Saint Joseph’s University College of Arts and Sciences

Spring 2010CA&S Today

New communication studies minor focuses on ethics and commitment to social justice

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Joseph’sUniversity has a rich legacy of providing a broad-basedliberal arts education that inspires our students tobecome, in the truest sense, men and women whocontribute to the greater good. At the foundation of allthe curricula offered by the College is a commitment toeducating women and men to understand the principlesof ethics, and how they can be used not only in theirwork lives, but also in their personal lives.

In the current issue of CA&S Today, you will readabout our new multidisciplinary communication studiesminor. Driven by student demand, we initiated thiscourse of study in the fall of 2009. While manyAmerican universities and colleges have programs inthis exciting field, communication studies at SaintJoseph’s is distinctive because of its emphasis on ethics.

As our students are trained to use innovativeinformation technologies, they learn to do so responsibly.But they are also encouraged to use their newlyacquired communication knowledge to promote socialjustice, which is not only one of the hallmarks of aJesuit education, but is also a focus that our worldsorely needs.

You will also read about other new College initia-tives that seek to make the world a better place. It is mygreat pleasure to work with the dedicated faculty of theCollege of Arts and Sciences, who are united in theircommitment to the common good, as they transformthe hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders. I hope youenjoy this glimpse of our journey together.

William Madges, Ph.D., Dean

Letter from the Dean

2 | CA&S Today

DeanWilliam Madges, Ph.D.

Associate DeansPaul Aspan, Ph.D. – HumanitiesJeanne Brady, Ph.D. – EducationNancy Fox, Ph.D. – Social SciencesMichael McCann, Ph.D. – NaturalSciences, Mathematics and ComputerScience

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMSActuarial Science, Acting DirectorDeborah Lurie, Ph.D.

Aerospace Studies (AFROTC), ChairLt. Col. Joan Y. Fournier

American Studies, DirectorJeffrey Hyson, Ph.D.

Ancient Studies, DirectorBruce Wells, Ph.D.

Asian Studies, DirectorDavid Carpenter, Ph.D.

Biology, ChairKaren Snetselaar, Ph.D.

Chemical Biology, DirectorMark Reynolds, Ph.D.

Chemistry, ChairRoger K. Murray, Ph.D.

Classics, DirectorMaria S. Marsilio, Ph.D.

Computer Science, ChairJonathan Hodgson, Ph.D.

Criminal Justice, DirectorRaquel Kennedy-Bergen, Ph.D.

Economics, ChairGeorge A. Prendergast, Ph.D.

English, ChairJo Alyson Parker, Ph.D.

Environmental Science, DirectorJean Smolen, Ph.D.

European and French Studies, DirectorThomas J. Donahue, Ph.D.

Faith-Justice Institute, DirectorVirginia Johnson, Ph.D.

Fine and Performing Arts, ChairDeron Albright, M.F.A.

Foreign Languages and Literatures,Chair, Robert Daniel, Ph.D.

Gender Studies, DirectorCatherine Murray, Ph.D.

History, ChairKatherine A.S. Sibley, Ph.D.

Honors Program, DirectorMaria Marsilio, Ph.D.

Interdisciplinary Health Care Ethics,Director, Peter A. Clark, S.J.

Interdisciplinary Health Services,Director, Sally Black, Ph.D.

International Relations, DirectorBenjamin Liebman, Ph.D.

Latin American Studies, DirectorRichard Warren, Ph.D.

Mathematics, ChairDavid Hecker, Ph.D.

Medieval/Renaissance/Reformation Studies, Director, Alison Lewin, Ph.D.

Philosophy, ChairJulie M. McDonald, Ph.D.

Physics, ChairPaul Angiolillo, Ph.D.

Political Science, ChairLisa Baglione, Ph.D.

Psychology, ChairDonald Leitner, Ph.D.

Sociology, ChairRaquel Kennedy Bergen, Ph.D.

Special Education, ChairCathy Spinelli, Ph.D.

Teacher Education, Chair Althier Lazar, Ph.D

Theology, ChairShawn Madison Krahmer, Ph.D.

GRADUATE PROGRAMSAssociate Dean and Executive DirectorSabrina DeTurk, Ph.D.

Biology, DirectorJames Watrous, Ph.D.

Computer Science, DirectorJonathan Hodgson, Ph.D.

Criminal Justice & Public SafetyInstitute, DirectorPatricia Griffin, M.S.

Education, DirectorTeri Sosa, Ph.D.

Educational Leadership, ChairRay Horn, Ph.D.

Gerontological Services, DirectorCatherine Murray, Ph.D.

Health Administration/Health Education, DirectorNakia Henderson, M.S.

Math Education, DirectorSandy Fillebrown, Ph.D.

Nurse Anesthesia, DirectorsJohn J. Newhouse, Ed.D. Joan Woods, C.R.N.A., M.S.Ed.

Online Accelerated TeacherCertification (OATCERT), Instructional Technology, DirectorStephen Gary, M.Ed.

Psychology, DirectorJodi Mindell, Ph.D.

Special EducationCathy Spinelli, Ph.D.

Teacher Education, Chair Althier Lazar, Ph.D

Training and OrganizationalDevelopment, DirectorFelice Tilin, Ph.D.

Writing Studies, DirectorAnn E. Green, Ph.D.

On the cover and at right: Stills of students’ videos entered in PROJECT: REPORT, a journalism contest sponsored by YouTube and Pulitzer Center. All videos have social justice themes.

There’s a new conversation on SaintJoseph’s campus, and you won’t find it in

just one place. It’s personal but public,technical yet creative; our students are theauthors and the audience is the world. In thethick of a digital media revolution, SJUstudents are communicating – and blogging,and tweeting and posting – their way to anew kind of education.

Communication studies, a multidisci-plinary minor established in the 2009 fallsemester that spans academic departmentsand the College of Arts and Sciences and theErivan K. Haub School of Business, isgrowing successfully, thanks to highdemand from students and strong institu-tional support. With 55 minors declaredand an Opportunity Fund award of$177,000, which provided technicalequipment and laboratory space, SJUstudents are gaining an edge.

Beyond three core courses ofcommunication ethics, theory andpractice and an internship, studentschoose from classes in English, fineand performing arts, history, philos-ophy, theology, linguistics andmarketing to focus their studies onindividual interests and career goals.Rather than concentrating solely onmarketing or print-centric courses,students diversify their perspectiveof the communications field withclasses like visual rhetorics or videoproduction.

Though a rigorous course load, thegoal of combining so many disciplines,says Owen Gilman, Ph.D., professor ofEnglish and director of communicationstudies, is to provide students withmultiple skills. “Many dimensions ofcommunications are burgeoning,” saysGilman. “We hope to provide studentswith skills for an industry that changes allthe time, which requires collaboration.”

Deron Albright, M.F.A., chair andassociate professor of fine and performingarts, teaches courses in cinema and mediaproduction, and emphasizes the importancefor this generation of communicators topossess a portfolio of varied technologicalskills and knowledge.

“When students engage seriously inmedia production as a means of both

expression and communication, I don’tthink there’s a discipline that is moredemanding,” says Albright. “In makingmedia, students need to function as writers,managers, designers, visual artists, coaches,technicians; the list goes on. It’s a lot to ask,but there may be no better training for lifeafter school – no matter where it may lead.”

Collaboration is so important to thefield that many of the classes focus on groupwork, though some of the platforms used –such as Facebook and Second Life – usuallycater to individuals within a network.Rather than have students build independ-ently, and then communicate using thesemedia, teachers like Jennifer Spinner, Ph.D.,and Aimée Knight, Ph.D., assistant profes-sors of English, ask students to worktogether because, as Knight explains,communication is about the conversation.

“It’s a very exciting time to be at the baseof this kind of project,” says Knight. “Thereare more questions than answers, and no oneknows what the future will show. But thestudents are up and buzzing around, inter-acting. That’s what communication does.”

For Spinner, bringing students togetherhas a greater impact than inspiring discus-sion. When so many are connected throughblogs, Facebook statuses and Twitter posts,it’s easy for poor or reckless decisions to bemade, and perhaps worse, observed by awide audience. Listening to such a variety ofvoices is good, she says, but challenging. Bypracticing ethical communication in theclassroom, students develop a foundationthat is relevant to their careers, to their livestoday, and to the lives of others.

“We are not just training our studentsto prepare for jobs, but to be engaged withthe world, and engaged smartly. We wantthem to be cutting-edge, but also groundedin what will not change – in skills thattranscend technology and adapt to changingcommunication,” says Spinner.

Diverse as communication is, somebelieve that classroom-style study may not beimportant: most students have never knowna life without the Internet, smartphones andhome computers. Shouldn’t these digital-natives already know what they’re doing?

J. Michael Lyons, assistant professor ofEnglish, stresses the danger in such anassumption: knowing how to do something

Spring 2010 | 3

A Distinctive Position: Educating Ethical Communicators

(continued on page 8)

Saint Joseph’s Opens Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support

The numbers are terrifying – one in 110 children has anautism spectrum disorder (ASD); one in 94 boys; ten

percent of all eight-year-olds. With nearly 70 diagnoses eachday, the need for support is clear.

SJU began answering the call for help last fall, when itopened the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support,located in Cynwyd Hall on the James J. Maguire ’58 Campus.Established with multiple gifts in excess of $8 million, withlead support from Paul ’70 and Margaret Hondros, theCenter offers a unique mix of services to families, educators,practitioners and service providers. Hondros – chair of theUniversity’s Board of Trustees – and Margaret have a son whowas diagnosed at the age of three. The Center was named forHondros’ mother, Dorothy Kinney Hondros.

“There are many centers and institutes where the special-ization is research and medicine,” says M. Michelle Rowe,Ph.D., executive director of the Center and professor of healthservices. “What’s missing is a safe place to turn following adiagnosis; a place where the only agenda is to provide supportand information.”

With its roots in the Jesuit mission of service and curapersonalis, or care for the whole person, the Kinney Centeraddresses the needs of those who struggle with autism, eitheras individuals or caregivers. It draws on the University’sstrengths in health services, education and psychology toprovide resources relevant to working with people with ASDthroughout the spectrum and the life cycle.

A certificate in Autism Studies for undergraduates isplanned, and graduate coursework would apply toward amaster’s degree in special education. Other initiatives includeafter-school programming and summer camps for studentswith ASD, which will be staffed by the Center’s Kinney

SCHOLARS – Students Committed to Helping Others Learnabout Autism Research and Support. A licensed psychologistand a certified behavior analyst supervise the SCHOLARS.Sixteen undergraduates with majors in special education,psychology and interdisciplinary health services have beenaccepted into the SCHOLARS program, and are training fortheir roles in the after-school program and summer camps.

SJU will also collaborate with other universities to createa model program for college-age students with Asperger’sSyndrome, or high-functioning autism, that will help themsuccessfully complete undergraduate education.

4 | CA&S Today

SJU Sponsors Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust

The Annual Scholars’ Conference on theHolocaust and the Churches, an international

conference dedicated to teaching, learning andremembering the lessons of the Holocaust whileexamining the churches’ struggle and failure toconfront Nazi anti-Semitism, was sponsored bySJU March 6-8, marking the fifth time it was heldon campus.

The conference was co-founded by the lateFranklin H. Littell, universally acknowledged as thefather of Holocaust studies in America. This year’stheme, “Crisis & Credibility in the Jewish-Christian World: Remembering Franklin H. Littell,”honored his life and work.

University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J.,was honorary chair. William Madges, Ph.D., deanof CAS, and Nancy Fox, Ph.D., associate dean, wereoverall conference co-chairs. Rabbi Richard Libowitz,Ph.D., adjunct professor of theology, who introducedthe first Holocaust course taught at SJU, was programchair. Twelve SJU faculty and administrators partici-pated as presenters or chaired individual sessions.

This conference, the 40th annual, broughtinternational scholars, experts, survivors andcommunity leaders to speak on topics rangingfrom the failure of mainstream media to cover thefate of European Jews during World War II tocontemporary Holocaust denial.

Presenter Suzanne Brown-Fleming of the U.S. HolocaustMemorial Museum

Children interact with a Smart Board at the Kinney Center.

Education Forms ThreeDepartments; Poised forNational Accreditation

Equipped with a newassociate dean and a

revamped structure, theeducation department,which is currently theCollege of Arts andSciences’ largest concen-tration and home of itsonly doctoral program, isnow better positionedfor continued growthand success.

Formerly, the depart-ment consisted of three major areas: teacher education, specialeducation and educational leadership. Under that model, allthree areas were the responsibility of a single chairperson,overseeing curriculum development, assessment and accredi-tations and faculty mentoring for nearly 20 full-time facultyand more than 50 affiliate faculty.

The new model calls for three separate departments,each with its own chair, under Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., formereducation chair, who was named the new associate dean ofeducation in December.

“Jeanne Brady has been a member of the SJU community for10 years, and in that time has led the department to a new levelof excellence,” says William Madges, Ph.D., dean of CAS. “This isan important step for the department, whose mission ofproviding a quality education to those who will educate futuregenerations is a priority for SJU.”

The new model also includes the Office of Accreditation,Certification and Partnerships, under the direction of JosephCifelli, Ed.D., assistant professor of education, who is respon-sible for the ongoing efforts for national accreditation, theextensive program development mandated by the new certifi-cation programs standards, and the operation of theUniversity’s various local school partnerships.

The establishment of three departments within educationand the acquisition of national accreditation is critical toenhancing recruitment efforts and opening a wide range ofopportunities for obtaining funding through grants and othernon-tuition resources. The reorganization is the first step in theexploration of establishing a College of Education. A feasibilitystudy is currently under way.

In addition to the appointment of an associate dean ofeducation, new chairs have been named for each department.Althier Lazar, Ph.D., professor of education, will chair theteacher education department; Cathleen Spinelli, Ph.D.,professor of education, will head special education; andRaymond Horn, Ph.D., associate professor of education, willchair educational leadership.

Innovative ACE Pilot Programto Train Elite CatholicEducators

This summer, SJU is set to launch the pilot program for theAlliance for Catholic Education — ACE — with its first

cohort of 15 fellows. A two-year graduate educationprogram, ACE was originated by the University of NotreDame in 1994, and has an impressive track record of traininga corps of quality Catholic schoolteachers and principals.

According to Jeanne Brady, associate dean of education,ACE fellows will receive full tuition, free housing and astipend, and will complete course work in a master’s degreein education over two summers. In turn, candidates willteach at a Catholic elementary school, with the schoolcovering the cost of his or her health benefits. The schoolswill realize a tremendous cost saving in teacher salaries.

Brady and Daniel Joyce, S.J., assistant to the VicePresident for Mission and Identity, worked with theUniversity of Notre Dame and Fox Leadership at theUniversity of Pennsylvania to replicate the ACE model inPhiladelphia, and in the future, possibly Camden, N.J.

“As a Catholic, Jesuit university, congruent with ourmission, we do a lot of work with Catholic schools in thePhiladelphia area, but we wanted to create a formalpartnership to better serve urban youth, focusing specifi-cally on under-resourced Catholic schools,” says Brady.“By training excellent teachers and principals, our goal is toensure that all schoolchildren receive the best possibleeducational foundation.”

The ACE program focuses on five core pillars:teaching, education, community, spirituality and vocationaldiscernment.

Spring 2010 | 5

John Gill ’01, with students at Philadelphia’s Gesu School.

Brady

6 | CA&S Today

NSF Grant SupportsExpanding Math, ScienceEducation Program

A five-year math and science education program willexpand its efforts to train teachers to serve in

Philadelphia and other high-need school districts, thanks toa $748,182 grant from the National Science Foundation’sRobert Noyce Scholarship program.

The NSF project will recruit current and incomingundergraduate students to the University’s five-yearbachelor’s/master’s program in mathematics and sciencesecondary education by providing teaching internships earlyin their studies at SJU, and scholarships in the final twoyears. In exchange, scholarship recipients will commit toteach in Philadelphia and other high-need areas for two yearsfor each year they received financial assistance. A minimumof 19 students will benefit from the grant through the2013-14 academic year.

“There is a great need for highly qualified mathematicsand science teachers at the secondary level across the country,especially in school districts like Philadelphia,” says SandraFillebrown, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, andone of the project’s initiators. “SJU addresses this need bydesigning the five-year program to help prepare teachers witha strong background in the subject areas as well as inpedagogy. This funding will allow us to attract more studentsto these programs, and to strengthen ties with the SchoolDistrict of Philadelphia.”

Students will gain teaching experience through intern-ships. Recently, students worked with Breakthrough ofGreater Philadelphia, a program that targets underprivi-leged middle school students who have high academicinterest. Relationships with other schools and programs arein development. The project has received funding for thenext three years, for essential lab equipment and suppliesand two summer scholars.

It’s something that everyone has experienced at some point, whetherstuck in a bottleneck approaching roadwork or trying to get a

powdered substance out of a jar by tapping on the bottom. But froma scientific perspective, the phenomenon of “jamming” has receivedlittle attention until recently. Thanks to a paper co-authored by PiotrHabdas, Ph.D., associate professor of physics, the scientific communitymay be closer to understanding the occurrence.

Scientists Publish in Nature, Journal

Biologist Receives NIH Funding to S

Habdas

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 centers andinstitutes that comprise the National Institutes of Health

(NIH), has awarded a $163,000 grant to Julia Lee, Ph.D., assis-tant professor of biology, to pursue research in cancer and aging.Her work focuses on the maintenance of chromosome ends –called telomeres – and how telomeres function in both the agingprocess and the growth of cancer cells.

The telomeres studied in Lee’s project act as a protective capfor chromosomal ends – much like the plastic aglet at the end of ashoelace – allowing cells to retain biological information. Still, Leesays, telomeres shorten with each round of cell division, limitingthe life span of the cell. When a telomere can no longer protect theend of the chromosome, the cell dies. Yet in stem cells and cancercells, an enzyme called telomerase is present that helps extend thetelomeres and therefore the life of the cell.

Lee hopes her research will lead to a better understandingof this natural maintenance. “The life span of a cell may be

Fillebrown

Spring 2010 | 7

Professor of Biology John Tudor, Ph.D., was named the2010 laureate of the Carski Foundation Distinguished

Undergraduate Teaching Award. Administered by theAmerican Society for Microbiology (ASM), the awardhonors an educator for outstanding teaching of microbiologyto undergraduate students and for encouraging them tosubsequent achievement.

“John exemplifies excellence as both an inspiringteacher and meticulous and innovative research scientist forstudents preparing for careers in biomedical fields,” saysWilliam Madges, dean of CAS. “It is wonderful that theCarski Foundation and the ASM recognized his work.”

Tudor, who received SJU’s Tengelmann Award forDistinguished Teaching and Research, has been teachingmicrobiology to undergraduates for 40 years. He has spent33 years at SJU, where his classes are in high demand. Hedeveloped and taught courses in molecular genetics, molec-ular mechanisms of pathogenesis and microbiology fornon-science majors. Additionally, he has taught core coursesin cell biology and genetics and general microbiology forbiology and other majors. More than half of Tudor’sestimated 1,000 students in microbiology have completedadvanced degrees in the biomedical sciences.

“I am honored to receive the Carski award,” says Tudor,who noted that he has been fascinated with microbes,especially bacteria, since he was an undergraduate. “I loveopening the minds of my students to the incredible contribu-tions bacteria make to our lives, as well as the intricatestrategies many of them exhibit in causing us harm.”

Tudor has published numerous articles in journals,books and symposium proceedings, often including ascoauthors one or more of the 80 undergraduate students hehas mentored. His research, which has focused on thepredatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, has beensupported by multiple grants from the National Institutes ofHealth, and smaller grants from other sources.

Microbiologist ReceivesCarski Award

The paper, “Thermal vestige of the zero-temperature jammingtransition,” published in Nature on May 14, 2009, defines jamming as“structural arrest in various disordered materials: foams, sand, regularglass or colloidal suspensions,” according to Habdas. To better under-stand how materials become jammed together, the study introduceda simple system of soft spheres, which were exposed to differenttemperatures and monitored on a microscopic level. When observedat high temperatures, the structural properties of the spheres gaveclues about the structural elements that arise in the zero-temperaturejamming transition.

From a practical perspective, Habdas explains that these experi-ments will help us understand the molecular reasons that, forinstance, honey will not flow when refrigerated. On the scientificfront, the paper will “provide new clues for scientists and engineersabout the connections between jamming, the glass transition and theroutes to realize them, in particular, explaining why previous studiesnever observed structural signatures when cooling,” he adds.

In addition to being published in Nature, Habdas also co-authoreda paper in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Zoology withJonathan Fingerut, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, entitled “Roleof silk threads in the dispersal of larvae through stream pools.” Alsocontributing to the paper were SJU senior Michele Mestrinaro,biology graduate student Lindsay Schamel and Anthony Faugno ’08.

“Dr. Habdas and I were pleased that students from both majorshad the opportunity to work together,” Fingerut says. “The benefit ofinterdisciplinary work is that students share and learn from theirdifferent perspectives on an interesting piece of research at theintersection of both of their disciplines.”

of Zoology

Study Genetics of Cancer and Aging

determined by the shortening of the telomeres,” says Lee. “Whileshortening the telomeres is beneficial to turn over aging cells, whenit comes to cancer cells, maintaining telomeres could allow themto live indefinitely.

“It’s a catch-22,” notes Lee. “How do you try to shorten thetelomeres of bad cells while prolonging the life of good ones?”

Lee’s research will look at two specific proteins to learn howthey are involved in telomere maintenance. By removing yeastproteins, then placing mutated forms of the proteins into yeast cells,Lee hopes to determine how the absence, alteration or presence ofthe proteins affects telomere maintenance. Knowing which partsof which proteins are necessary to protect chromosome ends couldlead to advancement in understanding the aging process and thedestruction of cancer cells.

Lee’s project has received funding for the next three years,which will not only go toward essential lab equipment andsupplies, but also fund two summer scholars.

Tudor

8 | CA&S Today

Flamingo Watching Yields Surprising Discoveries

Matthew Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor ofpsychology, became intrigued with aspects

of flamingo behavior while visiting the Philadelphia Zoowith his young daughter, who was fascinated by a captivegroup of 17 Caribbean flamingos.

“They are beautiful birds, and their behavior is very inter-esting,” Anderson says, describing what sparked his initialcuriosity about the bright pink birds. “They travel in flocks ofthousands and thousands and are in tune to social behavior.”

Anderson and his team of students began his research bysetting out to determine if flamingos showed lateral prefer-ence when curling their necks during rest. “In addition toshedding light on the general behavior of flamingos, weaimed to examine the possibility that group-level lateralbehaviors are related to a need for social cohesion in nature,”Anderson says.

Studying the Philadelphia Zoo’s flamingos, theresearchers observed resting birds daily, noting which wereconsistently curving their necks in a certain direction todetermine individual birds’ preferences, as well as the generalpreference of the group.

“We found that the majority preferred curving theirnecks to the right, which is similar to a lateral bias found inhumans, who tend to be right-handed,” Anderson says. “Wealso noticed that flamingos that curved their necks to the leftwere more likely to be involved in aggressive encounters withother birds.”

With evidence of lateral preference, Anderson moved tothe birds’ lower bodies to determine their preference forwhich leg they choose to stand on. Though the researcherswere surprised to find that flamingos showed no preferencein legs, they found a reason for the previously unexplainedmystery of their iconic balancing act.

So why does the flamingo stand on just one leg?Anderson and students discovered it helps the birds controlbody temperature.

“The research pointed to it as a mode ofthermoregulation,” Anderson says. “When it’s

colder, they stand on one leg and tuck theother closer to their bodies. When it’swarmer, they are more likely to stand ontwo legs. Birds’ legs are typically not very

well insulated, so that’s how they keepwarm when in colder locations, such as

standing in water.”

Anderson and psychology graduate student SarahWilliams ’10 spent hours upon hours watching the behavior ofthe group and each individual bird. To reach their conclusion,they monitored how temperature and wind speed corre-sponded with the birds’ behaviors.

The research was published in Zoo Biology andLaterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition. Thefindings garnered attention from numerous media outlets,including National Public Radio’s Science Studio, BBC EarthNews, USA Today and MSNBC.com.

So why does the flamingo stand onjust one leg?

Williams ’10 and Anderson at the Philadelphia Zoo.

doesn’t anticipate its being done well, or with the effects itwill have on others in mind. Part of media literacy is knowingwhat the implications of using media are, from copyrightinfringement to promoting social justice.

“There’s a responsibility in education to know the impactyou have on the world. We have a responsibility to use educa-tion to help other people, to do good with it,” Lyons says.

“These communication and information technologieshave become a central way people try to influence ourworld,” says ethicist Jim Caccamo, Ph.D., associate professorof theology. “That influence can be good or bad. We want tomake sure students have thought long and hard about what

his or her influence will be as communicators, and areequipped to make decisions for the common good throughouttheir careers.”

This attention to the ethical dimension of communica-tion is an essential part of the program’s curriculum, and isemphasized by every professor and every class involved.According to Gilman, the emphasis is a reflection of the Jesuitcommitment to social justice, and sets SJU’s program apart.

“This is our place to contribute to the area of communica-tion studies,” says Gilman. “It’s a distinctive position. There aremany, many programs that can teach students how to commu-nicate. We ask them to consider what it means to communicate.”

Communication Studies Minor(continued from page 3)

Spring 2010 | 9

I n the fall of 2008, University PresidentTimothy R. Lannon, S.J., announced

the creation of the Opportunity Fund,established to provide incentives forthe development of new programsthat generate revenue and fundfuture projects. Program participationrequires a three-year repayment plan,similar to programs at other Jesuituniversities, according to Paul DeVito,Ph.D., vice provost and chair of theOpportunity Fund. Once repaid, thesurplus revenue will be shared betweenthe Fund, the new program and theoriginating department and college,DeVito says.

Over the next three years, severalnew CAS initiatives will be supported,beginning with the communicationstudies minor, which received morethan $177,000.

Professor of English OwenGilman, Ph.D., director of communica-tion studies, stresses that it wasimportant for the program to have thenecessary resources with its initialofferings to be competitive with estab-lished programs at other universities.To ensure this, the Fund supported thepurchase of video cameras, editingsoftware and laptops for a computer

lab that is open four nights a week.In addition, the program brings inindustry specialists to teach.

The department of computer sciencewill receive $45,000 for new courseofferings and technology upgrades.

“We felt there was a market forshorter offerings than a degree programin computer science, and thoughtstudents would be interested in electivesin computer gaming,” says JonathanHodgson, Ph.D., chair and professor ofcomputer science.

Hodgson adds that the computerscience program is exploring creatingtwo first-level courses, possibly indigital photography and elementaryvideo gaming, that do not require aprogramming background. He alsosuggested that the courses could attractnew computer science majors.

In addition to course development,Hodgson says the department will use aportion of its support to purchase newsoftware and hardware, includingcomputers with high-resolution andhigh-performing graphics.

The newly created educationalleadership department will make use of$78,000 of Opportunity Fund moneyover two years by establishing the

Institute for Educational Leadership,which will provide research andconsulting services.

The Institute will serve a variety offunctions, says Robert Palestini, Ed.D.,who will oversee it with Associate Deanof Education Jeanne Brady, Ph.D.,and Ray Horn, Ph.D., chair of educa-tional leadership. Among its functionsare educational research, providingprofessional development for principalsand school officials and conductingsuperintendent searches.

“The Institute will also contain theCenter for Catholic Urban Education,”Palestini says. “We’re exploring waysof operating parish schools in urbanareas without many Catholics as a wayof sustaining Catholic education.”

Palestini adds that the Institute willhave a strong international presence,noting connections with universities inChilé and Bolivia. It will also play arole in SJU’s efforts to support a schoolin Haiti, as part of its long-term recoveryefforts there.

College Programs Grow with Opportunity Fund

University CollegeRenamed College ofProfessional and Liberal Studies

Saint Joseph’s University Board ofTrustees approved the renamingof University College to the College ofProfessional and Liberal Studies,effective with the fall 2009 semester.The new name and rebranding effort– Your Degree, Your Way – illustratesthe University’s renewed commitmentto adult undergraduate education.SJU’s original Evening Division wasthe first in the region, and has beenserving the adult continuing educa-tion market since 1915. Several newacademic concentrations are beingdeveloped in emerging fields inresponse to new technologies toprepare students for in-demand jobs.

Aimée Knight, assistant professor of English, works with students in the communication studies lab.

Your Degree.Your Way.

10 | CA&S Today

Over the past year, CAS faculty members published books withwide-ranging topics. From the rural brain drain to a consid-

eration of Reconstruction as a continuation of the American CivilWar, SJU authors help explicate our complicated world.

Maria Kefalas, Ph.D., professor ofsociology and director of the Institute forViolence Research and Prevention, co-authored with Patrick Carr the criticallyacclaimed Hollowing Out the Middle:The Rural Brain Drain and What itMeans for America (Beacon Press, 2009),which chronicles what happens to ruralcommunities after young, creative andproductive residents migrate to citiesacross the country.

“When first visiting the small town ofEllis, Iowa, [made possible with funding

from the MacArthur Foundation], the issue hit me between theeyes. It’s the paradox of the small town,” says Kefalas.

Kefalas and Carr found that adults in rural America partici-pate in the towns’ decline by pushing the “best” of the youngpeople to leave, and by under-investing in those who stay.

The book garnered praise from national media, includingThe Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, NPR’s Radio Times,The Chronicle of Higher Education and Midwest Book Review.

Recovering Solidarity: Lessons fromPoland’s Unfinished Revolution (Universityof Notre Dame Press, 2010) by GeraldBeyer, Ph.D., associate professor oftheology, provides a contextualized andethical treatment of solidarity, focusing onPoland’s Solidarity movement.

Beyer describes solidarity as an anthro-pological fact, an ethical principle and aprinciple concretized in legislative policiesand institutions. He explores how themovement originally embodied the Catholicsocial tradition of solidarity – humanparticipation in the common good – but abandoned it during thecountry’s transformation to a capitalist democratic society.

“I gained a deep appreciation for the Solidarity movementand met some of its heroes during my trip to Poland,”says Beyer. “I was dismayed to witness the demise of its ethicafter 1989.”

Beyer maintains that capitalist societies can learn fromPoland’s Solidarity movement. “Capitalism by nature doesn’thave to eliminate all forms of solidarity. Conversely, solidarityand freedom depend on one another.”

Katherine Sibley, Ph.D., chair andprofessor of history, presents a new lookat a scorned first lady in First LadyFlorence Harding: Behind the Tragedyand Controversy (University Press ofKansas, 2009). By dispelling old mythsand clichés, Sibley argues that oft-maligned caricatures associated with Mrs.Harding have prevented history fromacknowledging her vital impact on therole of first lady.

“Was she always likeable? No. Butshe did make important contributions to

the first lady position while embracing the role of politicalactivist,” says Sibley. “Despite this, she continues to be frozen intime and shown in a very limited scope.”

Turning to overlooked primary sources, Sibley revealedHarding’s support for racial equality, her lobbying for better treat-ment of female prisoners, and her role as the first first lady todeliver speeches while traveling with the president.

The Great Task Remaining BeforeUs: Reconstruction as America’s Contin-uing Civil War (Fordham University Press,2010), co-edited by Professor of HistoryRandall Miller, Ph.D., and Paul Cimbala’74, is a collection of essays and casestudies that remap considerations of theCivil War and Reconstruction era,exploring the question, “What didfreedom mean?”

“Usually, scholars view [the Civil Warand Reconstruction] as two separateentities,” Miller says. “We’re suggestingthat these eras should be studied through a series of lenses andprisms; people grappled with the question of freedom in differentways, considering where they lived and who they were.”

Miller notes that scholars should be wary of over-generalizing.“Race, localities and war need to be studied in context to under-stand that freedom was a moving target during this time. Somepeople were in a better position to acquire it than others.”

Mainstream and Scholarly Presses Publish CAS Authors

Milicia Bookman, Ph.D., professor of economics, Economicsin Film and Fiction (Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2009).Jay Carter, Ph.D., professor of history, 1989: End of the 20thCentury (Norton, 2010) with Cynthia Paces.George W. Dowdall, Ph.D., professor of sociology, CollegeDrinking: Reframing a Social Problem (Praeger, 2009).Terrance Furin, Ph.D., assistant professor of education,Combating Hatred: Educators Leading the Way (Rowman &Littlefield Education, 2009).Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., professor of psychology, A Clinical Guide toPediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems,2nd ed. (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009) with J. Owens.

Robert H. Palestini, Ed.D. ’63 (B.S.), ’67 (M.A.), associateprofessor of education, Practicial Leadership Strategies: Lessonsfrom the World of Professional Baseball (Rowman & LittlefieldEducation, 2009).

David R. Sorensen, Ph.D., professor of English, senior editor,The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle,vol. 37 (Duke University Press, 2009) with Ian Campbell andAileen Christianson.

Bruce Wells, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology, EverydayLaw in Biblical Israel: An Introduction (Westminster JohnKnox Press, 2009) with Raymond Westbrook.

More faculty books

Journal/Research HighlightsCAS Faculty Publish in Many Scholarly Journals

Phyllis Anastasio, Ph.D., associateprofessor of psychology,Environment and Behavior.

Mary DekontyApplegate, Ed.D.,professor of education, The Reading Teacher.

Gerald Beyer, Ph.D., associate professorof theology, Journal of CatholicSocial Thought.

Sara Black, Ph.D., associate professor ofhealth services, Family ViolencePrevention and Health Practice E-Journal, Youth Violence andJuvenile Justice.

James Boettcher, Ph.D., associateprofessor of philosophy,Metaphilosophy, Philosophy &Social Criticism.

James Caccamo, Ph.D., associateprofessor of theology, Journal ofBusiness Ethics.

Jay Carter, Ph.D., professor of history,Journal of Global Buddhism.

Peter Clark, S. J., professor of theologyand director of the Institute ofCatholic Bioethics, AMOSInternational Journal 3, HastingsCenter Bioethics Forum, MedicalScience Monitor.

Philip Cunningham, Ph.D., professor oftheology and director of the Institutefor Jewish-Catholic Relations,Modern Judaism, Studies inChristian-Jewish Relations.

Tenaya Darlington, M.F.A., assistantprofessor of English, The Sun.

Babak Forouraghi, Ph.D., professor ofcomputer science, ICTAI 09.

Jonathan Fingerut, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of biology, Ecology.

Terrance Furin, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of education, The SchoolAdministrator.

Vincent Genovesi, S. J., professor oftheology, Chicago Studies.

George Grevera, Ph.D., associateprofessor of computer science,Computerized Medical Imaging andGraphics.

Eileen Grogan, Ph.D., professor ofbiology, Acta Zoologica.

Emily Hage, Ph.D., assistant professorof fine and performing arts, ChanceAesthetics: InternationalExperiments in Modern Art.

Rachel Hall, Ph.D., associate professorof mathematics, Quaderni dimatematica: Theory andApplications of Proximity, Nearnessand Uniformity.

Allen Kerkeslager, Ph.D., associateprofessor of theology, Encyclopediaof the Bible, Revue des ÉtudesJuives.

Chris Lawson, Ph.D., assistant professorof psychology, Memory &Cognition.

April Lindner, Ph.D., assistant professorof English, Apple Valley Review.

John McCall, Ph.D., professor of philos-ophy and management and directorof the Pedro Arrupe Center forBusiness Ethics, Journal of CatholicHigher Education.

Thomas McDuffie, Jr., Ed.D., professorof education, Journal of NegroEducation, Science Activities.

Scott McRobert, Ph.D., professor ofbiology, Behavioural Processes.

Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., professor ofpsychology, Journal of ClinicalPsychology, Journal of SleepResearch, Sleep Medicine.

John Newhouse, Ed.D., assistantprofessor of health services, BritishJournal of Health Services Research.

Jason Powell, D. Phil., assistantprofessor of English, EnglishManuscript Studies, 1100-1700,Poetica.

Rommel Regis, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of mathematics,INFORMS Journal on Computing.

Mark Reynolds, Ph.D., associateprofessor of chemistry, Archives ofBiochemistry and Biophysics.

Philip Schatz, Ph.D., professor ofpsychology, Archives of ClinicalNeuropsychology, American Journalof Sports Medicine.

Samuel Smith, Ph.D., professor ofmathematics, Journal of theMathematical Society of Japan,Journal of Topology and Analysis.

David Sorensen, Ph.D., professor ofEnglish, Carlyle Studies Annual 25,La Revue LISA.

Teri Sosa, Ph.D., assistant professor ofeducation, Academic ExchangeQuarterly, Tech Trends.

Kristopher Tapp, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of mathematics,Proceedings of the LondonMathematical Society.

Aubrey Wang, Ph.D., assistant professorof education, Early ChildhoodEducation Journal.

Bruce Wells, Ph.D., assistant professorof theology, Vetus Testamentum.

Wesley Widmaier, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of political science,German Policy Studies, Politik.

Isra Yazicioglu, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of theology, Journal ofScriptural Reasoning.

Spring 2010 | 11

Interim EditorPatricia Allen

Managing EditorHarriet Goodheart

DesignCarol McLaughlin ’80

PhotographyMelissa Kelly

ContributorsJennifer Burrini ’10Tom Clark ’10Nicole Katze (cover story)Jeffrey Martin ’04, ’05Kelly Welsh ’05

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

NewsmakersCollege of Arts and Sciences faculty have contributed their expertise to stories appearing in the following media outlets:

AmericaAssociated PressThe Atlantic MonthlyBBC Earth NewsBioethics ForumBirdwatchBoston GlobeBucks County IntelligencerThe Business ReviewCBC RadioCBS-3Chronicle TimesThe Chronicle of Higher

EducationConsumer AffairsCourier PostDallas Morning NewsDiscover News OnlineDrugs and DiseasesEdmonton Journal

ForbesFox News New YorkGlobe and MailGoogle NewsHonolulu AdvertiserThe Huffington PostIowa GazetteJerusalem PostJewish ExponentKansas City Infozine NewsKCUR-FMKYW-AMLabor NotesLa RazonLiveScienceMain Line TimesMedical News TodayMilitary ChannelMSNBCNational Catholic Reporter

National PostNational Public RadioNatureNewsdayThe News JournalNHPR-FMNew York Daily NewsNew York TimesObserver ReporterOdyssey MagazinePatriot-NewsPhiladelphia Business JournalPhiladelphia City PaperPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia MagazinePhiladelphia MetroThe Philadelphia TribunePittsburgh Post GazetteThe Providence Journal

Publisher’s WeeklyRadio IowaReutersRoanoke TimesRussia TodaySan Antonio Business JournalSanta Fe JournalScience DailySun GazetteTimeUSA TodayVancouver SunThe Wall Street JournalWashington PostWBUR-FMWCAU-10NBCWHYY-FMWPR-FMWPVI-6ABCYahoo! News

Faculty members who have been seen and heard in the news include:Mark Aita, S.J.Matthew Anderson, Ph.D.Lisa Baglione, Ph.D.Gerald Beyer, Ph.D.Sara Black, Ph.D.Jim Caccamo, Ph.D.Peter Clark, S.J.Thomas CroninPhillip Cunningham, Ph.D.George Dowdall, Ph.D.

Joseph Feeney, S.J.Sandra Fillebrown, Ph.D.Patricia Griffin, M.S.Eileen Grogan, Ph.D.Piotr Habdas, Ph.D.Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D.Maria Kefalas, Ph.D.Allen Kerkeslager, Ph.D.Ron Klein, M.F.A.

Francis Graham Lee, Ph.D.Julia Lee, Ph.D.Richard Libowitz, Ph.D.Benjamin Liebman, Ph.D.J. Michael LyonsWilliam Madges, Ph.D.Mike McCann, Ph.D.Scott McRobert, Ph.D.Randall Miller, Ph.D.

Jodi Mindell, Ph.D.Robert Moore, Ph.D.Michelle Rowe, Ph.D.Katherine A. S. Sibley, Ph.D.Jean Smolen, Ph.D.Karen Snetselaar, Ph.D.David Sorensen, Ph.D.Clint Springer, Ph.D.John Tudor, Ph.D.