College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University

Save the Date: March 21 -- Ancient Maya View of Time and 2012

2012-01-28T02:22:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Digitization of Villanovan Newspaper!

2012-01-19T06:40:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the January 2012 A&S E-newsletter

2012-01-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend of the College,In a little more than two weeks, our students will return to campus to begin the spring 2012 semester, and with a new semester and new year come the promise of new beginnings and a fresh start.Welcome to the January 2012 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.During 2012, the College proudly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Department of Political Science as a standalone department. In upcoming issues of Inside A&S, you'll read a special series we're calling A 50-Year Journey and Legacy: The Evolution of the Study and Teaching of Political Science at Villanova. In the newsletter this spring, political science faculty will reflect on studying and teaching political science, and the contributions the department has made to the life of the College and University.Learn more here.

Welcome to December 2011 E-news

2011-11-28T06:26:00.001-08:00

Dear Friend of the College,With finals nearly upon us, we all face a few very busy weeks ahead, preparing for exams, completing projects, and looking forward to the holiday season and an extended break.I welcome you to the December 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S. In this issue, you'll read about the upcoming third annual Lore Kephart '86 Distinguished Historians Lecture and get a sneak peek into some of the events and activities that highlight the spring 2012 semester. Mark your calendars now!Learn more here.

Save the Date: General Anthony C. Zinni (Ret.), ’65 BS, MS, MBA, U.S. Marine Corps, Visits Villanova

2011-11-09T03:49:00.000-08:00

General Zinni is a retired four-star Marine Corps general and former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command. His distinguished military career has taken him to more than 70 countries with numerous command assignments.General Zinni joined the Marine Corps' Platoon Leader Class program in 1961 and was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant in 1965 upon graduation from Villanova University.General Zinni has coordinated emergency security and disaster relief operations and other humanitarian aid around the globe in such places as the Philippines, Turkey, Iraq, and Somalia. Since his retirement in 2000, General Zinni has continued to serve his country in a variety of diplomatic positions including special envoy to the Middle East.Be sure to attend these on-campus events featuring Gen. Zinni.College of Nursing Lecture: The Global Humanitarian Missions of the U.S. Military Factors Shaping the Middle East Over the Next Decade

Mendel Medal Dinner 2011

2011-11-04T07:15:00.001-07:00

Mendel Medal Dinner 2011, a set on Flickr.

Images from the recent Mendel Medal Dinner featuring Joseph M. DeSimone, Ph.D. You can read more here: http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/about/awards/mendelmedal/recipient.html

November 2011 E-news From the College

2011-11-01T02:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend of the College,

The trees on campus, once lush with leaves, all of a sudden appear bare as we gear up for winter and the homestretch of the fall 2011 semester. During this term, I have learned so very much about the College and all of you who contribute to the fulfillment of its mission.

I welcome you to the November 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S. Here, you'll read about upcoming events -- lectures, films, science colloquia, and more -- all designed to enhance our students' learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.

Read more here.

Study Abroad Fair ... Oct. 28, 2011

2011-10-21T11:16:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars! The annual Study Abroad Fair will be held on Friday, October 28, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Bartley Hall Atrium.

Where can your Villanova education take you? Stop by the Study Abroad Fair to meet with representatives from around the world to learn more about study abroad opportunities.

Created with flickr slideshow.

2011 Anthony J. and Heand Johns Silvestri Lectureship: 10/25

2011-10-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Department of Chemistry is hosting the 2011 Anthony J. & Heand Johns Silvestri Lectureship on Tuesday, October 25, at 4:30 p.m. in the Mendel Science Center Room 215E. Our guest speaker is Dr. Erik J. Sorensen, Arthur Allan Patchett Professor in Organic Chemistry at Princeton University. The title of the lecture is: “Design and Synthesis of Molecular Scaffolds with Anti-Infective Activity.” Learn more here.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova 's photostream

2011-10-18T04:09:00.001-07:00

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova 's photostream on Flickr.

You have read about news, events, and other initiatives underway on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. Now, you can see them as images!

October E-news From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2011-10-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend of the College,

There’s a chill in the air, and the leaves are beginning to show us their fall colors. So, too, there is much happening on campus and in the College. Welcome to the October 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

Ignite Change. Go Nova. By now, you've seen this tagline printed on banners, T-shirts, and water bottles all around campus. It’s on the Web and in advertisements. But what does it mean? And what does it mean to you?

Read more here.

NEW! Find the College on Linked In

2011-09-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is now on Linked In, a social media site designed to connect professionals with each other. Alumni and current students are invited to join the A&S Group to connect, engage, learn, and grow. Hope to see you on Linked In soon!

Welcome to the College's September 2011 E-newsletter

2011-09-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the September 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

With classes fully underway, I continue to learn more and more about the University and the College through my many interactions with you. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences truly is a vibrant community of learners and teacher-scholars, and the mission of the College is realized through your enduring commitment to the University ideal that "emphasizes the liberal arts and sciences as our foundation and fosters in our students active engagement, critical thinking, life-long learning, and moral reflection" (From the University's Mission).

Read more here.

August E-news From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2011-08-09T02:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend of the College,

As the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University, I am very pleased to welcome you to the August 2011 issue of Inside A&S, the College’s monthly e-newsletter, on the eve of a new academic year.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for so graciously welcoming me to Villanova. From the moment I arrived on campus, I've been greeted by warm hellos and engaging conversation. Please know that I look forward to working with you and learning how we together can collaborate to advance the mission of the College.

The upcoming semester offers our students many opportunities to engage in intellectual and cultural pursuits both in and out of the classroom.

Read more here.

Online Programs at Villanova

2011-08-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

Villanova University’s Virtual Classroom ... Online Learning

Villanova University, in conjunction with the University Alliance, offers you the opportunity to earn a professional certificate or degree anytime, anywhere – in your home, at work, or even while you travel. No classroom attendance is ever required.

Learn more here.

Google Celebrates Gregor Mendel's Birthday in Special Way

2011-07-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

A very happy birthday to Gregor Mendel!

On most of the Google home pages today, you will see a logo that looks like a pea but with scientific annotation marks around it. The logo looks like this:

Google Pea Logo - Gregor Mendel

Why the pea logo today?

Gregor Johann Mendel is known for discovering genetics and his birthday, July 20, 1822, was 189 years ago today. To celebrate his discovery and his name, Google made a special Google logo (aka Doodle) for him.

He is the founder of the science of genetics. He discovered it during his study of the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants. Although, the importance of this work was not realized until the 20th century.

Gregor Johann Mendel, Abbot of the Augustinian Monastery, Brünn, Austria, (now Brno, the Czech Republic), discovered the celebrated laws of heredity which now bear his name: the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment — that prove the existence of paired elementary units of heredity (factors) and establish the statistical laws governing them.

He later presented his work from these experiments in two lectures before the Society for the Study of the Natural Sciences in Brünn in 1865. His paper resulting from these lectures, Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden ("Experiments in Plant Hybridization,") was published in the Society's Proceedings in 1866.

Please take a moment to browse the following pages to learn more about the man and his work, and the great history and contribution that he represents at Villanova.

"Like Us" on Facebook

2011-07-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Become a fan of the College's Facebook page, and you'll stay current on all of the special events and initiatives underway in the College. "Like Us" today!

July 2011 E-news

2011-07-05T12:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Friend of the College,

Welcome to the July 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

For the past year, I’ve had the honor of serving as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University, and come August, my tenure as Dean will end as our community welcomes Dean Jean Ann Linney, Ph.D., to the College.

Read more here.

June 2011 E-news

2011-06-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the June 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

After an exhaustive search, the College is very pleased to welcome Jean Ann Linney, Ph.D., to Villanova as the College's new Dean. You will read all about the appointment of Dean Linney in this issue of Inside A&S.

Read more here .

Jean Ann Linney, Ph.D., Appointed Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University

2011-05-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Villanova University President, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., today announced the appointment of Jean Ann Linney, Ph.D., as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, effective August 15, 2011. An accomplished teacher-scholar with distinguished achievement in teaching, research and administration, Linney most recently served as Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This key appointment at Villanova is the result of a national search led by a committee of trustees, faculty, administrators, students and alumni.

“Jean Ann Linney was the ideal choice for this important leadership role at Villanova University,” said Fr. Donohue. “Dean Linney brings to Villanova a wealth of experience from major national universities. Her experience, vision and breadth of knowledge make her the perfect fit to guide Villanova’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to new levels of excellence.”

Linney possesses an impressive academic and administrative track record from such institutions as University of Notre Dame, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of South Carolina. In addition to her administrative experience, she is also an award-winning teacher and scholar whose research and expertise focus on the areas of community psychology, prevention science and the promotion of mental health. Linney brings a keen understanding of faculty teaching and research, as well as a demonstrated ability to recruit and nurture top scholars.

“The liberal arts are core to a Villanova education and Dean Linney is a passionate advocate and strong believer in the importance of a liberal arts education in today’s society,” added Fr. Donohue. “She also has a deep commitment to service, diversity, teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration – hallmarks of Villanova’s Augustinian mission and Strategic Plan.”

As Dean of Villanova’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the oldest and largest of the University’s five colleges, Linney will serve as chief administrator and chairperson of the College—which has approximately 4,500 students (undergraduate and graduate), 400 faculty, 130 staff members and an alumni body of 55,000. She will oversee an annual budget of more than $50 million and lead the College’s long-term strategic and academic planning, curricular initiatives, faculty research support, student services, fundraising, external relations and alumni services. In fall 2011, Villanova will introduce a new Liberal Arts and Sciences core curriculum designed to further strengthen its undergraduate programs.

"I am honored to become the next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University,” said Linney. “The University has an impressive history, and I look forward to being a part of Villanova's future. I have been very impressed with the caliber of the arts and sciences faculty and students. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with them to implement the new core curriculum, cultivate significant interdisciplinary initiatives and build on the foundational Augustinian traditions.”

Read more here.

May 2011 E-news From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2011-05-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.
The spring 2011 semester is quickly drawing to a close. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you do to advance the mission of the College and to contribute to our vibrant community. Read more here.

April E-news From the College

2011-04-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

Letter From the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the April 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

On April 7, the Gender and Women's Studies Program will host the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Student Research Conference. This annual event highlights and celebrates the incisive work produced by students from all across campus during the previous year.

This year's event features Noël Sturgeon, professor of women's studies and American studies at Washington State University, as keynote speaker. Dr. Sturgeon will discuss, "Avatar and Activism: Ecological, Indians, Climate Justice, and Disabling Militarism," at 4:30 p.m., in the Connelly Center Cinema. The event also is sponsored by the Center for Peace and Justice Education, the Department of Geography and the Environment, and VCLE.

In addition, two academic departments in the College are celebrating important anniversaries this month. Both the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Department of Psychology celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year. Many special events will take place to mark the occasions, and you'll read about them here in Inside A&S.

Further, Villanova will commemorate Earth Day 2011 this month with a series of events that extend beyond Earth Day; please visit this Web site to learn more. The College thanks Paul Rosier, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, for his work to plan and organize the University's celebration of Earth Day 2011, which will feature, among other events, a series of climate change roundtables; a screening of the Academy Award nominated documentary, “Sun Come Up”; and a lecture by Dr. Mark Wallace, professor of religion at Swarthmore College, who will discuss “Religion and Ecology.”

And, finally, the 13th Annual Literary Festival, sponsored by the Department of English, continues to feature some of the nation's most prominent writers and poets. These are events not to be missed. Click here to learn more. All readings are free and are followed by a reception and book signing.

The spring 2011 semester is quickly drawing to a close. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you do to advance the mission of the College and to contribute to our community.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S.

Sincerely,
John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

Villanova Social Entrepreneurship Competition

2011-03-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Villanova Celebrates Inaugural Education and Counseling Week: March 28-31, 2011

2011-03-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Department of Education and Human Services in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University is celebrating its inaugural Education and Counseling Week 2011 on March 28-31, an annual event intended to celebrate and showcase Department of Education and Human Services initiatives and initiate conversation among students, faculty, and community members about emerging trends in the fields of education and counseling.

On Monday, March 28, the department is co-sponsoring a talk by Allan Johnson, author of Power, Privilege, and Difference. His keynote address, “Living in Denial: How’s it working so far?," begins at 6 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. To obtain a free ticket, go to www.villanovatix.com.

On Tuesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Bartley 1011, the department will host a colloquium by David Hornbeck. His broad range of experience includes serving as founder and chair of Good Schools Pennsylvania, a grassroots initiative supporting quality public education for all students in Pennsylvania; state superintendent of schools in Maryland; Philadelphia superintendent of schools; chairman of the Children’s Defense Fund; chairman of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; and an advisor to the Business Roundtable and to numerous governments around world.

Most recently, Mr. Hornbeck founded Prepare the Future, an organization that works to create a permanent advocacy infrastructure in communities and states across the nation to support the capacity of local citizens to effect meaningful education reform. He is author of the book, Choosing Excellence in Public Schools: Where There's a Will, There's a Way.

On Wednesday, March 30, Dr. Victor Brooks, a professor of education, will host a book talk in the first floor lounge of Falvey Memorial Library at 5 p.m. He will be speaking on his recent book, Boomers: The Cold War Generation Grows Up.

On Thursday, March 31, at 4 p.m. in St. Mary's Chapel, the Education Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi, will induct new members, and the Human Services Honor Society, Tau Upsilon Alpha, will induct new members.

All events are free and open to the public. Learn more here.

March 2011 E-news From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2011-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the March 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S. I hope that you had a wonderful spring break and have returned to campus refreshed, renewed, and reenergized to seize the eight weeks that remain in the term.

I am pleased to share with you several important updates as we look forward to spring. The Office for Undergraduate Students, which officially has moved to the first floor of SAC in Suite 107, presents "Workplace Wednesdays," a series of workshops dedicated to increasing workplace and professional knowledge. All are welcome to join in the conversations. Be sure to RSVP here, and visit this Web site for workshop topics, dates, and times.

In addition, two academic departments in the College will celebrate important anniversaries. Both the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Department of Psychology celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year. Many special events will take place to mark the occasions, and you'll read about some of them here in Inside A&S.

Click here for more!

An Evening With Anna Deavere Smith

2011-03-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Critically acclaimed actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith will visit campus on Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room, Connelly Center. All are welcome to attend what promises to be a spectacular event.

Click here for more.

Special Event: The Future of Muslim-Christian Relationships in the Middle East

2011-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

February 2011 E-news

2011-02-09T03:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the February 2011 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

Since December 2010, the College has been discussing ways for it to better position itself among the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities. How can the College more effectively attract the best and brightest students and faculty? How can it more effectively describe its incredibly rich academic program offerings and its vibrant community of teacher-scholars, and students, in meaningful and memorable ways so that its messages are heard? These are the types of questions the Dean's Office in the College is asking.

With this in mind, the College has secured the consulting services of the Aurora Imaging, Co., a Conshohocken-based marketing communications and video production firm, which is founded and operated by President and CEO Sean Quinn, who also happens to be a 2000 graduate of the College of Engineering. Aurora under Sean's direction has worked with many other departments and offices on campus, and their highly professional and talented team has produced exceptional work.

And our timing couldn't be more perfect.

With a new Core Curriculum designed to both enhance student choice and provide foundational learning experiences, and the addition of more and more innovative interdisciplinary programs, the College is prepared to take its message of academic excellence in the Augustinian tradition to the next level and to communicate it more strategically.

Therefore, the College is looking to build and improve its brand identity in the increasingly cluttered marketplace that is higher education and has invited Aurora to help us along this journey. Many colleges and universities claim to offer their students rigorous courses of study, small class sizes, and individualized attention, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is no different. However, how can the College better communicate its unique identity to prospective students, faculty, and its other constituencies?

The College plans to film a short video envisioned to help do just that. Moreover, this video is part of a broader marketing communications plan. I look forward to exploring these new initiatives with you in the days and months ahead.

In other important news, the College welcomes Irish writer Moya Cannon, chair holder of the Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., Chair of Irish Studies, to campus for the spring 2011 semester. Moya's presence at Villanova heightens the College's ongoing commitment to Irish Studies. You'll read about Moya's history and professional experiences in this issue of Inside A&S.

In addition, you'll also read about a unique partnership between the Department of Computing Sciences and the Comcast Corporation. Some of the College's finest computing sciences majors have been collaborating with Comcast on a project involving the evaluation of specialized business intelligence software packages. Joint industry-university partnerships like this one can have tremendous benefits for Villanova, such as increased financial support, hands-on industry-related experience for students, and possible job placement with the sponsor company.

The 13th Annual Literary Festival, sponsored by the Department of English, will feature some of the nation's most prominent writers. Click here to learn more. All readings are free and are followed by a reception and book signing.

Thank you for continuingto read Inside A&S.

Read more here.

Sincerely,
John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

New Art Exhibit in Connelly Center: “Women Collared for Work”

2011-01-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

By Tania Jachens

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “collar”? Is it an object of practicality, control, decoration, or perhaps status?

In the latest art exhibit in Connelly Center, eight female artists put this term to the test as a metaphor for women’s issues through the ages.

Travelling time from the pre-Depression era up until today’s grown-up flower children, these artists celebrate the trails blazed by women in pursuit of equality, inspiration, and purpose, as well as the right to contribute and make a difference in society. Within these various issues and extremely diverse artistic interpretations, the “collar” is implemented as a symbol of female restriction, illumination, and ground-breaking invention, yielding the exhibit’s name of “Women Collared for Work.”

Throughout the gallery, the importance of inspiration becomes apparent in each piece of artwork. Ann Stein’s collections of carefully arranged artifacts celebrate Frances Perkins, the first woman appointed to a presidential Cabinet, who served as FDR’s Secretary of Labor and played an important role in forwarding the New Deal agenda. Deborah Stelling pays tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt and artist Georgia O’Keefe using 3-D photo boxes. Each frame is a visual interpretation of select quotes from these women, including Roosevelt’s thought-provoking and still relevant saying: “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.”

Another fact which this exhibit skillfully emphasizes is that most of the women celebrated here were typically not accepted at first by society. Instead, they had to fight for credibility and respect and only now have gained the renown they deserved. Rosemary Lane’s cast paper wall reliefs literally leap out of their frames in representation of female artists that transcended “the art world’s barriers through their innovative and creative processes.”

However, the “collar” is most skillfully utilized in Judith Schwab’s pieces that include hatboxes, framed collages, and a suitcase. Using mixed media, Schwab provides intricately detailed and poetically constructed examples of art that you have to walk 360 degrees around in order to fully appreciate.

From the work collar worn by Rosie the Riveter to the jeweled collars of movie femme fatales to the collar of a baby’s bib, Schwab covers all the roles women have learned to play throughout history.

By dealing with memorable historic issues, such as women’s suffrage, Japanese internment, and female employment during World War II, alongside oft-forgotten everyday issues, such as family relations, growing up, and deciding what to wear, this exhibit strikes the right balance between history and heart. These female artists use bygone women as inspiration for their art and in the process pass along this inspiration to future generations of artists and audiences.

Having only mentioned a few of the artists featured, check out this exhibit in Connelly Center to see and experience more!

Photo courtesy of the Villanova University Art Gallery. Judith Schwab, Rivets, acrylic and findings, 20” x 20”

Tania Jachens is a junior from Clifton, New Jersey. Majoring in English with a minor in History, Tania is a member of the Villanova Voices women’s choir and writes a column for the entertainment section of The Villanovan. Last semester, she fulfilled one of her life’s dreams by studying abroad in London. This semester, Tania is serving as an intern in the Office of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Tania plans to become a journalist for magazines or broadcast television.

Fiction Writer Monique Truong To Visit Villanova

2011-01-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

Monique Truong, fiction writer, will visit Villanova as part of the 13th Annual Literary Festival on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., in Connelly Center.

Truong was born in Saigon and currently lives in New York City. Her second novel, Bitter in the Mouth, was recently released by Random House and focuses on Linda Hammerick, a young woman with a unique secret sense--she can "taste" words, which have the power to disrupt, dismay, or delight.

Her first novel, The Book of Salt, was a New York Times Notable Book. It won the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the 2003 Bard Fiction Prize, the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award, and the 7th Annual Asian American Literary Award, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and Britain's Guardian First Book Award. She is the recipient of the PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship, Princeton University's Hodder Fellowship, and a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Learn more here.

Global Change Seminar Series

2011-01-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

The Department of Geography and the Environment will host the “Global Change Seminar Series” in the spring of 2011. Speakers from Villanova University, University of Pennsylvania and the Academy of Natural Sciences will address the broad topic of global change in this semester-long seminar series. Topics include drilling in the Marcellus shale, the role of peatlands in global carbon cycling, biodiversity and climate change, coastal wetlands and sea-level rise, changing oceanic biogeochemistry, and the promise of green science in industry. Join us on select Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 in Mendel 256 to learn about our changing world. The Global Change Seminar Series is open to all interested students, faculty and staff. For a complete schedule of events, please click here.

Theater as a Mirror of Contemporary Russia: A Special Talk by Dr. Anatoly Smelyansky

2011-01-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

"Theater as a Mirror of Contemporary Russia”: A Special Talk by Dr. Anatoly Smelyansky on Thursday, January 20, 2011, at 4 PM, in Bartley 1011.

Physicist Alum Sean Carroll: The Origin of the Universe and the Arrow of Time

2011-01-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Sean Carroll, Ph.D., will deliver a special talk entitled, "The Origin of the Universe and the Arrow of Time," on Monday, January 24, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. in Driscoll Hall 132. According to Dr. Carroll: "One of the most obvious facts about the universe is that the past is different from the future. We can remember yesterday, but not tomorrow; we can turn an egg into an omelet, but can't turn an omelet into an egg. That's the arrow of time, which is consistent throughout the observable universe.

Dr. Carroll will discuss the nature of time, the origin of entropy, and how what happened before the Big Bang may be responsible for the arrow of time we observe today.

Sean Carroll, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Associate in Physics at the California Institute of Technology.

Dr. Carroll is a 1988 Villanova graduate, having earned degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, and honors.

Learn more about the event here.

January 2011 College E-news

2011-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova will welcome back its students and faculty on Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, for the start of classes and the spring 2011 semester, which promises to be filled with intellectual and cultural activities and events designed to enrich the academic experience for all students campus wide.

For example, the 13th Annual Literary Festival, sponsored by the Department of English, will feature some of the nation's most prominent writers. Click here to learn more. All readings are free and are followed by a reception and book signing.

In addition, the Center for Peace and Justice Education will sponsor the annual Freedom School in observance of the memory and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Thursday, January 20, 2011. Freedom School sessions cover a variety of topics, and you can learn more about this very special event here.

The 2011 Villanova Literary Festival Line-Up

2010-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University proudly announces its spring 2011 Villanova Literary Festival Line-Up.

Feb. 1: Fiction writer Monique Truong

Feb. 17: Poet Terrance Hayes

March 10: Fiction writer Colum McCann

March 24: Poet Eleanor Wilner

April 12: Fiction writer John Haskell

Note: All readings will be held at 7pm. Venues will be announced at a later date.

Brief Author Biographies

Monique Truong was born in Saigon and currently lives in New York City. Her second novel, Bitter in the Mouth, was recently released by Random House and focuses on Linda Hammerick, a young woman with a unique secret sense—she can “taste” words, which have the power to disrupt, dismay, or delight. Her first novel, The Book of Salt, was a New York Times Notable Book. It won the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the 2003 Bard Fiction Prize, the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award, and the 7th Annual Asian American Literary Award, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and Britain's Guardian First Book Award. She is the recipient of the PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship, Princeton University's Hodder Fellowship, and a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Terrance Hayes was born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1971. He received a B.A. from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina, and an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh writing program. He is the author of Lighthead (Penguin, 2010), which has been short-listed for the 2010 National Book Award; Wind in a Box (2006); Hip Logic (2002), which won the 2001 National Poetry Series and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award; and Muscular Music (1999), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. He has been a recipient of many honors and awards, including a Whiting Writers Award, a Pushcart Prize, three Best American Poetry selections, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is a professor of creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his family.

Colum McCann is the author of Let the Great World Spin, which won the 2009 National Book Award for fiction. His is also the internationally bestselling author of the novels Zoli, Dancer, This Side of Brightness, and Songdogs, as well as two critically acclaimed story collections. His fiction has been published in thirty languages. He has been a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and was the inaugural winner of the Ireland Fund of Monaco Literary Award in Memory of Princess Grace. He has been named one of Esquire’s “Best and Brightest,” and his short film Everything in This Country Must was nominated for an Oscar in 2005. A contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Paris Review, he teaches in the Hunter College MFA Creative Writing Program. He lives in New York City with his wife and their three children.

Eleanor Wilner was born in Ohio in 1937 and holds an interdepartmental Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. She has published six collections of poems, most recently The Girl with Bees in Her Hair (Copper Canyon, 2004); Reversing the Spell: New and Selected Poems (1998); and Otherwise (University of Chicago, 1993). Her other works include a verse translation of Euripides's Medea (Penn Greek Series, 1998); and a book on visionary imagination, Gathering the Winds (Johns Hopkins Press, 1975). Her work has appeared in over thirty anthologies, including Best American Poetry 1990 and The Norton Anthology of Poetry (Fourth Edition). Wilner has been the recipient of numerous awards, including fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Juniper Prize, and two Pushcart Prizes. Former editor of The American Poetry Review, she is currently an Advisory Editor of Calyx. She has taught, most recently, at the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and Smith College. She is currently on the faculty of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, and lives in Philadelphia.

John Haskell is the author of Out of My Skin, American Purgatorio, and the short-story collection I Am Not Jackson Pollock. His stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Nerve, A Public Space, and N+1. A contributor to the radio program The Next Big Thing, he lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Colum McCann (fiction, 2009) and Terrance Hayes (poetry, 2010) are recipients of the National Book Award.

Welcome to the December 2010 College E-newsletter

2010-12-01T03:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the December 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova is proud of its ongoing commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. It is widely known and accepted that employers in the 21st century seek to hire bright, creative, ambitious, and ethically-conscious individuals with superb reading, writing, and thinking abilities. An undergraduate degree in the liberal arts and sciences from the College makes our students desirable job applicants and candidates for admission to graduate school. The College’s alumni have gone on to pursue meaningful post-graduate work at other fine universities across the country and fulfilling careers in business, education, journalism, law, medicine, and many, many more fields of professional endeavor.

The undergraduate learning experience, however, is not the only intellectual experience offered by the College. Graduate Studies, under the leadership of Dean Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D., offers the opportunity for students to interact with others who share a similar passion, be it American history, Victorian literature, international politics, wetlands ecology, or organic chemistry. Some students come directly from undergraduate programs, while others are working professionals. United by a common commitment to expand and deepen their knowledge, graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences pursue diverse goals: to become professors themselves, to advance as teachers or professionals, to change careers, or simply to immerse themselves in learning for its own sake.

Learn more here.

November 2010 E-news

2010-11-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the November 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

In this issue, you'll read about the many upcoming College-sponsored intellectual and cultural events that serve to enhance our students' educational experiences, both in and out of the classroom. Please encourage your students to take a break from studying and attend a lecture, see a film, or participate in a discussion on a topic of current interest. Engagement in lifelong learning allows our students to understand firsthand the importance of maintaining an open mind and an open heart -- not just during the college years but throughout one's life.

In other College news, I am pleased to report that Trudi K. Tedjeske, who has been serving the College as its Acting Director of Academic Advising, has accepted its offer to become the new Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Students. As Assistant Dean, Trudi will be responsible for the creation and ongoing delivery of exceptional and personalized academic advisement services; will represent the College in responding to the needs and questions of students, parents, or guardians; and will interact with various University offices with respect to important, and often urgent, undergraduate student issues. Furthermore, Trudi will oversee specialized professional advisement services in the College, such as pre-law advisement, health professions advisement, and internships.

As Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Students, Trudi will help shape a new vision for the administration of services to our undergraduate students. We will cluster important and related academic student services on the first floor of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts in an effort to create a more convenient and holistic experience for our students. Our concept is to create a 'one-stop shopping' experience for all of our students' questions regarding courses, professional development, study abroad, and graduation.

In addition, the Office of the Dean is working collaboratively with the leaders of the Student Government Association (SGA) to create a Student Advisory Council to the Dean. The purpose of the student council is to provide a consistent and sustainable line of communication between undergraduate students in the College and the Dean's Office. The Student Advisory Board provides the student constituency a forum to voice its collective needs, concerns, and suggestions to the administration to enhance the educational, spiritual, and community-building experience of all undergraduate students of the College. More information will be shared in the days and months ahead as the council takes shape.

Implementation plans for the new Core Curriculum currently are underway. Six standing Core Curriculum Subcommittees -- Foundational Courses, Humanities Courses, Social Science Courses, Science Courses, Writing, and Diversity -- have been established and are working to put the new core into effect. You can read more about the College's newly revised Core Curriculum here. Please scroll down the page to see the courses that comprise the new Core, which will take effect fall 2011.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S and for your ongoing interest in the life of the College. I wish you a happy and joyous Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,
John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

October 2010 E-news From A&S

2010-10-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the October 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

In this issue of Inside A&S , with mid-term season upon us, you'll read about the many initiatives underway in the College designed to heighten the academic and intellectual experiences for our students both in and out of the classroom.

One of the College's most important recent initiatives is the creation of the Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (WFI), which is housed within the Department of Communication. WFI was founded on the principle that the study and practice of communication requires attention to values, ethics, and social justice. The official opening of the Institute took place the weekend of October 1-3 with a series of very special events both on and off campus. You'll read more about the events here in this issue of Inside A&S.

Another initiative you'll read about is the College's first-ever Academics Majors Fair, which was held Friday, Oct. 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly. The purpose of the event was to showcase the College's many academic majors, minors, and concentrations, and help first- and second-year students make informed decisions about their courses of study. The event was hugely successful, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Student Government Association (SGA).

In other news, you can read more about the College's newly revised Core Curriculum here. Please scroll down the page to see the courses that comprise the new Core, which will take effect fall 2011. Implementation plans for the new Core Curriculum are underway, and you'll read more about roll-out plans in the days ahead.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S and for your ongoing interest in the life of the College. I wish you good luck on mid-terms and a happy Fall Break.

John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

Villanova University Launches Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society

2010-09-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Waterhouse Family Institute (WFI) is founded on the principle that the study and practice of communication requires attention to ethics and social justice, and that properly understood, communication is central to the creation of positive social change. WFI is housed within Villanova University’s Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Funded by a generous gift from Lawrence Waterhouse Jr., ’59 A&S, founder of Waterhouse Investor Services, Inc. (the precursor to TD Waterhouse Investor Services and later TD Ameritrade), this new institute explores the ethical dimensions of communication and its role in creating social change through cutting-edge research and student programs, as well as the hands-on involvement of communication scholars and professionals from around the globe.

Learn more here.

Villanova Ranked No. 1 in Category for 18th Consecutive Year By U.S. News & World Report

2010-09-17T03:29:00.000-07:00

Villanova #1 in “Great Schools, Great Prices”; Engineering Program Ranked #9 Nationwide; Villanova Recognized for Quality of First-Year Student Experience

Villanova University has again earned #1 placement in the Regional University–North category in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” rankings, which will hit newsstands August 24. Villanova has held this top spot for nearly two decades.

U.S. News & World Report also has ranked Villanova #1 in the Regional University–North category for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” This ranking is determined by a school’s academic quality in relation to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. According to U.S. News, “the higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.” Learn more here.

September 2010 E-news From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova

2010-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Letter From the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the September 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

In this issue of Inside A&S, you'll read about the many initiatives underway in the College designed to heighten the academic and intellectual experiences for our students both in and out of the classroom.

Read more here ...

Special Event: Mosques in America ... Religious Freedom at Ground Zero

2010-09-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Balkan Muslim Diaspora—A Security Risk?

2010-08-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Eta Lambda Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the International Geographic Honor Society, will host a lecture on 10 September in Mendel 154, beginning at 2:45 p.m., featuring LTC Steven Oluic, PhD, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Strategy and Policy, United States Military Academy.

Lieutenant Colonel Oluic will present a lecture titled, “The U.S. Balkan Muslim Diaspora—A Security Risk?” LTC Oluic is an expert in the field. He has lectured for the U.S. Department of State and has held training sessions for the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this and related issues. A reception will follow in Mendel 103. All interested students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend.

Save the Date: SGA and College Co-sponsor Fall Academic Majors Fair on Oct. 1

2010-08-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

The Student Government Association (SGA) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will co-sponsor an Undergraduate Academic Majors Fair on Friday, Oct. 1, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. The purpose of the event is to showcase the College's many academic majors, minors, and concentrations, and help first- and second-year students make informed decisions about their courses of study.

"Students faced with difficult academic choices will have a unique opportunity to see and explore a wide variety of majors, minors, and concentrations in the same place and at the same time," said Trudi Tedjeske, director of academic advising in the College. "An especially valuable component of the Majors Fair will be the presence of students at every table. Undeclared students will have an opportunity to talk with their peers as well as faculty from the College."

Bridget Liberty Halligan, '11, SGA president, explains that the goal of the first-time event is to bring the Enchiridion to life. "This event will allow students to see the many opportunities that our College offers. Our College is full of exciting, dynamic, and purposeful majors with expert professors. It is important that we students are exposed to all options."

John A. Doody, Ph.D., dean of the College, said that he welcomes the partnership with the SGA and hopes to make the event an annual one. "Trying to pick a major or discover your true interests is a life-long process, not something that automatically happens during your sophomore year," Dr. Doody said. "A Majors Fair like this one will help our students on their intellectual journey and on their path of self discovery."

"Inside A&S" ... August 2010 Edition

2010-08-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Letter From the Dean

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the August 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

It's hard to believe but true: in a few short weeks, our students will be returning to Villanova to begin the 2010-11 academic year. Many of our students will return to campus early for music and sports camps, and RA training. Our students' return breathes new life to campus and reminds us all that the fall semester is merely weeks away.

In this issue of Inside A&S, you'll read about the many initiatives underway in the College designed to heighten the academic and intellectual experiences for our students both in and out of the classroom.

Andrew J. Bacevich, Ph.D., Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University, will deliver the Second Annual Lore Kephart ’86 Distinguished Historians Lecture on Monday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly. The title of Dr. Bacevich's talk is " "Whose Army? Civil-Military Relations in the United States Since World War II.” This lecture series has been established in loving memory of Lore Kephart '86 through an endowment to the University by her husband, Horace L. Kephart.

The College also will offer four new interdisciplinary academic majors beginning in the fall semester. The academic majors are Arab and Islamic Studies, Cultural Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and Latin American Studies. Read more about the majors in this issue of Inside A&S. As Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., a professor of Hispanic and Cultural Studies in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, explains, "[These new programs] will give our students an edge to compete in an increasingly tight market for graduate programs and other forms of intellectual engagements or employment." The College recognizes and thanks Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs, whose commitment to international and global studies, and leadership during his tenure as Dean, has resulted in these new majors.

In other College news, I am pleased to report that during the 2009-2010 academic year, tenured and tenure-track faculty in the College published 21 books, edited 11 books, and wrote 221 referred articles. Faculty wrote 45 book chapters, 69 book reviews, and published 64 conference proceedings. Faculty have applied for 141 grants, presented 352 papers at conferences, and hold 311 professional services positions. The quality and quantity of research and scholarship happening in the College is a great source of pride and a testament to the strength and caliber of our faculty.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S and for your ongoing interest in the life of the College.

I look forward to working with you in the upcoming academic year, which, again, is just a few weeks away!

Sincerely,
John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

"Whose Army? Civil-Military Relations in the United States Since World War II”

2010-07-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Andrew J. Bacevich, Ph.D., Professor of International Relations and History (BS, United States Military Academy; MA, PhD, Princeton) at Boston University, will deliver the Second Annual Lore Kephart ’86 Distinguished Historians Lecture on Monday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly. The topic of Dr. Bacevich's lecture is: "Whose Army? Civil-Military Relations in the United States Since World War II.”
Dr. Bacevich's specialization is American Diplomatic and Military History, U. S. Foreign Policy, and Security Studies. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he received his Ph.D. in American Diplomatic History from Princeton University. Before joining the faculty of Boston University, he taught at West Point and Johns Hopkins.

Bacevich is the author of Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War (2010). His previous books include The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (2008); The Long War: A New History of U.S. National Security Policy since World War II (2007) (editor); The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War (2005); and American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U. S. Diplomacy (2002). His essays and reviews have appeared in a variety of scholarly and general interest publications including The Wilson Quarterly, The National Interest, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Nation, and The New Republic. His op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Boston Globe, and Los Angeles Times, among other newspapers.

In 2004, Dr. Bacevich was a Berlin Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. He has also held fellowships at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Learn more about Dr. Bacevich here.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ... in Pictures!

2010-07-12T11:49:00.001-07:00

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Villanova's campus is a beautiful place. Check out some recent photographs of the buildings that comprise the College.

Do you have any photos of the people, places, and things that make the College distinctive? Feel free to share them here on the blog.

July 2010 News From the College

2010-07-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends of the College,

Welcome to the July 2010 e-newsletter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Inside A&S.

During the weekend of June 11-13, the University welcomed back to campus many of its alumni, who relived old, nostalgic Villanova memories and created new ones with family and friends. The weekend offered our College alumni a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with friends and learn about the curricular changes that have taken place here. For many of our alumni, campus is frozen in a particular time and place; celebrations like Alumni Reunion Weekend allow our alumni to experience campus as it is in the here and now, and to learn more about what the future holds.

In this issue of Inside A&S, you'll read about Dr. Robert G. Webster, the 2010 Mendel Medal recipient. Dr. Webster is a prominent infectious diseases researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He will deliver the annual Mendel Medal Lecture on Friday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m., in the Villanova Room of Connelly. The title of the lecture is, "The role of waterbirds in the genesis of pandemic influenza viruses." This is an important event on the University's calendar, one that is not to be missed.

In other College news, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures has changed its name to the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures to more accurately reflect its mission and program offerings. Furthermore, the Latin American Studies Program, in close collaboration with the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, will be offering Portuguese language courses in the fall 2010. Read all about the program in this newsletter.

Also, be sure to check out the College's 2010 Grant Development Report, which you'll find in both Word and PDF versions here. In this report, you'll read about faculty grant activity in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences. For the period 2005-2009, the College generated $14,449,536 in grant awards. Of the 14.5 million dollars, $13.1 million was awarded to the Sciences, $944,000 to the Social Sciences, and $358,000 to the Humanities. Read the full report here.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S and for your ongoing interest in the life of the College.

I wish you a productive and enjoyable summer, and I very much look forward to working with you in the upcoming academic year.

Sincerely,

John A. Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Ranks Villanova #25 in the U.S. for Value

2010-07-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

The return on investment for a Villanova undergraduate education places 25th among more than 550 universities nationwide.

Villanova, Pa., July 9, 2010 – In a ranking that drew from the pay reports of 1.4 million graduates from U.S. colleges and covered a 30-year earning span, Villanova University was ranked among the best schools in the nation for the return on investment (ROI) it provides to its students.

As American families continue to weigh college decisions under economic pressure, Bloomberg BusinessWeek designed this new ranking to provide ROI information which enables students and parents to consider the budgetary value—or relative financial payback—of various undergraduate options.

Each school’s performance in the ranking was primarily driven by a figure called the “30-year net ROI.” This return for Villanovans exceeded $1.13 million, making Villanova one of the highest-return colleges in the US. Describing the 30-year net ROI figure, Bloomberg BusinessWeek stated, “In a very real sense, this is what a college degree from each institution is ‘worth’ in dollars and cents. Some schools are bargains, other schools less so—and not always the ones you would think.”

Schools were also given an “annualized ROI” score, which represented the ratio of financial gain from a college degree to the cost of the degree. Villanova’s annualized ROI of 11.4% not only beat the S&P 500; it topped the rates of many other high-visibility schools including Columbia, Brown, and Cornell Universities and Catholic peers including Georgetown University and Boston College.

“As a mission-focused, Catholic and Augustinian university, we do not measure the success of our students according to dollar amounts,” said the Reverend Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Villanova University President. “At the same time, we are extremely sensitive to the financial burden that a private college education places upon our students and their families. We are therefore pleased to see this affirmation of Villanova’s value in a monetary sense, and of our optimal utilization of resources to directly benefit our students.”

Villanova University, a co-educational Roman Catholic institution, was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842. The oldest and largest Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Villanova provides a comprehensive education rooted in the liberal arts; a shared commitment to the Augustinian ideals of truth, unity, and love; and a community dedicated to service to others. A wide variety of degree programs are offered through the university’s four undergraduate colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the College of Nursing.

College's 2010 Grant Development Report Available on the Web

2010-07-05T08:50:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Melanie Vile, Ph.D. Be sure to check out the College's 2010 Grant Development Report, which you'll find in both Word and PDF versions, here. In this report, you'll read about faculty grant activity in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences. For the period 2005-2009, the College generated $14,449,536 in grant awards. Of the 14.5 million dollars, $13.1 million was awarded to the Sciences, $944,000 to the Social Sciences, and $358,000 to the Humanities. Read the full report here.

June 2010 News From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2010-06-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of the College,

On behalf of everyone in the College, I’d like to extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Father Kail Ellis, who has served the College as Dean for 25 years. Father Ellis, who now serves the University as the Vice President for Academic Affairs, has left an indelible imprint on the College. I know I speak for every member of the College community when I wish him all the very best in his new endeavor. Under Father Ellis’s leadership, the College has seen significant growth and curricular enhancements. Father Ellis's legacy will continue well into the future, and his impact will not be forgotten.

As Dean of the College, I look forward to working with you -- our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends -- toward the fulfillment of our College's mission. As a community, we have the common goal of providing an atmosphere of academic excellence and responsible learning to a talented group of students who are poised for intellectual, moral, and professional leadership.

Our goals are lofty, but they are also fitting, given the extraordinary aptitude and aspirations that characterize the dedicated scholars, teachers, and strong support staff who make up our College.

Our College is the heart and soul of the University, and the Dean of the College is charged with exercising leadership and vision as Villanova moves ever forward in pursuing the fulfillment of its mission and strategic goals. To this end, I will be consulting with you regularly, and I will be counting on you to be an integral part of the dynamic and deliberative process of maintaining and strengthening the academic standards and ethical foundations of our College and University.

I wish you a productive and festive summer, and I very much look forward to working with you in the upcoming academic year.

Read the e-newsletter here.

Sincerely,
Jack Doody, Ph.D.
Dean of the College

Portuguese Language Instruction Begins in the Fall 2010 Semester

2010-05-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

College to Offer Portuguese Language Instruction in the Fall

2010-05-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Latin American Studies Program, in close collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages, will be offering Portuguese language in the fall 2010. Under the designation “POR,” four new Portuguese language courses will be offered sequentially in the next four semesters: Introduction to Portuguese I in fall 2010, Introduction to Portuguese II in spring 2011, Intermediate Portuguese I in fall 2011 and Intermediate Portuguese II in spring 2012. These four semesters of Portuguese will satisfy the College's requirement for foreign languages. Portuguese, in particular its Brazilian variant, is considered a “priority” language by both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. State Department. Since Brazil is a rising regional power in the western hemisphere, students can benefit from learning about its language and culture. This initiative is funded by a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education to Latin American Studies. For more information, please click here.

Robert G. Webster, Ph.D., FRS, Named 2010 Mendel Medalist

2010-05-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Robert G. Webster has been named the 2010 Mendel Medal recipient.

Dr. Webster is Professor in the Division of Virology; Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and holds the Rose Marie Thomas Chair. A native of New Zealand, Dr. Webster received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology from Otago University in New Zealand. In 1962, he earned his Ph.D. from the Australian National University and spent the next two years as a Fulbright Scholar working on influenza in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Dr. Webster’s interests include the emergence and control of influenza viruses, viral immunology, the structure and function of influenza virus proteins and the development of new vaccines and antivirals. The major focus of his research is the importance of influenza viruses in wild aquatic birds as a major reservoir of influenza viruses and their role in the evolution of new pandemic strains for humans and lower animals.

His curriculum vitae contains over 500 original articles and reviews on influenza viruses. He has trained many scientists who now contribute to our understanding of the evolution and pathogenesis of influenza. He continues to work in the Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), which he initiated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The Mendel Medal was established in honor of Gregor Johann Mendel, Abbot of the Augustinian Monastery, Brünn, Austria, (now Brno, the Czech Republic), who discovered the celebrated laws of heredity, which now bear his name. The Mendel Medal is awarded to outstanding scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause of science, and, by their lives and their standing before the world as scientists, have demonstrated that between true science and true religion there is no intrinsic conflict.

Click here to learn more.

May 2010 News From the College

2010-05-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the May 2010 issue of Inside A&S! Learn more here!

See the Student Documentary Film: "Coming Off the DL"

2010-04-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Learn more here.

Tau Upsilon Alpha National Honor Society for Human Services Inducts 18 New Members

2010-04-21T01:22:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, April 11, the Omicron Chapter of the Tau Upsilon Alpha National Honor Society for Human Services inducted 18 new members in an evening ceremony in St. Mary’s Chapel. The students applied for consideration in December and applications were then reviewed and approved by the National Office and confirmed in late March. Majors and minors included in this year’s ceremony were from Human Services as well as students from the departments of Psychology and Sociology, and represented the classes of 2010 to 2012. These 18 students join the 42 others who have been inducted from Villanova since the Chapter Inception in 2004. Photo: Tau Upsilon Alpha National Honor Society for Human Services new inductees are pictured with faculty advisor Joan Capolupo and 2010 Honor Society Chair Meghan Bacic.

Organization of Human Services Hosts Alumni Career Panel and Brunch

2010-04-21T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Organization of Human Services held their 4^th annual Alumni Career Panel and Brunch on Sunday, March 28. Fifteen Human Services alumni returned to campus to share their experiences related to their respective jobs, graduate schools, and real world experiences since graduation. They presented and answered questions in both a group session, and then had time for individual interactions with attendees. Over 20 current and prospective Human Services majors learned the vast potential of their degrees and the journey that life can take after college graduation. The first issue of the Organization of Human Services Alumni newsletter, Helping Hands Abroad, was distributed to everyone in attendance. The goal of the newsletter is to provide updates on club activities on campus as well as job and internship opportunities and information from alumni who could not attend the panel. A wonderful brunch was enjoyed afterwards. The event provided networking and reconnections for alumni and postive career prospects for current students. The Organization of Human Services is looking forward to continuing this successful program for years to come. Photo: Human Services Alumni and Organization of Human Services Faculty Advisor, Joan Capolupo, and Officers, Christopher Giunta, Latishia James, Julia Hernandez, Katherine Duca, Damian Long, and Meghan Bacic pose for photo after the 4th Annual Alumni Career Panel and Brunch.

Villanova's Documentary Class Screens "Meh Sha"

2010-04-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

Villanova University's Documentary Class will screen the film Meh Sha, which tells the incredible story of a 17-year-old Burmese refugee now living in Philadelphia, on Thursday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m., in the Connelly Center Cinema.

Meh Sha Lin spent the majority of his life never venturing outside the walls of the Thai refugee camp in which he lived with his family. Three years ago, he was granted the opportunity to come to the United States with his mother and sister. Although he no longer fears violence from the government, Meh Sha's struggles are just beginning. As he adapts to life in a new country, he must balance the pressures of working to provide for his family with attending high school. Meh Sha and his family are also trying to reunite with his older brother, Har Lin, who was left behind in the Thai camp. “Meh Sha” is a film about a boy who has experienced far too much for his young age. It is a film about a survivor who never gives up hope.

Earth Day 2010: Schedule of Events

2010-04-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

April 2010 News From the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2010-04-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read the latest issue of Inside A&S from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University.

40th Anniversary of Earth Day Celebration

2010-04-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

Villanova's 40th Anniversary Celebration of Earth Day -- April 21-23, 2010.
Please join Villanova’s Earth Day Committee in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The events listed here are free and open to students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the general public.

U.S.-Japanese Relations in the Obama Era

2010-03-22T02:30:00.001-07:00

Market State: Phillip Blond on the Future of a Free Society

2010-03-04T03:23:00.000-08:00

After the Market State: Phillip Blond on the Future of a Free Society to be held in Driscoll Hall Auditorium on Monday, March 22 at 7:30 PM. This event is sponsored by The Matthew J. Ryan Center and the Department of Humanities and co-sponsored by The Office of Mission Effectiveness, the Political Science Department, the Honors Program and the Villanova Center for Liberal Education. All are invited and encouraged to attend this event.

March 2010 E-newsletter

2010-03-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the March 2010 issue of Inside A&S, the monthly e-newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. Read it here!

Executive Director of WE ACT to Deliver Earth Day Keynote Address

2010-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, April 21, Peggy Shepard, executive director and co-founder of West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT), will speak on the topic of “Advancing Environmental Justice, Health, and Sustainability.” The event takes place in Connelly Center Cinema at 7 p.m.

WE ACT is one of the nation’s most prominent environmental justice organizations. A recipient of the 10th Annual Heinz Award For the Environment and the 2008 Jane Jacobs Medal for Lifetime Achievement, she is a former Democratic District Leader, who represented West Harlem from 1985 to April 1993, and served as President of the National Women’s Political Caucus-Manhattan from 1993-1997.

Learn more here.

Pennsylvania Classical Association Annual Institute at Villanova

2010-02-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania Classical Association

ANNUAL INSTITUTE
FEBRUARY 26-27, 2010
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
"PERFORMING THE PAST"

RESCHEDULE UPDATE: The 2010 PCA Institute has been rescheduled for Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27. Please note that the schedule has a few changes (mainly the location, Bartley Hall, and the Friday afternoon sessions), as seen below. Hopefully, many of you got a chance to see the Medea production.

The weekend of Feb. 26-28 offers another classically-themed theatrical production: An Oresteia will be performed at Swarthmore College (see info below). The performances are free and we will have our Friday dinner earlier so that those who wish to see the play can get there on time (approximately a 20 minute drive from Villanova). Louis Jargow, the director of An Oresteia will be speaking at the Institute Friday afternoon. Please check back at this Web site for updates on the schedule and information.

For those who have yet to send in a registration form, please use the PDF file below.

If you have already sent in a registration and can no longer attend or wish to change your meal preferences, please email Dr. Valentina DeNardis at valentina.denardis@villanova.edu.

2010 PCA revised registration.pdf

Center for Peace and Justice Education's Spring 2010 Film Series

2010-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Join the Center for Peace and Justice Education for the Spring 2010 Film Series! March 11: Money-driven Medicine (2009); March 18: The Wobblies (1979); April 15: Food, Inc. (2008).

"Race and Space Through Pictures: Freedom in the Nineteenth Century"

2010-02-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

	College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University

	Monday, February 15, 2010
	4:30 p.m.
	Falvey First Floor Lounge

Africana Studies invites you to a talk with alumna Jasmine Cobb, Ph.D.,
Jasmine Nichole Cobb is Visiting Dean’s Scholar in the
Honors Program at Villanova University. She recently completed
a PhD in Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication,
University of Pennsylvania. Broadly, her research focuses on
both historical and contemporary representations of race, class,
gender and sexuality in visual culture of the Atlantic world.

In her published works, she explores the mediation of sexuality
in popular music, the complicatedly “factual” impulses of
Spike Lee’s fictional films, and the contradictory reception of “evil”
in film and television.

"When Music was First Written Down: On the Origins of Gregorian Chant in the Early Middle Ages"

2010-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Daniel DiCenso, College of the Holy Cross, Monday, March 15, 4:30, SAC 300.

For generations musicologists have striven to pin down the origins of Gregorian Chant: Where did the chant originate geographically? When did the Gregorian melodies take their definitive form? What role did the invention of musical notation play in stabilizing the melodies and in communicating the chant from one place to another?

Drawing on his first hand examination of every known source of chant for the Mass before the year 1000, Dr. DiCenso will offer a fresh look at the moment when music was first written down--demonstrating how books without musical notation may have been as important as musical notation itself in tethering sound to the written page during the early Middle Ages. The talk will draw from the earliest sources of chant for the Mass and will feature several never-before-seen images of 8th and 9th century manuscripts from Dr. DiCenso's recent archival work in Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland.

Daniel DiCenso is a Gates Scholar finishing his Ph.D. in musicology at the University of Cambridge under the direction of Prof. Susan Rankin. His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Charlemagne’s Song: Gregorian Chant in the 8th and 9th Centuries.”

Prior to his doctoral studies at Cambridge, Daniel earned a BA in Music with a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from the College of the Holy Cross (1998), a MA in Musicology from the University of Pennsylvania (2001), a MS in Secondary Education from University of Pennsylvania (2001), a MA in Classical Studies from Villanova University (2005), and a Ph.D. in Education also from the University of Pennsylvania (2005).

Currently, Daniel is a Visiting Instructor at the College of the Holy Cross, where he teaches a number of courses in the music department including the History of Western Music, African American Music: From Blues to Rap and Popular Music. As one of two students from Villanova to have won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Daniel also enjoys working with the Villanova Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships to encourage more Villanova students to apply for the Gates Cambridge and other graduate awards.

A Perfect Red: Color and Power in Islamic Art

2010-02-08T11:53:00.005-08:00

The Art History Lecture Series, sponsored by the Art History Program and the Department of History, presents, "A Perfect Red: Color and Power in Islamic Art," a talk by Dr. Marianna Shreve Simpson, president-elect of the Historians of Islamic Art Association. The talk will take place on Thursday, April 15, at 4 p.m. in the DeLeon Room, 300 SAC. Learn more about Dr. Simpson here.

Spring 2010 Cultural Film & Lecture Series

2010-02-08T11:53:00.001-08:00

Please click here to see the Spring 2010 Cultural Film and Lecture Series line-up. The theme this semester is: "I Know a Place."

Ethics Program Hosts Upcoming Spring 2010 Events

2010-02-08T11:52:00.003-08:00

Please bring your lunch and join us for some stimulating conversation during this semester-long series. All members of the Villanova community are welcome to participate. Learn more here.

March 23 -- 11:30-1:00 Darlene Weaver

April 9, 2010 -- 12:30-1:20 SA 300 Ron Hill

Why Sex Matters: Biological, Cognitive, and Social Processes in Gender Development

2010-02-08T11:52:00.001-08:00

Dr. Lynn Liben, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, and Education, at The Pennsylvania State University, will present a psychology colloquium on Monday, March 22, 2010, 4:00 p.m., Driscoll Hall Auditorium, Room 132.

The title of the colloquium is "Why Sex Matters: Biological, Cognitive, and Social Processes in Gender Development." For more information about Dr. Liben and her research on gender development, visit her Web site.

BIRUTÉ CIPLIJAUSKAITÉ -- "The Historical Novel: Chronicle or Living Experience?"

2010-02-08T11:51:00.002-08:00

The Department of Modern Languages is proud to announce the lecture, "The Historical Novel: Chronicle or Living Experience?," on April 14, 2010, at 3 p.m. in SAC 300. The lecture is being delivered by Biruté Ciplijauskaité, Professor Emerita from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Biruté Ciplijauskaité, John Bascom Professor of Hispanic Literature, is regarded today as one of the greatest living Hispanists. The author of 10 monographs, six critical editions, seven books on translation, and hundreds of articles dealing with Spanish and European literature of the XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, and XXI centuries, professor Ciplijauskaité has studied in depth the poetry of Góngora, the historical novel in Europe at the turn of the XX Century, contemporary poetry, and women authors of the XX Century in Europe. The talk is being co-sponsored by the Department of English and Global Studies. For detailed information, please click here.

College's Director of Advising Receives Outstanding Advising Award

2010-02-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

The NACADA Region 2 Awards Committee has selected Nancy Allen, Ph.D., director of the Office of Academic Advising, as the 2010 NACADA Region 2 Outstanding Advising Award Winner in the Academic Advising Administrator category. This award is given in recognition of Dr. Allen's demonstrated abilities as a talented advising administrator in the region. In the judgment of the selection committee, Dr. Allen has demonstrated the qualities associated with outstanding leadership in academic advising.

Presentation of this award will be made during a ceremony at the Annual Region 2 Conference at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

Biology Department Sponsors Spring 2010 Seminar Series

2010-02-08T11:50:00.001-08:00

All seminars are on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in Mendel Science Center 102, unless otherwise noted, and are all are open to the public. We serve coffee, tea, and cookies in the seminar room just prior to the seminar, and we hold a wine and cheese reception after most seminars in Mendel 175. Learn more here.

Modern Languages and Literature Presents the Spring 2010 Foreign Film Series

2010-02-08T11:49:00.003-08:00

The Department of Modern and Literature proudly sponsors the Spring 2010 Foreign Film Series. All films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles and are shown on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in SAC 300. Learn more here.

Make Plans to Attend the Spring 2010 Literary Forum

2010-02-08T11:49:00.001-08:00

The Spring 2010 Literary Forum is sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages and Literature, the Institute of Global Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Department of English.

MPA Program Welcomes Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia

2010-02-08T11:48:00.001-08:00

The Villanova University M.P.A. Program is proud to welcome Camille Cates Barnett, Ph.D., the managing director of the City of Philadelphia, to deliver a lecture entitled, "Leadership and Urban Management in Philadelphia," on Monday, March 15, from 6 to 7 p.m., in The President's Lounge of Connelly A wine and cheese reception will be held at 5 p.m. Please RSVP to Chris Campbell by March 10.

Summer Business Institute at Villanova

2010-02-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Learn more here: www.business.villanova.edu/sbi

Pennsylvania Classical Association: Annual Institute at Villanova University

2010-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

CANCELED DUE TO HEAVY SNOW. The 2010 Pennsylvania Classical Association Institute, "Performing the Past," will be held on Villanova's campus Friday, February 5, and Saturday, February 6. Villanova Classical Studies Professor Valentina DeNardis, Ph.D., is PCA president. Learn more about the conference here.

Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies: Coffee Hour Discussion

2010-01-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

Villanova Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebrations

2010-01-13T03:07:00.000-08:00

Learn more here!

Newsletter: January 2010

2010-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend of the College,

Happy new year to you, and welcome to the January 2010 issue of Inside A&S, the monthly e-newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University.

As we approach the beginning of the spring 2010 semester, our students' academic calendars soon will be filled with new classes and a host of special on-campus events featuring engaging guest speakers exploring important and relevant topics in our world today.

For example, the 2010 Villanova Literary Festival, sponsored by the Department of English and other campus offices, will feature many of our nation's finest authors and poets. Learn more about the Literary Festival here. This series of events is one of the highlights of the spring semester.

And while you are on the Web, be sure to check out the College's Web site for more useful information about the College, including more upcoming event announcements.

Thank you for continuing to read Inside A&S. We appreciate your ongoing interest in the life of the College, and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

Sincerely,

Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D.
Dean of the College

The 2010 Literary Festival Line-up

2010-01-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

January 26: Fiction writer and 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout

February 11: Fiction writer Arthur Phillips

February 18: Fiction writer Anthony Swofford

April 13: Poet Ange Mlinko

April 20: Poets Peter Fallon and Seamus Heaney

All readings begin at 7pm and are open to the public.

For more information, please contact the Department of English 610-519-4360 or visit http://www.english.villanova.edu/.

Detailed information:

Elizabeth Strout will be reading from her Pulitzer-Prize winning collection of short fiction, Olive Kitteridge. The event will be held in the Radnor St. David’s Room of the Connelly Center at Villanova University. A reception and book signing will follow the reading.

Arthur Phillips will be reading from his novel The Song Is You. The event will be held in the DeLeon Room 300 of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. A reception and book signing will follow the reading.

Anthony Swofford will be reading from his novel Jarhead. The event will be held in the President’s Lounge of the Connelly Center at Villanova University. A reception and book signing will follow the reading.

Ange Mlinko will be reading from her book of poetry Shoulder Season. The event will be held in the First Floor Lounge of Falvey Library at Villanova University. A reception and book signing will follow the reading.

Peter Fallon and Seamus Heaney will read respectively from their books of poetry News of the World and Opened Ground. This event is co-sponsored by the Irish Studies Program and will require advanced purchase of tickets.

Villanova Hosts 2010 Literary Festival During Spring Semester

2010-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

The English Department in conjunction with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the first reading of the 12th Annual Literary Festival featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout. Ms. Strout will give a reading on January 26, 2010, in the Radnor St. David’s Room of the Connelly Center at 7 p.m. A book signing and reception will follow. The reading is free and open to the public.

Please join us for the first reading of Villanova’s Literary Festival featuring Elizabeth Strout (pictured right/photo courtesy of Jerry Bauer). Ms. Strout will read from her Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short fiction, Olive Kitteridge. Elizabeth Strout is the author of Abide with Me, a national bestseller and Book Sense pick, and Amy and Isabelle, which won the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize.

She has also been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in England. Her short stories have been published in a number of magazines, including The New Yorker and O: The Oprah Magazine. In 2009 she was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Olive Kitteridge (2008), a collection of connected short stories about a woman and her immediate family and friends on the coast of Maine.

For more information, please contact the Department of English at 610-519-4360.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service

2009-12-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Learn more about Villanova's observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service here. Monday, January 18, 2010, Make it a Day On... Not a Day Off! Make this holiday a day ON, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the "Beloved Community" that Dr. King envisioned. This year's theme: "Prepare to Learn, Leave to Serve."

St. Teresa of Avila Presented by Sr. Roseanne McDougall

2009-12-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

St. Teresa of Avila presented by Sr. Roseanne McDougall from La Salle University. Learn more here.

2010 Villanova Literary Festival

2009-12-17T05:03:00.001-08:00

2009 Mendel Medal Lecture on YouTube

2009-12-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Nov. 20, Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Brown University, delivered the 2009 Mendel Medal Lecture -- "Darwinian Grandeur: A Biologist’s Journey Through Evolution’s 'Tangled Bank'" -- in the Connelly Center. See and hear the lecture on YouTube here.

Kenneth Miller, Ph.D., to Receive 2009 Mendel Medal

2009-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Nov. 20, Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Brown University, will deliver the 2009 Mendel Medal Lecture -- "Darwinian Grandeur: A Biologist’s Journey Through Evolution’s 'Tangled Bank'" -- in the Connelly Center Cinema (refreshments will be served at 2 p.m.; the lecture begins at 2:30 p.m.). This is an event not to be missed. On Saturday, he will be awarded the Mendel Medal.

Dr. Miller is a pre-eminent evolutionary scientist. In addition, Miller is the author of the acclaimed book, Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, a lively and cutting-edge analysis of the key issues that seem to divide science and religion. He contends that, properly understood, evolution adds depth and meaning not only to a scientific view of the world, but also to a spiritual one.

The Mendel Medal is awarded to outstanding scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause of science, and, by their lives and their standing before the world as scientists, have demonstrated that between true science and true religion there is no intrinsic conflict.

Dr. Miller was the lead witness in the Pennsylvania “intelligent design” case, which was the first direct challenge brought in U.S. federal courts against a public school district that required the presentation of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution to explain the origin of life.

Learn more about Dr. Miller and his work here.

Learn more about this special event here.

Vatican unveils Villanova's virtual tour of St. John Lateran

2009-11-10T10:22:00.001-08:00

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican Web site celebrated the feast of the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran by launching a virtual tour of the Rome church -- thanks to Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

The virtual tour -- giving cybernauts a high-resolution, 360-degree view of the basilica -- went online at www.vatican.va Nov. 9, the feast of the dedication of the basilica, which is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.

Bryan Crable, chairman of the communication department at the Catholic university in Villanova, Pa., said the virtual tour of St. John's -- and earlier tours of St. Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls -- was the brainchild of Paul Wilson, a professor in the department.

"Although he proposed this idea two years ago, it took some time for it to become approved and for us to assemble the equipment necessary to carry out the project," Crable said in an e-mail to Catholic News Service.

Read the entire article here.

Visit the Chemistry Department's Blog

2009-11-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Check out the blog of the Department of Chemistry at Villanova University here.

According to the blog:

Welcome to the weblog of the Department of Chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. The Department emphasizes a thorough and rigorous study of chemistry, hands-on experimentation using state-of-the-art chemical instrumentation, faculty-mentored student research, and personal attention and advising from our community of chemists and scientists.

With this foundation, graduates from the Department of Chemistry at Villanova University successfully move into Ph.D programs, medical school, other health and professional schools, and the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. You can expect news, announcements, job and internship opportunities, and more to be posted here as we move forward.

Be sure to check back often, or better yet, subscribe to our RSS feed!

GWS Documentary Film Series: Beyond Belief, Monday, Oct 26, 4pm, Villanova Room

2009-10-20T11:23:00.001-07:00

Villanova a Top Producer of Fulbright Students

2009-10-20T08:14:00.001-07:00

The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed as a top producer of Fulbright students for 2009-2010. Learn more here.

Fifth Annual Senghor-Damas-Cesaire Lecture in Africana Studies

2009-10-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

"'Once Upon a Coup': A Documentary and Discussion about Equatorial Guinea" with Dr. Maghan Keita, Professor of History, Villanova University, on Monday, November 9, at 4 p.m. in Connelly Center Cinema. Learn more here.

Jumping Spider Prefers Green Leaves to Meat

2009-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times. During field studies in Mexico two years ago, Christopher J. Meehan, then a student at Villanova University, spent time watching a jumping spider on an acacia plant. The plant was swarming with ants, as ants and acacias constitute a well-known example of mutualism — the insects provide protection for the plant and in return the acacia produces nutritious leaf tips for the ants to eat. Learn more here.

Studies in Augustinian Spirituality: The Relevance of Augustine for Young Adults Today

2009-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

A Lecture and Discussion: The Relevance of Augustine for Young Adults Today, Rev. Theodore Tack, O.S.A., Driscoll Hall Auditorium, November 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.

Rev. Theodore Tack, O.S.A., S.T.D., has been an Augustinian for over 60 years. During that time, he has served as head master of Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taught moral theology at the Augustinianum in Rome, and served as prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine.

Among his books and articles are If Augustine Were Alive: Augustine's Religious Ideal for Today and As One Struggling Christian to Another: Augustine's Christian Ideal. From this wealth of knowledge and experience, Fr. Ted will present a cogent argument for why the life of Augustine is still relevant to Villanova University and every member of the campus community. Learn more here.

IGIS Studies Coffee Hour ... Don't Miss It!

2009-10-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University invites all students to participate in a “Coffee Hour” to learn more about the mission and goals of this exciting new major and two of our four Critical Languages: ARABIC and CHINESE. Date: October 20, 2009; Time:4 pm-6 pm; Location: Honors’ Lounge-SAC 103. Learn more here.