Campus Currents February 2006
Volume 14, Number 5
The official news publication of Fairfield University
Index for February 2, 2006
University establishes a permanent diversity council
Fr. Massingale remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Fairfield surveys faculty and staff as part of marketing study
News breakers
Service Anniversaries
Dr. Xin James He: Researching China's business efficiency
New faculty join Fairfield
Strategic planning: the collaboration continues
University hosts Brazilian Fulbright Scholar
History of a Building: McAuliffe Hall
Maintenance request forms go electronic
Open VISIONS Forum: Spring 2006
Peter Duval wins Connecticut Book Award in fiction
Sports Shorts
News Briefs
Celebrating the Jesuit Jubilee Year this month
By Alejandra Navarro, Publications writer
This month, 13 people from across campus will come together to explore new approaches to solving one of Fairfield University's most pressing problems: increasing diversity on campus. They are members of a new Institutional Diversity Council established by University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., who has made increasing racial and socioeconomic diversity a priority of his strategic vision.
"This council will be our most important vehicle for addressing the challenging issue of diversity at Fairfield," Fr. von Arx says. "I am confident that it will uncover valuable initiatives to improve the diversity on our campus. Diversity, however, is an institutional responsibility, and our success will depend upon the participation and commitment of the entire University community."
Larri Mazon, director of the Center for Multicultural Relations (CMR), will chair the Council, formed upon the recommendation of the diversity committee last year, and whose work the Council will continue.
Not only will the Diversity Council recommend new programs, Mazon says, but it will also monitor its success. "Every year we will establish goals. We will evaluate what is working and what isn't working, so there will be an ongoing process that will allow us to think long term."
For now, the Council will focus on two priorities. The first is to develop a holistic and systematic admission process to ensure the recruitment, admission, and enrollment of a more diverse student body. The second is to develop a support service system that integrates the federally funded TRIO programs' services and personnel, with the work of the CMR, to meet the needs of all students and ensure high retention and graduation rates. The idea is to pool resources, Mazon says, to keep the University's diverse student body on track.
"The TRIO programs fit very well with the mission statement of the University, in terms of reaching out and being socially responsible," says Dr. Georgia Day, assistant academic vice president and director of the TRIO programs. TRIO programs assist low-income and/or first-generation college students. Upward Bound provides college preparation to 130 Bridgeport students. Academic Talent Search motivates 1,000 Bridgeport middle and high school students to aim for college. Project Excel provides academic assistance to 150 Fairfield University students. Of the 50 students from the Class of 2004 in Project Excel, all graduated on time and 12 received academic honors.
Students are often unaware of the services available to help them succeed academically, which is something the Council will likely review, Mazon says. In a 2004 survey of AHANA students, 16 percent said they were unaware of the CMR's resources and 62 percent said they had never visited the Center.
While Fairfield houses the TRIO programs and provides matching funding (more funding than is required by the government), the programs are not allowed to directly recruit students to the University. TRIO students are accepted at several universities, some with more financial resources than Fairfield, Dr. Day says. Working with the TRIO programs may help Fairfield reach parents and school officials who play a role in the college selection process.
Fairfield University has worked for years to increase diversity by establishing scholarships in the early 1990s and increasing the financial assistance available since then. In the past year, the University has made advances in increasing the diversity of students and faculty on campus. Today, Fairfield has the most diverse faculty Mazon has seen in recent history. The number of entering freshman AHANA students has jumped from 69 in fall 2004 to 87 in fall 2005. Still, there is much work to be done, he says.
"The institution values diversity for a good reason, that is, to provide a better education for all of the students," says Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president, who established the first diversity committee. "Studies show that everybody benefits from more diversity." Mazon says. "We have a talented group of people on this Council who understand what we are trying to achieve."
Diversity Council members
- Dr. Debnam Chappell, dean of freshmen
- Dr. Georgia Day, assistant academic vice president and director of TRIO Programs
- Deirdre Eller, director of new student programs
- Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, dean, School of Engineering
- James Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president of student affairs, student operations
- Dr. Elizabeth Gardner, professor of psychology, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
- Will Johnson, associate director of undergraduate admission for diversity
- Larri Mazon, director of the Center for Multicultural Relations; Council chair
- Karen Pellegrino, director of undergraduate admission
- Dr. Thomas Pellegrino, dean of students
- Cynthia Swift, coordinator for academic advantage programs, CMR
- Dr. Renée White, associate professor of sociology and anthropology and co-director, Black Studies Program, CAS
- Dr. Yohuru Williams, co-director of history and Black Studies Program, CAS
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By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer
University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., presented Convocation speaker Rev. Bryan Massingale with the Rev. John LaFarge, S.J., Award on Jan. 26.
"Hurricane Katrina provided, if you'll forgive the pun, the perfect storm for analyzing race, poverty, and social obligation in America," the Rev. Bryan Massingale, the Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation speaker, told his audience of students, faculty, and staff at the Regina A. Quick Center last week. In his talk, "Katrina, King, and Catholic Social Teaching: The Beloved Community Revisited," he led his audience through an ethical examination of the government's response to the hurricane. Fr. Massingale focused on Dr. King's insistence that racism, poverty, and war are not only interconnected, but are the greatest threats to the achievement of a better, more inclusive society.
"Most of us remember the man I call 'the Holiday King', the one who gave the 'I Have a Dream' speech, " said Fr. Massingale, to laughter from the audience. "But that speech was written in 1963, and King lived for four years after that." It was in those years, particularly after the 1965 Watts riots, that Dr. King began to see just how poverty, racism, and war are connected and to speak out against this trio of evils. "He saw the pursuit of the war in Vietnam as draining funds needed for the War on Poverty," said Fr. Massingale, pointing out that history repeats itself: in the last few years, millions of dollars were cut from the Army Corps of Engineers budget to fund the ongoing war in Iraq, with disastrous results in New Orleans. "When the guns of war become an obsession, social needs suffer. The war is being fought on the backs of the poor," he said, noting that Dr. King told us that a nation is approaching 'spiritual death' when it spends more money on war than on social welfare.
Fr. Massingale also spoke of Catholic social teaching, and the late Pope John Paul II's promotion of solidarity, or a commitment to the common good. "Solidarity is more than just sympathy; it's a commitment to act for the rights of all, especially the poor and the vulnerable," he said. "It's the recognition that we can't have stability in the face of scandalous inequality."
A professor of theology at Milwaukee's Marquette University, Fr. Massingale was presented with the Rev. John LaFarge, S.J., Award by University President Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., who noted Fr. Massingale's continued call to social justice and the "passion and wisdom" he brings to the topic. Fr. LaFarge, who died in 1963, had spoken tirelessly about the sin of racism and the moral obligation of Catholics to become a voice for equality.
In addition to the Convocation and nearly a week of events celebrating the vision of Dr. King, the University held the annual Vision Awards dinner, this year honoring five people whose lives reflect Dr. King's vision for a better America. Awardees were Paula Donovan '77, senior advisor in the office of the U.N. Secretary-General's special Envoy for AIDS in Africa; Dr. John and Rose Marie Barone, leaders in supporting educational opportunity for multicultural students; Dr. Winston Tellis, the Camille and Stephen Schramm Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in DSB, who has supported efforts in Haiti and Nicaragua to address poverty; and Chrystie Cruz '07, cultural director of FUSA.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is coordinated through the Center for Multicultural Relations, under the direction of Larri Mazon and a 14-member committee of students, faculty, administrators, and staff.
Photo by Jean Santopatre
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By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor
The e-surveys all faculty and staff receive this week may take less time to fill out than it does to grade a mid-term or write a report, yet the results are just as important to long-term success. The results from these and other surveys, a critical part of the University's major marketing and research initiative, will help drive Fairfield's future marketing efforts. The research phase of the comprehensive study, conducted by Chicago-based Lipman Hearne, will conclude in April. This, along with the plans presented in the University's Strategic Vision, will help develop an integrated marketing plan to convey Fairfield's key strengths to its varied audiences.
Faculty and staff are requested to complete and return their responses by mid-February.
"What we hope to glean from this particular survey are faculty's perceptions of Fairfield - its strengths, how these strengths could be conveyed, and what they want the University to be known for. From the employees, we want to know what makes Fairfield a great learning and professional community," says Judy Dobai, associate academic vice president for enrollment management. She and George Diffley, vice president for University advancement, are spearheading the project and co-leading a team of four additional committee members.
In December and January, Lipman Hearne consultants interviewed trustees and alumni, and conducted several focus groups of faculty, administrators, and graduate, undergraduate, and part-time adult students.
Off-campus, the firm will continue to conduct focus groups with several constituent groups, including:
- Parents of prospective students and guidance counselors, to learn how they perceive Fairfield University versus its peer institutions, as well as the factors regarding what motivates students to apply to Fairfield.
- Prospective adult students who have expressed interest in Fairfield's University College and graduate programs.
Lipman Hearne will also interview corporate and local leaders about their perceptions of Fairfield as meeting the educational needs of the community.
In addition, approximately 8,500 alumni will receive electronic surveys, and about 400 prospective undergraduate students will be surveyed by telephone.
Preliminary findings will be presented to the Board of Trustees in March. The University expects to work with Lipman Hearne through June to create the integrated marketing plan.
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Web-enhanced courses start with face-to-face instruction
Dr. Eva de Lourdes Edwards (seated), professor of linguistics in GSEAP, demonstrates some of the features of her Web-enhanced online course to Sr. Julianna Poole, assistant professor, and Dr. António Simões, acting dean. During the year, Dr. Edwards teaches Linguistics for Teachers from Puerto Rico, but comes up for a full day of instruction at the beginning of each semester to meet with students and familiarize them with the various links they will be using in the course. "Besides getting to know me and what I expect, it helps them get over their nervousness at taking a class online," she says. Web-enhanced courses are growing in popularity at Fairfield University. The courses are generally taught online with face-to-face student-professor time built in.
Photo by Jean Santopatre
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On Dec. 23, two students from a course taught by Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), discussed their class project which dealt with the treatment of women in the comic book industry. The interview aired several times in late December on Channel 12.
The Rev. Paul E. Carrier, S.J., University chaplain, discussed the missionary work of the Jesuits on "Thoughts for the Week," carried on AM radio stations WSTC (1400), WNLK (1350), and WGCH (1490) on Jan. 8. The program was produced by Clemons Productions in Fairfield's Media Center.
In January, the book Emotion and Reason in Consumer Behavior, by Dr. Arjun Chaudhuri, the Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J., Professor of Marketing in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB), was published by Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
On Dec. 1, Victor D'Ascenzo, a major gifts officer in the Advancement Division, was installed as president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' (AFP) Fairfield County Chapter. D'Ascenzo has been a member of the chapter's board for six years.
In a Nov. 23 Hartford Courant article on consumer spending, Dr. Edward Deak, Roger M. Lynch Professor of Economics in CAS, said declining gas prices might keep consumers spending before the holiday, but added, "People haven't come to grips with what it will cost to keep themselves warm this winter." Dr. Deak spoke with the Fairfield County Business Journal on Nov. 21 about job growth and again on Nov. 28, regarding the state's labor shortage. He discussed the boom in luxury condos for a Nov. 27 article in The Hartford Courant. In a Nov. 30 Connecticut Post article, Dr. Deak provided possible reasons behind the state's trend of having more businesses opening than closing. The New York Times quoted Dr. Deak for a Nov. 30 article on new U.S. Census figures ranking Connecticut as the wealthiest state in the nation. On the same day, Dr. Deak talked to the Associated Press (AP) about Fairfield County's fall to the third wealthiest county in the state. On Dec. 11, the AP article appeared in dozens of New England media outlets. Dr. Deak also spoke with the Hartford Courant for a follow-up article on the wealth of the "Gold Coast" on Dec. 13. Dr. Deak commented on the future of the real estate market for a Dec. 12 article in the Westchester County Business Journal. Dr. Deak spoke to the AP about Connecticut's slow job growth for an article that appeared in several media outlets, including The Day and The Advocate (Stamford) on Dec. 24. He also commented on the region's job losses for the Rhode Island Call on Dec. 24. The Republican-American (Waterbury) on Jan. 2 and The Hour (Norwalk) on Jan. 4 quoted Dr. Deak on the minimum wage increase. On Jan. 20, he spoke with the Waterbury newspaper again for another story on the minimum wage. In a Jan 11 Republican-American article on how the state's economy is failing the poor, Dr. Deak commented on the financial burden of finding affordable housing for low-income families. In a Jan. 22 article for the Republican-American, Dr. Deak discussed the financial squeeze on the state's middle class.
In a Jan. 19 article in the Connecticut Post, Jeanne Di Muzio, director of wellness and prevention, discussed the University's participation in the Statewide Healthy Campus Initiative to curb alcohol abuse.
The Connecticut Post published an article on Dec. 16 about the $100,000 gift from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to be put toward an endowment for the Community Partnership Scholarships. Judith Dobai, associate academic vice president for enrollment management, said, "This program has been a tangible way to focus on bringing more urban students to campus."
An historic moment in Fairfield University men's basketball history - the 1997 MAAC Championship win over Canisius - was featured on ESPN's Pride Of The Program on Dec. 30.
In a Jan. 1 Connecticut Post article, Dr. Donald Greenberg, associate professor of politics in CAS, commented on the growing cynicism of Connecticut residents following government corruption scandals. In an article in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) and on the Newhouse News Service, Dr. Greenberg discussed Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr.'s likely opposition to cameras in the highest court.
Dr. Xin James He, associate professor of information systems and operations management in DSB, co-authored the article, "The Cost of Lead-time Variability: The Case of the Exponential Distribution" in the August 2005 issue of the International Journal of Production Economics.Dr. He was appointed conference co-chair for the 17th annual conference of the International Information Management Association (IIMA), which will be held in October.
Dr. Ibrahim Michail Hefzallah, professor emeritus of educational technology in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, received The 2005 Hilda and John Jay Award from the Connecticut Educational Media Association for his outstanding contribution to the library media profession. Lois Garrison, chair of the award committee, noted, "This award requires only two achievements - so I'd say Dr. Hefzallah is overqualified!"
Dr. Jennifer Klug, assistant professor of biology in CAS, discussed algae for an article on pollution in Lake Lillinonah, for an article in the New Milford Times on Jan. 25.
Black Rock's Harborview Market launched its first literary event on Jan. 22, organized by Janet Krauss, visiting professor of English in CAS. CAS participants included Krauss; Dr. Nicholas Rinaldi, professor of English emeritus; Dr. Martha LoMonaco, professor of theatre; and Dr. Cecelia Bucki, associate professor of history.
A Jan. 27 article in the National Catholic Reporter referenced the writings of Dr. Paul Lakeland, the Rev. Aloysius P. Kelly Professor of Catholic Studies in CAS.
Dr. R. James Long, professor of philosophy in CAS, has been elected president of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, a learned society of scholars who hold graduate or tertiary degrees and who conduct original research and teach in the field. He is also editor of the Society's newsletter and its website, www.smrphil.org.
Dr. Anna Martin, associate professor of finance in DSB, co-authored "Accounting Contagion: The Case of Enron," which was published in the Journal of Economics and Finance, and "Contagion Effects of the World's Largest Bankruptcy: The Case of WorldCom," which was published in the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance. At the Financial Management Association's 2005 annual meeting in Chicago, Dr. Martin delivered the co-authored papers: "Partial Acquisitions, Acquisition Probability Hypothesis, and the Abnormal Returns to Partial Targets," and "Currency Bid-Ask Spread Dynamics and the Asian Crisis: Evidence Across Currency Regimes," which was co-authored with Dr. Gregory Koutmos, Gerald M. Levin Professor of Finance in DSB. She delivered the co-authored paper, "Determinants of the Wealth Effects of Sarbanes-Oxley: Focus on Technology Firms," at the Eastern Finance Association 2005 annual meeting in Norfolk. In addition, Dr. Martin was granted the prestigious Robert E. Wall Award in recognition of her research potential to study "Fraud in Corporate America: Is SarbOx the Solution?" In recognition of her leadership in the finance academic profession, the members of the Eastern Finance Association elected her to their board for a three-year term.
Dr. Dawn Massey, associate professor of accounting in DSB, co-authored "Raising Students' Ethical Sensitivity with the Value Relevance Approach" in Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations, 2005. With Dr. Joan Van Hise, associate professor of accounting in DSB, Dr. Massey presented, "Investigating Unintended Ethical Consequences of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Where Do We Go from Here?" at the 10th Symposium on Ethics Research in Accounting held in San Francisco in August. In October, she participated in Westbrook High School's "Widen Your Horizons Career Day" and delivered the presentation, "Career Opportunities Open to CPAs."
In December, Dr. Lisa Newton, professor of philosophy and director of the environmental studies and applied ethics programs in CAS, was appointed to Fairfield's Conservation Commission. In a Dec. 5 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dr. Newton commented on ethics, discussed how ethics are linked to our impulses of greed and violence, and that greed and violence are showing themselves more today. The article also included an ethics quiz by Dr. Newton.
For a Dec. 7 Connecticut Post article, Larri Mazon, director of the Center for Multicultural Relations and chair of the Presidential Diversity Council, discussed the teaching qualities that help students succeed.
In a Nov. 22 article in The Hour, Dr. John Orman, professor of politics in CAS, commented on Diane Farrell's bid for a Congressional seat. For a Nov. 30 article in The Daily Tar Heel, Dr. Orman discussed President Bush's low approval ratings. On Nov. 27 and Dec. 8, Dr. Orman discussed President Bush's shift in tactics to gain public support. Both articles appeared in the Connecticut Post and on MSNBC. Dr. Orman commented on the landmark campaign finance reform bill, in a Dec. 2 article in the Republican-American. On Dec. 6, the New Haven Register and the Connecticut Post quoted Dr. Orman on former Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr.'s suggestion that he might run against Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.). Dr. Orman recalled the day John Lennon was murdered 25 years ago on Dec. 8 for an anniversary article in The Chronicle (Willimantic). Dr. Orman's bid for Sen. Lieberman's seat was referenced in a Dec. 11 article in The Day about the rumors that Sen. Lieberman will become the next Secretary of State, and in a Jan. 11 AP article regarding the effect of Lieberman's support of the War. (Dr. Orman dropped his challenge for the Democratic nomination in September.) On Dec. 22, he cautioned politicians about getting too chummy with television host and political hopeful Jerry Springer. The article appeared in media outlets, including the Springfield News-Sun (Ohio) and South Africa's News24.com.
Dr. Shelley Phelan, associate professor of biology in CAS, was a finalist in the Connecticut Technology Council's Women of Innovation awards program. The names of finalists were published in the Connecticut Post on Dec. 28.
In a Dec. 27 interview with the radio station KAHL in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Judith Primavera, professor of psychology in CAS, discussed how children cope after a divorce. Dr. Primavera delivered "Healthy Child, Successful Child: An Ecological Look" at the Westport Department of Human Services' ninth annual Mental Health Breakfast held on Oct. 19. She discussed how children fare better when embattled parents divorce, rather than growing up in a dysfunctional home, in a Dec. 19 article for WebMD. The article also appeared on foxnews.com.
Dr. Norman Solomon, dean of DSB, was interviewed by WICC-600 AM in Bridgeport and WSTC/WNLK in Norwalk/Stamford on Dec. 22 regarding the New York City transit strike.
For a Jan. 14 article in The Advocate, Deborah Sommers, director of programming for the QCA, commented about the growing competition between live performances and home electronic entertainment for audiences.
Loren G. Smith, visiting assistant professor of marketing in DSB, translated into English the book of poetry, Flames of Love: Poems of the Spanish Mystics San Juan de la Cruz and Santa Teresa of Avila (Alba House, October, 2005).
Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of CAS, published the study "The Contribution of the Books on the Soul and the Body to the Dissemination of Greco-Arabic Learning" in Bartholomaeus Anglicus, de proprietatibus rerum, in October 2003.
Dr. Ellen Umansky, the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies in CAS, was one of the accomplished leaders on the Jewish Ledger newspaper's "Connecticut Annual Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2005" List. People are selected for their activities in the Jewish community in Connecticut and throughout the world.
University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S. J., was quoted in an article about the launching of the Center for Faith and Public Life in the December issue of the Catholic Transcript (Bloomfield, Conn.). The Advocate and other media in the Southern Connecticut Newspaper Group published articles on the Center's launch on Nov. 8. Fr. von Arx also published the lead chapter, "Cardinal Manning and His Political Persona: The Education Act of 1870," in Victorian Churches and Churchmen (Cromwell Press, 2005). The volume was issued to honor Dr. Vincent Alan McClelland, emeritus professor of education at the University of Hull (England), for his significant contributions to Roman Catholic historical scholarship. Fr. von Arx was one of 17 contributors to the festschrift - a collection of essays issued to honor a person on a celebratory occasion - in this instance, Dr. McClelland's retirement. "When I began working in Catholic Church history after my doctoral work, he was very helpful as a mentor and provided a lot of guidance in getting to Cardinal Manning's papers," says Fr. von Arx, who attended the November presentation in London.
During the Christmas break, Fr. von Arx attended the 25th annual Renaissance Weekend, a gathering of leaders from diverse fields who spend four days engaged in a variety of conversation-starter panels and free-for-all discussions of select topics. He was part of six panels at the event held in Charleston, S.C., addressing with other public intellectuals the following issues: performance, impediments and progress of America's schools and colleges; fallibility and the Roman Catholic church; moral authority and ethical behavior in business, politics, and the professions; religion's seven deadly sins; and whether science and technology can save the planet.
Dr. Meredith Wallace, the Elizabeth DeCamp McInerny Professor of Health Sciences in the School of Nursing (SON), was interviewed on Dec. 27 by WSTC/WNLK radio in Norwalk and Stamford regarding a $15,000 grant from the Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust for the School of Nursing's Geriatric Nurse Online Education Program.
Dr. Kathleen Wheeler, professor in SON, wrote the guest editorial, "The Primacy of Psychotherapy," which appeared in the Perspectives of Psychiatric Nursing in November.
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February 2006
15 years
Bryan Ames
20 years
Kirk Anderson
Nancy Fray
Harvey Mamrus
Gregory Marshall
Gary Weddle
30 years
James Cuzio
Hugh Humphrey
Condolences
Shirley Robinson, mother-in-law of Sandra Robinson, executive secretary in the academic vice president's office, died Dec. 2.
William V. Troione, grandfather of Mark Reed, vice president for student affairs, died on Dec. 5.
Judith Anne Zyla Potok, mother of Deborah Matthews, operations assistant in University College, died Dec. 6.
John Turechek CT'70, adjunct professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department in CAS, died on Dec. 17. Turechek taught calculus and statistics courses at Fairfield University from 1983 to 2004, and was a math teacher at Bunnell High School in Stratford. He also was principal at Central Catholic High School in Norwalk. A graduate of New Haven State Teachers College (now Southern Connecticut State University), he earned a Sixth-Year Certificate from Fairfield's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions in 1970.
Jean Boggio, wife of Dr. Joseph Boggio, former professor of chemistry, died in January.
Regina DiChello, mother of Darlene Dunn, accounting assistant, died on Jan. 26.
Eileen "June" Brennan, wife of Vincent Brennan Sr., former director of security, died on Jan. 28.
Olive Stadaleman, grandmother of Debbie Feeley, reproduction technician in printing and graphics services, died on Jan. 29.
New Employees
Bernard Bacon - Payroll Assistant, Payroll
Julie Becker - Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Development Office
Jodi Bukoski - Secretary III, Major Gifts
Kevin Hychko - Public Safety Officer, Public Safety
Patrice Klein - Staff Nurse, Health Center
Brendan Muldowney - Technical Staff, QCA
Nakia Noble - Admission Counselor, Office of Undergraduate Admission
John Primavera - Department Coordinator, Visual and Performing Arts, CAS
Peter Scifo - Part-time Prep Teacher, Media Specialist
Christopher Trouw - Groundskeeper II, Maintenance
Eileen Zoppi - Operations Assistant II, Financial Aid Office
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The Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Dr. Xin James He: Researching China's business efficiency
By Alejandra Navarro, Publications writer
When Dr. Xin James He, associate professor of information systems and operations management, returned to his native China in summer 2001, he found the country, particularly its business community, very different from the one he knew in 1987. He had left his homeland 14 years earlier to pursue a doctoral degree in business at Pennsylvania State University. The changes weren't completely surprising, however, considering that China had begun emerging as one of the world's fastest growing economies. In fact, that's exactly what he expected to find and planned to investigate.
 Shortly after joining the Charles F. Dolan School of Business in 2000, he was tapped to teach BiMBA (Beijing International MBA) courses at Peking University, a Fairfield University partner. He used this opportunity in China to begin researching the efficiency of the country's burgeoning businesses - specifically, how well they were using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). That's the formal name for software that streamlines the production flow of a business by integrating its databases. In his field, he researches the application of new technologies to improve business operations. Some of the benefits of ERP include improved data analysis and customer service, and smoother business processes. With communication, manufacturing, distribution, and accounting all on the system, for example, business flow is more efficient. Redundancy of work is also reduced, as is the chance for human error. However, cautions Dr. He, "This will not automatically provide benefits for the company."
At the heart of his research paper, "The ERP Challenge in China: a Resource-Based Perspective," which appeared in the prestigious refereed journal, Information Systems Journal, is the discussion of how to help make ERP decisions in China. "ERP is not for everybody," Dr. He says. "You have to consider the corporate culture, government policy, the infrastructure, as well as other historically related issues." This is particularly true for businesses in China, where it has only been a short time since the country moved from a centralized economy to a market economy; the government still has its grip on most of the so-called state-owned enterprises.
Using ERP, however, is practically a requirement for organizations to stay competitive in the country's increasingly global presence, particularly if they want to do business with large corporations such as GE, Intel, IBM, and Wal-Mart. "You have to do it, and you have to do it right," says Dr. He. Due to information technology's rapid development and the hefty investment it requires, business leaders must make certain their strategic visions are headed in the right directions, or they can encounter even more expenses, according to Dr. He. "If you're supposed to do it and you don't, you're in big trouble," he says. "If you're not ready and you do it too quickly, you're probably in bigger trouble. Some companies have filed bankruptcy on a failed ERP."
China is far behind western countries in terms of using ERP. In the United States, approximately 95 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have implemented, or are in the final stages of implementing, these types of programs, Dr. He notes. The average cost for a mid-sized U.S. company to integrate it is approximately $100 million. And there's the price tag of time spent, as well. It takes about 18 months to implement the software, and an additional 18 months to fine-tune the system. A large part of the transition is change management and getting employees to buy into the new system, he says.
In the United States, the growth of the companies using ERP is about 6 percent annually, with smaller companies turning to less elaborate, over-the-counter ERP software. In China that number is 23 percent, with enterprises embracing both the benefits and the risks.
"It's always risky," Dr. He says, adding that many companies have no choice if they want to stay competitive. "As an analogy, it's risky when you drive a car. You have the potential to get into a traffic accident. But does that mean no one should drive?" His advice is simple: "Understand the risk, understand the benefits, but at the same time, move forward based on your existing resources."
Photo by Jean Santopatre
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By Emily Faherty '08, Contributing writer
Campus Currents continues to introduce several new tenure-track faculty to the University community.
Rev. Fredy Cesar Maldonado, S.J.
The Rev. Fredy Cesar Maldonado, S.J., has joined the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) as an instructor. He earned a B.A. in theology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, and a licenciate in philosophy from Universidad Católica Boliviana, in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He also has an M.A. in Andean anthropology from Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, in Quito, Ecuador, and holds a Ph.D. in Latin American literature with a specialization in cultural studies from Georgetown University. A Jesuit for 25 years, he was ordained in 1992.
His dissertation was based on the Instituto Radiofónico Fe y Alegría, a Jesuit organization that promotes literacy to an adult population through radio programming.
John B. McDermott
Dr. John McDermott has joined the Charles F. Dolan School of Business as an associate professor of finance.
After graduating with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a degree in civil engineering, he pursued his master's degree in corporate finance at Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. In 2000, he received his Ph.D. in finance from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. McDermott served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for 21 years and retired at the rank of Commander. He taught at the Coast Guard Academy and served as management department head. He was also an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Connecticut.
Dr. McDermott has published in various finance journals, including the Journal of Banking and Finance and the Journal of Financial Markets. He has presented his ongoing research on market liquidity at Financial Management Association International meetings.
Laura Nash
As an adjunct professor, assistant program director of the Music Program, and visiting instructor in visual and performing arts, CAS, Dr. Laura Nash is a familiar figure on the Fairfield campus. This year, she joined the faculty as an assistant professor of music.
Dr. Nash came to Fairfield in 1993, after receiving her master's and doctoral degree in music from Yale University. She has received grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the Dana Foundation, and the Barnes Foundation to encourage professional development for music teachers and supplies for Bridgeport music classes. As a result, she has been invited to participate in a federally sponsored publication on strategies that work in urban schools.
She has been a mentor in the Ignatian Residential College and was voted Teacher of the Year in 2000. She also conducts the University Orchestra.
Marice E. Rose
Dr. Marice Rose is no stranger to Fairfield University. She completed her undergraduate studies here, graduating magna cum laude in 1992, and has taught courses in art history as a visiting instructor and an adjunct professor as she pursued her Ph.D. at Rutgers University, which she received in 2001. Dr. Rose now joins the Department of Visual and Performing Arts in the CAS as an assistant professor of art history.
In addition to teaching art history courses at Fairfield University, New York University, and Rutgers University, Dr. Rose has also worked in both the Education and Greek and Roman Departments of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Dr. Rose will have her work, "The Trier Ceiling: Power and Status on Display in Late Antiquity," published in Greece and Rome. Some of her research interests include female adornment in medieval art, Celtic and Irish art, slave relationships, and early Christian art.
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By Barbara D. Kiernan, Director of University Publications
At its December meeting, the Fairfield University Board of Trustees endorsed - as a strategic vision - the planning document that emerged from the collaborative efforts of more than 100 faculty, administrators, and students last year. The document that was presented to the Board also incorporated the feedback of staff, alumni, the Trustees Advisory Council, and school advisory boards. At the Board's direction, the University is now developing the tactical components that will make this vision real.
Senior leadership has begun working with key faculty and staff, many of whom served on last spring's planning task forces, to implement priorities chosen by University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., for the first 12 to 36 months of the 10-year plan. Each division and functional area will develop a timeline, phase-in plan, budget estimates, and framework for assessment for each tactic or support mechanism it plans.
Because this process will remain collaborative, the work of all University areas will be essential to the plan's ultimate success. Moving forward in some areas, for example, will depend in part on the work of the Advancement Division, whose fundraising and marketing efforts will be tied to specific projects and timed to assist in their implementation. Computing and Network Services will be involved across the board, as no educational planning process can be complete today without a technology and information services component. The library will factor heavily into Fairfield's academic and living-learning goals. Thus, while some divisions will be more tactically focused on one or another of the three overarching goals, each division and functional area will need to justify its projects in relation to their support of the overall plan.
Threaded through the strategic vision is a directive to increase the racial, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity of students and faculty, a priority that will have implications for enrollment management, financial aid, student life, multicultural relations, and human resources, among others. To ensure that this priority remains in sharp focus, Fr. von Arx has appointed a 13-member Diversity Council to assist in the planning process (see article on page 1).
In addition, Fr. von Arx has assigned responsibility for Goal I (integration of the core curriculum) to Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president, who is now working on its tactical elements with the Center for Academic Excellence and other faculty members and academic administrators. Vice President for Student Affairs Mark Reed has been given primary responsibility for Goal II (integration of life and learning), and is likewise working with his staff, some of whom were members of the initial task force. Dr. Grossman, in collaboration with George Diffley, vice president for University advancement, will shepherd the development of Goal III (integration of Jesuit values into graduate education).To monitor the progress of this developing business plan toward a June 2006 initial report to the Board, Fr. von Arx has formed an ad hoc committee of three vice presidents (Reed; William Lucas, vice president for finance; and James Estrada, vice president for Information Services). In addition to this committee, the president's senior leadership team (the five vice presidents, James Bowler, S.J. (mission and identity), Judy Dobai (enrollment management), and Martha Milcarek (public relations)), will review the business plan as it takes shape this semester.
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By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations
Environmental expert Dr. Marcos Antonio Pedlowski of Brazil is already halfway through his stay at Fairfield University, where he is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar for the 2005-06 academic year. Dr. Pedlowski is an associate professor and member of the Laboratory of Studies on Anthropogenic Space, one of the four research laboratories at the Center of Human Sciences of the Northern Fluminense State University (UENF) in Brazil.
An authority on the ongoing and rapid environmental changes in the Brazilian Amazon basin, Dr. Pedlowski's Fulbright exchange with Fairfield derives from an ongoing partnership with the University.
Five years ago, Fairfield University joined a consortium with Northern Fluminense, Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and the Amazonas Federal University, also in Brazil, to focus on the study of the relationship between the environment, economic development, and quality of life. Funded by a $208,000 federal grant, the partners in this U.S.-Brazil Consortium for Environmental Studies seek to integrate social sciences and environmental sciences curriculum, and to encourage students to study the connections between the two disciplines.
"We examine the interactions between the environment and human society," says Dr. Pedlowski, whose own research considers the causal relationships from deforestation to the vast inequities in land distribution, particularly in Brazil.
In the fall, Dr. Pedlowski and Dr. Dina Franceschi, associate professor of economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, taught a course in global environmental regimes, which investigated the many treaties, agreements, and laws that regulate the use of environmental resources.
"Dr. Pedlowski and I have been working together for many years, most recently on a joint grant between our nations' departments of education," Dr. Franceschi says, noting that they recently started some joint research projects. "We have moved the relationship between our institutions forward based on the parallels he sees in them. Our co-taught course, 'Global Environmental Regimes,' brought an unmatched perspective to the classroom, not only in expertise, but also in terms of the role of the developing world. He was extraordinarily helpful to the students as they researched their final paper topics, I think they really appreciated his input."
This semester, Dr. Pedlowski and Dr. Edward Dew, professor of politics in CAS, are teaching "Land Reform and Social Justice in Latin America." He will also lead a seminar on applied field research, which teaches students how to design and conduct research in real-world situations.
Dr. Pedlowski also meets with students who are interested in applying as Fulbrights to Portuguese-speaking countries, by reviewing their applications and mentoring them.
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Pictured above is Mailands as it looked when the Jennings family lived there. By the 1930s, the original two-story portico had rotted and needed extensive repair. Mrs. Jennings chose to remove it and replace it with the wrought iron grillwork still there today.
By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer
A century ago, Oliver Gould Jennings was an important man in Fairfield. Born into a well-established family, he inherited a fortune from his father, an original investor with the Standard Oil Company. Although he had an apartment on Fifth Avenue and a home in Newport, Jennings chose to build a country home on Osborne Hill in Fairfield, where his family had owned land since the 1600s. He moved into the home with his new bride in 1896. But after the birth of their two sons, "the old house, though quite large, had comparatively few rooms and apparently Mother and Father decided to enlarge it," according to their oldest son, B.B. Jennings. That they did, essentially razing the older home and building the 40-room Norman chateau they named "Mailands." The new home had a tower that the family used to view Long Island Sound and a basement that was designed to accommodate a swimming pool, although it was never built as the family preferred to swim at the beach. By all accounts, after the house was completed in 1907, it became a social center for the prominent members of the Gilded Age, and housed lavish parties that were often detailed by the local newspapers.
Jennings added considerably to his property, eventually acquiring some 300 acres and filling them with cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and a stable of carriage horses. A windmill was used to pump water to the farmland; extensive greenhouses were renowned in the area for their exotic flowers. His family was particularly proud of the dogwood trees he had planted along North Benson Road that attracted visitors each spring. Jennings called himself an "agriculturalist," but he was chairman of the Town of Fairfield Board of Finance for 25 years, chairman of the Fairfield Bank and Trust Co., served on the General Assembly, and was a well-known philanthropist. In 1941, four years after Jennings' death, his widow put Mailands up for sale.
That year, Bishop Maurice McAuliffe gave the Society of Jesus permission to establish a high school and college in Connecticut, which at the time had only two Catholic high schools for boys. The Bishop was particularly interested in establishing this new school in the Bridgeport area, since the Catholics in Southern Connecticut had been complaining about a lack of schools there for some time. For the first month, the Jesuits found no properties they felt were both suitable and surrounded by enough land to evolve into a larger campus. Then, on Oct. 15, 1941, the availability of Mailands was announced.
At first, the Jesuits tried to convince the Jennings family to gift the property, which was burdened with inheritance taxes, to the Society. The family balked at that suggestion and shortly thereafter announced the sale of the estate to Lawrence Thaw. Perhaps it was divine intervention, but that deal fell through a few days later, and Mailands was again put on the market. With Fairfield's mayor working on the Jesuits' behalf, the Jennings family this time agreed to the sale. The negotiated price: $42,089.84 for the home and 76 acres. It was on Dec. 7, 1941 - a day that will live in infamy - that the sale of Mailands to the Society of Jesus was announced in the local newspapers. Mailands was soon renamed "McAuliffe Hall," after the bishop whose encouragement had allowed the school to get its start.
Just a week later, the 44-room mansion next door - this one built by Walter Lashar on 105 acres - was foreclosed upon by the Town of Fairfield. The Jesuits bought it from the town for $62,500, and renamed it Bellarmine Hall after 16th-century theologian St. Robert Bellarmine.McAuliffe Hall was pressed into service right away, and Fairfield Prep opened with 319 students the following September. Renovations resulted in a physics lab and cafeteria in the basement; a chapel, classrooms, and chemistry lab on the first floor; classrooms on the third floor; and Jesuit rooms on the fourth. Classes were held there until 1981, when the building was temporarily mothballed; it was reopened in the mid-1980s with offices on the first floor and storage above. In 1994, the upper floors were renovated to house the finance division of the University and the Bridgeport Engineering Institute when it became part of Fairfield University. Today, former the Jennings homestead houses the School of Engineering, and its dean, Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, has his office in the previous owner's private study.
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By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor
The next time a lightbulb burns out in your work area, there's no need to hunt for a typewriter to fill out a Request for Maintenance form. By logging on to www.fairfield.edu/workorder and filling in your request, Campus Operations will receive your request electronically - in an instant.
Thanks to the efforts of a trio of forward-thinking students and members of the departments of Campus Operations and Computing and Network Services, the maintenance requests are now virtually paper-free. And with approximately 10,000 to 20,000 job requests annually, according to Fire Marshall Joe Bouchard, this automated process will ultimately save the University time, money, and resources. Plus, he adds, it provides the user and maintenance staff more information about the status of each job.
It all started last summer when students Scott Manning '06, Gordon Johnson '08, and recent graduate Ben Thiel '05 decided to streamline the request form.
"It wouldn't have worked as smoothly without the students' organization," says Jay Rozgonyi, assistant director of CNS, who constructed the form's Web interface. Johnson, who has worked with CNS since his freshman year, did most of the programming for this project. "Commercial packages similar to this can cost around $75,000. We knew we could build something very close to what was needed," says Rozgonyi.
The program can track hours and assignments, produce more accurate damage bills, and report the progress of a submitted report. At any time, a supervisor or manager can look up a specific record and run a report for nearly any set of data: how many plumbing jobs were done from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, for example. "What used to take a human days or weeks to prepare, now takes just a few clicks," says Bouchard.
What's more, repair technicians now have more ownership of their tasks. Each employee is responsible for logging in the status of the job, as well as the hours it took to complete. CNS has installed eight computers in the maintenance barn to provide database access.
So far, the program has been successful. "We haven't used the paper forms since the online system went live in October," says Bouchard, noting that the department has already logged 4,000 job tickets. "The success of this project is the result of a true collaboration between CNS, the students, and Campus Operations."
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Nolan reaches 500th winning game
Dianne Nolan, Fairfield University's head women's basketball coach, won the 500th game of her 32-year coaching career on Sunday, Jan. 29, in a 68-53 win over Rider University. Nolan became the 28th coach in women's basketball to reach the elite ranking. She began her coaching career at St. Francis (N.Y.) in 1974, and picked up her first win over Malloy College that season. Her first Fairfield win was on Dec. 1, 1979, an 88-74 victory over the University of Bridgeport. Nolan has coached the Stags to four MAAC Titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and one WNIT berth. She will be recognized between games on Feb. 11 at the Arena at Harbor Yard, when the women's team hosts Canisius at 1 p.m.
Photo by Jack Jones
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Faculty and staff enjoy Appreciation Night at the Arena
Taking a breather between games at the Arena on Jan. 27 were (pictured above, l-r) Elise Harrison, Health Center counselor; Bill Schimpf, former vice president for student services, who retired in December; Duane Melzer, coordinator for off-campus students; and Mark Reed, vice president for student affairs.
Photo by Jack Jones
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 Anita Hill
Feb. 23, at 8 p.m.
Attorney and educator Anita Hill came to the public's attention during Senate hearings in 1991 when she made allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, her former boss, thus bringing the issue to the national stage. Now a professor of law, social policy, and women's studies at Brandeis University, Hill wrote her autobiography, Speaking Truth to Power, in 1998 and is a strong advocate for human rights.
Hill's appearance is co-sponsored by the Fairfield University Student Association and the Center for Multicultural Relations.
Peggy Noonan
March 22, at 8 p.m.
A former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and speechwriter for former President George Bush, Noonan is the best-selling author of five books, including What I Saw at the Revolution, The Case Against Hillary Clinton, and When Character Was King. A contributing editor at The Wall Street Journal, her articles and essays have appeared in Forbes, Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and many other publications. She's also a frequent guest on political talk shows and has been a special advisor to the television drama, The West Wing. Noonan's lecture is presented in collaboration with the Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Chair in Catholic Studies celebrating the Jesuit Jubilee Year.
Mira Nair
April 5 at 8 p.m.
Born in India, Mira Nair began her career as an actor, then turned to directing award-winning documentaries. Her debut feature film, 1988's Salaam Bombay!, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and she has followed that success with several other award-winning films, including Mississippi Masala, Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding, and HBO's Emmy-winning Hysterical Blindness.
A polished director, writer, and producer, Nair started her own film company, Mirabai Films, in 1989, and strives to give voice to stories that usually go unheard. Nair, who has been lauded for her humanitarian work on behalf of the children of India, delivers the fourth annual Ignatian Residential College lecture, funded by the Lilly Endowment.
Open VISIONS Forum is a lecture series designed to challenge the life of the mind. The 2005-06 season is partially sponsored by Bank of America and Moffly Publications. All lectures take place in the Regina a. Quick Center for the Arts. For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.
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Faith Ringgold exhibition opens at Walsh Gallery
Students Meghan Sullivan '06 and Mayrenid Mejia '09 admire a piece from the Faith Ringgold exhibition at the Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery. The brilliantly colored story quilts, oils, prints, tankas, works on paper, and soft sculptures will be on display until March 4. This exhibition offers an understanding of the wide range of works by Ringgold, one of the most significant African-American artists of the modern era. They also show how she has deftly expressed the cultural, political, racial, and gender statements that defined her time.
Photo by Jean Santopatre
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By Meredith Guinness, Publicist
Adjunct Professor of English Peter Duval in the College of Arts and Sciences won the Connecticut Book Award in fiction for his quietly insightful debut collection of short stories, Rear View: Stories.
Two other members of Fairfield's CAS faculty - Dr. Nicholas Rinaldi, professor of English, Emeritus, and Dr. Michael White, associate professor of English - were also nominated for the award, which was presented at Hartford City Hall.
Duval's 12 stories are written with a mix of telling detail and deadpan humor. Rear View was the 2003 winner of the Bakeless Prize for Fiction and Duval was one of five finalists for the prestigious 2005 Los Angeles Book Prize in First Fiction for the collection.
"Duval quietly reserves judgment while getting deep inside his characters and reflecting the weird chaos that exists within all our lives," said a Booklist reviewer.
At the ceremony, awards presenter Mary Etter also praised Duval for finding the remarkable in the lives of seemingly ordinary characters. Duval, who said he was "floored" to win top honors, thanked his son, Nick, "for helping me to keep it real."
Now in its fourth year, the Connecticut Book Awards are presented by the Connecticut Center for the Book, a program of Hartford Public Library. To qualify, a book must be published during the previous year and must be by an author, illustrator, or designer who lives in or has lived in Connecticut, or who has chosen the state for his or her setting. The books are chosen by a panel of judges from nominations made by people in the publishing industry, librarians, teachers, and the public.
Duval teaches creative writing at Fairfield. He has a finished novel being considered by Houghton Mifflin and he's gathering research materials for a novel based on noted photojournalist W. Eugene Smith.
The faculty books are available at the University bookstore and the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.
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By Jack Jones, Director of Sports Information
Vote for your favorite Stags sports moment
In conjunction with the NCAA's 100th anniversary, Fairfield University will celebrate its great moments in Stags Sports History during the spring semester. Throughout the month of February and March, fans have the opportunity to select great moments in each varsity sport at Fairfield University. Located at www.fairfieldstags.com, the fan poll will include a different sport every three days. Archived polls will also be listed, so you'll never miss your chance to select your favorite Stags moments. The winning plays will be announced beginning in April.
Catch Feb. 7 game on Sirius
Can't get to tonight's game? No problem. Fans can listen as the men's basketball team takes on Siena on Sirius Satellite Radio, beginning at 7 p.m. Never miss a play by listening to the action on www.wvof.com or www.fairfieldstags.com.
Another Stag named Swimmer of the Week
Swimmer Brittany Hunter '07 won her second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) swimmer of the week award after winning three events to help the Stags defeat the College of the Holy Cross in a dual meet. She won the 800-meter free, the 200-meter IM, and the 400-meter free. Hunter also won the swimmer of the week award in November when she posted three wins during a dual meet with Niagara University.
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams will compete in the MAAC championships this month at Loyola College from Feb. 16 to Feb. 18.
Men's lacrosse earns deserving national ranking
The men's lacrosse team earned a pre-season national ranking from several publications and a Web site this winter. Inside Lacrosse, Face-Off Yearbook, and Lacrosse Magazine each ranked Fairfield University in the 20th spot in their respective pre-season national polls. The Stags, under head coach Ted Spencer, captured the Great Western Lacrosse League title last season and advanced to the NCAA tournament. This year, the program will move into the ECAC lacrosse league, which includes Rutgers, Penn State, Hobart, Georgetown, Loyola (Md.), UMass, and St. John's. The team opens its 2006 season at the College of the Holy Cross on Feb. 25.
Volunteer for the NCAA Championships
Fairfield University hosts the NCAA Women's Basketball Regional Championships at the Arena at Harbor Yard from March 25 through March 28. Volunteers are needed to help make this event a success. Volunteers are expected to work a maximum of 8 hours on any given day. Positions available are:
- Ushers: 25 to 30 positions. Includes ticket distributors, bag checkers, credential distribution, and more.
- Ball Person Coordinator: 1 position
- Team Liaisons: 4 positions
- On-Campus Practice Coordinator: 2 to 4 positions
For more information or to volunteer, contact Allen Gibson at ext. 2491 or agibson@mail.fairfield.edu. Please provide your full name, extension, cell phone number, e-mail address, and position of interest.
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Pfeiffer Research Foundation awards $75,000 grant for end-of-life nursing care education
The Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation has awarded $74,937 to the School of Nursing to study and teach students about nursing care for dying patients. The grant will fund a visiting faculty scholar in palliative (end-of-life) nursing care and four faculty research projects in the field.
The goal of palliative nursing care is to allow people to die in a manner that they would consider a "good death," says Dr. Meredith Wallace, APRN, associate professor and the Elizabeth DeCamp McInerney Professor of Health Sciences in the School of Nursing.
Fairfield University is modeling its palliative nursing care initiatives on its already-established project to incorporate geriatric nursing care into its nursing curriculum. The program will incorporate topics such as spiritual resources, patient and family communication, and pain management. "This grant takes the next step," Dr. Wallace says. "It positions our faculty to be leaders of knowledge development in palliative nursing care."
The grant will fund the following nursing faculty research projects: "An Exploration of Antidepressant Interventions Among Hospice Patients," Dr. Sheila Grossman, professor; "Spirituality in the Management of Chronic Illness Among Puerto Rican Women," Dr. Jean Lange, associate professor; "A Qualitative Study of Self-Identity during the Final Stages of Terminal Illness," Joyce Shea, assistant professor; and "The Spirituality of Nursing Home Residents with DNR (do not resuscitate) Orders," Dr. Wallace.
"In keeping with our Jesuit mission of service to others, the School of Nursing is committed to providing nurses with the knowledge they need to offer the most effective and compassionate care they can to their patients," says Dr. Jeanne M. Novotny, dean. "With this grant, we hope to enrich our curriculum with best practices in palliative nursing care and thus prepare our students to be a comfort to those facing the end of life."
The Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust makes award to the School of Nursing
The Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust has awarded the School of Nursing $15,000 over two years to enhance an online version of its highly successful Geriatric Nurse Online Education Program. This allows Fairfield University to offer the course free of charge to any registered nurse who cares for the elderly.
The course is designed to teach nurses how to identify the unique needs of the older adult population, conduct effective assessments of older adults, differentiate normal from pathological changes in aging, implement interventions for common problems of aging, identify the effect of the graying of America on health policy and reimbursement, and help older adults have a peaceful end of life.
The geriatric nurse online program has been approved for 30 contact hours by the Connecticut Nurses' Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. To receive the contact hours, participants must pay $350. The online course curriculum was developed by several members of Fairfield University's nursing faculty, in cooperation with a geriatric nurse practitioner at Bridgeport Hospital.
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Tibetan Monks to create sand paintings
Eleven Tibetan monks will perform the exquisite sacred art of mandala sand painting over four days at Fairfield University, as part of the Fairfield University Student Association's ongoing series of multicultural events on campus. The monks, part of the Mystical Art of Tibet world tour, will perform an opening consecration ceremony with music and chanting at noon on Feb. 8 in the John A. Barone Campus Center (BCC), and complete the painstaking process at 1 p.m. on Feb. 11. The public is invited to view the sand painting from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 9, in the BCC.
The Mystical Arts of Tibet world tour is a program of the Drepung Loseling Monastery through its North American seat, the Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta. Established in 1998 and inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Institute provides academic and spiritual programs and seeks to preserve the Tibetan culture and promote trans-cultural understanding and scholarly exchange.
To create a mandala, the monks draw an outline on a wooden platform and, for several days, lay on colored sand through metal funnels that cause it to flow like liquid. About five feet by five feet when finished, the mandala is destroyed shortly after completion as a metaphor for the impermanence of life. Half of the sands are distributed among the audience and others are released in a body of water in the monks' effort to spread planetary healing.
Author to discuss the Rebbetzin in America
The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies (CAS) presents author Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz, who will present, "They Married What They Wanted to Be: The Rebbetzin in American Jewish Life." The lecture will take place on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business.
Much has been said and written about the contributions of rabbis to the Jewish faith, but what of their wives? They may be behind the scenes, but rebbetzin (wives) have exercised a huge influence throughout Jewish history.
Dr. Schwartz, the Irving Lehrman Research Assistant Professor of American Jewish History and Dean of the Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), has written numerous articles on modern Jewish life. She serves on the academic council of the American Jewish Historical Society.
Dr. Schwartz also serves on the academic advisory boards of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, Women's League Outlook magazine, the Hadassah Research Institute on Jewish Women, and the Jewish Women's Archive, among others. A third-generation JTS graduate, Dr. Schwartz received her bachelor's degree from Barnard College and her master's and doctoral degrees from JTS. For 25 years, she was married to a rabbi who passed away in 2004.
The lecture is free, but reservations are required. To register, call Judaic Studies at ext. 2066.
Chubb insurance profiles campus
Fairfield University will appear in Chubb Insurance's annual report, due out in March.
"For our annual report, we feature clients with whom we have a good relationship and that share the same values we do," says Patti Martz, vice president of corporate communications at Chubb. Photographers from the company spent a January morning at Bellarmine Hall, photographing University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., as well as some of the building's grounds and the architectural details. "We can all learn something from Fairfield University about providing value," writes Martz in the annual report, citing Fairfield's "best value" rating from the 2005 Princeton Review.
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Fairfield University joins Jesuit schools in celebrating the Jesuit Jubilee this year. Institutions around the world are honoring the 450th anniversary of St. Ignatius Loyola's death, and the 500th anniversary of the births of St. Francis Xavier and the Rev. Peter Faber, S.J.
Here is what's coming up on campus:
- Feb. 8, 8 p.m.: Dr. Ronald Modras, professor of theological studies at St. Louis University, will deliver "The Humanism of Ignatian Spirituality" in the John A. Barone Campus Center Oak Room. Dr. Modras has been involved in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue for more than 30 years. He has also served on the advisory committee to the National Council of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Catholic-Jewish Relations. Dr. Modras has written seven books, including Ignatian Humanism, A Dynamic Spirituality for the 21st Century (Jesuit Way Loyola Press, 2004. He has taught at Saint Louis University since 1979. He received a doctorate in theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany, where he studied under Professor Joseph Ratzinger, now better known as Pope Benedict XVI.
- Feb. 15, 4 p.m.: The Rev. Dean Brackley, S.J., Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) of El Salvador, will give the Academic Convocation address in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. In the 1970s and 1980s, Fr. Brackley worked in social ministry and popular education on Manhattan's Lower East Side and in the South Bronx. He taught briefly at Fordham University before joining UCA in 1990 where he teaches theology and ethics. He has also administered UCA's School for Religious Education and collaborated in schools for pastoral formation sponsored by the UCA. Fr. Brackley's published works include The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times: New Perspectives on the Transformative Wisdom of Ignatius Loyola (Crossroad, 2004). Fr. Brackley entered the Jesuit order in 1964 and was ordained in 1976. He received his doctorate in theological ethics at the University of Chicago in 1980.
- March 1, 4:30 p.m.: Dr. William Portier, Mary Ann Spearin Professor of Catholic Theology and professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, will deliver "Here Come the Evangelical Catholics" in the John A. Barone Campus Center Oak Room. The author of numerous works, Dr. Portier introduced his interpretation of Evangelical Catholics in a 2000 Commonweal article about seminarians at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary. The term identifies Roman Catholics who embrace much of the public-witness style of evangelical Protestants. His essay, "Here Come the Evangelical Catholics," received the 2005 best article award from the College Theology Society.
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Campus Currents is the official news publication of the Fairfield University community. It is published monthly. The editorial office is located in Bellarmine Hall, Room 203. Telephone: 254-4000, ext. 2556. Fax: 254-4167. E-mail: jcaseria@mail.fairfield.edu.
Editor
Jill Kasiewicz Caseria
Assistant Director of University Publications
Editorial Board
Martha Milcarek
Assistant Vice President for Public Relations
Barbara Kiernan
Director of University Publications
Jean Santopatre
University Photojournalist
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