Campus Currents May 2006

Volume 14, Number 8
The official news publication of Fairfield University

Index for May 2, 2006

Trustees approve 2006-07 University budget
Actor Jesse L. Martin headlines Fairfield Awards Dinner
Lipman Hearne presents market research results
University launches alumni online community
News breakers
College of Arts and Sciences honors faculty authors
Service Anniversaries
Faculty Research: Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka
Adjunct Professor of the Year: Janet Krauss
Ethics scholar Rev. James Keenan, S.J., speaks on HIV/AIDS
Faculty awards, research grants, and sabbaticals
56th Commencement to feature British Robinson
Cathleen Borgman to lead Career Planning Center
Collaboration yields awards for multiple departments
Filmmaker Mira Nair wraps up OVF season
New satellite uplink truck connects Fairfield globally
Senator Dodd holds discussion on emergency preparedness
Sports
Gifts and Grants
news Briefs
Happenings
New FUSA president aims for unity

Trustees approve 2006-07 University budget

By Martha Milcarek, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations

At its meeting on March 26, Fairfield University's Board of Trustees approved a $130.4 million University operating and capital budget for the 2006-07 academic year. The total represents a projected $6.1 million increase in revenues over last year's budget and provides for the lowest increase in tuition, room, and board in six years.

University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., commended the Budget Committee for its diligent work. "Creating a budget is always challenging; the current environment in higher education makes this process increasingly complex," Fr. von Arx said. He also explained that year after year, the overall goal remains the same: affordability for students and their families, while providing resources that build upon Fairfield's reputation as a vibrant student-centered institution with a nationally recognized faculty.

Fr. von Arx outlined the assumptions that formed the foundation for the 2006-07 budget:

• Establishing a lower undergraduate tuition, room, and board increase than previous years.
• Implementing an enhanced financial aid program that will bring the institution closer to accomplishing its established goals in the area of socio-economic and racial diversity.
• Maintaining competitive compensation (salary and benefits) levels for all University employees.
• Providing appropriate revenues to begin implementing the strategic planning initiatives.

Next year's budget sets undergraduate tuition at $31,450. Room and board residence hall charges will be $9,980; townhouse rental charges, $7,730; and apartment rental charges $8,370. The 2006-07 tuition, room and board costs represent an overall increase of 5.3 percent.

"To achieve our established diversity goals, it is imperative that we meet a higher percentage of student financial need," Fr. von Arx said. The significant new funding of an additional $3 million in institutional dollars for financial assistance, coupled with increases generated from endowment growth, brings us closer to realizing these targets, he said.

The important issue of competitive compensation was addressed by a $6.1 million increase in the operating budget, that includes a compensation pool increase of 4.6 percent or $3.2 million approved. Of that, $1.7 million is designated for salaries and $1.5 million for benefits, primarily health care, which increased 12 percent over last year. In addition, $1.2 million of compensation was added for new or reorganized positions. In the 2006-07 fiscal year, the total allocation for compensation represents 58 percent of overall University expenditures.

Fairfield remains committed to being in the 95th percentile for faculty compensation based on rankings by the American Association of University Professors. "The continued rising spiral in the cost of healthcare is a major factor in the compensation mix, making it especially challenging as we seek to remain competitive," Fr. von Arx said. He indicated that the health care cost issue is of such concern, that the Board has charged University administrators, through a formal resolution, to develop options to help control healthcare cost increases to coincide with the preparation of the 2007-08 budget.

In addition, there are new allocations earmarked for strategic planning initiatives. The majority of the $1.2 million in added compensation funds will support new programming and fund positions of individuals charged with overseeing the development of implementation plans.

Further information about the 2006-07 budget is available on Fairfield's Intranet site at info.fairfield.edu/07budget.

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Actor Jesse L. Martin headlines Fairfield Awards Dinner

Actor Jesse L. Martin took lots of time to pose for shots with students, administrators, and guests alike at April's Fairfield Awards Dinner. Martin - of American film, stage, and television, best known for his role as Detective Edward Green in NBC Universal's Law & Order - enchanted the more than 500 dinner guests with his generosity of time and his touching keynote address.

Begun in 1988, the Fairfield Awards Dinner benefits the Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund at Fairfield University which supports educational opportunities for African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students. University Trustee William A. Malloy '80, president of Marsh Inc., chaired this year's event, which generated $600,000 for the fund. To date, the fund has provided scholarships to more than 90 recipients.

Fairfield University presented Martin with its Distinguished Leadership Award for his dedication to service and commitment to excellence. Also honored at the dinner were Dr. Judy Primavera, professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, with the Distinguished Faculty Award; Christopher J. McCormick '78, president and CEO of L.L. Bean, with the Alumni Professional Achievement Award; and Mary-Margaret Weber '84, past president of the Fairfield University Alumni Association, with the Alumni Service Award.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Lipman Hearne presents market research results

By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor

Although Fairfield University is known for its multifaceted learning environment and strong campus community, some of its constituents also see it as disconnected from the surrounding communities. These are just some of the results that consultants from Lipman Hearne presented to the University community on April 21.

After months of conducting focus groups, personal interviews, and extensive surveys with various audiences, on- and off-campus, the firm identified several universal strengths and areas of opportunity for the University.

The comprehensive project was part of Fairfield's major marketing and research initiative, the Strategic Vision, and will help drive the University's future marketing efforts.

"This report will serve as the launch pad for the next step in the marketing initiative, which is the development of a brand platform and key messaging for the institution moving forward," said University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., at the presentation. "Once that is accomplished, we will move forward to create an integrated, institution-wide marketing plan, which involves, among other things, communicating about our distinctive culture through clear, concise, and consistent messaging in all manner of communication vehicles."

Among the internal constituents interviewed by Lipman Hearne were Fairfield University faculty, administrators, trustees, and alumni, as well as graduate, undergraduate, and part-time adult students. External groups included parents of prospective students, guidance counselors, prospective adult students, prospective undergraduate students, corporate and local leaders, and leaders at competitor institutions.

Presented by Lipman Hearne's Robert Moore, managing partner, and Julia Brady, vice president, the results revealed institutional strengths such as faculty quality and commitment, engaged alumni, and strong campus community and collegiality. Among the challenges the study presented were unclear brand perceptions - students arrive unsure of what to expect from Fairfield - limited off-campus social opportunities and distance from a diverse urban area, as well as a lack of diversity.

Current undergraduate students value Fairfield's community, learning environment, and personal growth opportunities. However, they also view administrators as "over-protective," the student body as apathetic, and campus as homogenous. Adult students named the faculty, small classes, and convenience as winning qualities, but were concerned with Fairfield's focus on undergraduate students, lack of diversity, and program costs.

Not all audiences fully appreciate the Jesuit aspect of the University at face value. Studies found that while the Jesuit "label" may not be significant to prospective students, the characteristics of a Jesuit education are.

The next steps for Lipman Hearne include further exploration of the research findings and development of key positioning messages for Fairfield University. In addition, the firm will begin a communication audit across campus this month, in preparation for a comprehensive marketing plan.

To watch Lipman Hearne's presentation online, e-mail Judy Dobai at jdobai@mail.fairfield.edu for a link to the video.

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University launches alumni online community

By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor

Starting this month, Fairfield alumni have even more ways to stay in touch with each other and their alma mater.

Fairfield University's new Online Community, which is accessible through the alumni homepage at www.fairfield.edu/alumni, features these interactive tools:

• An online directory, giving alumni access to connect with friends and classmates worldwide.
• FAN (the Fairfield Alumni Network), providing alumni and graduate students the opportunity to network with alumni from a multitude of careers and regions.
• Job and résumé postings through the Online Career Center.
• Online giving, increasing ways for alumni to donate to Fairfield.
• Virtual Class Notes, offering alumni a place to post photos with their personal news, using an unlimited number of words.
• An alumni Yellow Pages directory, listing alumni-owned businesses and contact information.
• University news, promoting and reporting both on-campus and regional events.

The initial launch phase, which begins this month and will continue throughout the summer, will focus on promoting this new community and encourage alumni to join. Membership is free.

"The success of the online community relies on alumni membership," says Julianna Coyle Davis, director of advancement technology and development relations, who also serves as chair of the online community's core implementation team. She urges University employees who are also alumni to register early.

Subsequent phases of the online community will include e-newsletters, online registration for special alumni events, and membership to other internal and external constituents.

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Janet Bertoldi, a licensed clinical psychologist in Counseling Services, was quoted in a March 13 article in the Stamford Advocate discussing tips for parents on how to talk to children about avoiding excess partying while on spring break. The article also appeared in the Journal News (New York) on Mar. 20.

In a Fairfield Citizen-News story on March 3, Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), was quoted describing 1960s activist Tom Hayden "a natural fit" as guest speaker at Fairfield, given the University's dedication to peace and justice studies.

Dr. Elia Chepaitis, associate professor of information systems and operations management in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB), published "Knowledge, Cultures, and Invention: How Information Systems Theory Shaped an Alternative to Braille" in The International Journal of Change Management in Organisations, and "Information Systems and Continuous Learning through an Alternative to Braille in Issues in Information Systems. Her paper, "Political Leadership, Collaborative Systems, and Mandated Standards for Web-Based Anti-Terror Regimes," was published in the proceedings of the Sixth Annual Security Conference in April. Products using her patented alternative to Braille were discussed in an article in the Wall Street Journal in December 2005.

The selection of Boston College Assistant Coach Ed Cooley as the new men's basketball head coach at Fairfield University received quite a bit of media attention. FoxSports.com announced on April 6 that a deal had been struck with Cooley. On April 9, the Connecticut Post and FoxSports.com published the decision to hire Cooley. On April 11, Sports Network and the Fairfield Citizen-News covered the press conference, where Athletic Director Gene Doris praised Cooley. The Boston Globe reported Cooley's new position on April 14.

In an April 8 Hartford Courant article, Dr. Edward Deak, Roger M. Lynch Professor of Economics in CAS, said the nation's job picture looked bright in March, with the unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent, matching its lowest point in more than four years. That, however, was not true for Connecticut. "We're just not getting our share of the growth," he said.

Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor of art history in CAS, teamed up with Ellen Hyde Phillips, owner of Fairfield Interiors, to create Fine Art Advisory Services, which advises people on how to select artwork. The Fairfield Citizen-News published an article on the duo's work on Feb. 24.

Dr. Elizabeth Gardner, professor of psychology in CAS, and students Kate Cota '07, Jocelyn Collen '06, Talia Pettini '06, and Nicole Williams '06 presented "Attitude Change After a Seminar on Homelessness: Causes and Consequences" at the 20th Annual Conference on Undergraduate Psychology, Teaching of Psychology: Ideas & Innovations. The conference took place at Farmingdale State University of New York in March.

In a March 13 Hartford Courant article on the controversial morning-after pill, Dr. Donald Greenberg, associate professor of politics in CAS, commented on how people develop their strong opinions.

Lucy V. Katz, Robert C. Wright Professor of Business Law, Ethics, and Dispute Resolution in DSB, commented in a Feb. 15 Connecticut Post article on the presentation of guest speaker Mark Denbeaux, a professor at Seton Hall University School of Law and attorney for Guantanamo Bay prisoners. In a March 30 article in the Connecticut Post about Judith Lichtman's talk, Prof. Katz also commented that in spite of official rhetoric extolling family values, the United States government has a dismal record of providing support to real families.

Dr. R. James Long, professor of philosophy in CAS, was one of two invited speakers at a special convocation of the philosophy department at Villanova University in March. The event celebrated the career of Professor Thomas Losoncy, who founded the International Conference on Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies (PMR). Dr. Long delivered "The History of the PMR."

Dr. Lisa Mainiero, professor of management in DSB, was interviewed by WCPN public radio in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 10 about her research on romance in the workplace.

Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell, director of choral and liturgical music in CAS, and the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut performed at the Gala 60th Anniversary Concert of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony on April 22.

Rev. James Mayzik, S.J., director of the Media Center, was interviewed by News 12 Connecticut on April 20 about the new satellite uplink truck and the services it will provide to the campus and students.

Dr. Eric Mielants, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology in CAS, has just co-edited with Ramon Grosfoguel (U.C. Berkeley) a special journal issue of the International Journal of Comparative Sociology for June 2006, which will cover the proceedings of an international conference on the complicity of academia and racist public policies towards immigrants. He co-organized the event at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris in summer 2005.

In a Connecticut Post article on April 3 on the benefits of hosting the local round of the NCAA tournament, Pat Murphy, senior associate director of athletics for external management/business, discussed the importance of collaborating with the city of Bridgeport.

On April 3, Business New Haven featured the University's new partnership with the Bridgeport Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program. "The field of nurse anesthesia is one of the pillars of advanced-practice nursing and we expect this program to be very successful," said Dr. Jeanne Novotny, dean of the School of Nursing.

Dr. John Orman, professor of politics in CAS, discussed Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont's run for U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's seat in a March 14 Connecticut Post article, which also appeared in the Willimantic Chronicle. Dr. Orman also commented on U.S. Rep. Christopher Shay's move to endorse Sen. Lieberman in a March 15 Connecticut Post article. On March 16, he was quoted in the Connecticut Post about Connecticut having the highest per capita tax burden in 2004. In an April 1 Connecticut Post article, Dr. Orman spoke about President Bush's April 5 visit to Bridgeport. In another Connecticut Post article on April 3, which discussed Diane Farrell's attempt to unseat Shays in Connecticut's fourth district, Dr. Orman said, "This race is going to be one of the top races in the country." On April 11, Dr. Orman commented on the possibility of Sen. Lieberman running as an independent.

Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J., director of the Center for Faith and Public Life, was interviewed about immigration on MSNBC. Fr. Ryscavage discussed pending immigration legislation that he said should include humanitarian exceptions.

Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the CAS, attended a Fulbright Association ceremony April 12 at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. There, former President Bill Clinton was awarded the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding for his "initiatives to counteract poverty, ignorance, and the racial, ethnic, and religious prejudices that are barriers to peace and justice throughout the world."

Dr. Norm Solomon, dean of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, was interviewed in April by WTNH-TV on the Sikorsky strike.

Dr. Kathleen Wheeler, professor in the School of Nursing, co-authored "An Adult with Childhood Medical Trauma Treated with Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and EMDR: A Case Study," which was recently published in Perspectives of Psychiatric Care.

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College of Arts and Sciences honors faculty authors

On April 27, Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), hosted a book reception in Alumni House to honor recently published CAS faculty. This year's published authors and editors include:

• Dr. Kim Bridgford, professor of English, Instead of Maps (David Robert Books, 2005).
• Dr. Javier Campos, associate professor of modern languages and literatures, Ideologías y literature, Homenaje a Hernán Vidal. Mabel Moraña (co-editor; Biblioteca de América, 2006). One Wound For Another/Una Herida Por Otra (2005).
• Dr. Ronald Davidson, professor of religious studies, Tibetan Renaissance: Tantric Buddhism in the Rebirth of Tibetan Culture (Columbia University Press, 2005).
• Dr. Robert Fedorchek, professor of modern languages and literature emeritus, Juanita la Larga (The Catholic University of America Press, 2006).
• Dr. Dennis Keenan, professor of philosophy, The Question of Sacrifice (Indiana University Press, 2005).
• Dr. David McFadden, professor of history, American Studies Through Russian and American Eyes (Cherepovets State University, 2005). Contributions by: Dr. Art Anderson, professor of sociology emeritus; Dr. Kim Bridgford, professor of English; Dr. Iris Bork-Goldfield, instructor in modern languages and literatures; and Dr. Mark LeClair, professor of economics.
• Dr. Nicholas Rinaldi, professor of English emeritus, Between Two Rivers (Harper Perennial, 2005).
• Dr. Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, associate professor of history, The World Hitler Never Made (Cambridge University Press, 2005).

Photo by B.K. Angeletti

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Service Anniversaries - May 2006

5 years
Gerald Torres

10 years
Mary Ann Venezia

15 years
Mary Ann DeMasi

20 years
Alex Krshisezki

Condolences

Al Madwed, former BEI instructor, died on March 12. In recent years, he spent much of his time in the Loyola 8 studio, developing a series of paintings for exhibition. Al's dedication and commitment as a painter inspired many students enrolled in painting courses. He is survived by his wife, Alice, and their children.

Regina "Jean" A. Quick, the namesake for the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, died in April. A resident of Laurel Hollow, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., Jean and her husband, Leslie C. Quick Jr., a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees who passed away in 2001, generously contributed to the University and its campaigns for many years. Their gifts led to the creation of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in 1990 and the renovation of the Leslie C. Quick Jr. RecPlex in 2001. The couple also established the Mr. and Mrs. Leslie C. Quick Jr. Charitable Trust Foundation, which has supported programs such as the Quick Center's Children's Theatre programs, designed to bring the arts to the children of the greater Bridgeport area. Jean was a very dedicated philanthropist and made Fairfield's commitment to the arts possible. She and her husband became active with the University through three of their seven children who graduated from Fairfield University: former trustee Thomas Quick '77, current trustee Christopher Quick '79, and Mary (Quick) Pederson '82, as well as their daughter-in-law, Eileen (Manning) Quick '77. Jean is also survived by her 24 grandchildren.

Edith L. Bradley, the mother of Bonnie Gleason, secretary in the Office of Annual Giving, died April 4.

Jennie Grasso, grandmother of Karen Pellegrino, director of undergraduate admission, died April 22.

New Employees

Cynthia Baena - Program assistant II, Center for Academic Excellence
Joseph Pluchino - Software support specialist, Computing and Network Services
Diane Widak - Staff nurse, Health Center

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The College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka: ASN Teacher of the Year

By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, Editor

It's no surprise that during her short time at Fairfield, Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), has already been selected as Alpha Sigma Nu's 2006 Teacher of the Year. The annual honor is determined by student nominations and an instructor's effectiveness in the classroom, availability outside of the classroom, and contact with student groups. Dr. Boryczka's passion for her subject, her teaching style, and connections with students have made a profound impression.

Even before this most recent honor, Dr. Boryczka has gained numerous recognition from peers and national associations for her research on women and morality. Last fall, she earned an honorable mention from the Women and Politics section of the American Political Science Association for best dissertation. She completed her dissertation, "Guardians of Morality: A Conceptual History of Virtue in Relationship to Women and Moral and Political Discourse in American Democracy," in 2004. The study is a conceptual history of how Americans - primarily males - have discussed, determined, and judged what defines a woman's virtue, from the Puritan period to the present.

"Virtue, as it has been constructed throughout American social history, is very limiting for women," says Dr. Boryczka. The pattern of its rise in social context seems to correspond with times when women have wanted to "fight" for freedom, equality, and inclusion, she adds.

Her project took her to the back stacks of the Massachusetts Historical Society where she read various primary documents written by Puritan women. "I read pages from private diaries and funeral orations that women wrote for themselves before they died," she says. These sources revealed how women struggled with society's pressures to behave within the period's definition of purity and virtue, as well as how they wanted to guarantee their families' memories of them.

There are three significant eras within U.S. cultural history that point to American society's particular struggle with the idea of female virtue. In all cases, she says, prominent male political figures of the time were quite verbal in expressing their thoughts about the idea - and its lack among women - at that time: the Puritan society; the second founding of the United States after 1789, when republican mothers were significant social citizens, contributing to society; and the beginning of the industrial age, when many young women went to work in factories, particularly in the textile mills of Lowell, Mass.

Her interest in virtue developed by circumstance. While in graduate school, she simultaneously enrolled in two seminars: one on Alexis De Tocqueville's Democracy in America and another in feminist political theory. That semester, she read De Tocqueville's work from a feminist perspective, examining how vice and virtue played a role in the way De Tocqueville examined a woman's position in the family. "He argued that women need to be at home, that they are the glue in holding together the family, religion, and social morality," she says. "That argument is still part of our cultural script.

"If we want a democratic feminist ethic, we have to move beyond the constraining moral framework of virtue and vice," she says. "Society's moral framework has functioned by pitting groups against each other using the oppressive language of virtue and vice."

What's particularly interesting, she notes, it that while the idea of "virtue" has been directed toward women, the term's roots are anything but. "Vir" is Latin for man. "Virago" is a female warrior or, in other words, a woman with manly qualities who achieves her strengths by being like a man. Subsequently, "vir" became affiliated with "virgin," reflecting a religious conception of female purity affiliated with sexuality. "Today, female virtue still connotes a woman's chastity and modesty that often function to limit her sexual freedom and thus," she adds, "her political inclusion and equality within the broader community." Such operations continue to characterize the contemporary backlash to second-wave feminism, as addressed in the concluding chapters of Dr. Boryczka's project.

As for some next steps in her research, she is interested in what "real people" have to say about virtue. She plans to investigate the discourses emanating from communities of women traditionally associated with cultural definitions of "vice," such as female slaves, prostitutes, and gang members.

Her feminist approach will further broaden conversation on a more local level later this year. Funded by a Humanities Institute grant award, Dr. Boryczka and Dr. Elizabeth Petrino, associate professor of English in CAS, are organizing "Jesuit and Feminist Education: Transformative Discourses for Teaching and Learning," a conference to be held on campus in October. The conference will explore how the principles of Jesuit education intersect with contemporary feminist theory in order to gain deeper insight into multicultural educational contexts. "With each having strong humanistic roots, Jesuit and feminist education alike integrate reason and emotion in their pedagogy, promote social justice, seek to end oppression, and aim to develop engaged and reflective citizens of the world," she says.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Adjunct Professor of the Year: Janet Krauss

By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer

Janet Krauss has noticed a change in her students during the past 27 years.

"There is more interest in poetry and creative writing now. And not only are the students very serious about it, but they are very talented, too," says Krauss, an adjunct professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences.

As serious as they are, those students all seem to agree that Krauss brings out the best in them. Numerous glowing recommendations were the reason she was recently named Fairfield University's Adjunct Professor of the Year. One such student wrote, "I appreciate all that you have done for me and all the great conversations we've had. No other teacher at Fairfield has touched my life in the way you have, in and out of the classroom."

"Janet has been a dedicated teacher of English literature and composition for 27 years," says Dr. Orin Grossman, academic vice president. "She has been a wonderful mentor and advisor, as well as a superior classroom instructor, for many students."

High praise is nothing new for Krauss, who has always made a point to develop a rapport with her students. "I try to engage them with warmth and humor. I might tell personal stories, for example, that relate to what we're reading," she says. "Once we've established a comfort zone, I try out different strategies to engage and motivate them." She recently switched to a different translation of a play she had been teaching for years. "I decided to focus on this translation to see what I can glean from it," she says. "I had students concentrate on one act at a time, then present discussion questions. Their questions often lead to new ideas."

Krauss' affiliation with Fairfield University dates back to 1970, when she enrolled in the American Studies program, focusing on American literature. She earned her degree in 1973. Krauss began her teaching career at St. Basil College, a theological seminary in Stamford, and returned to Fairfield five years later.

At Fairfield University, she instructs undergraduates in composition, literature, creative writing, and poetry, and also teaches "Introduction to Literature" through University College in the summer. Between semesters, she gives creative writing workshops to first and second graders at her local elementary school, and hosts literary events at Harborview Market in Black Rock.

Just a year ago, Krauss' book of poems, Borrowed Scenery, was published by Yuganta Press. Since then, she's done poetry readings in bookstores and libraries, a senior center and a high school, at Sacred Heart University, as well as in the classrooms of colleagues around campus. "The audience responses to my readings are very gratifying," she admits.

On the last day of class, Krauss might ask students to write a self-reflective essay, or one designed to help them recognize their own preconceived ideas. The point is to open a discussion on the value the course had in helping them become better human beings. It doesn't happen often, Krauss admits, "but every once in a while, especially in the diversity class, a student will write, 'You've changed my mind; I now understand that I have a prejudice about that,' and we'll talk about it. If I can leave students with just one thing from my class, that ability to self-reflect would be it."

Photo by James Nguyan '07

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Ethics scholar Rev. James Keenan, S.J., speaks on HIV/AIDS

By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer

The Rev. James Keenan, S.J., professor of theological ethics at Boston College, challenges religious institutions and their universities to create initiatives to deal with the AIDS crisis, and to keep the issue in the public's consciousness. He described his ideas in his talk, "Listening to the Voices of HIV/AIDS," the annual Bellarmine Lecture on March 30.

Fr. Keenan outlined what he saw as the "strategies for inaction" put forth by the developed world with regard to the disease. "HIV thrives where there is political and social instability," he said, "and the stable world puts up protective barriers to maintain the sense that the disease is on the outside." He compared our attitude toward this disease to the attitude in the 15th century during the syphilis epidemic. "Look at an Italian dictionary," he said, "and you'll find syphilis labeled 'the French disease.' In a French dictionary, it's called 'the Spanish disease.' Check out a Spanish dictionary and it's labeled 'the American gift.'"

Fr. Keenan also focused on the "moral judgmentalism" of those not touched by HIV and AIDS that increases the isolation of those who have or who are affected by it. "At the World Council of Churches, 68 percent of those asked thought AIDS was a disease sent by God...and only 48 percent said they would respond as a minister if a member of their community with HIV or AIDS asked for help." This moral judgment includes a capacity to blame, he said, and often accompanies a negative opinion about those working in the field. "Silence becomes the strategy for protection against the thought that we can be complicit."

There are signs of hope, Fr. Keenan said, noting that Bishop Kevin Dowling in South Africa advocates condom use for prevention, in direct contrast to the Vatican's ban on all condom use. "The local Christian community in infected areas has been enormously resourceful, and the epidemic would be far worse without them," he said. He added that policy makers in Brazil used the language of human rights and Catholic social teaching to argue with pharmaceutical companies for the right to violate copyright laws and import cheaper generic drugs.

The Catholic Church has been creative in the past in expressing its needs in helping the common good, Fr. Keenan said. "We've hit a dull period for the past 25 years or so, but the capacity of Catholic imagination and devotion to service is deep and rich and needs to be exploited during the time of AIDS."

The media have a monolithic view of Catholics on this issue, Fr. Keenan said, but universities can work to change that. He challenges the 28 U.S. Jesuit universities to come up with more courses on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Fr. Keenan has written extensively on Catholic morals and virtues, most recently in his latest book, The Works of Mercy: The Heart of Catholicism (2004). His other books include Virtues for Ordinary Christians (Sheed and Ward, 1999), Commandments of Compassion (Sheed and Ward, 1999), and Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Texts from the Catholic Tradition (Sheed and Ward, 2004). He is currently at work on a book about HIV/AIDS and the Catholic Church with the Rev. Jon Fuller, S.J., and another on the Apostle Paul and virtue ethics with Daniel Harrington. Fr. Keenan has published more than 200 essays, articles, and reviews in international journals. In addition, he has long been involved with both Church and secular initiatives involving health and healthcare.

The Bellarmine Lecture series, sponsored by the Program for Catholic Studies, invites distinguished Jesuit scholars in a variety of disciplines to deliver public lectures at Fairfield.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Faculty awards, research grants, and sabbaticals

The Faculty Research Committee has announced the following for 2006-2007:

Sabbaticals

2006-07

• Dr. Ralph Coury, professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), "Arab Free Thought in the Twentieth Century."
• Dr. James Keenan, professor of communication in CAS, "Book Writing and Survey Research."

Fall 2006

• Dr. Gerard Campbell, associate professor of information systems and operations management in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (DSB), "A Two-Stage Framework for Workforce Scheduling and Rescheduling."
• Dr. Mary Ann Carolan, associate professor of modern languages and literature in CAS, "Modern Italian Cinema: Essays on Genre and Identity."
• Dr. Nancy Dallavalle, associate professor of religious studies in CAS, "Catholicism and Feminism: Christology and Trinity."

Spring 2007

• Dr. Elizabeth Boquet, professor of English in CAS, "Preparation of creative nonfiction manuscript entitled At Every Turn."
• Dr. Jesús Escobar, associate professor and chair of visual and performing arts in CAS, "Architecture at the Court of Philip IV."
• Dr. Joy Gordon, associate professor of philosophy in CAS, "Research in Cuba on Economic Sanctions."
• Dr. Dennis Keenan, professor of philosophy in CAS, "Death and the Revolutionary Emergence of the New."
• Dr. Gregory Koutmos, Gerald M. Levin Professor of Finance in DSB, "Monetary Policy and Stock Return Dynamics."
• Dr. Patrick Lee, associate professor of information systems and operations management in DSB, "Continuous Pricing During an Inventory Cycle: An Optimal Strategy for e-Tailers."
• Dr. Glenn Sauer, associate professor of biology in CAS, "God and Modern Biology book project."
• Dr. James Simon, associate professor of English in CAS, "Environmental Reporting."
• Dr. John Thiel, professor of religious studies in CAS, "Time in Eternity: Rethinking the 'Last Things.'"
• Dr. Michael White, associate professor of English, in CAS, "Work on a new novel, Blood and Fire."

Pre-tenure Sabbaticals

Fall 2006

• Dr. Khaled Aboulnasr, assistant professor of marketing in DSB, "Antecedents & Consequences of Competitive Response to New Product Introductions."
• Dr. Steven Bayne, assistant professor of philosophy in CAS, "Kant's Critique of Leibniz on the Distinction between Sensible and Intellectual Representations."
• Dr. Jennifer Goldberg, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), "Complex and Dynamic Identities: Implications for Mathematics Education Preparation."
• Mark McGregor, S.J., assistant professor of visual and performing arts in CAS, "Las Posadas."

Spring 2007

• Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, assistant professor of politics in CAS, "Beyond Virtue and Vice: Towards a Democratic Feminist Ethic."
• Dr. Sara Brill, assistant professor of philosophy in CAS, "Expressivity and Instrumentality: Ancient Greek Contributions to a Philosophy or Organism."
• Suzanne Chamlin, assistant professor of visual and performing arts in CAS, "Painting the Landscape and Still Lifes."
• Dr. Gisela Gil-Egui, assistant professor of communication in CAS, "Property, Mediation, and the Definition of Communicational Commons."
• Tracey Robert, assistant professor of counseling education in GSEAP, "Organizational Change, Coping and Spirituality."
• Emily Smith, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in GSEAP, "Developing Cross-Institutional Knowledge and Discourse for Preparing Teachers."

Summer Research Stipend

• Dr. Patricia Behre, associate professor of history in CAS, "Citizens of the World: Sephardic Jews in French Louisiana."
• Angela Biselli, assistant professor of physics in CAS, "Analysis of the Double Polarization Data from CLAS."
• Dr. Patricia Calderwood, associate professor of curriculum and instruction in GSEAP, "Critical Literacy as Reflective Practice in Elementary Teacher Education."
• Dr. Kevin Dawson, assistant professor of history in CAS, "A Culture of Cleanliness: West African Slaves' Hygiene and their Influence on Western Cleanliness."
• Dr. Sheila Grossman, professor in the School of Nursing, "Assessment and Development of RN's Leadership Ability."
• Dr. David Gudelunas, assistant professor of communication in CAS, "Economic Gains and Social Losses: Media Coverage of High-Risk Party Weekends."
• Mark Scalese, S.J., assistant professor of visual and performing arts in CAS, "Harbor of Grace."
• Dr. Christine Siegel, assistant professor of psychology and special education in GSEAP, "Implementing Interventions in Schools: Issues of Effectiveness and Acceptability."
• Dr. Maggie Wills, assistant professor of communication in CAS, "The Spiritual Matters: Application of a New Model of Health in a Community for People with AIDS."
• Dr. Qin Zhang, assistant professor of communication in CAS, "Effects of Teacher Misbehaviors on Student Perceptions of Teacher Credibility and Student Motivation and Learning in Chinese Classrooms."

Senior Summer Fellowship

• Dr. Kevin Cassidy, professor of politics in CAS, "Organic Intellectuals and Political Commitment: Loyalist Protestants and the Northern Ireland Conflict."

Research Grants

• Dr. Elizabeth Boquet, professor of English in CAS, research for At Every Turn.
• Dr. Rao Dukkipati, professor of mechanical engineering, "Transient Analysis of Damped Structures using Neural Networks."
• Dr. Dennis Keenan, professor of philosophy in CAS, airfare to Memphis to organize edited book on Eckhart.
• Dr. R. James Long, professor of philosophy in CAS, "The critical edition of Adam of Bockenfield's Commentary on the Pseudo-Aristotelian De plantis: The Collation of the Munich Manuscript."
• Dr. John McDermott, associate professor of finance in DSB, "Information Asymmetry and Earnings Management."
• Dr. David McFadden, professor of history in CAS, "Oral Histories of Northern Convoy Lend-Lease Veterans, Arkangelskm Russia."
• Dr. Kathryn Nantz, associate professor of economics in CAS, "Comparing the Experiences of Russian and American Women: A Video Interview Project."
• Dr. Sally O'Driscoll, associate professor of English in CAS, "Word on the Street: 18th Century Pamphlets and the Popular Language of Gender."
• Tracey Robert, assistant professor of counselor education in GSEAP, "Organizational Change, Coping, and Spirituality."
• Dr. Marie Agnes Sourieau, associate professor of modern languages and literature in CAS, "L'humanite et la Revolution francaise: 'faire aimer les Noirs' Humanity and the French Revolution: 'For the Blacks to be Loved.'
• Yohuru Williams, associate professor of history in CAS, "Six Degrees of Segregation, Lynching, and Capital Punishment in America, 1865-1930."
• Kathryn Jo Yarrington, professor of visual and performing arts in CAS, "The Installation and Presentation for the Site Project, 'Lavabo,' at the Museum of Glass and International Contemporary Art."

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56th Commencement to feature British Robinson

By Nancy Habetz, Director of Media Relations

British Robinson, who was recently appointed Senior Advisor for Public-Partnerships - Office of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator at the U.S. Department of State, will speak at Fairfield University's 56th Commencement on May 21. Prior to this new position, Robinson worked for the U.S. Jesuit Conference in Washington, D.C. For 12 years, she served as a policy analyst, and then as national director of the Office of Social & International Ministries and the Jesuit Refugee Services/USA. The University will present Robinson with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Also receiving honorary Doctor of Laws degrees will be Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Michael Daly, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient and long-time member of the board at St. Vincent's Medical Center; and Hope E. Carter, a devoted volunteer in the Order of Malta's outreach programs in Connecticut and Haiti.

British Robinson
British Robinson has been professionally involved in programs for underprivileged populations since 1991, when she served as director of public affairs with the Washington Legal Foundation. She went on to work with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps/South, advocating for the elderly, homeless, and mentally ill, among others. She joined the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby in Washington, D.C., in 1993. The following year, she joined the U.S. Jesuit Conference as a policy analyst, monitoring national legislation and public policies, researching social issues, and developing advocacy strategies.

Within a year, she was the national director of the Office of Social & International Ministries at the Jesuit Conference, supporting Jesuits and their colleagues in the social, pastoral, and educational sectors, while addressing domestic and international concerns. In her work with the Jesuit Refugee Services/USA, she advocated for refugees and the internally displaced before national and international governing bodies. During her tenure, she promoted and expanded a national program of socially responsible investing and developed relationships among secondary and higher education constituents.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, is a native of Cuneo, Italy. He was ordained a priest in 1977. He earned a master's degree in theology at the Center of Theological Studies in Fossano, and was awarded the Doctorate in Canon Law from Pontifical Lateran University. In 1980, after graduating from the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Diplomacy, he joined the Holy See's diplomatic service.

Archbishop Migliore's first assignment was to Angola where, from 1980 to 1984, he served as attaché and second secretary to the Apostolic Delegation. From there he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States. Since 1988 he has served in Egypt, Poland, and France. From 1995 to 2002, he was Under-Secretary of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State at the Vatican, and was in charge of fostering relations with several Asian countries that had no formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

Archbishop Migliore has also been the Holy See's representative to numerous conferences held in various European capitals on issues related to the World Trade Organization, the Economic Commission for Europe, the European Union, and the Middle East.

Michael J. Daly
Michael J. Daly was just 20 years old when President Harry Truman presented him with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. During World War II, only 464 men received the honor out of the approximately 16 million who served in the armed forces of the United States.

A graduate of Georgetown Prep at age 16, Daly left West Point after one year to enlist in the Army. After training in England, he was assigned to 1 Company, 3rd Battalion, 18th Regiment, the same regiment that his father had served in during World War I.

Throughout dangerous military engagements, Daly continued to lead his men, showing little regard for his own personal safety. Finally, in the last months of the war, he suffered a near-fatal injury that led to hospitalizations for more than a year. His heroic leadership to protect those soldiers under his command led to his commission as a Second Lieutenant in France. At the end of the war, he was a Captain, receiving three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts.

After the war, Daly returned to his hometown of Fairfield, where he built a business supplying auto accessories to oil companies. He married the former Margaret Wallace and they are the parents of four children.

Daly served for 34 years on the Board of Directors of St. Vincent's Medical Center, seven of them as chairman of the hospital's Foundation. The Connecticut Hospital Association presented Daly with its 2001 Honorary Membership award.

Hope E. Carter
Hope E. Carter has led a life of great faith and dedication to those in need. Much of her work has centered on the outreach programs supported by the Order of Malta, especially those in Haiti, including Project Venerable Pierre Toussaint, the program for street children in Cap Haitien begun and directed by Doug Perlitz '92. She also supports Malta volunteer Denise Kelly from Limerick, Ireland, who earned her MBA from Fairfield and works with and organizes the St. Vincent DePaul Societies throughout Haiti.

In her parish of St. Aloysius in New Canaan, Conn., Carter initiated and organized the Christmas Star program, now in its 16th year, in which families volunteer to prepare Christmas for 400 families and more than 700 individuals from Waterbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Bridgeport, and South Bronx, N.Y. In the Diocese of Bridgeport, she has served on the boards of the Faith in the Future Foundation and the Inner City Foundation for Charity and Education.

She is a former member of the board of directors of the Education Parish Service in Washington, a program founded at Trinity College to provide laity with courses in scripture and theology, and with practical instruction on how to integrate what they learn into their daily lives. At Canterbury School, she initiated the Urban Plunge program that allowed students to live in inner-city Bridgeport and experience, first hand, the lives of the sick and the poor.

A graduate of Manhattanville College, Carter has taught kindergarten and fourth grade. She has 12 children and 32 grandchildren. Her husband, John B. Carter, former president and CEO of The Equitable Life Assurance Society, died in 1991.

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Cathleen Borgman to lead Career Planning Center

By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer

During her senior year, psychology major Cathleen Borgman '80 knew it was a stretch to interview for the business jobs posted on campus, but she did it anyway - and was often called back for second interviews. She soon landed a job as a sales representative for IBM. "Rev. W. Laurence O'Neil, S.J., really gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to get out there," she says of the Jesuit who was then a director of the Career Planning Center. "I'm ecstatic to be following in his footsteps."

On June 1, Borgman will assume the mantle he left behind so many years ago. As the new director of the Career Planning Center, she will oversee a department that is often the one graduating students consider the most essential. "Sure, we're there to help students get jobs," says Borgman, "but I see that as a joint effort among everyone involved - the faculty and deans, our alumni, students, and the corporations. One of my first priorities is to speak with all these constituencies and find out what they need and how we can collaborate smoothly."

Without a doubt, Borgman has the background required to address the needs of all these constituencies. After five years with IBM, she worked for several years in an intense position with a firm that developed training products. "It was not uncommon to get a phone call in the middle of the night telling me to be on a plane to Chicago the next morning," she says. Sixteen years ago, after considerable soul-searching and a decision to change direction, she quit her job, and soon thereafter applied for a position in the development office at Fairfield. Since then, she has served as Director of Corporate Relations. "It's been a position that puts me in the role of explaining the University's needs externally and corporations' interests internally," she says. "I had to learn to be in sync with a company's needs if I was asking for its financial support."

"Cath brings to the position of Director of the Career Planning Center her experience in the private sector, plus a solid relationship with and understanding of many of the corporate partners and industries that are so vital to successful placement efforts," says Mark Reed, vice president for Student Affairs, who oversees the Career Planning Center. "As a development officer, she had to look outward into the community, and the ability to do that will certainly be an asset in this new position. The added benefit is that she's been here for several years and has already established solid working relationships with faculty and deans."

Borgman's immediate goals include broadening the Career Planning Center's corporate base and doing more to engage younger students, so that the Center doesn't just appear on students' radar screens in the spring of senior year. "I want all of our students to see it as a welcoming, exciting place where they can learn to feel confident in their skills," she says. "The whole idea is to get students thinking of their future beginning freshman year."

"I want our students to see the Career Planning Center as a welcoming, exciting place where they can learn to feel confident in their skills."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Collaboration yields awards for multiple departments

By Alejandra Navarro, Publications Writer

The 7 by 7 poetry booklet, which was produced by the Department of Printing and Graphics Services for Dr. Kim Bridgford's poetry class, has seven poems by seven authors and seven images. And now, it also has one "Gold Award." Dr. Kim Bridgford is a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The International Publishing Management Association (IPMA) awarded the Department of Printing and Graphics Services its highest honor in the booklet category, which evaluates the design, printing, and production quality of the work.

"What I'm pleased about is that this is an award that our entire department won," says Arthur Payne, director of Printing and Graphics Services. The booklet, which is seven inches tall and seven inches wide, was designed, printed, and hand-bound by the Printing and Graphics Services staff. Only a small silver foil stamp on the cover was made by an outside vendor. "Every aspect of the printing and graphics was done in-house," he explains.

The IPMA has approximately 1,000 members, including printing and graphics departments in business and academia, and received 600 submissions for its various contest categories. Fairfield's department went up against schools such as Purdue University, University of Louisiana, and University of North Texas. Offset Print Production Coordinator Thomas Sinko accepted the award on behalf of the department at the IPMA conference in Las Vegas on April 24.

Senior Designer Ed Ross says it's nice to know that people appreciate the message you want to convey in a design. "There's nothing more rewarding than making a connection with your audience," says Ross, who worked with Dr. Bridgford on a design that would reflect the poetry and remain within her small budget. The booklet's elegant feel was created by using earthy paper, warm colors, and simple illustrations and photos.

In addition, Fairfield University and its Publications Department staff recently received several Communicator Awards, including the following:

• Fairfield Now, 2005-06, received an "Award of Excellence" for overall quality;
• President's Report, 2004-05, received an "Award of Excellence" for overall quality;
• Architectural Overview of Bellarmine Hall received an Award of Excellence; and
• President's Report, 2004-05, received an "Award of Distinction" for design.

Fairfield University also received an "Award of Distinction" for a project done by art history students in Dr. Philip Eliasoph's capstone course. Members of the Class of 2004 researched each of nine master paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation Collection that had been donated to Fairfield. With the help of the University's publications department, the University photojournalist, the Department of Printing and Graphics Services, and underwriting by the Office of the Academic Vice President, a museum-quality catalog piece was produced for future use of visitors to campus. Upon learning of the award for The Samuel H. Kress Collection of Paintings at Fairfield University, Dr. Eliasoph said, "This is what we can achieve when collaboration wins the day at Fairfield."

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Filmmaker Mira Nair wraps up OVF season

By Nina M. Riccio, Publications writer

At the Open VISIONS Forum lecture last month, filmmaker Mira Nair told the audience she only wants to make films "of things that make my heart go quicker." Nair's lecture, "No Talk - Action," was the fourth annual Ignatian Residential College lecture and was funded by the Lilly Endowment.

Director of such acclaimed films as Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding, Salaam Bombay!, and others produced by her film company, Mirabai Films, Nair focuses on telling the stories that are rarely told. The director said she is committed to creating films that question societal barriers and depict worlds that are true to their culture and universal in their appeal. Salaam Bombay!, for example, profiles several street children in Bombay; India Cabaret follows the lives of two strippers, one of whom is working to provide money for her sister's dowry; in Monsoon Wedding, she juxtaposes the color, chaos, and exuberance of an upcoming Punjabi wedding with a dark family secret. Salaam Bombay! has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Camera D'Or for best first feature, and the Prix du Publique at the Cannes Film Festival. Monsoon Wedding won the Golden Lion award at the 2001 Venice Film Festival.

After the events of Sept. 11, Nair joined a group of 11 renowned filmmakers, each commissioned to direct a film that was 11 minutes, 9 seconds, and one frame long. Nair's piece retells the events in the life of the Hamdani family of Brooklyn, whose eldest son was missing after Sept. 11, and was then accused by the media of being a terrorist. "New York was a city in which I had never felt foreign," said Nair, who lives in Manhattan with her husband and son. Yet, after the attack, she felt a change in the atmosphere there. "It was important to me to make a film in response to the Islamophobia growing around me." She showed the film during her talk, noting that it was one of the first times an American audience had viewed it because the entire project was considered too "anti-American" in the aftermath of Sept. 11. No U.S. distributor wanted to touch it.

Nair also spoke about her latest project: a filmmaker's laboratory. Named Maisha, and established in East Africa, it is dedicated to supporting visionary screenwriters and directors in East Africa and South Asia. "One of the cruelest impacts of colonialism is the notion that we're incapable of fending for ourselves," Nair said. "We must put this self doubt behind us."

Nair's most recently completed film, The Namesake, due to be released in September, centers around the issues of a family that has emigrated to Boston from India. "This country is what it is because of the people who have come here from elsewhere," Nair said, adding her voice to the dialogue on campus as well as on Capitol Hill on the issue of immigration. "Immigrants have made this country extraordinary and vibrant."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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New satellite uplink truck connects Fairfield globally

By Alejandra Navarro, Publications writer

On April 20, University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., blessed Fairfield's new satellite uplink truck and welcomed the technology that could capture a global audience for University programs. The satellite truck, which can both send and receive transmissions, is a boost for the New Media Film, Television, and Radio major and the students who will use it. "The tools of this electronic medium have power and influence on today's cultural values," said Fr. von Arx, "and we at Fairfield want to teach our students to use these tools to promote ethical and religious values and a sense of social responsibility."

The technology will also allow the University to share conferences, lectures, and special programs nationally and internationally, and will give media outlets the ability to tap the expertise of faculty via satellite interviews. "We're very pleased because of its uniqueness and for what it will bring to the campus, both in terms of our opportunity to deliver service for students and for administrators, in terms of publicizing the good work that Fairfield University does," said James Estrada, vice president for information services. The truck was funded by a gift from an anonymous donor.

Fairfield is one of the few universities to have satellite uplink and downlink capabilities. It is the first in Connecticut and the first Jesuit university to have this technology. Following the presentation, the Media Center staff, which will run the satellite uplink truck, gave tours. Tom Zingarelli, director of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, hosted a television show with special guest Carol Costello from CNN. Dr. John A. and Rose Marie Barone attended the event held outside the campus center that bears his name, as did Dr. Ibrahim Hefzallah, professor emeritus and founder of the University's Media Center.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Senator Dodd holds discussion on emergency preparedness

U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) (pictured above, center) called for a round-table discussion on April 12 to discuss emergency preparedness in the state and to ask key personnel in the security and medical fields what they need to facilitate their jobs. "We are looking at major cutbacks, and certain areas have been zeroed out by the Administration," said Senator Dodd. "I want to hear your thoughts and ideas so I can go back and make my case for funds on the Senate floor."

Joining Senator Dodd at the discussion, which was held at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, were, from left to right: Kevin Brown, M.D., director of emergency services at Greenwich Hospital; Chris Cannon '77, director of Yale New Haven's Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response; and Dr. Phil Greiner, associate professor of nursing, who hosted the event for Fairfield's School of Nursing.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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Sports

Cooley joins a new team

By Jack Jones, Director of Sports Information

Fairfield University embraced its new head men's basketball coach on April 11. Ed Cooley, who most recently comes from Boston College, was joined by his wife, Nurys, his son, Isaiah, his daughter, Olivia, and his parents, Ed and Gloria Searight. The crowd of University faculty, staff, and students gathered at the John A. Barone Campus Center for the welcome and news conference often interrupted the new coach's comments with applause and cheers.

"You always need a head coach," Cooley said. "I am not a head coach; Nurys Cooley is the head coach. I could not have asked for a better partner in life, a better friend. And my children - you will all get to know Olivia and Isaiah. They are your biggest fans." He also thanked his adoptive parents, the Searights. "Without them," he said. "I couldn't be here today. It's amazing when you look at a journey of success and love, and without that none of us can get to where we want to go."

Cooley said he felt at home from the first time he stepped onto campus.

"It just felt right from the moment I drove onto this campus," Cooley said. "I went to Stonehill College, which is a Catholic institution, and coached at Boston College. Coming to Fairfield University seemed like a natural fit. ... It was a gut feeling that this was the place for me."

After helping Boston College turn things around, Cooley accepted the opportunity to lead the Fairfield University men's basketball program. His coaching experience spans all three levels including Division III University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, Division II Stonehill College, and Division I Boston College. With all of his coaching experience, Cooley was ready to make the next step.

Any time there is an opportunity to become a head coach, you go for it, Cooley explained. "That's why you get into coaching. This is an overwhelming change not only for myself, but for my family. I am very thankful to Fairfield for giving me the opportunity," he said.

While the first items on his agenda will be recruiting student-athletes and a coaching staff, Cooley also mentioned that he will look to recruit fans on campus and in the community. In his mind, his success is tied to the support he and his team will receive for each home game at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

"I will be a face, along with our staff, that I want each and every person in this room to be proud of and to be part of," Cooley said to the crowd. "We cannot have success without all of your involvement. We need everybody's help. ... We have to get our students involved, our alumni involved, and our community involved. It has to be a leap of faith on your behalf, and you have to believe in our staff to get the job done."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

By Jack Jones, Director of Sports Information

MBWA honors Coach Dianne Nolan
Head Women's Basketball Coach Dianne Nolan received the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Distinguished Service Award on April 19, which was presented to her at the organization's annual banquet. She was honored along with Fairfield alumnus Nick Macarchuk '63. The duo earned the award for excellence in coaching and service to the Metropolitan basketball community.

Terrance Todd '06 earns position on MBWA team
Terrance Todd '06 has earned a spot on the All-MBWA basketball team. He is one of 18 Division I student-athletes honored with that distinction. Todd led the team in scoring with an 18.8 average in 2005-06, which also helped him earn All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference accolades. The guard finished his career with 1,530 points which ranks him sixth all-time at Fairfield University. He also finished eighth in Fairfield history for three-point baskets made (107) and assists (314).

Varsity collection to benefit South Africa
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recently completed another successful Empties for Africa campaign. Each of the 19 varsity athletic teams participated in the event, collecting and recycling cans and bottles. The teams each selected buildings on campus as central collection points, where the University community dropped off empty cans and bottles for the drive. The funds raised by Empties for Africa benefit the Khayelitsha Golf Driving Range, which looks to build a nine-hole golf course, a fitness center, basketball, netball, and tennis courts, as well as a swimming pool for the residents of Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain in South Africa. The project was started in 2005 by former Fairfield University golfer Jill Macari '05.

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Fairfield University receives an $8,000 grant to support Young Writers' Institute

The Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University has received an $8,000 gift from the Fairfield County Community Foundation - Donor Advised Fund for the 2006 Young Writers' Institute. The gift will fund scholarships for participants who demonstrate a financial need.

"We're very grateful," says Faye Gage, director of the Connecticut Writing Project. "The grant will help defray Institute expenses, such as lunches and transportation, for the scholarship students." Some students would not be able to attend if it were not for the buses that travel to towns and cities in Fairfield and New Haven counties, she says. "We don't want financial reasons to prevent youngsters from attending."

Approximately 65 middle and high school students from urban and suburban schools throughout southwestern Connecticut are expected to attend the Institute in July. These students have the opportunity to work with published authors and illustrators, and exemplary local teachers. In addition to daily writing, participants explore the many aspects of writing, share their writing, and contribute to an anthology. "They get wonderful feedback from other youngsters and the highly qualified staff," Gage says. The Institute has contributed to better writing skills in the classroom and will help students attain higher Connecticut Mastery Test scores.

Participants also have an opportunity to meet peers from diverse backgrounds who have the same passion for writing. "We know these relationships extend throughout the school year," Gage adds. The Institute would like to provide scholarships for at least a third of the students, says Gage, who has applied for additional grants for scholarships.

The Fairfield County Community Foundation was formed in 1992 and was named 2005 Outstanding Connecticut Foundation by the Connecticut and Fairfield County Chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The Community Foundation manages assets approaching $72.6 million in more than 220 different donor funds established by individuals, organizations, families, and corporations to strengthen Fairfield County. In 2005, the Community Foundation awarded more than $7 million in grants to nonprofits dedicated to community and economic development, children and youth, women and girls, health and human services, the environment, the arts, and non-profit organizational effectiveness.

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News Briefs

Phi Beta Kappa inducts 46 students
On April 9, Fairfield University inducted 46 students into its chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the nation. The society encourages academic excellence through the broad range of liberal arts studies. Established in 1995, the University's Zeta chapter elects a group of seniors and juniors each year who exhibit high scholastic achievements. Dr. Anne O'Donnell Eisbach, associate professor of psychology at Quinnipiac University, gave this year's keynote address.

Congratulations to the following inductees:

Class of 2006: Jessica Bannon, Christina Barbagallo, Caitlin Callaghan, Kathleen Carter, Elizabeth Casciano, Jessica Cataldo, Carol Chiodo, Catherine Cognetta, Monica Dauphinais, Hilary Dwyer, John Gallagher, Patricia Hartendorp, Stephanie Hohler, Victoria Jackson, Kara LaFleur, Tara Lynch, Jessica Martin, Alejandro Martinez, Christopher Miller, Zachary Miners, Tiffany Murnan, Cara Muzik, Kate Napolitano, Carla Pasquale, Irja Peck, Ivana Podrug, Joshua Rogers, Ashley Rogers, Melanie Romig, Clare Scarnecchia, Maliha Siddiqui, Alison Sikora, Sarah Simmons, Erin Spongberg, Tara Touloumis, Kristine Wilson, Beth Wittenberg, and Margaret Wollschlager. Class of 2007: Julie Briggs, Michelle DiMarzo, Lauren Floey, Sarah Howe, Stephanie Kraushaar, Jeffrey Michaud, Caitlin Quinn, and Genine Siciliano.

Pi Mu Epsilon inducts 24 students
Fairfield University inducted 24 students into its chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon at the 21st annual induction ceremony held on April 2. The honor society promotes scholarship and excellence in mathematics and is advised by Dr. Joan Weiss, professor of mathematics in CAS and national president of Pi Mu Epsilon. Congratulations to the following inductees:

Class of 2006: Maura Carle, Todd Curesky, Scott Davidson, Hilary Dwyer, Catherine Gruffi, Jessica Kurose, Emily Pendolphi, Kelley Reardon, and Stephanie Sulham. Class of 2007: Julie Briggs, Margaret Curran, Bridget Daugsiewicz, Scott Degen, João Miguel da Costa Copes Gomes, John Lamb, Marissa Passantino, Matthew Scalora, Michelle Schmidt, Courtney Siegert, and Michael Zaffetti. Class of 2008: Laura Hastings, Christine Mauro, Annemarie Perro, and Elizabeth Small.

Fairfield to host autism conference June 12
Fairfield University will present the conference "Translating Autism Spectrum Disorders: Bench to Bedside and Beyond," on June 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored in collaboration with Autism Speaks, the Giant Steps School in Southport, Bridgeport Hospital, and the University's Psychology Department, the event will be held in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This special program, which will discuss the complex nature of autism spectrum disorders, as well as other developmental brain disorders and their involved scientific research, will seek to inform doctors, nurses, educators, therapists, advocates, families, and students alike about autism and its important research, treatments, programs, and policies.

The conference schedule will include presentations by these six distinguished speakers and will conclude with a final open panel.

• Margaret Bauman, M.D., an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, as well as an associate pediatrician and assistant neurologist at MassGeneral Hospital, will discuss the neuropathology of autism.
• Mark Bear, Ph.D., an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Picower Professor of Neurosciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will discuss therapeutic implications.
• Edward Novotny, M.D., FAAN, associate professor of pediatrics, neurology, and neurosurgery at Yale University School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Epilepsy program at the Children's Hospital at Yale New Haven, will discuss childhood epilepsy.
• Timothy Buie, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Tufts School of Medicine and a member of the hospital faculties at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Harvard School of Medicine, will speak about clinical cases of autism.
• James Perrin, M.D., is a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and director for the division of general pediatrics and the center for child and adolescent health policy at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He will talk about national programs and policies for children with autism and their families.
• Paul Law, M.D., M.P.H., a consultant to the World Health Organization and director of medical informatics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, will present powerful tools and resources for an interactive autism network.

For more information or to register, call (203) 259-5067.

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Witty singer-songwriter to perform at Quick Center for the Arts
Entertaining singer Barbara Schottenfeld will offer "Schottensongs," a wickedly funny one-woman show of music and stories, from May 4 through May 6 at 8 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Schottenfeld is a composer, lyricist, librettist, and performer whose credits include Broadway and off-Broadway works, as well as cabaret acts. As a lyricist, she has collaborated with such industry giants as Jule Styne, Henry Mancini, Burton Lane, and Steve Allen.

Schottenfeld's writing career began at her alma mater, Princeton University, where she created her first show, I Can't Keep Running in Place, as her undergraduate thesis. The piece became a long-running Off-Broadway hit and continues to be performed around the world.

Sit Down and Eat Before Our Love Gets Cold, another popular Schottenfeld musical, won Schottenfeld her first of two NEA Opera-Musical Theatre awards. She won the second for Catch Me If I Fall, which also received a 1987 Drama League Award. She has 14 Musical Theater Awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

Comedian Joy Behar to entertain at Fairfield University May 19
Joy Behar, comedian and co-host of ABC's The View, brings her hilarious take on life to the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on May 19 at 8 p.m.

Among today's leading comics, Behar is a leading woman on stage and screen. The View, winner of more than a dozen Daytime Emmy Awards, has brought her into America's living room.

She holds a master's degree in English education from SUNY Stony Brook and originally pursued a career in teaching. She turned to comedy after receiving regular bookings at such famous New York comedy clubs as Caroline's and Catch a Rising Star. The wisdom of the career switch was quickly evident: Behar went on to win three MAC Awards, from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs, and a CableACE Award.

Behar has numerous television and film credits, and was chosen by TV Guide as a "Personality of the Year" nominee for the third annual TV Guide Awards. She won the Safe Horizon Champion Award, the Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television, and the New York City Public Advocate's 2000 Special Advocate Award for her outstanding friendship to the gay community.

In 2001, she launched a monthly Good Housekeeping column, "Getting Personal," dispensing advice with healthy doses of both wisdom and humor. Her first book, Joy Schtick: Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments? was published by Hyperion in 1999.

For tickets, call the Box Office at ext. 4010.

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Shakespeare summer workshop seeks student actors
It's time to register for this summer's Shakespeare Ventures, a professional theatre company on campus. The exciting month-long program is designed for student actors ages 9 through 19. The workshop will run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from July 5 through July 29 at the PepsiCo Theatre, concluding with a final "informance." In addition to the summer workshop, Shakespeare Ventures will present its second professional production, Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, at the PepsiCo Theatre.

Now in its fourth year, Shakespeare Ventures provides a welcoming environment for creative thinkers who wish to explore all that theatre has to offer. The program, open to young actors of all skill levels, emphasizes ensemble work and encourages self-expression. Workshop activities include movement, improvisation, stage combat, and scene work. The final "informance" allows the actors to share their favorite exercises and newfound skills with the audience. Workshop staff members are all working theater artists, each with a different specialty.

Space is limited. For information and registration, visit www.ShakespeareVentures.com or contact Lynne Porter at ext. 3406.

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New FUSA president aims for unity

By Alejandra Navarro, Publications writer

Student unity is a priority for Hutchinson "Hutch" Williams '08, the new president of the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA). "A lot of people claim that unity is a lofty goal," says Williams. "Unity can be achieved by getting the entire student body involved in the events that we plan and the things that we do." Williams, a politics major, began his term with FUSA Vice President Megan McConville '08 in April, and has already begun to plan out the next year.

"I have never met a student who has as much pride and passion for Fairfield," says Deirdre Eller, director of New Student Programs. Williams often dons his Stag spirit, Eller adds, noting the he is always wearing an article of clothing with the Fairfield name or logo. "I think that his never-ending energy and his love for Fairfield will be what attracts people to him. If someone is going to bring student pride back to Fairfield, it's Hutch."

This Cheshire, Conn., native has already been an active member of the campus community. He was president of the Class of 2008 for two years and served on the Orientation Board. He has also been a lector, a tour guide, a First-Year Experience facilitator, and was a resident advisor in Regis. "I have an extreme passion for Fairfield," Williams says. "Fairfield has made a profound impact on who I am, and I want to give back to it as much as possible."

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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A super-duper deal
Ever since the Super Duper Weenie truck rolled on to campus last month, most days can be "super-duper." On Tuesdays and Thursdays this spring, members of the campus community flock to the truck at lunchtime at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business to enjoy the famous franks. The truck is also at Saturday men's home lacrosse games.

Photo by Jean Santopatre

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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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