March 2003

Index for March 4, 2003

Fairfield receives record number of undergraduate applications

By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor

For the past three months, the Office of Admission's counselors and staff have barely had time to catch their breath.

This year, prospective students submitted a whopping 7,650 applications for the Class of 2007 - a 10 percent increase from last year and the most-ever in Fairfield's history. The previous all-time high was in spring 2001 when Fairfield University received 7,128 applications for the current sophomore class.

Of the 7,650 applications, 1,401 were submitted online, compared to 781 a year ago.

For admission counselors, the increase has meant stretching "reading days" into nights and weekends, and poring over the applicants' personal essays, letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, and test scores to determine the best matches for Fairfield's newest freshman class. Even with temporary support from two members of the Office of Financial Aid, the staff has also had to lengthen the workday to keep up with the filing, data entry, and related tasks.

"We're surprised to see such a substantial increase in a year that holds so much uncertainty for many families," says Ed Wilkes, associate academic vice president for enrollment management.

Two of the most impressive numbers, says Judy Dobai, director of undergraduate admission, is the growth Fairfield has seen in applications to the School of Nursing (up 54 percent from last year) and AHANA students (up 17 percent), representing an all-time record for AHANA applicants.

Contributing to the overall increase is Fairfield's continued recruitment focus on the primary feeder states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York). The University also hosted the annual New England Association for College Admission Counseling Conference last May that brought 580 admission professionals to campus, including approximately 250 high school guidance counselors. "Reintroducing the guidance counselors to Fairfield and showing them how we've improved campus facilities, academic programs, and student quality definitely impressed them," says Dobai. "They are sending us a different student now." Also adding to the jump in applications from surrounding states, she says, is the reality of the nation's current economic state and its uncertain political future. "We're seeing that students are considering being closer to home for the next four years," she says, "and that many are hoping for a substantial financial package."

Another factor, Dobai adds, is increased selectivity at some institutions. Prospective students must hedge their bets by applying to more schools. "What used to be considered an easy-in for some students may now not be as certain," she says.

More than 700 applicants (double last year's figure) showed an interest in participating in University Scholars Days. These by-invitation-only, full-day campus visits for top students included panel presentations by University deans, faculty, students, and staff who shared their personal Fairfield experiences with prospects and parents. Scholars Days are among 19 on-campus events and seven regional receptions that the Office of Admission hosts annually. Overall, more applicants visited campus last year, says Dobai, adding that the campus visit can influence a student's decision to select Fairfield over other offers.

Says Wilkes, "Without the tremendous effort of the admission staff and entire University community, we would not have numbers like these."

The increased interest in Fairfield can only improve the University's academic reputation, he says. As admission applications increase, the acceptance rate will be more competitive. For this freshman class, Wilkes expects a lower admit rate to follow - one to three points lower than the 49 percent Fairfield has held since 2001. A lower selectivity rate increases the prestige of the University and the value of the degree.

Adding to the competition among applicants is the increase in academic quality of the students. Higher standardized test scores and class rank, as well as a varied mix of extracurricular activities, experiences, and backgrounds, helps to make a strong and more diverse freshmen class.

"It's wonderful that so many talented students are interested in Fairfield," says Wilkes. "We're committed to their educational endeavors and look forward to seeing them in the fall."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Gladys Brooks Foundation endows scholarship in Asian Studies

By Nancy Habetz, Director of Media Relations

The Gladys Brooks Foundation has awarded Fairfield University $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship in Asian studies. The scholarship represents an important component in Fairfield's expanding program in this field.

The new grant will support a scholarship to be awarded annually to a student with a major or minor in Asian studies who demonstrates academic achievement, leadership ability, and significant involvement in academic, campus and community activities.

The Gladys Brooks Foundation in New York, created under the will of the late Gladys Brooks Thayer, establishes and supports non-profit libraries, educational institutions, hospitals, and clinics.

This grant is the second significant gift to Fairfield by the Gladys Brooks Foundation in support of Asian Studies at Fairfield. In 1989, the Foundation awarded $100,000 to establish an endowment for library acquisitions in Asian studies. Since the first funds were available in 1990, more than 1,500 books and hundreds of films have been added to Fairfield's collection. The endowment also supports subscriptions to 14 Asian studies journals.

Dr. Alan Katz, professor of politics and director of the program in Asian studies, says the extent and quality of the library collection in Asian studies has been invaluable to students conducting research. "We have seen a significant increase in the number of students interested in studying about Asia and the Gladys Brooks Foundation has played a key role in making that possible," he says. "The addition of this endowed scholarship provides important support for students interested in Asian studies."

Fairfield offers a minor in Asian studies. Students in the program can craft a major and, as a result, there are presently three student majors and 20 minors. Two have studied in China and three are there this semester. One is studying in Vietnam and another in Japan.

Several of Fairfield's faculty members teach specialized sectors of Asian studies. Dr. Danke Li, assistant professor of history, is an Asian scholar; Dr. Ronald Davidson, professor of religious studies, is an internationally recognized scholar in Buddhism; and Dr. Lik Kuen Tong, professor of philosophy, is the founder of The International Institute for Field Being, which bridges eastern and western thought.

Bridgeport partners with Fairfield and Dreyfus for health initiative

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

A homeowner frustrated with people dumping garbage in her neighborhood deterred the activity by posting a video camera on the property. An education worker decreased truancy in her community by providing community children with new clothes. A former teen mother arranged for a nurse to speak with other teen mothers about the importance of prenatal care.

These are some of the many success stories accomplished by the Dreyfus Health Foundation's "Problem Solving for Better Health" program. Now Fairfield University's School of Nursing is joining Dreyfus to bring the program to communities in the Bridgeport area, with a focus on older adult care. This is the first time Dreyfus is working with a university school of nursing to implement the PSBH program, which has generated action to improve health in numerous communities internationally and a handful in the United States.

Among the organizations participating are The Foster Grandparents Program, Aspira of Connecticut, the Southwestern Connecticut Area Agency on Aging, the South End Community Center, and the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport. Each has encouraged community members to participate.

A proven system that began in 1989, PSBH helps community members identify health-related problems, develop solutions tapping the network of resources in their community, and find seed money to support the solutions. It also provides a network of on-going support as projects are implemented.

PSBH represents a change in the way health care is traditionally viewed because it seeks to make improvements by integrally involving all of the participants, rather than importing a solution developed by outsiders, says Dr. Philip Greiner, associate professor of nursing and director of the Health Promotion Center. The Health Promotion Center will be the primary vehicle for administrating the new program.

This program with Fairfield University is an attempt to create a model for implementing the PSBH program in partnership with a school of nursing for use in more settings throughout the United States.

Several Fairfield University nursing students will also take part in the program, thereby enhancing their commitment to the Jesuit ideal of helping others, while allowing them to remain on the cutting edge of nursing education. This will mean hands-on involvement in the community as opposed to solely classroom-based work, says Doris Lippman, Ed.D., professor of nursing and principal investigator in the project.

Nursing student Todd J. Pelletier '04 looks forward to participating. "I see it as a great opportunity for us to get involved in this community," he says. "I think it will open our eyes to some of the issues that older people face in inner city communities."

The program was officially launched at a luncheon meeting on Feb. 19 at the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, home of the Health Promotion Center. First Baptist Reverend Hopeton Scott, other community leaders, Fairfield University faculty and students, and members of the Dreyfus Health Foundation met to discuss the new program. The luncheon was a prelude to an April workshop that will gather many community members to develop solutions to various issues that will affect the health of older adults.

Anyone who would like to help solve a problem in the community is invited to the one-and- a-half-day workshop, says Marsha Copeland-Jacks, regional program coordinator. Participants will leave the workshop with a plan for solving the problem they have identified.

Elizabeth Ratliff, volunteer for the Foster Grandparents Program at Columbus School in Bridgeport, would like to tackle garbage dumping problems near her Bridgeport home. Several other community members voiced problems and frustrations at the meeting. Tony Tozzi, executive director of the South End Community Center, would like to see more community outreach to get people who care about Bridgeport involved on a regular basis.

PSBH uses a step-by-step approach to resolving health-related problems. Step one is to define the problem carefully. Step two is to prioritize the problem, or take realistic pieces of it that can be addressed one at a time. Step three is to define a solution. Step four is to create a good action plan. Step five is take action.

And, with the support of Fairfield University and the PSBH program, these community members are ready to tackle some of their neighborhoods' toughest issues.

Fairfield links with Russian university for faculty exchange

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

Fairfield has become the first U.S. university to form a partnership with St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (also known as FINEC), Russia's most prestigious university of economics, finance, and business. Fairfield will assist St. Petersburg in updating its teaching methods, which currently rely heavily on lecture and theory.

The alliance is Fairfield's second with a Russian university. Fairfield's eight-year relationship with Herzen University has focused on the humanities and social sciences, says Dr. David McFadden, chair of the history department and director of the Russian and East European studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"This gives us another St. Petersburg partner that involves our economics department and the business school," Dr. McFadden says, adding that FINEC is very well connected in Russia and thus an excellent school with which to form an alliance.

FINEC has deep roots in Russian history, having evolved from its role as the National Bank of Russia during the Tsarist period and the State Planning Agency's Economic and Banking Institute during the Soviet period. Its more famous alumni include several high-level aides to President Vladimir Putin; the head of Gasprom, Russia's gas giant; and Anatoly Chubais, who was an economic advisor to Boris Yeltsin.

"This relationship is all about partnership," says Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "We are partnering with FINEC colleagues for sharing - in both directions - cultural, pedagogical, and scholarly knowledge in which one is expert and through which the other can grow. Our alliance will bring about more opportunities for students and scholars of both universities who will benefit from learning complementary cultures and ideas. We even have an internal partnership, between two Fairfield schools, that reflects Fairfield's ongoing, growing partnership with the larger world."

The link with Herzen has helped Fairfield's program in Russian and East European studies gain support from the J. William Fulbright Scholars Program, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the PepsiCo Foundation, and others.

The FINEC exchange will begin with a seminar in the fall that will gather faculty members in finance, management, economics, and communication from each university. The universities are also seeking funding for various other projects.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Charles F. Dolan School of Business have engaged in innovative curriculum development, working throughout the process to broaden the international expertise of their faculty. In Russia, by contrast, teaching methods at the university level have remained lecture-oriented, primarily because so much faculty training took place in the Soviet period when theory was the pedagogical emphasis. Seeking to incorporate new teaching methods and create links between academic theory and actual process, FINEC sought to develop a relationship with an AACSB-accredited business school in the United States, as well as a university with excellent economics and communication faculty.

Those interchanges will benefit Fairfield's professors as well, says Dr. Norm Solomon, dean of the Dolan School of Business.

"By working with FINEC faculty, School of Business faculty will have a richer understanding and appreciation of both teaching business and 'doing business' in a nation moving from a planned economy to a fully market-oriented economy," Dr. Solomon says. "Through this project, faculty will be given excellent comparison material for classroom discussion in Fairfield. Also, after a conference of Fairfield and FINEC faculty takes place, post-conference contact via e-mail and web-based technologies between FINEC and Dolan faculty could be expanded to involve contact between students in courses being taught by those faculty in their respective home institutions."

Dr. Wallace's book wins coveted award

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

For older men, a diagnosis of prostate cancer doesn't always mean immediate treatment is the best solution.

Sometimes it's better to monitor the growth rather than operate or use radiation therapy right away. Many men with prostate cancer are not aware of this "watchful waiting" option, which avoids the many complications that can come with invasive procedures. That is one of the reasons that moved Dr. Meredith Wallace, RN, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, to publish a book about the illness.

Dr. Wallace co-edited Prostate Cancer: Nursing Assessment, Management, and Care, (Springer Publishing Co. 2002) with Dr. Lorrie L. Powel, RN, a research health scientist at Boston University School of Public Health. In January, the American Journal of Nursing awarded the book one of its prestigious awards, noting that Dr. Wallace's work "compiles a breadth of information about prostate cancer into one comprehensive source."

Dr. Wallace says the book does not advocate "watchful waiting" over any of the other treatment options, but seeks to make sure nurses are informed about all available options. She explains that while its target audience is nurses who treat patients with prostate cancer, it is written clearly and concisely enough for a general audience.

According to Dr. Wallace, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Modern instruments enable healthcare workers to screen for it cheaply and quickly, she adds.

Prostate cancer is actually a slow-growing tumor, she says. Men in their late 70s who have other diseases and no symptoms may prefer monitoring the tumor and taking no immediate invasive action if they are informed of that alternative.

Prostate cancer is complex because there are so many uncertainties. "While nurses are particularly skilled in providing information and emotional support about diagnoses and treatment, they have been ill prepared to help men face prostate cancer," co-editor Dr. Powel says. "This book arms the generalist nurse with the information that is so critically needed when caring for patients who are diagnosed and treated for the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in American men."

Dr. Wallace has contributed to several other works, including a text book, Gerontology Nursing Care of The Older Adult, and Geriatric Nursing Research Digest, which she co-edited with Dr. Joyce Fitzpatrick, FAAN, and Dr. Terry Fulmer, FAAN, and which also won an AJN book award. Dr. Wallace is currently working on an updated, abbreviated version of a gerontology text.

AJN is the official journal of the American Nurses Association, and as such, its book awards are some of the most prestigious in the nation, says Dr. Jeanne Novotny, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing. "Meredith is one of the leading nursing researchers in prostate cancer and geriatric nursing," she notes, adding that Fairfield was pleased to recruit Dr. Wallace, who joined the University in September. "We are so fortunate to have attracted a key nursing researcher in gerontology."

In February, Dr. Javier Campos, associate professor of modern languages and literatures in the College of Arts and Sciences, read his poetry at the prestigious VIII International Festival of Poetry in Havana, Cuba. Following the reading, he spent a week researching Cuban films in the ICAIC (Cuban Institute of Cinema) and Caribbean literature at the "Casa de las Americas" and the Cuban National Library.

In December, Dr. Campos presented and discussed a film in the "Latin American and Iberian Film Series" at Trinity College.

In the fall, Dr. Campos authored an article about Chilean literature and the difficult transition to democracy, which was published in Frankfurt and Madrid.

"Relationships Between Satisfaction, Trust and Commitment in a Retail Environment," a co-authored paper by Dr. Arjun Chaudhuri, professor of marketing in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, and Dr. Ipshita Ray, assistant professor of marketing, was published in the proceedings of the American Marketing Association Winter Educators' Conference in Orlando, which took place in February. Dr. Chaudhuri presented the paper at the conference.

In January, Michael Cusato, director of campus operations and guitarist/vocalist in his band, BigBoned, was mentioned in a Hartford Courant item surrounding his sister's engagement. His sister, WTNH Channel 8 morning news anchor Kristin Cusato, who was lured to a Stamford restaurant for the big moment, thought she was going to hear her brother's band play at a nearby bar.

In January, Dr. Edward Deak, professor of economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Sunday Hartford Courant article about the state's labor market. His comments were carried in a New England Construction report on the New England Economic Project's semi-annual conference in Westborough, Mass.

Also in January, Dr. Deak was interviewed by the New Haven Register and the Fairfield County Business Journal about President George W. Bush's economic stimulus package. He was also asked how the threat of war has affected the American economy for an article that ran in the Fairfield Minuteman and the Westport Minuteman.

Dr. Jesús Escobar, associate professor of art history in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named field editor for Spanish art for CAA Reviews, the online review publication of the College Art Association of America. CAA is the professional society for art historians and visual artists.

Fairfield University students were featured in the local and international media recently. The Jan. 18 issue of La Prensa, a newspaper in Duran, Ecuador, featured an article and several photographs of Fairfield University students planting trees in the community. The project was part of Campus Ministry's Global Outreach trip to the area during winter break.

An anti-war demonstration, held by Fairfield University Students for Peace to coincide with the date of President Bush's State of the Union Address, was covered by the Connecticut Post, WTNH-TV, News 12 Connecticut, Fairfield Minuteman, and Fairfield Citizen-News. The group meets weekly at Sherman Green in Fairfield, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

In February, Dr. Robert Fedorchek, professor of modern languages and literatures in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented his latest book of translations, Stories of Enchantment from Nineteenth-Century Spain, at Barnes & Noble in Westport. He delivered a talk, answered questions, read a story, and later signed copies of his book.

An op-ed article by Dr. Donald Greenberg, associate professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences, appeared in Newsday. His piece analyzed the issues surrounding the underground utility line that is being placed under Long Island Sound from Connecticut to Long Island. The decentralized nature of the American political system, he said, makes it difficult to resolve problems. Among the various interests involved are New York, Connecticut, individual towns and the federal government.

Dr. Greenberg also provided commentary for News 12 Connecticut on President Bush's State of the Union address.

G. Simon Harak, S.J., an ethics professor at Fairfield until 1999, was featured in the Fairfield County Weekly in January after a visit to campus to speak about his work with Voices in the Wilderness, a joint United States/United Kingdom campaign to end the sanctions in Iraq.

Dr. Christopher Huntley, assistant professor of information systems and operations management in the Dolan School of Business, was interviewed by News 12 Connecticut on technology for computers in which screen savers allow various organizations to use computers during their "down" time.

In February, Dr. Paul Lakeland, professor and chair of the religious studies department in the College of Arts and Sciences and an expert on laity in the Catholic Church, was interviewed for Thoughts for the Week. The radio program, available across the country via the ABC satellite network, is affiliated with Spirituality for Today, a Christian magazine underwritten by the Greenwich-based nonprofit group, Clemons Productions. The show airs locally on WVOX-AM (1460) in New Rochelle, N.Y.; WGCH-AM (1490) in Greenwich; WSTC-AM (1400) in Stamford; WNLK-AM (1350) in Norwalk; and WREF-AM (850) in Danbury.

Dr. Lakeland was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor about Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic lay group that formed one year ago in response to the hierarchy's handling of cases of clergy sexual abuse. He said the change the group desires "requires a much more long-term perspective than they might have had to begin with." But, he continued, "the typical Voice member is a very substantial presence in his or her parish - and there are a lot of them."

In January, Dr. Keith Martin, Stephen and Camille Schramm Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management in the Dolan School of Business, led a group discussion based on his paper, "Case Studies - They're Not Just For Business Courses," at the Sixth International Conference of the Academy for Creative Teaching in Lucerne, Switzerland. He also moderated "Your Creative Classroom," an interactive plenary session.

In February, he appeared in the Amateur Comedy Club's production of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana in New York. The ACC, now in its 119th season, is the oldest continuously performing amateur theatrical group in America.

"Great Plans - Little Planning: A Corporate Case Study," developed by Dr. Martin, has been selected to be included as a chapter in Virtual Education: Cases in Learning & Teaching Technologies, to be published later this year.

Dr. Laurence Miners, associate professor of economics, was interviewed on News 12 on President Bush's economic policies.

In January, Dr. Lisa Newton, professor of philosophy and director of the program in applied ethics and environmental studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, appeared on the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor. Host Bill O'Reilly questioned Dr. Newton and another guest about reality television programs, asking, "Is it immoral to enjoy watching other people fail?"

Dr. John Orman, a professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted extensively by the media - including USA Today - after U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman announced his candidacy for president. "He is known as a moral crusader, but also has the best ties in corporate America as a Democrat," Dr. Orman said for a story that appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, the Atlantic Constitution-Journal, and the Rocky Mountain Telegram (North Carolina). His comments on the subject were also carried in The Advocate (Stamford), the Fairfield Citizen-News, the Westport News, the News-Times (Danbury), and The Hour (Norwalk), and broadcast on WINS-Radio 1010 AM and WCBS News Radio 880 in New York.

Also, Dr. Orman was cited in a (Manchester) Journal Inquirer story about what would happen if two Connecticut Democrats - Lieberman and U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd - ran for president. A similar version of the story ran in the New Britain Herald, the Greenwich Time, The Advocate, the New Haven Register, and the News-Times (Danbury).

In late January, Dr. Orman was interviewed by WBZ radio in Boston, WSTC/WNLK radio in Norwalk and Stamford, and WGCH radio in Greenwich, about the President's State of the Union address.

He was also was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune for an article about the many issues confronting President Bush. He noted, "It's the nature of the modern presidency that the institution has become a focal point for all American problems."

In January, Dr. Raymond Poincelot, professor in and chair of the biology department in the College of Arts and Sciences, published Sustainable Horticulture: Today and Tomorrow. The book introduces students to the foundations of horticulture and provides information about a horticulture that is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Dr. Poincelot is also senior editor of the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture.

In December, Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, assistant professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences, participated in a major symposium sponsored by the cultural affairs department in Munich, Germany. The symposium focused on the creation of a museum to document the city's history under the Third Reich. Dr. Rosenfeld delivered a paper and was interviewed by Bayerische Rundfunk radio and the Abendzeitung newspaper.

In February, his story, "Ground Zero as a Laboratory for 'Jewish Architecture,'" appeared in the front page of the New York newspaper, Forward. The article discusses the Jewish roots of Daniel Libeskind's design for the reconstruction of Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

On Feb. 6, Jay Rozgonyi, Macintosh/network manager, was the featured speaker at a conference held at Yale University. He presented "Mac OS X and the Xserve at Fairfield University," about the deployment of the OS X operating system at Fairfield, and the innovative way in which the University has used Apple's Xserve computer to provide a wide range of web and database services on- and off-campus.

Dr. Norm Solomon, dean of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, was interviewed by WSTC/WNLK in Norwalk and Stamford, WGCH in Greenwich, and the Fairfield Minuteman about the potential commuter tax in New York.

In January, Ed Wilkes, associate academic vice president for enrollment management, was quoted in a Fairfield County Business Journal article about enrollment growth at colleges and universities in Fairfield County.

Condolences
Dr. Charles Michael Thornburg, who taught religious studies at Fairfield University from 1969 to 1977, died Dec. 5, 2002. Dr. Thornburg earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in philosophy from Earlham College, a master of divinity degree from Episcopal Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in church history from Hartford Seminary. In addition to teaching at Fairfield University, he served at the Episcopal Dioceses of Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

Roland Messina, father of Adrienne Berndlmaier of the Registrar's Office and grandfather of Lance Berndlmaier, adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, died Feb. 1.

Emma Mieles, mother of Maria Duffy, secretary in Campus Operations, died Feb. 2.

William Beverly White, father of Dr. Jean Lange, assistant professor of nursing, died Feb. 8.

New Employee
Ronald Pepin - UNIX administrator, math/computer science department

Dr. Jerry Sergent: A leader in the field of microelectronics

By Jennifer K. Covino, Publications Writer

Dr. Jerry Sergent holds up a one-inch square ceramic chip and a green, plastic circuit board 20 times its size. The chip is tiny, but it performs the same functions as the circuit board. How? Microelectronics - the technology of converting an idea into a product that is smaller, lighter, and more economical.

A leader in the field of microelectronics, Dr. Sergent is one of Fairfield University's newest engineering professors. Microelectronics encompasses the disciplines of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, and economics, he says, and it has applications in the computer, automotive, and medical supply industries.

And he would know. After teaching engineering at the University of South Florida for nine years, Dr. Sergent spent two decades designing and developing new electronic products for the corporate sector. He has won every major award in the microelectronics industry, including two for lifetime achievement, is a past president of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society, and served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging. He also developed and teaches an online course for IMAPS on hybrid microelectronics. His textbook on that subject, published in 1995, is used at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Auburn University, and other institutions.

Dr. Sergent earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati, completing his studies in 1971. In college, one of his first design jobs was creating a helmet with a built-in hearing aid for a child who was combative and uncommunicative. The boy's behavior immediately improved - it turned out he was hard of hearing, not autistic as everyone had thought.

This modern-day Edison also invented and patented the electroformed stencil, a means of depositing solder paste and epoxy in extremely small spaces. And most recently, he patented a manufacturing process for "chip-on-glass" structures, in which the electronics are mounted directly on the glass. He used the process to develop a backwards counter that tells asthma sufferers how many doses are left in their inhalers. Since the inhalers are disposable, the counter had to be tamper-proof, easy-to-read, and able to be produced cheaply.

His research and development skills, his knowledge of real-world applications, and his connections with outside industries make Dr. Sergent an exciting resource for Fairfield. He uses his contacts to secure free or low-cost equipment for a new microelectronics lab, and is helping to establish new graduate programs in electrical and computer engineering. He is also advising engineering students on their senior research projects. "They come up with some very good ideas - but not all of them are practical," he says.

The small class sizes, strong engineering program, and liberal arts curriculum at Fairfield were what attracted Dr. Sergent to joining the faculty. "Continuously, engineers have to express their ideas to other people and they need to know where their ideas fit in the grand scheme of things. I think a liberal arts core helps with that," he says.

Dr. Sergent hopes to start an IMAPS student chapter at the University, which could open scholarship opportunities to engineering majors. In addition, he expects to involve students in his future research, which includes the area of thermal management - finding ways to reduce overheating as circuits are asked to work faster while being crowded into smaller spaces.

His work, he says, is always intriguing. "I've been in the field a long time and it's still like opening a Christmas package everyday," he says. "Putting something together for the first time and seeing how it works and applies to your theory, that's really why we do what we do. I guess I've never really tired of that challenge."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

2003 Fairfield Awards Dinner to honor five

By Jennifer K. Covino, Publications Writer

E. Stanley O'Neal, chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch and rated the most powerful black executive in America by Fortune magazine, will present the keynote address at this year's Fairfield Awards Dinner. The event, which will be held on April 1 in New York City, raises funds for Fairfield University's multicultural scholarships. The Alumni Association will present O'Neal with the Fairfield University Distinguished Leadership Award.

Also honored at the dinner will be Arthur C. Laske Jr. '51, P'83, with the Alumni Service Award; Maive Scully '76, with the Alumni Professional Achievement Award; Dr. Kurt Schlichting '70, professor of sociology and anthropology, with the Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award; and Victor F. Leeber, S.J., retired chaplain of athletics and professor of modern languages, with an Honorary Alumnus Award.

The dinner chairman is Board of Trustee member Michael A. Neal, senior vice president of General Electric Company and president and chief executive officer of GE Commercial Finance.

Alumni Service Award
Arthur C. Laske Jr., '51, P '83

As a director of the William T. Morris Foundation, Arthur Laske helped guide more than $1 million in scholarship aid to Fairfield students. A longtime President's Circle member, Laske served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for 16 years and helped organize his class reunions in 1991 and 2001. He's also a Fairfield parent: His oldest daughter Susan graduated in 1983.

Laske and his closest college buddies, members of the first four-year class to earn degrees from Fairfield, still get together regularly to play golf, watch the Stags at Harbor Yard, or kick back on their boats in Florida. "There's something special about the friendships I developed at Fairfield," Laske says. "Being the first class to go through the four years gave us a pioneering spirit and an opportunity to form a bond. Many of us continue to be active with the school."

When Laske attended, Fairfield was an all-male school with a strict dress code, strange sounding courses like cosmology and ontology, and tireless teachers who did it all, like the Jesuit who taught history, staffed the library, and plowed the grounds when it snowed. A 1947 Fairfield Prep graduate and a business major, Laske played touch football and was active in an academic club.

Laske says he's impressed with Fairfield's physical transformation and potential for future growth, as well as its loyalty to the Jesuit tradition on which it was founded. "I think being a graduate of a Jesuit institution involves a certain obligation to give back," he says.

He has given back most notably through the William T. Morris Foundation, which was established in the 1940s by his father, Arthur C. Laske Sr. The foundation made its first scholarship donation to Fairfield in 1979. This year, 14 students with demonstrated financial need are benefiting from the foundation's $100,000 gift.

Professional Achievement Award
Maive Scully '76

Maive Scully is senior vice president and chief financial officer of GE Consumer Finance in Stamford.

The title marks the latest ladder rung in her 26-year rise to the top at GE. Since 1976, Scully has held various financial management positions with GE and GE Capital. She was named vice president, finance, for GE Consulting Services in 1988; portfolio manager for GE Capital Services in 1990; and chief financial officer of GE Capital's Structured Finance Group in 1992.

Scully secured a position with GE's financial management program directly following graduation, thanks to the intervention of W. Laurence O'Neil, S.J., director of student support services, then director of career planning. "As a reluctant senior beginning to think of life after Fairfield, I was truly fortunate to cross paths with Fr. O'Neil," she says. "He made it his personal goal to get me an interview with GE's program."

Scully's time at GE has been characterized by "learning and change." Within the company, she has held 15 different positions spanning five major businesses. "I've worked with bankrupt airlines, telecom startups, and Fortune 100 companies," Scully says. "I've traveled around the world and worked with people from all over the globe."

A President's Circle member, Scully served on the Fairfield Awards Dinner Committee from 1993 to 2000 and as Annual Fund chair in 1998. She was also a Board of Trustees member for two terms, from 1993 to 1999.

Scully says she still finds ways to connect with alumni. "My ongoing involvement with the University as well as my living in town has placed me in the enviable position of staying in touch with many of my classmates," she explains. Or, perhaps, Scully is blessed by friendship and success, not by matter of circumstance, but because of the way she conducts herself, living out the values she learned from Fairfield's Jesuit tradition and from her parents. "They taught me to always strive to do my best, but never to take my worldly achievements too seriously," Scully says. "In the end, you are measured by the people whose lives you have touched."

Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award
Dr. Kurt Schlichting '70

since 1974, dr. kurt schlichting has promoted the jesuit ideals of academic inquiry and social justice. as a sociology professor, he encourages discussion on topics such as inequality, social structure, and urban/suburban relationships, while also teaching his students statistics and data analysis - tools that can help bring about social change. this summer, for example, some of his students will analyze records of 12,000 loans made to bridgeport residents during the past four years to identify patterns of predatory lending. "bringing analysis to bear on that could lead to change, and that's important," he says.

Dr. Schlichting graduated from Fairfield in 1970. A star player on the rugby team, he soon returned to his alma mater to teach after completing his doctorate at New York University. He has also served in administrative roles, as acting dean (1984 to 1985) and associate dean (1990 to 1992) of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences. In the 1980s, he worked as a polling consultant to the campaigns of U.S. senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman, among others. In 1999, he was inducted, as an alumnus, to the Fairfield chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society.

His book, Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Architecture and Engineering in New York, was published in 2001. The book received the Association of American Publishers 2002 Best Professional/ Scholarly Book Award in the category of Architecture and Urbanism.

In 2002, Dr. Schlichting was the University's nominee for the Professor of the Year Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education. In November, he and the University were among the fewer than 5 percent of applicants awarded a grant from the federal Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education or FISPE. The three-year grant will be used to implement Geographic Informations Systems technology at five area high schools, two of which serve predominantly inner-city students. He has also received major grants from the Archbold Charitable Trust, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Trust.

Dr. Schlichting is director of the Fairfield County Research Center, established at the University in 1987 to provide statistical information and data analysis for local governments and non-profit organizations. Among other projects, students have analyzed funding sources for the United Way and studied the public opinion of minority residents in Fairfield County. Dr. Schlichting also does institutional research; he's currently analyzing enrollment trends in the graduate programs and University College.

Dr. Schlichting says he chose a career in sociology largely due to the influence of two professors: Dr. Arthur Anderson, who still teaches at Fairfield, and Dr. Leo Fay, who recently retired. "I was inspired by their love of the subject matter and their sense that sociology was an important discipline," he says. Today, Dr. Schlichting's students say much the same about him.

Honorary Alumnus Award
Victor F. Leeber, S.J.

A member of the original faculty in 1947, Victor Leeber, S.J., chaired the modern languages department, founded five varsity sports programs, and was chaplain and mentor to scores of student-athletes at Fairfield University. Until his departure for Campion Center in Weston, Mass., last October, he lived on campus in the St. Ignatius Jesuit residence, an early bird who awoke at 4 a.m. to recite the rosary and celebrate Mass.

Today, Fr. Leeber is delighted to talk about the school that became his home for 48 years and whose history he helped to shape. "I was there when Fairfield University opened its doors for the first time," he says. "They call me the last of the pioneers because I was there for so long and started so many things."

The first of those was the cross-country team. Later, Fr. Leeber went on to found the track, football, men's and women's swimming, and men's basketball programs. He was also the founder - and chair for 26 years - of the modern languages and literature department.

Fr. Leeber retired from teaching in 1992, but remained active as a tutor and mentor to student-athletes. He was chaplain to the teams and traveled to away games. In 1992, Fr. Leeber was inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame as its Father of Athletics, and in 1998, he was recognized with an anonymous donation: a statue of the Blessed Mother nestled in a grotto near the DiMenna- Nyselius library.

A scholarship in Fr. Leeber's name was created in 2000 when William Egan, '67, a venture capitalist and University trustee, donated $6 million to the school.

Lenten reflections 2003: Learning to go with God

By Paul E. Carrier, S.J., University Chaplain

The central and most powerful biblical image passed on to us through the experience of the Hebrew people is that of the Exodus. In it, God calls and leads his people to freedom, on a pilgrimage to a deeper and fuller life, free from bondage and slavery.

Throughout the Scriptures, the story of the Exodus serves as a backdrop, a paradigm of human experience. Let it also be a paradigm for us this Lenten season as we struggle to find direction, purpose, and meaning in our lives in a chaotic world.

What can we learn this season about the journey - the pilgrimage which is our life - and share with those around us? First and foremost, we realize that we can't stop, stand still, or hunker down. None of us has arrived; the greatest illusion to which we can succumb is to believe that we have.

Every facet of our lives and every dimension of our person rests on the belief that each and every one of us is constantly called and led by God. The prophet Hosea affirms this when he writes, "I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her." God leads us into the wilderness, to new situations and places, more deeply into where we are, where God speaks to our hearts. We may respond by running in the opposite direction like Jonah. Do we really want to hear God speaking to us?

If we feel disinclined to respond to the call of pilgrimage, to live our lives as a journey in progress, perhaps we are losing interest in life and all its adventures, perhaps life is growing dull, predictable, and safe, with our hearts beating out of habit.

Author Kent Nerburn writes, "If we don't offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull, our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder, the edge is off our experience, and we pass our days in a routine that is both comfortable and limiting. We wake up one day and find that we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days."

It doesn't have to be that way. We can challenge each other in this university community to take seriously the profound experience of being called and led by God. Going with God, living our lives as a pilgrimage/journey of faith and service is to be with our brothers and sisters in need here in the Fairfield area, in Haiti, Ecuador, Kentucky, wherever. Going with God and living our lives as a pilgrimage/journey of faith and service cultivates and nurtures our virtues of compassion and responsibility.

William Bennett defines compassion as "taking a stand with others in their distress." He defines responsibility as "to be answerable and accountable." No virtual reality here! The spirituality of pilgrimage and life as a journey can be expressed during this Lenten season through our engagement. If we dare to be responsive to God's call and to be led by God, then we enter more fully into being friends and disciples of Jesus. We are like new wine, filled with God's impelling Spirit - passion, creativity - like an untamed hurricane unable to be contained by the old wineskins of our fears, apathy, lethargy, comfort, and security.

This Lent we have been called to make this pilgrimage with enthusiasm, filled with God's energy. In the end, our pilgrimage - being called and led by God - is like love itself. It is a heightened state of awareness in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity, and ready and eager to be transformed. That is why our pilgrimage of faith and service, like the love it expresses, never really ends.

This Lenten season, let us confidently go with God.

Fairfield University receives Kress collection paintings

By Dana Ambrosini, Assistant Director of Media Relations

The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport recently presented Fairfield University with 10 paintings dating from the mid-14th through the early 18th centuries. Representing the major periods, styles, and schools of Italian Renaissance and baroque art, the old master paintings also reflect a spectrum of religious and secular images generally attributed to the followers or the studio workshops of noteworthy major artists of the periods. An installation plan for the artwork is underway.

The acquisition enhances an already thriving art history program, says University President Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J.: "Fairfield University is proud of its excellent Department of Visual and Performing Arts and its art history program. The possibility that our students and faculty will have these paintings as a resource for their academic work is most exciting."

The donation provides an excellent study tool for art history students who will have the opportunity to explore every aspect of the works, from origins and themes to restoration, says Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor of art history in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Within the next few years, art history students will develop a comprehensive catalog of these paintings, enabling us to place them into their historical, cultural, and artistic contexts," he adds

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation gave the artwork to The Discovery Museum just before the museum opened in 1962 as the Museum of Art, Science and Industry. Since then, the museum's mission has changed to focus on science and technology. This gift, along with other donations made to Bridgeport-area institutions, completes the museum's transition.

"We selected Fairfield to receive the Kress collection based on the University's exceptional art history program, its reputation for collections management, and its accessibility to the public," says Paul Audley, president of The Discovery Museum.

Making the paintings available for study and to the general public preserves the original intent of the Kress Foundation. The New York-based foundation's main collection is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., but it has offered smaller collections to numerous institutions nationwide with the hope of increasing access to great works of art. The foundation was started by Samuel H. Kress and, following his death, continued to procure paintings under the leadership of Kress's brother, Rush. The entire collection includes more than 3,000 works of European art.

The oldest paintings in Fairfield University's collection, St. Anthony Abbot and St. Andrew, are gilded egg tempera panels that date to the late 14th century. Others in the collection include Madonna and Child, circa 1525, painted by a follower of Ambrogio Borgognone; Portrait of a Lady, c. mid 16th century, painted by a follower of Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo); Portrait of a Boy, c. 1655-1743, attributed to Fra Vittore Ghislandi; Madonna and Child, c. 1530/40, attributed to Pietro degli Ingannati; Landscape with Figures, c. 1783, painted by Basilio Lasinio; Andromeda and Perseus, c. 1710, attributed to Paolo de Matteis; The Nativity, c. late 16th century, painted by a follower of Jacopo Tintoretto; and A Judgement Scene, c. 1450, attributed to Lorenzo Vecchietta.

What is healthy?

when this question was posed to me a few weeks ago, my first response was a vague statement about what to do and not to do - basic healthy lifestyle stuff. but the question requires a more detailed response, because what signifies "healthy" varies based on age, gender, social network, educational background, and family finances. It is easy to tell someone what to do. In fact, it is the basis for many of the jokes about doctors and nurses. In my parents' generation, it was the overweight M.D. with a cigar in his mouth telling the patient to lose weight and stop smoking.

But is the message any clearer today? For the past 10 years we have seen carbohydrates shift from being one the best of food choices to one of the worst. Red meat was once considered something to avoid, but now lean cuts are included in some high protein diets. We're told butter is bad because of its high butterfat content, but is margarine any better with its transfatty acids? Running and sports such as soccer provide excellent exercise, but contribute to hip, knee, and ankle injuries and deterioration. So who and what is a person to believe?

The first thing to realize is that what is considered "healthy" is not static. It changes as practice and research provide new information. Our health knowledge has expanded dramatically during the past 20 years, and continues to expand each year. It is important to keep abreast of current information related to health, by reading newspapers, journals, and magazines, and by visiting federal web sites.

Second, the media are always looking for the next miracle treatment or medical newsflash. Therefore, much of the available information is based on recent research studies and may not be ready for actual use in personal decision making. As you read, look for the author's statement about applicability of the findings for clinical practice or personal lifestyle change and for supporting statements in other medical information sources.

Third, being healthy is a balancing act. Keep health at the forefront of your actions, not in the hazy background of your mind. For example, lycopene is an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables with a red color. Lycopene intake has been linked to better cognitive functioning, decreased cell damage, and the prevention of some cancers. (So eating tomatoes and tomato sauce is a good thing!) But you need to watch what you eat with it and the amount that you eat. If you eat a half-pound of pasta with that sauce, the potential weight gain might offset the positive aspects of lycopene. A better choice might be sliced tomato with lettuce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Finally, you need to examine what is available to you, what changes you are willing to make, and how much those changes might cost. Perhaps joining a gym is not an option, but working out at the RecPlex is. The special foods and group support of some weight loss plans might fit your lifestyle, but also consider working with your health care provider to set reasonable goals. The federal website for weight control (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_home.htm) is a great place to start reading about the latest behavioral changes to make in your life. Making the decision to be healthy is largely in your hands. More than 80 percent of chronic disease in our society can be avoided through lifestyle change - and it is never too late to start!

Philip A. Greiner, DNSc, RN

Associate Professor of Nursing; Director, Undergraduate Program; Director, Health Promotion Center

Campus construction report: March

• Walsh Athletic Center: Construction on a new parking lot has begun and will continue through this month.
• New tennis courts: The tennis courts will be moved from north of Alumni Hall to west of the Walsh Athletic Center. Construction begins this month.

By Jack Jones, Director of Sports Information

NABC honors Deng Gai '05
Deng Gai '05 earned All-District second team honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The NABC All-District teams are determined by vote of the member coaches.

Gai was one of only 10 players in the district to garner the award. With this status, he becomes eligible for All-America honors, which will be determined this month. A forward on the team, Gai ranks fourth in the nation with four blocks per game, and leads the team in scoring (13.2 points per game). He is approaching 200 career blocks, needing just 11 more during the final regular-season games.

Softball team tagged a winner
The softball team has been selected as the pre-season favorite to win the MAAC title, picking up 75 points in the coaches' poll. The team, which won the MAAC regular season title and was tournament runner-up last year, also placed several players on the pre-season All-MAAC team. Pitcher Mellissa Santos '03 earned the MAAC pre-season player-of-the-year award and a post on the All-MAAC squad. Shortstop Megan Miller '04 and outfielder Ellen Sarosy '03 joined Santos on the All-MAAC team.

MAAC tournaments begin this week
The 2003 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball tournaments begin this week in Trenton, N.J., with the women's team playing March 6 through March 9. The men's games are March 7 through March 10. A change from previous years, the regular-season champion will receive a two-round bye into the semi-final round. Seeds two, three, and four receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. At press time, the men's basketball team was in second place, while the women's team was in fifth.

For ticket information, contact the athletic ticket office at ext. 4103.

Inside Lacrosse ranks men's team
The men's lacrosse team earned its first-ever pre-season national ranking when Inside Lacrosse picked the Stags for the number 22 slot in the publication's annual poll. The team captured the Greater Western Lacrosse League's championship last season, and played the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. Goaltender C.J. Kemp '03 and midfielder Peter Vlahakis '04 earned places on the Inside Lacrosse pre-season All-America team.

Athletes lead Girl Scouts in multi-sport clinic
On Feb. 9, 100 Girl Scouts from the region participated in Fairfield University's tribute to National Girl's/Women's Sports Day. Student-athletes from 10 of Fairfield's women's teams coached the girls and introduced them to a variety of sports.

Winter Homecoming 2003

news Briefs

Fairfield offers "Jesuits in Asia" lecture series
A new "Jesuits in Asia" lecture series will celebrate the unique position the Society of Jesus had in exploring Asian culture and in developing a mutual appreciation among artists, philosophers, and priests in Europe and Asia.

The inaugural lecture, "Holy Disguise: Jesuits and Brahmins in South India (1544-1800)," will be presented on March 26 by Francis Clooney, S.J.

Dr. Gauvin A. Bailey, a renowned art historian, will present the second lecture, "Jesuit Artistic Enterprises in Asia, 1542-1773," on April 2. He will explore the artistic interchanges in India and East Asia between Jesuit artists and those indigenous painters and sculptors trained in Asian schools and workshops.

The lectures will be presented in the Oak Room of the John A. Barone Campus Center and will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The series is supported by Fairfield University's Humanities Institute, the Nintur Foundation, the international studies program, and the Department of Asian Studies.

Rock 'n Jock to bat April 4
The third annual Rock 'n Jock Home Run Derby and softball game will take place on Alumni Softball Field on April 4 at 4 p.m., followed by a post-game party at the Levee.

The three-day event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. Thanks to the generous support of the University community, Rock 'n Jock raised $12,000 last year for Make-A-Wish.

Events include a benefit gala on April 2, a silent auction on April 3 in the Barone Campus Center, and a concert featuring the Billy Joel Tribute Band at the Levee on April 4. This year's auction features tickets for a Bon Jovi concert at Giants Stadium.

To participate, or for additional information, contact Eddie Seavers '03 at ext. 6155.

Renowned author to speak about 1863 draft riots
In 1863, hundreds of working-class civilians died in New York City when a blaze destroyed much of the city during a riot in protest of a Civil War draft.

Recounting the brutality of the riots through many true stories surrounding the massacre, author Kevin Baker weaves a fictional tale of three women caught up in the horror in his new book, Paradise Alley. Baker will read a portion of the book on March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the multimedia room of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library. A reception and book signing will follow.

Sparked by the passage of the National Conscription Act for the Civil War, thousands of people, mainly Irish immigrants, protested in three-day riot during the summer of 1863. The draft law and its provision that the rich could buy their way out of the draft with $300 enraged the immigrants, who struggled to survive on their meager incomes.

Baker's book covers the same period and some of the same events as Gangs of New York, a novel that has generated an Oscar-nominated movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. Baker's book is the second in a trilogy, City of Fire, about Civil War-era events in New York. The first book in the set, Dreamland, was set on Coney Island around 1910, and deals with the fires that destroyed the Dreamland Amusement Park and the Triangle Shirtwaist factory.

"The novel is a magnificent blending of history and fiction, a grand story of vast scope, peopled by compelling characters and riveting in its portrayal of 19th-century New York," says Dr. Michael White, assistant professor of English.

Baker was the chief historical researcher for Harold Evans' history, The American Century (1998). He has written for The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and Harper's. He also writes a column for American Heritage about the parallels between events today and those of yesteryear.

The lecture is part of a celebration of Connecticut Arts Week.

Career fair aids students during tight job market
On Feb. 6, the Career Planning Center sponsored a career fair in Alumni Hall, where students spoke with representatives from nearly 90 potential employers and graduate schools.

Dennis Amrine, associate director of the Career Planning Center, says the fair drew 10 more employers than last year. "I am pleased and encouraged by the responses we had this year. We are almost back to the numbers we had when the economy was good, so I hope this means job prospects for this class are improving."

In addition to the numerous financial and healthcare organizations, several non-profit agencies, including the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the Peace Corps, were on hand.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

Jazz pianist teaches in Bridgeport through Quick Center for the Arts

By Meredith Guinness, Publicist

Latin jazz pianist Arturo O'Farrill is working with Bridgeport high school musicians and hopes to create an all-city jazz ensemble through a residency created by the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

O'Farrill, son of famed Afro-Cuban jazz bandleader Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill, began instructing band students at Bassick and Central high schools in February through the Quick Center's Young People and Jazz program. In the first seven weeks of the residency, he will visit each school one day a week, assessing and improving band students' technical abilities. As the residency progresses, he hopes to identify students with burgeoning talent, create a jazz program, and form a citywide jazz ensemble.

"It's a whole jazz experience. We'll look at different styles like bebop and swing and do a lot with improvisation," O'Farrill says. "Teenagers can have trouble with that because they tend to edit themselves and want to be cool. I'm trying to get them to loosen up and let go."

The project is funded in part through the William & Philip Carlson Fund, Carlson Festival for Arts and Cultural Programming, which is administered through the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation. Part of the Quick Center's "Artsbound" outreach program, it also receives funding from the Educational Foundation of America, says Deborah Sommers, director of programming.

O'Farrill, who often presents educational performances and workshops in the New York City area, was a natural choice for the residency, says Sommers. "Arturo's experience in setting and developing curriculum and programs in many inner-city school systems was the kind of experience that was needed to help develop the program in Bridgeport. He's talented and creative and has the expertise to assess what is needed."

Well known on the jazz scene, O'Farrill was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Educated at the Manhattan School of Music and the Brooklyn College Conservatory, he played with the Carla Bley Big Band from 1979 through 1983. He left to develop as a soloist with a wide array of artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, Papo Vasquez, and Harry Belafonte.

In 1995, he agreed to direct the band that preserved much of his father's music, Chico O'Farrill's Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, which has been in residence at New York's famed Birdland for several years. He performs throughout the world and has been featured on his own and many other artists' recordings.

O'Farrill has been a special guest soloist at three landmark Jazz at Lincoln Center events, including the 2001 Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala. During two intense weeks in 2002, he led a Latin jazz quintet for "Arroz Con Bebop," a series of more than 20 educational performances in and around New York City.

Sommers devised the three-pronged Bridgeport program through Jazz at Lincoln Center. After O'Farrill assesses students' abilities and needs, he will develop the curriculum to enhance music programs and create a jazz program for students. The best young musicians will be invited to join an all-city jazz band to present end-of-the-year concerts.

"We've been looking forward to this," says Dr. Nancy Goncalves, performing arts director for the Bridgeport school system. "I can only see this as a wonderful and positive experience for the students."

Sommers and Dr. Goncalves would like the jazz program to be a continuing part of the Bridgeport school curriculum. Over time, Sommers says she hopes it will grow to include an all-city stage band and an ensemble that would play statewide.

"We are always looking for new sponsors to help us continue to make this sort of programming possible for young people in our community," she says.

O'Farrill believes jazz has a real chance to take root in Bridgeport schools.

"This is a building process. It has to grow by word of mouth," he says. "But from what I've seen there are some students within the system who are pretty astonishing musicians. All they need is a vehicle."

Urban Bush Women bring fusion of African traditions to Quick Center for the Arts

Urban Bush Women, a troupe that weaves dance, music, storytelling, and African cultural tradition into unique dance/theatre works, will present Shadow's Child on March 8 at 8 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. An Art-to-Heart question-and-answer session with the company will follow the program. The troupe will also present a young people's version of the performance on March 9 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women's formally trained dancers possess a range of vocal, theatre, puppetry, and performance skills. Many of the company's signature works deal with race, ethnicity, and women's self -image.

In addition to exploring themes of equality, diversity, and personal fortitude, Shadow's Child introduces audiences to the dances, customs, and foods of Mozambique. The production includes members of Campanhia Nacional de Canto e Danca of Mozambique.

For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at ext. 4010.

Whelan and Halalí to play an evening of Celtic music at Quick Center for the Arts

Internationally renowned accordionist John Whelan and the talented violin trio Halalí join forces for a St. Patrick's Day celebration on March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. A St. Patrick's Day celebration with the artists will follow the performance.

The evening will include rousing original and traditional Celtic pieces for which both Whelan and Halalí are known.

For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at ext. 4010.

Vocalist Lila Downs to perform March 21 at Quick Center for the Arts

Combining an eclectic mix of cultural tradition with her own touches of jazz, cumbia, and Latin pop, singer Lila Downs and her five-member band are set to perform for music lovers of all kinds on March 21, at 8 p.m. in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Downs' credits include a singing cameo in the Golden Globe-winning film Frida, starring Salma Hayek.

Daughter of an Anglo-American father and a Mixtec Indian mother, Downs has created her own unique blend of Mexican folk music and American jazz. She also uses her music as a forum for political expression, particularly on the topic of Mexican immigration. Her debut album, La Sandunga, drew heavily from her Mixtec Indian background. In 2000, she released Tree of Life/Yutu Tata, in which she created lyrics from the religious codices of the Mixtec and Zapotec people. Her latest album, Border/La Linea, mixes jazzy rock tunes with Latin pop, cumbia, and hip-hop.

For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at ext. 4010.

Brian Torff and Thunderstick to perform at the Quick Center for the Arts March 20

Bassist and composer Brian Torff and his jazz-rock band Thunderstick will return to the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts' Wien Theatre on March 20 for shows at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Torff, director of Fairfield's music program, recently took the group in a new musical direction, adding a horn section to the original quartet and updating the powerful sounds of the late 1960s and early '70s à la Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago.

For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at ext. 4010.

Campus Currents is the official news publication of the Fairfield University community. It is published on the first Tuesday of the month. The editorial office is located in Bellarmine Hall, Room 203. Phone: 254-4000, ext. 2556. Fax: 254-4167. E-mail: campuscurr@mail.fairfield.edu.