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College of Arts and SciencesAT THE CORE
Celebrating 40 years of women at Fairfield with Sister Simone Campbell
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Table of Contents
Professor’s research on memory goes viral ................................................................................................................2
Celebrating 40 years of women at Fairfield ...............................................................................................................3
Gifts, grants, and awards ............................................................................................................................................4
Happy birthday, Edith! English professor celebrates literary icon’s birthday ............................................................5
Philosophy professor Dr. Sara Brill awarded CAS teaching award ..................................................................................6
Bridgeport City Hall internship program a success ........................................................................................................7
Studying Thailand’s development, globalization, and culture close up ..................................................................8
CAS Students Awards Night caps academic year .....................................................................................................9
Do’s and don’ts of selling art: Behind the scenes at Christie’s ..............................................................................10
Performing for Change: Lizbel Escamilla creatively addresses immigration ............................................................11
The road to a PhD and career in chemistry: Fairfield edition ................................................................................12
A farewell message from the Dean ..........................................................................................................................13
Faculty and students come together at the end of the year to celebrate academic excellence. Page 9
College of Arts and Sciences celebrates the history of women at Fairfield University. Page 3
Students address hot-button topics through creative performances. Page 11
On the cover: The activist nun Sister Simone Campbell was the keynote speaker in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of undergraduate women from Fairfield and the 20th anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program (now Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies). Page 3.
Cover photo: Gwen Pellegrino
Want to remember the experience of seeing the Mona Lisa at
The Louvre, the massive dinosaur bones at the American Museum of Natural History, or Dorothy’s ruby slippers at the Smithsonian?
Don’t bring your camera.
So says Dr. Linda Henkel, professor of psychology, whose research into photo-taking and memory was published in the
December, 2013 issue of Psychological Science, a prestigious journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
News of her research has been reported in more than 250 media outlets in the United States, Germany, Italy, England, Australia, and the Republic of China. In addition, she was invited to attend the prestigious Milken Institute 2014 Global Conference to present her research.
In research conducted with undergraduate students in the Bellarmine Museum of Art, Dr. Henkel found that museum-goers who took photos of works of art while walking around a museum had worse memory for the objects and for specific object details.
“People so often whip out their cameras almost mindlessly to capture a moment, to the point that they are missing what is happening right in front of them,” she said.
Dr. Henkel enlisted a team of psychology majors to conduct the study, which grew out of a conversation she had in the lab with Alyssa Accomando ’12. Accomando, Chelsea Morales ’13, and Andrea Teofilo ’12 helped Dr. Henkel with the study.
Dr. Henkel was thrilled she and her students could move out of the lab and into a real-world situation right on campus.
“This was an amazing opportunity to extend my laboratory research into the more complex world of everyday life, using stimuli far richer and engaging than would otherwise be possible in the confines of my lab,” she said. “Ultimately students got to see that psychological science is all around us, and the world literally is our lab!”
Professor’s research on memory goes viral
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A picture might not be worth a thousand words. Dr. Henkel’s research shows that taking photography gets in the way of establishing strong memories.
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Dr. Linda Henkel
Dr. Henkel’s research on memory appeared in over 250 news outlets and close to 100 social media outlets including:
• Canadian Geographic
• Taipei Times
• Pakistan Today
• NBC News
• The Guardian
• Fox News
• The Globe
• Slate
• NPR’s “All Things Considered”
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Dr. Henkel and her students performed their memory research at Fairfield University’s Bellarmine Museum of Arts.
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The activist nun Sister Simone Campbell turned out to be the perfect keynote speaker to celebrate the 40th anniversary of undergraduate women
graduating from Fairfield and the 20th anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program (now called Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies).
“Nuns on the Bus” organizer Sister Campbell presented “The View from the Bus: Opportunities for Making Mischief,” on April 3 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.
Sister Campbell is an attorney, religious leader and renowned advocate for systematic change. She is the executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace, which educates, lobbies and organizes for economic and social transformation. In Washington, Sister Campbell lobbies for issues of peace building, immigration reform, and healthcare and economic justice.
During the 2010 congressional debate about healthcare reform, Sister Campbell wrote the famous “nuns’ letter” supporting the reform bill and got 59 leaders of Catholic Sisters to sign, an act seen by many as critical to the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
In 2012, she was instrumental in organizing the “Nuns on the Bus” tour of nine states to oppose a budget she felt would decimate programs to help people in need. She recently completed another cross-country Nuns on the Bus tour in 2013 focused on immigration reform.
Sister Campbell’s appearance was the centerpiece of the yearlong 40/20 celebration on campus. Though professional schools admitted women students before the 1970s, the first class of women undergraduates walked across the Bellarmine Hall terrace at Commencement in 1974. Since then, female students have gone on to many leadership roles on campus and many successful careers after graduating from Fairfield.
“We were thrilled to have Sister Campbell on campus to mark this significant milestone in the history of the University and our interdisciplinary program,” said Dr. David Gudelunas, co-director of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGS). “Women, Gender and Sexuality
Celebrating 40 years of women at Fairfield
Drs. David Gudelunas and Emily Orlando, co-directors of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, pose with keynote speaker Sister Simone Campbell (center).
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Celebrating the women of Fairfield, past and present (L-R): Lynn Babington, Dean, School of Nursing; Shannon Siwinski ’92, P’16, alumni president elect; Robbin Crabtree, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Mary Margaret Weber ’84, past alumni president; Elner Morrell ’81, P’03, University trustee; Mary Frances Malone, Associate Academic Vice President for Academic Affairs; Laura Incerto’81, past alumni president; Janet Canepa ’82, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations; Carolyn Vermont ’82, former trustee
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Sister Campbell met and talked with many of the students minoring in the WGS program following her speech.
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“Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies is one of the most dynamic programs on campus and we couldn’t think of a more dynamic speaker to help us celebrate with faculty, students, community members, and hundreds of graduates of our program.”
Gifts, grants, and awards Eighty school teachers will be able to attend one-week workshops on jazz great Duke Ellington and his world, including a study of how the interaction of music and the issues of race, class, gender, and age helped develop American Popular Culture, from the Jazz Age through Civil Rights. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the University $177,340 for the project, called “Duke Ellington and American Popular Culture.” Dr. Laura Nash, professor of music, leads the project.
Dr. Angela Kim Harkins, associate professor of religious studies, was awarded a prestigious grant through the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship to do research at the University of Birmingham, in the United Kingdom. During the two-year position fellowship, worth approximately $500,000, Dr. Harkins will study how the memory of the Teacher of Righteousness, a figure found in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, was experienced at Qumran.
A $40,000 grant was received from the Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, Inc. for “The Role of Peroxiredoxin Proteins in Breast Cancer Cell Survival,” student/faculty research led by Dr. Shelley Phelan, professor of biology. This project will facilitate the
involvement of undergraduate students in breast cancer research to be conducted primarily during 2014.
The Jesuit Conference awarded $5,000 to Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, associate professor of politics, to help develop an international service learning model that U.S. Jesuit universities and colleges may adopt to develop further their study abroad programs in African nations.
The Earl & Hilda Brinkman Family Foundation provided a grant of $5,000 for a research project by Dr. Shannon Harding, associate professor of psychology, called “New Directions in Student Research at Fairfield University: Autism Treatment Studies in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab.”
Susan Antilla, who teaches journalism as a part-time professor in English, received the “Best in Business” award for News Agency Commentary through the Sabew Awards (Society of American Business Editor and Writers). Antilla’s work was noted for being “tough, engaging, enlightening, and head-snapping with terrific topics and engaging arguments.”
Studies is one of the most dynamic programs on campus and we couldn’t think of a more dynamic speaker to help us celebrate with faculty, students, community members, and hundreds of graduates of our program.”
WGS is an interdisciplinary program that challenges the cultural, intellectual, social and political assumptions about sex, gender and sexuality systems. Courses in the program critically engage issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and other key components of identity and the ways they intersect.
The program was first developed by a group of faculty who met over the two years from fall 1991 to spring 1993 to first envision and then write the proposal for the program. The program was formally approved and inaugurated in fall 1993.
“After listening to Sister Simone’s speech, I was very proud to be a member of the WGS community,” said Adavia Thornton ’14. “It’s women like Sister Simone Campbell that
reflect the hope and fearless dedication of female leaders in our society. Sister Simone shared her gifts with me, and I am inspired to share mine with rest of my community.”
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Happy birthday, Edith!English professor celebrates literary icon’s birthday
It’s not every day you get to celebrate your favorite author’s birthday at the very house that the author helped design.
Dr. Emily Orlando, associate professor of English, did just that when she was invited to deliver a lecture in Lenox, Massachusetts at “The Mount,” in honor of Edith Wharton’s 152nd birthday.
The lecture, “Fifty Shades of Lily: Wharton, Art, and Popular Culture,” was a sold-out, standing-room only affair.
“It was an honor and pleasure to be invited to speak at Edith Wharton’s historic home on the occasion of her birthday,” said Dr. Orlando. “The Mount is a testament to Wharton’s engagement with art and design, given that she designed the house in conjunction with Ogden Codman, with whom she also collaborated on the book The Decoration of Houses.”
Dr. Orlando’s lecture, which took place in January, examined Edith Wharton’s career-long engagement with the visual arts and her lasting connections to contemporary culture.
Considering Lily Bart’s tableau vivant in The House of Mirth as a turning point in the writer’s work, Dr. Orlando
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Edith Wharton expert, Dr. Emily Orlando, associate professor of English, was invited to deliver a lecture on the anniversary of Wharton’s 152nd birthday.
discussed the ways in which Wharton’s critique of the representations of women in 19th-century visual culture resonates in our 21st-century world.
The audience included Wharton scholars, former Fairfield students, and patrons interested in Wharton’s life and work.
“As a scholar of Wharton and the visual arts in particular, it would not be an exaggeration to say it was a religious experience to deliver a talk in Edith’s drawing room,” said Dr. Orlando.
Wharton’s books, Dr. Orlando explained, have remained relevant and popular in contemporary culture.
“In my lecture and in my Fairfield course called ‘Edith Wharton and Her Circle,’ I have argued for compelling connections between Wharton’s early 20th-century fiction and such fragments of contemporary culture as Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Mad Men, HBO’s Girls, and so on,” she explained.
Dr. Orlando is the author of Edith Wharton and the Visual Arts. She co-directed the 2012 “Edith Wharton in Florence” conference and currently serves as Vice President of the Edith Wharton Society.
Philosophy professor Dr. Sara Brill awarded CAS teaching award
Since she began teaching at Fairfield University in 2004, students of Dr. Sara Brill, associate professor of philosophy, have consistently described her as one of
the best professors Fairfield University has to offer — one of those special teachers that have had a great influence on their intellectual life.
It’s no surprise then, that Dr. Brill received the 2014 Award for Distinguished Teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences during the annual faculty meeting on May 1.
“From the minute she began her course on Plato’s Republic, I knew I had made the correct decision on coming to Fairfield University,” said Luke Record ’14 a philosophy major that recently received the top departmental award for 2013-14. “Over the course of a college education…one is bound to encounter one or two professors who profoundly shape the way in which one thinks: Dr. Brill has undoubtedly had such an influence on me.”
Noting that Dr. Brill’s popularity among students is well deserved, Dr. Joy Gordon, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, said, “She engages her students profoundly, and does so in creative ways. Her students come to understand that philosophy is fundamentally about examining our lives; but additionally, Dr. Brill teaches that philosophy involves not only living an examined life, but rather an examined life for others.”
Students examine topics such as race, gender, class, and power through classical and modern texts. For example, Dr. Brill paired Plato’s Crito with Charles Mills’ The Racial Contract; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” with Plato’s Apology; and Sophocles’ Antigone with Iris Marion Young’s “Throwing Like a Girl.”
Dr. Gordon added that, in their evaluations of Dr. Brill, students consistently noted that they felt comfortable talking about these topics with her as their guide.
“Dr. Brill engages her students in questions that challenge their assumptions, but does so in a way that is respectful and inclusive.”
Dr. Brill received her PhD in 2004 from Pennsylvania State University, specializing in ancient philosophy and ethics. She wrote her dissertation on the role of medicine in Plato’s Republic and her book, Plato: On the Limits of Human Life, published by Indian University Press, was released in 2013.
In the classroom, Dr. Brill teaches Plato, Aristotle, Tragedy, Women in Classical Literature, and Ancient Medicine and Philosophy. In addition to teaching philosophy courses, she team teaches courses in the Honors Program and is the director of the Classical Studies Program.
“As a scholar of Wharton and the visual arts in particular, it would not be an exaggeration to say it was a religious experience to deliver a talk in Edith’s drawing room.”
“Over the course of a college education…one is bound to encounter one or two professors who profoundly shape the way in which one thinks: Dr. Brill has undoubtedly had such an influence on me.”
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(L-R) Dean Robbin Crabtree presented Dr. Sara Brill, associate professor of philosophy, with the 2014 Award for Distinguished Teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Bridgeport City Hall internship program a success
Just two years since it first launched, the Bridgeport City Hall internship program is going strong with more than 40 students earning academic credit while working for
numerous city agencies.
“It’s been a great success so far, both for the students and for us,” said Erin McDonough, liaison to the Office of Mayor Bill Finch, and the on-site coordinator for the Fairfield University internship program.
“Students are learning a lot and making connections with local organizations and with members of the community. In addition, those working in departments for the city are getting a chance to work with enthusiastic interns.”
In the two years the program has been running, students have been placed according to their academic interests in offices ranging from sustainability, construction management, labor relations, the animal shelter, human resources, city attorney, civil services, and even the mayor’s office, all based on their interest.
“In our Sustainability Department alone, students have worked on dozens of different projects from biological surveys to energy program analysis to carbon footprint forecasting,” said McDonough.
Students taking part in the program come from a variety of academic disciplines. Majors have included international studies, mathematics, engineering, nursing, marketing, English, economics, history, and philosophy, to name just a few.
Responses from students taking part in the program have been very positive, with 100 percent of students that took part in a survey saying that the program was a positive experience.
“My time in the Mayor’s office was extremely valuable,” said Sarah Bennett ’14, an English major. “It allowed me to use skills from both my journalism and communication courses, and introduced me to new skills that have helped me in subsequent positions. It really helped me determine where I want my career to go.”
Administrators of the program will continue to build on the partnership between Fairfield and the City of Bridgeport. “It’s become an important way for students to learn about a neighboring city, Bridgeport, which is the largest city in Connecticut and taught dozens of students about many aspects of government and community work,” McDonough said.
“It’s also in line with Mayor Bill Finch’s dedication to public service and ensuring students have the experience they need
to be prepared for 21st century jobs.”
College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean James Simon, who spearheaded the program, said he expected continued growth in summer City Hall internships that build on the work in the spring and the fall. He said he had a personal interest in the success of the program.
“I grew up in nearby Stratford in the 1960s, and
Bridgeport was THE place to go for restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. I remember several downtown record stores where you could go into listening booths and preview 45 rpm records,” he said with a laugh. “It’s nice to give something back.”
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Patrick Cooney interned in both the Bridgeport City Mayor’s Office and the Sustainability Department while Sarah Bennett interned in the Mayor’s office as part of a new program through the College of Arts and Sciences.
Studying Thailand’s development, globalization, and culture close up
When asked about her study abroad experience in Khon Kaen, Thailand, Astrid Quinones ’14 said three words could sum up her experience: peace,
compassion, and growth.
At Fairfield, Quinones chose an individually designed major that focused on social work and justice and also declared minors in peace and justice; women, gender, and sexuality studies; and philosophy.
The combination set her up well for studies in Thailand, where she participated in an alternative study program under the Council of International Educational Exchange in a development and globalization program.
“Every day was different, Quinones said. “We had Thai language class, lectures, group discussions, Quaker meetings, trips to villages all over the Isaan region and more. Thailand was full of surprises.”
During her program, Quinones learned about the history and economic developmental issues that have shaped Thailand from professors and guest speakers in class. Outside of class she visited village communities around the Northeastern region of Thailand and interviewed villagers, government officials, and non-government organizers to get an in-depth look at the country.
The hands-on, intensive experience changed Quinones views on many things.
“The first Thai phrase I learned continues to motivate me,” said Quinones. “It’s ‘put their hearts in our hearts.’ This taught me that when trying to help others, one must think of how it will be beneficial to them, taking into consideration their morals, values, beliefs, and customs.”
Living in Thailand introduced Quinones to many experiences, from delicious spicy food to trips to elephant sanctuaries. But her favorite experience was meeting the Thai people.
“Each home stay reminded me of how universal love is,” she said. Each ‘meh’ or host mom that I had showed me so much care and love even though we could not communicate in the same language. Every smiling child and passionate community activist showed me that Thailand is a truly beautiful place.”
Looking back on her experience, Quinones was happy to say that she had grown in many ways and hopes that other students will be inspired to travel to Thailand.
“I would say you need two things: an open mind and an adventurous soul,” she said. “Everything that is asked of you in this program is challenging, not only in academics, but also because it is truly testing your ideas and perspectives of the world and encouraging individual growth and discovery. Take every moment as an opportunity to learn something new.”
Astrid Quinones ’14 studied abroad in Khon Kaen, Thailand through an alternative program under the Council of International Educational Exchange.
Quinones traveled with friends to an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai – an unforgettable experience, she noted. “I was so happy to spend time with such a calm and serene creature.”
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“Students are learning a lot and making connections with local organizations and with members of the community. In addition, those working in departments for the city are getting a chance to work with enthusiastic interns.”
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Academic achievements of more than 50 students at the College of Arts and Sciences were on display in April when faculty, administrators, and students
and their families celebrated award-winners from each department and interdisciplinary program.
The April 28 celebration has become a time-honored tradition where the College applauds students for their dedication to their studies and share with the attendees some of the interesting research projects and papers.
The Lieutenant William Koscher Award in Arts Victoria Dolloff, studio art major in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and a minor in anthropology, received The Lieutenant
William Koscher Award in Arts. This award recognizes the student majoring in the social sciences, humanities, or arts with the highest grade point average. Pictured with President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.
The College of Arts and Sciences Award in Sciences Lisa Naples, mathematics major and education minor, received The College of Arts and Sciences Award in Science. This award is presented to the student
majoring in the natural sciences or mathematics with the highest grade point average. Pictured with President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.
Award for Distinguished Work in the Humanities Megan Kuzniewski received the CAS award for distinguished work in the Humanities for her essay, “Ousting the Petrarchan Lady: The Irony of
Desire in the Taming of the Shrew.” Pictured with Dr. Emily Orlando, Chair of the Humanities Award Committee.
Award for Distinguished Work in The Social And Behavioral Sciences Klevisa Kovaci received the top social and behavior sciences award for her paper, “Democracy in Albania:
Shortcomings of Civil Society in Democratization due to the Communist Regime’s Legacy.” Pictured with Dr. Michael Adreychik, Chair of the Social/Behavioral Sciences Award Committee.
Award for Distinguished Work in Visual and Expressive Arts Crystal Rodriguez received the top award in visual and expressive arts for her project “Pintando el Futuro sin Limitaciones (Painting the Future
without Limits). Pictured with Dr. Ryan Drake, Chair of the Visual & Expressive Arts Committee.
Award for Distinguished Work in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Bayan Abunar was presented with the top prize for a research project in the natural sciences or mathematics for her
research with Dr. Amanda Harper-Leatherman studying the electrochemistry and spectroscopy of cytochrome c associated with gold nanoparticles. Pictured with Dr. James Biardi, Chair of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Committee
CAS Students Awards Night caps academic year
For the complete list of student awardees, visit www.fairfield.edu/cas
Do’s and don’ts of selling art: Behind the scenes at Christie’s
As part of their “up and out” Senior Art History seminar, Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor
of art history, and Fairfield’s graduating art history majors went on a specially arranged tour of Christie’s fine arts auction house in New York at 20 Rockefeller Plaza.
Escorted by a senior member of the American Art department, the students examined paintings proposed for future auction sales, visited the preparatory warehouse, and heard about the do’s and don’ts for transactional sales in arts and antiques in the international auction trade, Dr. Eliasoph reported.
“Christie’s auction house had such an amazing energy and buzz,” said Morgan Peck ’14, one of the students who attended the trip. “The day my class visited, an auction had taken place just a few hours earlier so we had the opportunity to see the show being taken down and a new one being put up. It really amazed me how quickly these exquisite shows are put up and taken down after the auction ended.”
Peck, who was accepted to Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York for an MA in Art Business, said that her Department’s trips to museums and auction houses have been helpful to her when deciding what to do after she graduates.
“All of my art history courses required at least one trip to a museum in Connecticut or New York City, which really exposed me to the ‘real world,’ she said. “My senior capstone course traveled to galleries, museums, and auction houses in Connecticut and New York City every week over the course of the semester.”
“Not only were we privileged enough to learn at these places, but we got private tours and meetings to learn about the ‘behind the scenes’ operations of each place. This not only made me realize I wanted to continue my studies at graduate school, but also helped me narrow down my passions within the art industry,” she said.
Peck’s graduate program will consist of art business related courses such as investment, insurance, valuation, art law, and economics, among others. Once in the program, she’ll choose a focus for her studies and career.
“It’s hard to choose right now where I see my career heading, since I am really passionate about all areas and open to new opportunities in the art industry,” Peck said.
“However, with the learning experiences I have had this semester in my seminar, I can see myself within the auction house industry or even managing a private art collection.”
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Art history professor Philip Eliasoph traveled with students from the art history capstone seminar to Christie’s for a close-up look on the inner workings of the world’s largest fine arts auction house.
All photos by Gwen Pellegrino
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For Lizbel Escamilla, Fairfield’s 2014 commencement ceremony held special memories beyond her own graduation. Not only was she the first person in her
family to graduate from college, this May will also see her parents take one more step to becoming citizens of the U.S.
“Now that I’m 21, and a U.S. citizen, I can petition for my parents to become citizens,” she said. “It’s like a dream come true, and if it happens around the time I’ll be graduating, it will be two major events at once.”
Escamilla, a native of Bronx, New York, has been involved in immigration reform since she was a child, traveling to Washington D.C. for rallies and working with faith-based organizations. In addition, the double major in communication and Spanish major has studied it as part of her coursework.
She also shared her experiences through Performing for Change (PFC), a student organization that seeks to bring awareness about important matters in a non-political way, share perspectives, and provide a lively and heartfelt performance. PFC members choose themes that relate to current events and topics that resonate with students. Past topics include drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, gun violence, pregnancy, and social media, all performed through spoken word, poetry, dance, short plays, and song.
At PFC’s last event in March, they discussed three topics: social media, gun violence, and immigration. Their
last performance especially clicked for Escamilla. “It’s not something that a lot of people know about, but I think it’s important to know that children of immigrants exist and that their parents came to the U.S. looking forward to a better life,” she said. “The audience was great and we all felt like we brought our hearts to the stage,” she added.
“I’ve spent the entire year trying to help my parents get legalized,” Escamilla said. “But immigration isn’t something that a lot of people talk about on campus.” Escamilla felt that this was a way to bring the conversation to students in a comfortable and open way.
Now that both she and her parents, who have been in America for 25 years, are reaching milestones in their lives, Escamilla is excited for what the future holds.
“My parents are so proud of me, and despite all of the time and sometimes frustrating process, I’m happy to be able to help fulfill our dreams.”
Performing for Change: Lizbel Escamilla creatively addresses immigration
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Lizbel Escamilla ’14 (L) shared her personal and academic experiences on immigration through Performing for Change, a group that creatively addresses social issues in a non-political way.
The road to a PhD and career in chemistry: Fairfield edition
Andrea Della Pelle said she always enjoyed science, and she decided to major in chemistry at Fairfield because she wanted to attend a school where the
professors’ main focus was on the education of the students.
“I knew that I wanted to be a name not just a number,” she said.
Della Pelle graduated in 2008, completed her PhD in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and now works at Brewer Science, a chemical company. She is part of the Research and Development team inventing new technologies for the fabrication of transistors.
Here are highlights of her journey from the Fairfield University chemistry classroom, to a chemistry doctorate, to a chemistry career.
1. What do you like about chemistry?I have been interested in science ever since I was a little kid. I decided to major in chemistry due in large part to a teacher that I had in high school. She was really passionate about chemistry and showed the class how exciting it could be. I love chemistry because it is constantly evolving. Every day new discoveries are uncovering the answers to questions we didn’t even know to ask. Chemistry is making impacts in all of our lives, from clean energy production and cell phone technology to cancer research and hair dyes.
2. Did you work with any faculty on research projects? The summer before my senior year I had the opportunity to stay on campus and work on a research project with Dr. Kraig Steffen. I was also able to continue the research throughout my senior year. Our research focused on the design and
synthesis of triarylamines for applications in electrocatalysis. This experience changed everything for me. This was when I realized what research was all about. It was really beneficial for me to be able to learn directly from Dr. Steffen in a research setting. I was also able to attend the American Chemical Society meeting at the end of the summer, which further opened my eyes to the possibilities of graduate school and a career in research.
3. Why did you decided to pursue your PhD in chemistry?After my research experience with Dr. Steffen, I decided that I wanted to pursue scientific research as my career. I decided
to get my PhD because I wanted to learn how to think critically about the problems that can be solved by chemistry. I spent some time talking with the chemistry professors at Fairfield to learn what to look for in a graduate school and a research advisor.
4. What is your field of specialty?My thesis work is focused on the design and synthesis of small molecules and polymers for organic solar
cells. Commercially available solar cells are made from silicon, which requires time consuming and costly processing conditions, which is why they are so expensive. Organic solar cells can offer a cheaper alternative to traditional solar cells. Additionally, silicon solar cells are heavy and rigid, but organic solar cells are lightweight and can be made to be flexible. Imagine if you could use a solar cell printed onto your jacket to charge your cell phone while you walk down the street!
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Andrea Della Pelle ’08 received her PhD in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and now conducts research at Brewer Science, a chemical company.
Performing for Change members use spoken word, poetry, dance, short plays, and song to encourage open dialogue.
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“Professor Roxana Walker-Canton, assistant professor of new media, film, television, and radio, has been interested in African American
women’s personal experiences in higher education ever since she was a student in graduate school. “I was aware of a lack of diversity in the courses I was taking,” said Professor Walker-Canton, who has an M.A. in Black Studies and an MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University and an MFA in Films and Media Arts from Temple University.
“As an African American woman in film school, I was an anomaly at the time,” she continued. “My classes showed no films by, for, or about blacks. There were no models for us. When the few black women students in the program suggested that we bring in some films by black women directors from Women Make Movies in New York, I recall the white male students in the class protesting that they didn’t know why they had to watch the films and suggested that they had no production value.”
The idea interested Professor Walker-Canton so much that she began to talk to other African American women to hear about their experiences as students in the University. Over the years she continued to spend time on the project, and in February she presented the Living Thinkers exhibition: Harriet Jacobs’ Attic 2 at Fairfield University.
This installation came out of some of the video material that Professor Walker-Canton collected for the media project, which includes the production of a documentary titled Living Thinkers: An Autobiography of a Community of Women, an archive, and a website. The installation’s associate production designers are filmmakers Tina Morton from Howard University and NaOme Richardson from Eastern University. The installation was produced with the support of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.
“This project was an exciting companion to Professor Walker-Canton’s full documentary film,” said Dean Robbin Crabtree. “The multi-media presentation was highly engaging and evocative for our students, whether they study film and media, history, education, sociology, etc. The event animated our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy very well.”
As a multimedia installation “Living Thinkers” showcased video clips, interviews, photography, and cultural artifacts. The title was inspired from Harriet Jacobs’ life -- she escaped from slavery and became an abolitionist speaker, but had to hide in her grandmother’s attic for seven years before she could escape to the North.
Professor Walker-Canton first presented the media project at Emerson College in Boston during the Film and Video Association Conference. “This exhibition tells many first person narratives,” she explained. It also looks at the 21st century African American woman. While every woman’s experience in higher education is different, Professor Walker-Canton noted that often, “The story of one woman tells the story of all, but with degrees of experience. So there are places where everyone’s experience crosses.”
Living Thinkers: Harriet Jacobs’ Attic 2 will look at
race, class, and gender in universities, and Professor Walker-Canton eventually hopes to archive all of her data online. “This is a holistic view of a woman’s journey to be educated,” she concluded.
“Professor Roxana Walker-Canton, assistant professor of new media, film, television, and radio, has been interested in African American
women’s personal experiences in higher education ever since she was a student in graduate school. “I was aware of a lack of
diversity in the courses I was taking,” said Professor Walker-Canton, who has an M.A. in Black Studies and an MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University and an MFA in Films and Media Arts from Temple University.
“as an African American woman in film school, I was an anomaly at the time,” she continued. “My classes showed no films by, for, or about blacks. There were no models for us. When the few black women students in the program suggested that we bring in some films by black women directors from Women Make Movies in New York, I recall the white male students in the class protesting that they didn’t know why they had to watch the films and suggested that they had no production value.”
The idea interested Professor Walker-Canton so much that she began to talk to other African American women to hear about their experiences as students in the University. Over the years she continued to spend time on the project, and in February she presented the Living Thinkers exhibition: Harriet Jacobs’ Attic 2 at Fairfield University.
This installation came out of some of the video material that Professor Walker-Canton collected for the media project, which includes the production of a documentary titled Living Thinkers: An Autobiography of a Community of Women, an archive, and a website. The installation’s associate production designers are filmmakers Tina Morton from Howard University and NaOme Richardson from Eastern University. The installation was produced with the support of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.
“This project was an exciting companion to Professor Walker-Canton’s full documentary film,” said Dean Robbin Crabtree. “The multi-media presentation was highly engaging and evocative for our students, whether they study film and media, history, education, sociology, etc. The event animated our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy very well.”
As a multimedia installation “Living Thinkers” showcased video clips, interviews, photography, and cultural artifacts. The title was inspired from Harriet Jacobs’ life -- she escaped from slavery and became an abolitionist speaker, but had to hide in her grandmother’s attic for seven years before she could escape to the North.Pexhibition tells many first person narratives,” she explained.
Dr. Harkins and Iulia (Oana) Basu ’10 celebrating the completion of Basu’s research project on gendered imagery in the Hebrew Bible.
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Dr. Harkins and Iulia (Oana) Basu ’10 celebrating the completion of Basu’s research project on gendered imagery in the Hebrew Bible.
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
Ingrid Betancourt
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After serving for six years as the Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Robbin Crabtree will return to her native California to assume the position of dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles.
It is with a mix of sadness and pride that I write this, my final “Message from the Dean” for At the Core. At the end of this semester,
I embark on a new administrative and academic journey as Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, I have been reflecting on my 13 years at Fairfield, and particularly the last six years during which time I was honored to serve as Dean of the College. It has been an extraordinary experience during what have been unusually challenging times for higher education, yet we have persevered and triumphed much more than we have faltered.
This is the 10th issue of At the Core, a newsletter I developed in collaboration with our Marketing & Communication division to highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of our students, faculty, and alumni. At the Core also has affirmed the central place of the College in a Fairfield University education, and provided testimonial to the enduring value of the liberal arts in the Jesuit tradition, two aspects that have been the corner posts of my work as Dean.
The achievements of College students detailed in these pages over the years, along with hundreds of stories we did not tell, have simply bowled me over. Our students exceed our expectations and do us proud during their years with us and long afterward. The College faculty is comprised of dedicated teacher-scholars who animate the Fairfield University mission in all they do. I have been inspired by their dedication each and every day and have enjoyed working with them to advance our
collective institutional wellbeing. The faculty leadership made up of CAS department chairs and program directors along with elected members of our planning and curricular committees, as well as CAS faculty who serve more broadly at the University have been exceptional partners in my work, sometimes also productive adversaries, and always good companions. Similarly, our CAS Board of Advisors members – alumni, parents, and friends from every generation and professional background – have been an invaluable resource to me as Dean. They have shown exceptional generosity of spirit, offered insights and advice, and modeled the importance of giving back. The Science Institute and Humanities Institute Endowments in the College, along with many other funds and events that support College students, faculty, and programs, are a lasting and impactful testament to their dedication.
I want to take this opportunity to thank a number of essential colleagues. To Carolyn Arnold, CAS Marketing & Communications liaison to the College of Arts & Sciences, for her hard work on
A farewell message from the Dean
At the Core these past several years. It’s impossible to communicate sufficiently the depth of my gratitude to the College staff; their dedication and professionalism along with good humor and tenacious teamwork sustained me throughout my deanship. This group includes my associate deans, who have included Beth Boquet, Joan Weiss, Manyul Im, and Jim Simon along with Aaron Perkus, all of whom have left their mark with their strategic vision and project leadership. The Assistant Deans, Sue Peterson and Dawn DeBiase (now in the Dolan School of Business), along with Andrea Martinez who is new to our team, consistently exhibit care for and dedication to students that inspires me every day. The operational staff – Cathy Alberti, Giovanna Lindquist, Sandy Richardson, Jean Siconolfi, and Fran Yadre along with many graduate assistants and work-study students over the years – have provided crucial day-to-day support with a special warmth that makes the College function and thrive. And I could not have done any of it without the incomparable Ms. Jean Daniele, Assistant to the Dean, who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism and competence in all she does. All of these individuals live their lives for and with Fairfield University, and manifest cura personalis and the Magis in all they do.
There have been many surprises during my years at Fairfield, not the least of which has been the unexpected friendship and companionship in mission I have found with the Jesuits. In particular, Fathers Jeffrey von Arx, Gerry Blaszczak, Jim Bowler, George Collins, and Paul Fitzgerald have been intellectually and professionally supportive in ways that have far exceeded notions of colleagueship or mentorship.
And so, as I move home to California after 30 years, I will carry in my heart so many people, programs, accomplishments, and lessons from Fairfield University that will continue to inform my leadership. Gratitude is an insufficient concept to express all that you have meant to me. Perhaps a better one is Grace.
Sincerely,
Robbin Crabtree, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Sciencess
In 2013, Dr. Crabtree was named “Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award” by the Connecticut ACE Network (American Council on Education). L-R: Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president for academic affairs; Christine Siegel, associate vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Crabtree; Dr. Lynn Babington, dean, School of Nursing; and Melissa Quan, associate director of the Center for Faith & Public Life.
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Dr. Crabtree presents the Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies program with an El Salvadorian cross she bought during the Ignatian Colleagues Program immersion trip. She was speaking in honor of Dr. Dina Franceschi, professor of economics, who received the 2010 “Woman of the Year” award (now Lucy Katz Award) for her work in developmental economics and social justice in Latin America. Dr. Crabtree also has done considerable research, teaching, and community engagement in Latin America.
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Dr. Crabtree (far left) with faculty and students who presented their research on cancer research at Genzyme Corporations, hosted by CAS Advisory Board member, Dr. Ted Sybertz ‘72 (far right). 2010.
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Dr. Crabtree (left and middle) enjoying lunch with faculty, staff, and students in a Sukkah. Sponsored by the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies and the Jewish student organization, KADIMA, the Sukkah marks the Jewish fall festival of Sukkot and stands in memory of the Jews who lived in temporary huts as they wandered the wilderness for 40 years in search of a permanent home. Fairfield’s Sukkah serves as a place to share a meal, hold class, or simply reflect. 2011.
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At the Core
At The Core is published twice a year by Fairfield University for alumni, students, parents,
benefactors, and friends of the College of Arts and Sciences. Editorial offices are located at:
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Dr. Robbin Crabtree Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Carolyn Arnold At The Core Editor
Edmund Ross ’86, MA’89 Senior Designer, Fairfield University
Design & Digital Print Services
Meredith Guinness Assistant Director of Media Relations
Adavia Thornton ’14 Marketing and Communications Intern
English major and women, gender, and sexuality studies minor
Printed at Fairfield University Design & Digital Print Services
New faculty publications: Congratulations to the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences that had books published in 2013-2014
Faculty publications 2013-2014:
Sara Brill, Author Associate Professor of Philosophy Plato on the Limits of Human Life Indiana University Press, 2013
Mary Ann McDonald Carolan, Author Associate Professor of Modern Languages & Literatures The Transatlantic Gaze: Italian Cinema, American Film State University of New York, 2014
Matthew P. Coleman, Author Professor of Mathematics An Introduction to Partial Differential Equations with MATLAB CRC Press, 2013
David Crawford, Co-Author Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology Nostalgia for the Present: Photography and Ethnography in Berber Morocco Leiden University Press, 2014
David Crawford, Co-Editor Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology Encountering Morocco: Fieldwork and Cultural Understanding Indiana University Press, 2013
David Downie, Co-Author Associate Professor of Politics Global Environmental Politics 6th Edition Westview Press, 2014
Paul Lakeland, Author Professor of Religious Studies A Council That Will Never End: Lumen Gentium and the Church Today Liturgical Press, 2013
Danke Li, Author Professor of History Women, War and Memory: 35 Chongqing Women’s Experiences during China’s War of Resistance against Japan Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013
Judy Primavera, Co-Editor Professor of Psychology Civic and Community Engagement Going Public Michigan State University Press, 2013
Kris Sealey, Author Associate Professor of Philosophy Moments of Disruption: Levinas, Sartre, and the Question of Transcendence State University of New York, 2013
John E. Thiel, Author Professor of Religious Studies Icons of Hope: The “Last Things” in Catholic Imagination University of Notre Dame, 2013
Front row (L-R): Drs. Brill, Primavera, Sealey, and Crabtree. Back row (L-R): Drs. Downie, Li, Crawford, Carolan, and Thiel