and author Jack Cavanaugh recently joined Pulitzer Prize winners Gore Vidal and A. Scott Berg for Literary Feasts, an exclusive benefit for the Los Angeles Public Library. On Nov. 5, the noted authors were the guests of honor at 50 dinners across the city, with Cavanaugh dining at the home of a former ambassador to Finland."It's certainly an honor to be invited," said Cavanaugh, who is also celebrating the Oct. 31 paperback release of his book Tunney: Boxing's Brainiest Champ and His Upset of the Great Jack Dempsey (Random House, 2006).
The evening, held every two years, included dinners with celebrity authors Bob Newhart, Sidney Poitier, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. On Nov. 4, the authors were the guests of honor at a reception in the Central Los Angeles Library and a dinner at the nearby California Club.
The 2007 Literary Feasts have raised more than $600,000 to date, with all net proceeds supporting children's and teen reading programs at the Los Angeles Public Library.
Cavanaugh, a longtime sportswriter for the New York Times, is currently working on a new book with Fairfield University ties. Giants Among Men: The Smartest Team There Ever Was considers the New York Giants during their "glorious era" from 1956 through 1963. In addition to covering this tight-knit squad featuring Frank Gifford and Pat Summerall, the book will feature their summer training sessions here on campus.
"From 1961 to '69 and again back in 1974, they trained here in July and August," said Cavanaugh, who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Tunney. "They lived in Loyola Hall and ate at the campus dining hall. And they had a curfew. They were grown men, but they could have five or six kids and be 40 years old and they still had to live in the dorm."
The new book will be published by Random House in August 2008.
Fairfield hosts Connecticut Commissioner of Education
Education Mark McQuillan, and Bridgeport Schools Superintendent
John Ramos at Alumni House.
"It's a very urgent issue from my perspective," Dr. McQuillan, who became commissioner in 2007, told the group.
About 30 members from Fairfield and Yale universities, the Fairfield County Community Foundation, St. Vincent's College, Gov. Jodi Rell's office, and other agencies attended the Dec. 18 luncheon meeting in Alumni House. Organized in 2004, the BHEA strives to improve the retention and graduation rates of students in Bridgeport public schools. Each member institution participates in one or more BHEA school-based project, including mentoring, tutoring, assessment, literacy, apprenticeships, and curriculum development.
"Fairfield is very pleased to be hosting and facilitating the work of the BHEA," said Fr. von Arx, who began his three-year term in 2007. "This is an opportunity to work collaboratively with our colleagues in higher education in the greater Bridgeport area to support the Bridgeport public school system and its superintendent, Dr. John Ramos, a Fairfield Prep grad. It complements our efforts on behalf of Catholic education in Bridgeport." Dr. Ramos is the BHEA's permanent co-chair.
Dr. McQuillan will spend much of this year discussing his office's proposals with educators across the state and considering costs to implement far-reaching plans that may include adding credits for graduation, particularly in math and science. He also suggests smaller learning communities that focus on individual students to help combat the "achievement gap most clearly visible in our urban centers." The problem is well known in Bridgeport, where a 2003-04 state survey found a cumulative 35 percent drop-out rate among high school students.
Several Fairfield representatives have taken lead roles in BHEA endeavors. Dr. Emily Smith, assistant professor in GSEAP, coordinates the BHEA curriculum committee, and Dr. Anibal Torres, also an assistant professor in GSEAP, is Fairfield's representative in a collaboration with Sacred Heart and the University of Bridgeport that is considering research on student commitment, best practices, grant resources, and other issues.
"Consistent with our Jesuit mission, our faculty and students have committed their time and energy to projects that are making a difference to the life chances of Bridgeport's young people," said Dr. Susan Franzosa, dean, GSEAP.
Landscape plan progresses
The master plan recommendations from Ayers Saint Gross have been reviewed and are posted online; check the plans out at http://www.fairfield.edu/co_index.html. The first phase of the plan will involve the renovation of the residential quad that joins Jogues, Loyola, Gonzaga, Regis, and Campion, reducing the "cut up" nature of the grassy area with the aim of making it a more pleasant space to congregate. This work might be done as early as this summer with a targeted completion date of September 2008.
The next phase of the plan involves beautifying the "campus core," the area at the top of the Loyola Drive loop. "We need a more coherent path system," explained Dr. Weitzer, noting as example that there is no direct path from the Barone Campus Center to the Kelley Center. "The hill between Canisius, Donarumma, and the Barone Campus Center also provides a natural amphitheatre which would be a good spot for small events, but instead is blocked off by bushes and punctuated by dirt paths from shortcuts taken through the bushes."
Future projects include creating a nature trail around the campus perimeter, improving the Barlow Road entrance, and using consistent materials for lights, benches, and walkways. "Much of what we do and when we do it will depend upon the campus community's views of the impact the changes are having," said Dr. Weitzer.
The phases of the plan that would involve changing or removing parking lots would not be done until a full parking study has been completed. A consultant has been retained to conduct a parking study this spring.
Fr. von Arx concludes the report by stating: "The vision of our Jesuit founders recognized this beautiful location as a home for what would become a great university. In our day, this landscape plan provides us with the opportunity to realize this vision for Fairfield University."