2014-15 lecture series
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All 2014-15 Lecture Series events at Alvernia University are free and open to the public.TRANSCRIPT
Alvernia Lecture Series Expand your mind with inspirational, thought-provoking lectures at Alvernia University.
20142015
Ingrid Mattson"(Don't) Save the Children" — The Benefits of Interfaith Aid Programs
Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron
University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Formerly, she
was professor of Islamic Studies, founder of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program and director
of the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford
Seminary in Hartford, Conn.
See page 16
Interfaith
LectureJan. 26, 2015
Fall 2014
Founders Day Lecture: Richard Gaillardetz Sept. 11 4Jack Gulati “Serial Entrepreneur” Sept. 22 6David Updike - Art of John Updike Oct. 2 8Larry Mazzeno Updike Lecture Oct. 6 8Lit Fest Feature: Denise Kierman Oct. 8 10First-Year Seminar: Coach Smallwood Oct. 30 12O’Pake Lecture: Jim Gerlach Nov. 10 14
Spring 2015
Interfaith Lecture: Ingrid Mattson Jan. 26 16Batdorf Lecture Mar. 10 18Hesburgh Lecture: Darren W. Davis Apr. 9 20Vatican II Lecture: Massimo Faggioli Apr. 14 22 Faculty Panel & Edible Books Festival Mar. 26 24Earth Day Lecture: Spencer S. Stober Apr. 22 25About the Venues 26
Alvernia Lecture Series
20142015
Founders Day Lecture Richard Gaillardetz, Ph.D.
Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz is
the Joseph Professor of Catholic
Systematic Theology at Boston
College and the director of graduate
studies. Gaillardetz previously taught
at the University of Toledo from 2001
to 2011 as the Thomas and Margaret
Murray and James J. Bacik Professor of
Catholic Studies, and at the University
of St. Thomas Graduate School of
Theology in Houston from 1991 to
2001. He received a Bachelor of Arts
in humanities from the University
of Texas, a Master of Arts in biblical
theology from St. Mary’s University in
San Antonio, and both a Master of Arts
and a doctorate from the University of
Notre Dame in systematic theology.
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Founders Day Lecture Richard Gaillardetz, Ph.D.
Date: September 11
Event: Founders Day Lecture: Richard Gaillardetz
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 7 p.m.
He has published numerous articles,
authored eight books and has received
numerous awards from the Catholic
Press Association for articles he has
written. He is a past recipient of the
Sophia Award (2000), offered annually
by the faculty of the Washington
Theological Union in Washington,
D.C., in recognition of a theologian’s
contributions to the life of the church.
Gaillardetz has served on the Board
of Directors of the Catholic Theological
Society of America (CTSA), the largest
professional association of Catholic
theologians in the world, with over
1,400 members. In June of 2013 he
became president of the CTSA.
Don’t miss the closing ceremony for the St. John’s Bible Exhibit on Dec. 1
alvernia.edu/mission
"A Theology of Baptism after Vatican II"
Born in India in 1942, Jack David
Gulati immigrated to America with
his family in 1958 when he was 15
years old. He attended high school
in New York City, graduating in 1959.
He enrolled at the University of Min-
nesota, and after a somewhat circu-
itous route, he received Bachelor of
Science in mathematics in 1966.
Like his father and grandfather
before him, Gulati had ambitions
to become an entrepreneur. He
acquired his first business in 1968
at the age of 26, and in the ensuing
years he bought, sold or created 40
businesses. Among his companies
in the United States and Europe
have been Fidelity Technologies
Corporation, TeleAlarm Group,
Fidelity Investment Corporation,
SafetyCare Technologies and Stoke-
say Castle. In 2014, Gulati bought
the Reading Royals Ice Hockey team,
in order to keep the team from mov-
ing away from the City of Reading.
Gulati has received many honors
over the years. President Ronald
Reagan appointed him to the White
House Conference on Small Busi-
ness in 1986, and President George
H. W. Bush appointed him to the
Small Business Advisory Commit-
tee of Federal Communications
Commission. In 1992, Gulati was
part of a delegation sent to Dakar,
Senegal, to advise African countries
on matters involving the transition
from military to civil rule.
Gulati was elected Township Su-
pervisor in Upper Merion Township,
Pa., serving from 1980-1986. He
also ran an unsuccessful campaign
for Congress from the 13th Con-
gressional District of Pennsylvania
in 1982. Over the years, Gulati has
been involved in civic and business
organizations, namely Kiwanis Club,
Chamber of Commerce and the
National Federation of Independent
Business.
Date: September 22
Event: Lit Fest: Jack Gulati
Place: Francis Hall Theater
Time: Wine & cheese 5:30 p.m., lecture 6 p.m.
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Jack Gulati
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Performing Arts SeriesThe arts are alive at Alvernia, with
ticketed events scheduled for 2014-15.
Visit Alvernia.edu/arts-culture for details.
All About UpdikeDavid Updike “Family Archaeology, in Pictures and Prose” Oct. 2, 2 p.m., Francis Hall Theater As the son of John Updike, David Updike is uniquely positioned to talk about his family's life
and works. Combining photographs with prose from his father's stories and memoirs and excerpts
from short story collections written by his grandmother, David hopes to reveal some of his family's
"story" in Shillington and Plowville, Pa.,
Updike Scholar in Residence at Alvernia, David Updike is a professor of English at Roxbury
Community College in Boston. He has written six children's books, a young adult novel called
"Ivy's Turn," and two collections of short stories: "Out on the Marsh," and "Old Girlfriends."
Laurence Mazzeno “Writers, Reviewers, and Reputations: A Tale of Three Pulitzer Prize Winners”Oct. 6, 12:30 p.m., Student Center, 2nd Floor Seminar RoomDon’t miss a special lecture by Alvernia President Emeritus — Dr. Laurence Mazzeno
on the the reputations of John Updike, Ernest Hemingway and Herman Wouk.
Date: October 1-6
Event: Exploring John Updike
Place: Main Campus
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Updike Conference 2014October 2-4, 2014 The John Updike Society Conference returns to its original location at
Alvernia University in October 2014. Keynote speakers include Adam Begley, whose biog-
raphy of Updike has been everywhere in the news, and Chip Kidd, the graphic designer
responsible for many of John Updike’s dust jackets.
Alvernia is the home to the scholarly archives of The John Updike Society.
For more information about the conference, contact James Plath at 309-556-3352.
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Denise Kiernan is the New York Times Bestselling
author of "The Girls of Atomic City" (Touchstone/Simon &
Schuster), the true story of young women living in a secret
government city during World War II while unknowingly
working on the first atomic bomb.
Kiernan will take the audience back in time, into a
top-secret world where young women and men lived
and worked surrounded by spies and secrecy, forbidden
to speak of their work, even to each other, as the United
States worked to face the challenges of World War II and the
Manhattan Project raced to harness nuclear power.
Kiernan has been working as a writer for more than 15
years, covering a variety of topics. She has been published
in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Village
Voice, Ms. Magazine, Saveur and many more national
publications. She has also worked in television, serving
as head writer for ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
and has produced for places such as ESPN and MSNBC
as well as independent productions. She has authored
several popular titles, including "Signing Their Lives Away,"
"Signing Their Rights Away" and "Stuff Every American
Should Know" (Quirk Books).
As an author, Kiernan has been a featured guest on
"The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, "PBS NewsHour,"
"NPR Weekend Edition," "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, "The
Takeaway" on WNYC, "The Cycle" on MSNBC and many
other print and radio outlets.
Denise Kiernan
Saturday, October 18
Pagoda Writers Club presents
"Paris at the Pagoda," an interactive
workshop at one of the city's most
recognizable landmarks.
(The Reading Pagoda, 1 p.m.)
Thursday, October 23
Inter-College Poetry Contest
Hosted by Dr. Richard Law,
associate professor of English at
Alvernia University.
(Franco Library, 2 p.m.)
Friday, October 24
Alvernia Writers' Series
Original readings and acts, hosted
by Dr. Tom Bierowski, associate
professor of English at Alvernia.
(Crusader Café, 1 p.m.)
More Lit Fest Fun:
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Date: October 8
Event: Lit Fest: Denise Kiernan
Place: Francis Hall Theater
Time: 6 p.m.
First-Year Seminar Lecture Coach Smallwood
Coach Mark Smallwood has been
dedicated to promoting organic
agriculture, environmental steward-
ship, efficiency and conservation for
more than 30 years. He is a long-time
organic farmer and biodynamic
gardener, raising chickens, goats,
sheep and pigs, and driving his own
team of oxen. As Executive Director
of Rodale Institute, he has focused his
efforts on training a new generation of
organic farmers. Coach has expanded
research efforts at Rodale Institute to
explore the connection between soil,
Date: October 30
Event: First-Year Seminar Lecture: Coach Smallwood
Place: Physical Education Center
Time: 7 p.m.
food and health. He brought heritage
livestock back to Rodale Institute’s
333-acre farm, created a Honeybee
Conservancy to train and steward
backyard bee keepers, and launched
“Your 2 Cents,” a national campaign
to support new organic farmers.
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First-Year Seminar Lecture Coach Smallwood
In recognition for his sustainability
efforts, Coach was chosen as a mes-
senger for Al Gore’s Climate Project,
presenting to over 15,000 people on
the effects of Global Warming. And as
his name suggests, Coach was also a
public educator and basketball coach.
The annual O’Pake Lecture
will be delivered by United States
Representative Jim Gerlach.
A lifelong Pennsylvania resident,
Jim Gerlach earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Dickinson College and
a Juris Doctor from the Dickinson
School of Law in Carlisle.
Gerlach has served for more than 20
years, beginning in 1990 with the first
of two terms in the state's House of
Representatives, followed by two terms
in the State Senate.
He served his sixth term in the
U.S. House of Representatives in
2014, representing portions of Berks,
Chester, Lebanon and Montgomery
counties. In December 2010, he earned
a spot on the influential House Ways
and Means Committee.
One of his biggest legislative
accomplishments was creating a
much-needed veterans cemetery. The
bill Gerlach authored was signed into
law by the President on Veterans Day
in 2003, and the cemetery opened in
Bucks County in 2009.
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Date: November 10
Event: O'Pake Lecture: Rep. Jim Gerlach
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 2 p.m.
"Civility, Compromise and Public Service"
O'Pake Lecture Rep. Jim Gerlach
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O'Pake Film Series The O’Pake Film Series continues with a new set of films that will focus on ethical leadership. Alvernia
University’s O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service is collaborating with community
partners to bring a classic series of films and panel discussions to Berks County. All showings are free and
open to the public, and will be held 6-9 p.m., in the Bernardine Lecture Hall on Alvernia’s main campus.
Fall 2014: Sept. 16 — "Dead Poets Society"
Oct. 15 — "High Noon"
Nov. 17 — "Doubt"
Spring 2015: Jan. 27 — "Mississippi Burning"
Feb. 12 — "Hotel Rwanda"
Mar. 18 — "Bloody Sunday"
Apr. 21 — "Erin Brockovich"
Interfaith Lecture“(Don't) Save the Children” — The Benefits of Interfaith Aid Programs
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The New Testament defines “pure and faultless” religion as “looking after orphans and widows
in their distress;” among Job’s virtues was that he was “father to the needy;” in the Qur’an, care
for orphans is mentioned over twenty times as a hallmark of believers. Throughout their histories,
the Abrahamic traditions have preached that care for needy and orphaned children is the
responsibility of religious communities and they have been prolific in establishing institutions
and organizations to serve this need.
The impact of religious communities, however, has not been all good. Taking advantage of
vulnerabilities for proselytizing or ideologically indoctrinating children, abuses at residential
schools, and the violation of familial and community rights are also part of the history of faith-
based interventions in the lives of children.
Dr. Ingrid Mattson will discuss how having an interfaith aspect to aid programs can harness the
power of faith-based work, while potentially avoiding some of the negative impacts.
Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London
and Windsor Community Chair in
Islamic Studies at Huron University
College at the University of Western
Ontario in London, Canada.
Formerly, she was professor of
Islamic Studies, founder of the
Islamic Chaplaincy Program and
director of the Macdonald Center for
Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim
Relations at Hartford Seminary in
Hartford, Conn. She earned her
doctorate in Islamic studies from the
University of Chicago in 1999.
She is the author of "The Story of
the Qur’an: Its History and Place in
Muslim Life," as well as numerous
articles exploring the relationship
between Islamic law and society
and gender and leadership issues in
contemporary Muslim communities.
From 2006-2010, Dr. Mattson served
as president of the Islamic Society
of North America (ISNA), where she
previously served two terms as vice
president.
Born in Canada, Mattson earned
a bachelor's degree in philosophy at
the University of Waterloo, Ontario
(1987). From 1987-1988 she lived in
Pakistan, where she developed and
implemented a midwife training
program for Afghan refugee women.
Mattson is frequently consulted
by media, government and civic
organizations and has served as an
expert witness.
Interfaith Lecture
Date: January 26, 2015
Event: Interfaith Lecture:
Dr. Ingrid Mattson
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 7 p.m.
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More Interfaith DiscussionCommon Heart Interfaith Lecture
Feb. 25, McGlinn Conference Center, 7 p.m.Established in 2009, "A Common Heart" is a group of religious organizations working
together to increase tolerance, understanding and respect among the interfaith community.
Social Justice & Sentencing Reform
The annual Batdorf Lecture,
supported by the Berks
Bar Association, promotes
dialogue on contemporary
ethical issues, important for
both students and the local
community. More details
about the 2015 Batdorf Lecture
will be available online at
alvernia.edu/arts-culture.
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Batdorf Lecture
Date: March 10, 2015
Event: Batdorf Lecture
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 3 p.m.
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Throughout its history, Alvernia
University has aimed not only to
develop students’ intellectual promise,
but also to foster their ethical and
moral perspectives and emphasize
their leadership potential. The O’Pake
Institute for Ethics, Leadership and
Public Service seeks to build on this
tradition. The O’Pake Institute is an
expansion of the university’s Center
for Ethics and Leadership, launched in
2006. It is named for longtime Alvernia
board member Sen. Michael O’Pake,
who passed away in December 2010.
O’Pake served nearly four decades in
the Pennsylvania State Senate as a
champion for all those in need.
The institute continues to be a
nucleus for dialogue on contemporary
ethical and leadership issues, with a
focus on promoting interdisciplinary
discourse around social justice and
Franciscan values. www.alvernia.edu/
about/ethics-and-leadership
In 2008, Alvernia received a generous
gift from T. Jerome and Carolyn Holleran,
a Berks County couple with a passion
for community service and a personal
record of meaningful community
engagement. The gift of $3 million
included capital to enhance the work
of the center in the Reading community
as well as provisions to permanently
endow it.
Rooted in the Franciscan identity of
Alvernia University and its mission as
a teaching and learning institution, the
Holleran Center identifies, cultivates
and sustains strategic partnerships
to strengthen both campus and
community life. By making these
community partnerships an essential
part of the curriculum, the Holleran
Center strives to foster the university
mission and improve the quality of life
in our community and to develop in
its students a lifelong commitment to
service as engaged citizens.
Visit www.alvernia.edu/about/
holleran-center for more information.
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Each spring, Alvernia hosts a
Hesburgh Lecture that both embodies
the university’s core values and brings
attention to topics that are relevant to
today’s local and global communities.
Considered a prolific scholar in
political behavior, public opinion,
political psychology and racial
politics, Darren W. Davis is nationally
recognized for his research on political
tolerance, the support for democratic
values, subtle racism and the concern
for social desirability. His scholarly
research has appeared in the most
prestigious journals in political science.
Davis was part of a national
committee that examined the
reliability of polling results in the 2008
presidential primaries. During the 2008
election, Davis appeared as a polling
expert on CNN, NBC, FOX, BBC and
in numerous newspapers. He earned a
bachelor’s degree at Lamar University,
a master’s degree from Louisiana State
University, and a doctorate from the
University of Houston.
Since 1986, the Hesburgh Lecture
Series has brought a taste of Notre
Dame’s academic excellence to
Alvernia’s campus courtesy of the
Notre Dame Club of Reading, which
supports the event. The lectures
perpetuate the example of President
Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh
as a lifelong learner and further
the Alumni Association mission by
providing meaningful opportunities
to Notre Dame alumni, parents and
friends.
Hesburgh lectures are presented
by Notre Dame faculty members on
topics related to art, architecture,
business, communications,
contemporary social issues,
economics, environment, ethics,
government, history, law, social
concerns and many more. Annually,
almost 5,000 alumni, parents and
friends attend a Hesburgh Lecture.
Date: April 9, 2015
Event: Hesburgh Lecture: Darren W. Davis
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 7 p.m.
"Race, Perseverance, and Catholicism" Darren W. Davis, Ph.D.Associate Vice President for Research& Professor of Political Science
Hesburgh Lecture
Alvernia’s commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the Second Vatican Council will
continue with a lecture by Dr. Massimo Faggioli,
who will discuss “From Gaudium et Spes to
Evangelii Gaudium – The Call for Hope and Joy.”
Faggioli is an assistant professor of theology at
the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
He received his doctorate in religious history
from the University of Turin in 2002. From 1996
to 2008, Faggioli carried out scientific research at
the Foundation for Religious Sciences, Giovanni
XXIII of Bologna, and arrived at St. Thomas in
September 2009.
Faggioli's publications include "Il vescovo e il
concilio. Modello episcopale e aggiornamento
al Vaticano II" (Bologna: Il Mulino 2005); "Breve
storia dei movimenti cattolici" (Roma: Carocci
2008); “Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli - Giovanni
XXIII, Tener da conto: Le agende di Bulgaria
(1925–1934),” ed. (Bologna: 2008); “Vatican
II: The Battle for Meaning” (Paulist, 2012);
“True Reform: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in
Sacrosanctum concilium” (Liturgical, 2012).
Date: April 14, 2015
Event: Vatican II Lecture: Massimo Faggioli
Place: McGlinn Conference Center
Time: 7 p.m.
Vatican II Lecture Dr. Massimo Faggioli
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Revisiting GAUDIUM ET SPES
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More Interfaith DiscussionCommon Heart Interfaith Lecture
Feb. 25Adfalkfjlfjfjf ajsdfasiuf idlkjf, author of “Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America,” has been conducting visual arts pro-
grams with incarcerated men and women for 25 years – from county jail to death row – in 18 institutions in seven states.
Vatican II Lecture Dr. Massimo Faggioli
Throughout history, legendary thinkers have argued
that Christianity should start fresh by recapturing
the humanitarian spirit of Jesus' original message.
These include such disparate individuals as Thomas
Jefferson, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman,
Friedrich Nietzsche, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw
and the religious leaders of the Occupy Wall Street
movement.
"Godley Heretics" offers new essays by scholars
of literature, film, history, theology and philosophy,
examining how various thinkers and storytellers over
time have conceived of a reinvented Christianity. In
confronting this controversial idea, this book examines
how unorthodox interpretations of the Bible can
be some of the most valid, how visions of Jesus as a
revolutionary may be the most historically sound and
how compassionate Christians such as Origen have
wrestled with the eternal questions of the existence of
evil, the gift of free will and the promise of universal
salvation.
Date: March 26, 2015
Event: Lit Fest: Godley Heretics Panel & Edible Books Festival
Place: Frank A. Franco Library, Bonaventure Room
Time: 2 p.m.
Edible Books Festival
Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit individual or team entries for the annual
Edible Books Festival.
Share your love for a favorite read with a fun, creative or unique edible depiction of the book.
visit: alvernia.libguides.com/ediblebook
Faculty Panel “Godley Heretics”
Marc DiPaolo, Ph.D., with Tim Blessing, Ph.D., & Jerry Vigna, Ph.D.
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Earth Day Lecture“Nature-centered Leadership”
Spencer S. Stober, Ed.D.with Tracey L. Brown & Sean J. Cullen
"Nature-centered Leadership" is a book for those who aspire to reflect on their
relationship with nature while influencing others to do the same. Nature-centered
leadership is not a category of leadership style per se — it is a process by which we
build an aspirational narrative with others for a more sustainable future. This book
introduces nature-centered visionaries who have demonstrated that it is possible to
influence the way humans view and act with Nature. These visionaries include Saint
Francis of Assisi, Charles Darwin, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Arne Naess, Thomas
Berry, James Lovelock and Chico Mendes. Their visions contribute to an aspirational
narrative — a hopeful story — where humans are living in harmony with nature.
Date: April 22, 2015
Event: Earth Day Lecture: Spencer S. Stober
Place: Francis Hall Amphitheatre
Time: 4 p.m.
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Francis Hall Theater & Miller GalleryFrancis Hall, home to the Theater and Miller Art Gallery, is the original building
on Alvernia’s campus. It is a four-story structure of Pueblo red brick built in the
California Mission style in 1926. The flexible space of the theater provides a first-
class venue for many different styles of performances.
Bernardine Lecture HallIn 2010 the heavily-used lecture hall in Bernardine Hall was transformed
into an impressive high-tech space that is an ideal venue for many uses.
Classes, lectures, comedians and movie nights keep the lecture hall filled on a
daily basis.
Dr. Frank A. Franco Library, Bonaventure RoomThe Bonaventure Room is located in the center of Alvernia’s beautiful library
and is normally home to scores of students researching projects in a group setting.
The open space is often transformed to host events or exhibit, and can easily
accommodate large groups for lectures and formal campus announcements.
McGlinn Conference CenterThe McGlinn Conference Center is located adjacent to the home of the
university’s sponsoring congregation, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. With a
lovely view in every season, the conference center is a peaceful environment for
retreats, lectures or seminars.
Crusader CaféLocated inside Alvernia University’s Student Center, the Crusader Café
offers the ambiance of a small coffeehouse, complete with artistic lighting
and a corner stage. Live musical and poetry performances and other events
are regularly held here.
About the Venues
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Beginning in September, military veterans and members of the armed forces
enrolled at Alvernia will have a new destination on campus. A Veterans Center will
provide centralized support for Alvernia’s growing veteran student population, provide
training to faculty and resident advisors and work with student-veterans to develop
counseling, as well as career development and financial plans.
Strongly supported by a number of faculty and staff members who are themselves
veterans, the center was made possible by significant start-up funding from a trustee
and proud veteran, Carl J. Anderson, Jr., and his wife Debbie.
In a few short years, Alvernia has become a “Military-Friendly School” and an
emerging national leader in the education and support of veterans. A member of the
Yellow Ribbon Program, Alvernia has earned Servicemembers Opportunity College
status and was named one of the top Military Friendly Schools in the country. The
university is an increasingly popular choice for veterans, having realized a 40 percent
increase in student-veteran enrollment since 2008.
Veterans Center
Contact Us:1-888-ALVERNIA (1-888-258-3764)
www.alvernia.edu/arts-culture
400 Saint Bernardine St.Reading, PA 19607
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