Misericordia Today Summer 2012

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University’s Board of Trustees honors MacDowells for years of service … Page 2

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It’s late summer and President MichaelA. MacDowell is enjoying a new vantagepoint to look over the sprawling campus.The longtime leader of MisericordiaUniversity is not prone to reflect on thesuccess northeastern Pennsylvania’snewest University has enjoyed under hisleadership for almost 1½ decades, butthe breathtaking view from the secondfloor “lantern’’ area of the upper campus’newest academic building causes him topause and breath it all in.

President and Mrs. Tina MacDowellannounced in April they will retire June30, 2013 after serving 15 years andhelping Luzerne County’s oldest privateinstitution of higher education to becomeregionally acclaimed and nationallyrecognized for providing the challengingacademics and opportunities studentsneed to succeed.

Two months after their formalannouncement, the Board of Trusteesexpressed their gratitude for the couple’sunwavering commitment and tirelesswork by naming the new building in theirhonor. Michael and Tina MacDowell Hallis being made possible by a $1 millionpledge to the University by the Board,according to John Metz, chair of theMisericordia University Board of Trustees.

“The hallmark of his presidency hasbeen his passion for excellence,’’ said Mr.Metz. “When the MacDowells first arrivedhere nearly 15 years ago, they had tonavigate us through some challengingtimes. Misericordia’s secure future and itsstrong academic reputation today aretheir legacy. This building honors theirsteadfast commitment to Misericordia, itsmission, the Religious Sisters of Mercyand our academic community.’’

The 37,000-square foot, three-storystructure near the North Gate of campuswill bear the couple’s name after a formaldedication ceremony on ConvocationDay, Thursday, Aug. 23.

“I appreciate and applaud PresidentMacDowell’s efforts on behalf ofMisericordia and the Sisters of Mercy,”added Sister Catherine McGroarty ‘74,RSM, a member of the Board of Trusteesand a member of the Class of 1974. “As

Misericordia’s prestige has continued togrow, he has been able to balance ourresponsibilities as an institution ofacademia, while also remaining true toour tenets. He also has never lost sight ofour moral responsibilities to assist thosemost in need and to imbue in each of ourstudents a sense of service to others.’’

MacDowell Hall adds 118 beds forstudent housing and three academicclassrooms. The $6.2 million buildingprovides suite-style residence space withkitchens, living rooms, bathrooms andappliances. Each floor also containslaundry facilities and architecturallysignificant study lounges at the east end.The glass enclosures, otherwise known as “lanterns,’’ face McHale Hall andilluminate the sprawling green space of the upper campus at night.

President MacDowell became the 12thpresident of Misericordia in 1998 afterserving Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.He has led MU into the top tier of the BestRegional Universities North category ofU.S. News and World’s Report’s annualedition of Best Colleges, and successfullymanaged its evolution from a college to auniversity on Aug. 24, 2007 featuringmaster’s and clinical doctorate degreeprograms. Misericordia also has beenrecognized regularly by the PrincetonReview as one of the top universities in thenortheastern United States; byWashington Monthly magazine forcommunity service; and has been namedto the President’s Higher EducationCommunity Service Honor Roll withDistinction. MU’s own students routinelygive the institution high marks in theNational Survey of Student Engagement.

“Michael MacDowell is the hardestworking person in higher education. Hiscontributions to Misericordia have been

nothing short of extraordinary,’’ saidTrustee Sandy Insalaco, Sr., who served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from2001-06. “He provided unparalleledleadership, guidance and vision to theUniversity, and challenged the Board of Trustees to do the same.’’

“I don’t think anyone can deny theimmense progress Misericordia hasexperienced thanks to the leadershipMike and Tina have provided on so manylevels,’’ added Kelly McAndrew ’79, ’06,Alumni Board president. “They havegiven additional meaning to being‘Misericordia Proud!’ to our alumni of today and tomorrow.’’

President MacDowell has overseen a remarkable and continuous rise intraditional and non-traditional studentenrollment, student quality and thetransformation of the upper and lowercampuses. MU has established a true“town-and-gown’’ relationship with BackMountain communities as the Universityhas repurposed vacant buildings.

“It is unfortunate in many ways that the president of an institution receivesmany of the accolades for its progress,’’President MacDowell said. “Clearly thiscredit is hardly ours alone. The Trustees,the faculty, the staff, the alumni andfriends of the University have made the difference here. Misericordia is a very special place because people care deeply about it and because theyhave internalized its mission. These are institutional attributes that will serve Misericordia’s new presidentexceedingly well.’’

Michael and Tina MacDowell

President and FirstLady to retire in 2013Michael and Tina MacDowell Hall to be dedicated inAugust after Trustees pledge $1 million to University

S T O RY B Y PA U L K R Z Y W I C K I

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President MacDowell’s Journey Among Friends Tour coming to a city near you … Page 4

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‘12Volume XIV, Number 2

Summer

c a t e g o r i e s

Misericordia Today is published twice a year by Misericordia University.The magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, and friendsof the University. To request a subscription, call (570) 674-3341. Postmaster: send address changes to Alumni Office, MisericordiaUniversity, Dallas, PA 18612-1090. © Misericordia University 2012

Misericordia TodayJim Roberts, Director, Marketing Communications, [email protected] Krzywicki, Editor, [email protected]

Contributing Writers: Scott Crispell, Jim Roberts, Marianne Tucker Puhalla and Julia Truax ‘12

Class Notes: Lailani Augustine, [email protected]

Contributing Photographers: Scott Crispell, Paul Krzywicki, Earl & SedorPhotographic, Charlotte Bartizek, Jack Kelly and Virginia Conrad

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Physician Assistant programcontinues MU tradition.

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Experience the excitementof Homecoming 2012.

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Misericordia professor finetunes etiquette skills.

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Singer regains her voicethanks to on-campus clinic.

Share your story ideas by contacting Misericordia Today at [email protected]

ON THE COVER

Misericordia University students, from left,Hilary Hoover ‘15, Amanda Sutton ‘14 andJohn Meholic ‘14 listen to Dr. ScottBlanchard talk about the fresco painting by Fra Angelico in the monastery of SanMarco in Florence, Italy, during the summer study abroad program.

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4 M I S E R I C O R D I A T O D A Y

An inspiriting message

[email protected]

Our May 2012 commencement ceremonies were highlightedby the remarks from our commencement speaker, KerryRobinson. Kerry is the executive director of the NationalLeadership Round Table on Church Management. She receivedan honorary degree from Misericordia as did her husband, Dr.Michael Cappello, who is a professor of medicine and directorof the World Fellows Program at Yale University. Dr. Cappello’sinternational work in the study and prevention of communicablediseases among young children has earned him many awardsand wide recognition.

Kerry’s remarks to our Class of 2012 encouraged them tofollow the precepts of the Sisters of Mercy and to demonstratetheir dedication to the charisms of Mercy, Service, Justice, andHospitality. It was an inspiriting presentation for several reasons.The couple’s great aunt was Sister Mary Florita Maloney, whoserved as Misericordia’s president from 1975 to 1977. As ayoung boy, Michael visited Sister Florita in the Mercy Center.

Throughout their time on campus, Kerry and Michaelcommented on how the charisms were so much a part of thiswonderful University. These sentiments were echoed in Kerry’scommencement address. She stressed the cohesive nature ofthe charisms in creating a sense of mission at Misericordia whichis distinctive among the many campuses they have visited.

Throughout the pages of this issue of Misericordia Today youwill read stories about service among our students, faculty, staff,and alumni. You’ll also learn about many of the excitingactivities, including the study abroad programs and service tripsin and outside the U.S. Finally, you will read about the progressthat has been made here on campus both in terms of newfacilities and new programs.

As you read these stories and think about the progress andchanges taking place here, you might also pause to recall whatKerry and Michael said about Misericordia. While the physicalcampus has changed considerably, some key constants remain.The adherence to our central mission – the values so wellarticulated by our tenets – remain very much intact. They are theglue which holds this rapidly growing and evolving Universitytogether. This serves as the foundation for all that we undertake.

Our student body continues to grow and the campuscontinues to expand. We should remember that at its base,Misericordia is still very much the special institution where Mercy,Service, Justice and Hospitality remain an essential part of allthat we undertake and always will.

President, First Lady to embark on Journey Among Friends TourUse a QR-code

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Those acquainted with MisericordiaPresident Michael A. MacDowell know thateven though he has announced he will retirein June 2013, there is little chance of himtaking it slow. In fact, he and his wife, Tina,are embarking on an enthusiastic, year-longalumni tour, A Journey Among Friends,hoping for the chance to say “so long” inperson to as many of the Misericordia faithful

as they can at events across the country. Alumni will be able to get the latest on

the MacDowells’ travels with an interactiveonline map on CougarConnect, aptly namedTrackMac (http://bit.ly/trackmac), which willtrack their progress and offer event details.

Tour stops, which continue to be added

See Journey, next page

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L ong known as some ofMisericordia’s most stalwartsupporters, Board of TrusteesChairman John C. Metz, hiswife, Mary, and their family

have stepped up to the plate with theleadership gift in the Pursuit forAcclamation Campaign. MisericordiaAthletics’ 21,750-square-foot field housewill be named the John and Mary MetzField House, and will be formallydedicated on Sept. 29 at 10:30 a.m. as apart of Homecoming Weekend festivities.

Their exceptional support ofMisericordia is fueled by a strong affinitywith the Sisters of Mercy that beganwhen Mr. Metz moved to the WyomingValley in the late 1960s and took a job asdirector of food service at Mercy Hospitalin Wilkes-Barre. “I was a youngbusinessman and the Sisters were sosupportive. And they did a lot of prayingfor me,” Mr. Metz said. “They have beena great influence on my family and me,and I have long been committed to doingsomething for them in return. That is howI became affiliated with the University.

“I feel strongly that the new field houseis a part of a momentous time in

Misericordia history, providing support forthe new football team and all the sportsthat have consistently done so well. Maryand I, along with my sons, John and Jeff,and daughter, Maureen Metz Gallagher,see this as a great way for us to be a partof this historic happening,” he added.

“The John and Mary Metz Field Houseis the crowning jewel of our athleticprogram at MU,” stated Michael A.MacDowell, president. “The Universityhas distinguished itself in both men’s andwomen’s sports by placing first in theFreedom or the MAC conferencenumerous times. The varsity field housewill serve students in many of our 23varsity sports and, of course, will behelpful to Misericordia’s new footballteam. We are delighted that John andMary have helped make this wonderfulfacility possible for MU students.”

The $4.1 million state-of-the-art facilityincludes athletic training rooms,expanded locker facilities for men’s andwomen’s field sports, team meetingrooms, a weight room, shower rooms and

public restrooms. A $3-million state granthelped fund the new construction, whichis located between Mangelsdorf Fieldand the newly constructed baseballdiamond, which will be named in honorof the Robert Tambur family.

“This has been an outstanding year offund raising for Misericordia thanks tounprecedented support of members ofour Board of Trustees, led by John Metz,and a number of key donors,” noted SueHelwig, vice president of UniversityAdvancement. “As of July 1, we stand at98 percent of our $7.5 million Pursuit ofAcclamation Campaign goal, and havehigh hopes of reaching 100 percent byour first home football game.”

The Campaign funds support morethan $14 million worth of projects acrossthe campus including the field house, thebaseball field, the expanded fitnesscenter, the new Michael and TinaMacDowell Hall, and the newlyresurfaced Mary Ellen “Mac” McGeehanall-purpose turf field adjacent to MercyHall, near the townhomes.

Field house tocarry the nameof John andMary Metz

B Y M A R I A N N E T U C K E R P U H A L L A

Journey, from previous page

regularly to the schedule, include alumni gatherings associatedwith Misericordia’s inaugural football season, such as the firstgame at Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa. (Sept. 1); MU’s firsthome game - Widener University at MU (Sept. 15); HomecomingWeekend - Stevenson College at MU (Sept. 29); MU at WilkesUniversity, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Oct. 6); MU at Delaware ValleyCollege, Doylestown, Pa. (Oct. 20); Fairleigh DickinsonUniversity-Florham at MU (Oct. 27); MU at Albright College,Reading, Pa. (Nov. 3); and Lycoming College at MU (Nov. 10).

Additional tour stops include a Philadelphia event on Oct. 20and a Delaware regional event in the Wilmington area on Oct. 21. The MacDowells will head north to the Boston area for areception on Dec. 5, followed by an alumni event in Connecticuton Dec. 6. The East Coast swing will continue in Baltimore, Md.

on Jan. 31, taking them to Washington, D.C. on Feb. 2, and to Naples in early March. Stops in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga.,Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Va, California and Colorado are beingplanned, based on alumni interest. The final leg of the tour willinclude events in April in New York City, and northern andsouthern New Jersey. The latest details and links to the TrackMacapplication are available on CougarConnect and via the MUAlumni home page at www.misericordia.edu/alumni.

Roast of President MacDowell to benefit MUMisericordia University and the Board of Trustees are hosting

a special dinner and roast of President Michael A. MacDowell,who will retire at the end of the 2012-13 academic year, on June 1, 2013 at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in PlainsTownship, Pa.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets,please call (570) 674-6768.

Rendering by Williams Kinsman Lewis Architecture, P.C.

New athletics facility to be dedicated Sept. 29

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merica’s most famous literary icon,Mark Twain, once said, “Wrinklesshould merely indicate wheresmiles have been.’’ For Jennifer

Kates ‘12, of Dallas Borough, Pa., her radiantsmile is a sign of where she’s going and whereshe’s been in her short life.

A single mother since the age of 16, Kates’contagious smile and enthusiasm to serveinspire fellow Misericordia University studentswho know her complete story. That sincereexpression serves as a window into her past,one dominated by tragedy, heartbreak andhomelessness. It also has provided her withdirection in the form of an academic majorand the passion to deliver “hope’’ to as manypeople as possible.

The senior biology major and active Scholarin Service to Pennsylvania participated in hersecond service trip abroad to help the mostunderserved in society. “Jen has been a veryactive and eager participant in CampusMinistry, especially on social justice issues.Her ministry is service to those most in need,and it is very near and dear to her heart,’’explains Christine Somers, D.Min., director ofCamus Ministry at MU.

Kates, 22, was one of 11 Misericordiastudents and two chaperones whovolunteered from Jan. 2-8 to help theresidents of Manchester, Jamaica. It’s anannual mission MU students undertakethrough Campus Ministry. For Kates, though,it is a lifestyle and struggle she can identifywith personally. “I like to connect with thepeople I serve with because it reminds mewhere I’ve been, how far I’ve come and then itgives me hope other people can do it. I hopeto instill that sense of hope into others,’’ saysKates, who as a high school senior and newmother was homeless for six months. “I like tomake people smile literally and that’s what gotme through life.

“I always try to smile no matter what,’’ addsthe mother of Lissenda Sutton, 5½, akindergarten student.

Kates was nine months pregnant withLissenda when her life began to spiral out ofcontrol due to no fault of her own. Her older

Students learn the ‘valueof a person cannot beoverstated’ during service trips

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Jennifer Kates ‘12holds a young Jamaicanchild during theUniversity’s annualservice trip to theisland nation.

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sister, Amanda Leigh Kates, wasmurdered outside of their Wilkes-Barre,Pa., home and the tragedy caused hermother to find solace in alcohol. Shortlythereafter, her father evicted them fromhis home. “It was sad,’’ adds Kates, whoplans to earn a certificate as a dentalhygienist before seeking her master’sdegree. “All I had with me was a hamperfull of clothing and diapers, and hopedsomebody would let me stay at theirhouse every night.’’

For six months, Kates and her newbornfound comfort and shelter through thegenerosity of others. She later found hopeand inspiration from an acceptance letterto Misericordia University’s novel RuthMatthews Bourger Women with ChildrenProgram. “When I was homeless, the factthat I knew I was accepted into theprogram gave me the motivation I neededto get through the last few months of highschool,’’ she recalls.

Since then, Kates has been a regular

contributor to campus service projectslargely because it is important to helpthose marginalized in society, shebelieves, and it’s a tangible way toexpress her gratitude to those who have made the Women with Childrenprogram possible.

“Growing up in Wilkes-Barre, I am veryfamiliar with the lifestyle of the girls (thatare mentored in College Kids for Girls),particularly the ones I work with,’’ saysKates, who also aided homeless menduring a spring break service trip toWashington, D.C., last year. “I know whenI was their age I wanted someone so badto listen to me and be a friend.’’

Every January, a group of Misericordiavolunteers travels to St. Joseph’s CatholicChurch in Jamaica for a series ofassignments. Their service comes in manyforms as physical and occupationaltherapy majors provide therapeuticservices, while teacher education majorstutor young children. Other studentsprovide their brawn for routinemaintenance projects or offer a simpleshoulder to lean on.

“My dad (Rev. David Brague of theSecond Presbyterian Church in Pittston,Pa.) is a minister so we’ve always beenabout Church and giving back,’’ saysLauren Brague ’12, who began a year ofmission work overseas in August for thePresbyterian Church of the United Statesafter graduating in May. “There was anopportunity for spring break service lastyear in Philadelphia that set everything inmotion. I did that and I felt good about it.It completed me and I knew I needed todo more of this kind of service. It makesme feel like I’m learning something new. Ifeel good. It’s hard to explain — meetingnew people and learning from them.’’

Mustard Seed Communities wasestablished in 1978 outside of Kingstonto serve as a home for abandoned anddisabled children, according to the

organization. Residents receive life’s basicnecessities, but more is needed, such asspecialized clinical services. Oftentimes,those services are provided by volunteersfrom around the world — likeMisericordia University.

Lalit Shah, Ed.D., O.T.R./L., professor ofoccupational therapy at Misericordia,partnered with Sean Vitale ’15, who isworking for his undergraduate degree inpsychology and his doctorate in physicaltherapy, at Mustard Seed. During theirvisit, Dr. Shah encouraged Vitale to applyhis special training for the benefit of ayoung child.

“Dr. Shah handed to me a young girlwith a severe spinal deformity, looked atme and said, ‘You can do this,’ ’’ Vitalesays, acknowledging the profound impactit had on him. “He put her on my lap andhad me rotate her shoulders to align herspine and she looked up at me with ahuge smile and she giggled — and Iknew that I was providing relief. I gaveher something she needed and morethan that, deserved.

“It was pretty much a career blessingbecause I found a lot of joy in workingwith this severely physically handicappedcommunity,’’ adds Vitale. “It made meconfident that physical therapy is theright direction for me.’’

Service trips also reinforce the value ofvolunteering for the betterment of others.“In Texas we built a house,’’ Vitale says,comparing the Jamaica experience to hisspring break service trip to Texas withHabitat for Humanity. “Someone livesthere now. In Jamaica, we builtrelationships. The construction of afriendship and the trust and reliance onothers that the Jamaicans exhibitedtrump any simple relationship I’ve seen todate. Overall, caring for individuals iswhat I learned from the experience.

“The value of a person cannot beoverstated,’’ Vitale concludes.

Quick Info:

The following members of theMisericordia University campuscommunity participated in theservice trip to Jamaica:

Students: Sean Vitale, West Pittston,Pa.; Mark Werger, Oakland, N.J.; JoeLayman, Binghamton, N.Y.; TomMessner, Teaneck, N.J.; KaitlynSynoracki, Lancaster, Pa.; Caitlin Day,Oak Hill, Va.; Sarah Munley, Sussex,N.J.; Katie O’Hearn, Scranton, Pa.;Jennifer Kates, Dallas, Pa.; VictoriaFlorman, Prospect, Conn.; andLauren Brague, West Wyoming, Pa.Chaperones: Kit Foley, dean ofstudents; and Lalit Shah, professor,occupational therapy.

n to smileCaitlin Day‘11, ‘14,center, takesa momentfrom playtimeto pose withtwo Jamaicanchildren shebefriendedduring theservice trip inJanuary.

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John Metz, Chair of the MisericordiaUniversity Board of Trustees, contributedsignificantly to the success ofMisericordia during the 24 years he’sspent as a Trustee. In fact, the evolutionof Misericordia during Mr. Metz’s time onthe board very much parallels theevolution of his own business.

Mr. Metz may be best known today forhis company, Metz Culinary Management,which manages food services for schooldistricts, colleges and universities,corporate clients, and major health careentities. In addition, his company,Northeast Restaurant Group, Inc.,operates many award-winning franchiselocations for national brands such asRuth’s Chris Steak House, Wolfgang PuckExpress, and T.G.I. Friday’s.

Mr. Metz entered the food serviceindustry by founding CustomManagement Corp. in 1967. InitiallyCustom Management was known as asmall, regional provider of food services,which developed a reputation for qualityand consistency. Over time, CustomManagement emerged from its“regional provider” designation to takea place as an industry leader.

In 1987, Custom Management wasacquired by Morrison's HospitalityGroup and Mr. Metz was namedchairman of Morrison's CustomManagement. During his tenure, heoversaw a growth of more than 900accounts. In 1994, he formed Metz &Associate, Ltd., which was laterre-branded as Metz CulinaryManagement, and has become one ofthe fastest-growing regional food serviceproviders in the nation.

In the 1980s, many would say thatMisericordia was a small regional providerof quality higher education. AtMisericordia, Mr. Metz witnessed and

helped guide incredible growth since hefirst joined the board in 1988. Today, MUis widely known and enrollment is atrecord levels. Thanks to Mr. Metz’sfinancial support, students dine in theJohn and Mary Metz Dining Hall in theBanks Student Life Center and named afield house in his and his family’s honor.

“I am very pleased to havecontributed to the growth and success ofMisericordia over the last 20 years,” saysMr. Metz. “My companies have alwaysbeen family driven, friendly andcommitted to hospitality. I know that iswhat Misericordia believes in and haspracticed for over 88 years under theguidance of the Sisters of Mercy.”

Mr. Metz garnered a variety of awardsin the food service industry such as theInternational Foodservice ManufacturerAssociation's Silver Plate Award andRestaurant Business magazine'sLeadership award. In 1997, Johnson &Wales University honored him with aDoctor of Business & Administrationdegree in Food Service Management,Honaris Canusa. Mr. Metz was awardedthe prestigious MUFSO Operator of theYear Award in 2002 and, later that year,he received the Nation’s RestaurantNews’s Golden Chain Award. He is atrustee board member and past chairwith the National RestaurantAssociation's Educational Foundation,the same organization where he alsoserved as a board director. In addition,Mr. Metz has remained an activemember of the Culinary Institute ofAmerica. He also joined the Board ofOverseers of Harvard University. Mostrecently, he was named the Walter J.Conti Professor of HospitalityManagement by Penn State University.

— By Jim Roberts

MetzJohn

“I am very pleased tohave contributed tothe growth andsuccess ofMisericordia.”

– John Metz

Chair, Board of Trustees


Board of Trustees

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SLP student receives VonDrach Memorial Scholarship

Maria Kidron ’13, a speech-languagepathology (SLP) graduate student, wasawarded the 2012 Von Drach MemorialScholarship by the PennsylvaniaSpeech-Language-Hearing Associationat the 53rd annual convention inLancaster, Pa.

The 2012 award marks the fifth straightyear a Misericordia SLP student hasreceived the prestigious $1,000scholarship, which is awarded annually to an outstanding student from one ofPennsylvania’s 14 SLP schools in honor of Dr. Robert Von Drach.

Cougars for Change raiseawareness for environment

Cougars for Change, the University’senvironmentally-focused student group,asked everyone in the regionalcommunity to turn off their lights for onehour beginning at 8:30p.m. Saturday, March31 as part of aworld-wide initiative to draw attention toresponsible energyuse and global warming. Earth Hour 2012was expected to have more than 1 billionparticipants worldwide turn off allnon-essential lights for the hour — at atime chosen to coincide with the SpringEquinox — and when the most places onthe globe are suitably dark.

Homeland security subject of symposium

The Government, Law and NationalSecurity (GLNS) Program hosted thesymposium, “Homeland Security: WhereWe Are, Ten Years Later,” featuringexperts in national security, law anddiplomacy.

Hosted by Brian F. Carso, J.D., Ph.D.,assistant professor of history and directorof the program, the symposium featuredDuncan Campbell, the former chief of staffto Secretary Tom Ridge at the Departmentof Homeland Security and currently the

managing director of operations at RidgeGlobal, as the keynote speaker, andpanelists Andrew Bringuel, II, an agentsupervisor instructor at the FBI Academyin Quantico, Va.; Brig. Gen. Keith Martin(Ret.), Pennsylvania’s first director ofHomeland Security; state Sen. Lisa Baker;Lt. Douglas J. Burig, commander of theAnalytical Intelligence Section in thePennsylvania State Police’s CriminalIntelligence Center; Michael A. Falcone,deputy chief counsel of the ArlingtonOffice of the Chief Counsel for U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcementwithin the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity; Ann Hansen, Office of theSecretary General at the U.N., andEdmond Hansen, supply officer in theDepartment of Field Support at the U.N.Headquarters in New York City, N.Y

Student journalists captureKeystone Press Awards

Student journalists of The Highlanderwere awarded two Keystone PressAwards by the Pennsylvania NewspaperAssociation. Writers April Dulsky ‘12, JoshHorton ‘14 and Julia Truax ‘12 received asecond place award for On-Going NewsCoverage for a series of reports onevacuation and student recovery effortsby the Misericordia University campuscommunity following the historic floodingin September 2011.

Amber Gulla ‘12 received honorablemention in the category of PublicService/Enterprise Package for her article,Where the Green Grass Shouldn’t Grow,which was published Oct. 20, 2011. It

inspired a student campaign that led toimprovements to the building that housesa large the campus lounge.

The Highlander can be accessed onlineat www.highlandernews.net.

Students experience dangersof texting while driving

The National Save a Life Toursponsored by Student Activities provideda six-hour anti-texting/distracted drivingprogram with multi-media that offeredshocking video presentations coupledwith two multi-million dollar texting anddriving simulation experiences.

It also served as a reminder forPennsylvania’s March 8 law that bans theuse of any kind of hand-held textingdevice by people operating a vehicle.

RESNA recognizes ATRI’s student researchers

The Rehabilitation Engineering andAssistive Technology Society of NorthAmerica (RESNA) named a team of studentresearchers as the winners of the 2012Student Scientific Paper Competition. Theoccupational therapy majors received theiraward at the 33rd annual RESNAConference in Baltimore, Md.

Student researchers Yun Chung ‘12,Lorraine Beebe ‘12, Lori Berends ‘12 andMarissa Hardcastle ‘12, under theguidance of Denis Anson, M.S., O.T.R.,director of research and development forthe Assistive Technology ResearchInstitute (ATRI) and Lalit Shah, Ed.D.,O.T.R./L., professor of OT, submitted theresearch paper, Screendoors 2000 VersusWindows 7’s Built-In On-ScreenKeyboard: Speed and Accuracy.

CAMPUS VIEWS

Supervisory Special Agent Andrew Bringuel, IItalks to MU students Gabrielle Giello ‘13 andChristopher Schatz ‘14.

Cory Balko ’15 tries to text and drive whileoperating a simulator on campus.

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PHILADELPHIA �Mercy NeighborhoodMinistries

A team of 12 Misericordia volunteersprovided young children with homeworkhelp and after-school care, and assistedan adult day care program at the MercyNeighborhood Ministries in northPhiladelphia, Pa. The Sisters ofMercy-operated facility is a partnershipwith the working poor of the Tioga andNicetown communities, providing adultand childcare programs for more than 35years under the mission statement,“Neighbor helping neighbor —transforming lives one person at a time.”

Catie Becker ’14, worked with thepreschoolers doing puzzles, taught themtheir numbers and letters, and evenhelped them make Rice Krispie treats fora science project. She also assistedmiddle school students with theirhomework, and more importantly, simplylistened to their stories. “Everyone therecame from a different background, somemore difficult than others, but MercyNeighborhood gave every child hope

that they could be something greater anddo something amazing,” she said. “Wetook part in something larger thanourselves and because of that we wereable to further understand the Mercycharisms and the mission of service wehear about so often on our campus.”

“My favorite part of the trip wasgetting to know the adults in the adultday program,” added Sarah Nelson ’15.“I spent every morning with them and webecame very close. They were so goodspirited and full of life, you could see howmuch they really enjoyed life andappreciated our being there.”

SPOKANE �Habitat for Humanity

For Amanda Howatt ’12, the springbreak journey to Habitat for Humanity inSpokane, Wash., was her fourth servicetrip and it was every bit as rewarding asthe first three. Twenty-five students andchaperones armed themselves withhammers and paintbrushes as part ofHabitat’s Collegiate Challenge, a nationalalternative spring break program. Theycompleted the framing, trusses androofing, and put the finishing touches —such as painting and woodwork — on twotownhouse-style buildings where fourfamilies in need now live.

“We were able to work with thehomeowners and learn what it means tohave a home. It made us feel thankful foreverything we have,” said Howatt. “Beinginvolved with service at Misericordia hasimpacted me so much. It has taught methat I want service to be part of my life andthat I will always live through the fourcharisms of the University.”

“It was awesome to see what a smallgroup of people could do in a shortamount of time,” added Shannon Joyce’14. “It didn't matter what job you had,every little bit mattered. At Misericordia,service is everything and through service,a family can be formed … and that iswhat we became at the end of the trip —a family.”

SCHENECTADY �City Mission

Unanticipated lessons in acceptanceand understanding were part of theexperience as 12 members of theMisericordia campus community ventured

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M I S S I O N S o f

T his spring, 77 members of the Misericordiacommunity fanned out across the country to offertheir time and talent for the betterment of others.

Their Alternative Spring Break efforts, sponsored andcoordinated by Campus Ministry, impacted people of allwalks of life and all ages. They are representative of the spiritof service found at the campus that is responsible forMisericordia again being named to the President’s HigherEducation Community Service Honor Roll, recognizing theUniversity as a leader in service nationwide.

The following stories provide a short recap of the travelsthat took students to Sacramento, Calif., Schenectady, N.Y.,Spokane, Wash., Philadelphia, Pa., and Benson, Vt.


Sarah Nelson ‘15, left, and Sarah West ‘14share time with a guest at the Mercy HousingCommunity Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

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to the City Mission of Schenectady, N.Y.,to assist the hungry, homeless and others most in need in this central New York community.

The group helped provide meals at the Mission’s Family Life Center, anorganization that served 175,156 mealsand provided 32,861 beds to homelessmen, women and children in 2011. “Wewere able to not only serve meals for theCity Mission, but were also able to eatwith the residents and communitymembers, and get to know their stories,”noted senior Amanda Pernot ’12.“Everyone has a story and they all needto be heard.

The Misericordia volunteers alsoassisted at a food bank and clothingdistribution center, planted seeds at afarm for the food bank and helped withdisaster recovery at two houses that were

impacted by theSeptember flooding.

“This work has definitelyimpacted me in manyways,” Pernot added. “I learned that no matterwhat road we took to getwhere we are, we are allthe same. Someone who is unfortunate is no lessimportant than any one of us.”

SACRAMENTO

�Loaves and Fishes

With a flight itinerary that took themfrom Philadelphia, Pa., to Atlanta, Ga., to Sacramento, Calif., and back via SaltLake City, Utah, 15 Misericordiavolunteers spent their spring break atSacramento Loaves & Fishes, a source ofhope, help and shelter to the homeless ofSacramento, Calif. Located on a four-acrecompound, this agency has providedsurvival services, such as housing, foodand education, to the homeless since1982. The Misericordia students becameteachers as they assisted at the agency’sMustard Seed School, where children up to age 15 find a safe and nurturingenvironment and a library available forstudy, writing and research. They alsoassisted with child care at Maryhouse, a center for homeless women withchildren, and at Friendship Park, wherethe homeless can pick up supplies suchas tarps and a hot bowl of soup.

“It was the spirit of the staff thatimpressed me the most,” said ShannonKowalski ’12. “You could tell that thedirector, Sister Libby, loves what she doesand loves the people she works for andwith. Her passion radiates throughout theentire community and made us truly feelwelcomed and needed. Everyone atLoaves & Fishes valued the people thatthey were serving … you could feel thebond of community they shared.”

BENSON, VT �Mercy Farm

The lessons went far beyond what onemight expect as 13 Misericordia studentsand chaperones traveled to Benson, Vt.,to help the Sisters of Mercy prepare theMercy Farm barns, farmlands andgardens for planting. The Sisters own andoperate the farm, which acts as aneco-spiritual center for all to explore theinterconnectedness of all life. As both a

sustainable working farm and a space for contemplation, guests have anopportunity to accept their place in theuniverse and to discover and learn how to live responsibly as a member of earth.

The Misericordia volunteers did routine

maintenance, such as painting and repairwork, tended to chickens and goats, andhelped prepare the organic gardens andfields for planting. The produce from thegardens, including a variety ofvegetables, berries and herbs, supportsthe farm community.

“I knew we would be working on afarm and learning about the land but Ididn’t know the extent of beauty that theland and environment could provide,”offered Christina Tucci ’14. “My favoritepart of the experience was forming therelationships I did with the students,chaperones and sisters on the trip. Alongwith providing service such as muckingthe stalls, gardening, and clearingnumerous trails, we also formed bondsand friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Brittany Luzik ’13, Courtney Knipe ’12 andAlina Busch ’14 display the baby strollers theyput together for Maryhouse, a daytimehospitality center for homeless women andchildren run by Sacramento Loaves & Fishes.

Deborah Keys ’15 and Megan Lage ’14 wisheveryone would tie shoes together beforethey donate them, a lesson learned whilesorting thousands of pairs of shoes at thecharity distribution center at the City Missionof Schenectady.

Sarah Munley ’13 and Courtney O’Malley ’13smile while tackling the chore of mucking thegoat pen at the Mercy Farm in Benson, Vt.

Standing proudly in front of a home theyhelped construct in Spokane, Wash., are, frontrow, from left, Joy Peterson, Habitat forHumanity Spokane Vistacorp volunteer, andMisericordia students Ashley Benz ’14,Christelle Patrice ’13, and Mark Werger ’12;and Arthur Dowell ’14 in the second row.

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Misericordia Universitystudents volunteer and work at the Dallas Fire andAmbulance Department(DF&A) to give back to theiradopted hometowncommunity. Participating asemergency responders withDF&A, atop fire apparatusfrom left, are James Miller ‘11,‘14 of Ashland, Pa.; ShawnMcArdle ’13 of Nesquehoning,Pa.; Suzanne Nowalk ’12 ofHop Bottom, Pa., and JonathanWeiss ’12 of Minersville, Pa., as well as DF&A PresidentMark Van Etten ‘93, below.

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Students give back to ‘adopted hometown’ by volunteering with Dallas Fire & Ambulance Department

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What is a community?It’s an ambiguous question, but the

answer can define a region for better orworse. Take James Miller ’11, ’14 forexample. He’s an active member ofseveral communities — at MisericordiaUniversity, in Ashland, Pa., and at theDallas Fire and Ambulance Department(DF&A). He’s “not out to save the world’’as an emergency responder, heacknowledges, but he does believe heshould use the skills he’s acquired as anoccupational therapy student, volunteerfirefighter and emergency medicaltechnician for the betterment of others.

It’s a common theme among manycollegians on campus. They give their timetutoring school-aged children, raisingmoney for worthwhile charities or bysimply working to raise awareness aboutimportant issues. For Miller, an Ashland,Pa., native, and his fellow MU studentsand colleagues, Suzanne Nowalk ’12 ofHop Bottom, Pa., Jonathan Weiss ’12 ofMinersville, Pa., and Shawn McArdle ’13 ofNesquehoning, Pa., their community isdefined by the assistance they provide topeople while responding to emergencycalls as members of the DF&A.

“Misericordia really tries to instill thesetraits (of Mercy, Service, Justice andHospitality) in each and every one of itsstudents,’’ says Weiss, who alsovolunteers as an EMT with Good Will FireCo. No. 1 in Minersville, Pa. “They can beseen each and every day on campus. Theschool really tries to get people out intothe community with the various serviceprojects through academic clubs andCampus Ministry. Volunteering for DF&Ais just my way of trying to integratemyself into the wonderful Back Mountaincommunity. The Back Mountaincommunity is very welcoming to thecollege students, so it doesn’t take verylong until it feels like home.’’

The town-and-gown relationship isobvious on the upper and lowercampuses of Misericordia University, butespecially outside the student residencehalls. Working with the University’sadministration, Mark Van Etten ‘93,

director of budgets and accounting atMU and president of the DF&A, hadspecial parking signs erected for thestudent volunteers to make it moreconvenient for them to respond quicklyto emergency calls around-the-clock.

Besides volunteering, the students alsofill available shifts. The relationshipreduces the department’s overtimebudget and also provides a stipend thestudents can use to offset the cost of theireducation. In 2011, students responded to 200 emergency ambulance calls in thecommunity and earned about $9,000

collectively. They also participated in 454response calls for the fire department,many of them being storm related.

“Without our student volunteers wewould have manpower shortfalls,particularly during the daytime hourswhich would leave a void in public safety,’’says Van Etten, who also volunteered withthe DF&A when he was a student at MU.“Overall, student involvement over aboutthe last seven years has put us in aposition to increase our ambulance licensefrom basic life support to advanced lifesupport. Our ambulances are staffed withparamedics who are able to administermedicine, and we now have moreadvanced heart monitors for heart attackand stroke patients.

“Thanks to the quality of Misericordia’sstudent volunteers we are able to providethe community with a higher level ofmedical care,’’ Van Etten adds.

The value of their service was nevermore evident than last fall whenHurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Leecaused millions of dollars in damage tohomes and infrastructure in regionalcommunities, and resulted in countlessothers being evacuated to higher ground.Like many residents, Misericordia’sstudent responders answered the call.

“There was such a great need forassistance in the Back Mountain and veryfew people to provide assistance,’’ saysMiller, who joined DF&A in 2007 and hasbeen a volunteer firefighter with theWashington Fire Co. CommunityAmbulance since 2005. “The responsefrom Misericordia was very impressive,during and after the flooding. During theevacuation of the Wilkes-Barre area, I wasgiven the task to help set up theevacuation shelter at Dallas High School.I made phone calls to a few of my friendsat Misericordia and we soon had over 20people who came out to help set up.’’

“It is a wonderful feeling,’’ adds Nowalk,who is also a private 1st class in theNational Guard and volunteers with theHop Bottom Hose Co. “I was amazedduring the flood to see the peoplepouring into the middle school to dropsupplies off. It really helped me appreciateand be proud of my adoptive community.’’

It also seems natural for these studentsto volunteer at DF&A. After all, they eachmajored in an occupation that strives tomake the world a better place forhumankind. Miller earned hisundergraduate degree in psychology andis working toward his master’s inoccupational therapy. Weiss majored inbiology with a minor in chemistry and willbegin his graduate studies at MU in thefall as a physician assistant student.McArdle is a psychology major andNowalk earned her B.S. in nursing in May.

“Giving back to your community,whether it’s your hometown or youradoptive community, really instills a feelingof satisfaction in you,’’ says Weiss, an EMTsince 2008 and a member of DF&A since2010. “You feel good knowing that youwere able to help someone and you knowit means a lot to them.’’

Fast Facts:DF&A provides the primary fire service

to Dallas Borough and Dallas Township.DF&A’s paramedic services are also theprimary service provider for DallasBorough, and Dallas, Kingston, Lehman,Jackson and Lake Townships, coveringabout 75 square miles and 29,000 people.

It also has mutual aid agreements withall Back Mountain communities, includingHunlock Creek, Sweet Valley, Harveys Lake,and Kingston, Franklin, Lehman, Jackson,Lake, Ross and Noxen Townships.

S T O RY B Y PA U L K R Z Y W I C K ILog on to Misericordia Today Extended to find outwhy MU’s service is nationally recognized.

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It’s early summer and 15 MisericordiaUniversity students and a chaperone areimmersed in the rich history and cultureof Italy as part of MU’s Study AbroadProgram at the Santa ReparataInternational School of Art in the ViaGallo in Florence.

Scott Blanchard, Ph.D., professor ofEnglish at Misericordia, engages hisstudents in in-depth discussions andreadings about Italy during their 32-hoursof classroom instruction for the three-credit course, ENG 185: Italy in Literatureand Film. Select books, oral presentationsand written reports encompass theirrequired work, but this class is as muchabout the experience itself as it is aboutthe academic coursework.

“Study abroad helps students becomemore independent,’’ says Katie O’Hearn’14, who is working toward a master’sdegree in occupational therapy and aminor in English. “It also helps individualsbecome more aware of themselves. I hadalways thought that I wanted to moveaway after college, but I wasn’t sure if Iwould be able to because I come from a small city and have strong familial ties.This trip taught me, however, that I canmove away and live on my own.’’

The Santa Reparata InternationalSchool of Art arranged for O’Hearn andher classmates to live in two-bedroomapartments in the urban center ofFlorence, where they could easily tourhistorically significant museums and otherlocal sites. They also hopped aboardtrains to nearby cities in Tuscany toexplore such places as the Cinque Terre.

The long-term impact on students whostudy abroad is undeniable, according toDr. Blanchard, who says the opportunityoftentimes influences careers and worldviews, while also building self-confidence

and a sense of understanding. “Thetraveler’s mindset is necessarily open-minded, and if there is one thing that theliberal arts experience should foster, it isopen-mindedness,’’ says Dr. Blanchard,who has studied Italian history extensivelyduring his 22-year career at MU. “Italy’shistory is so fantastically rich and multi-layered, and studying it exposes studentsto cultural, political and social worlds thatare quite different from those thatcharacterize the American perspective.’’

Studying Italy and getting a true senseof its colorful history can be a challengebecause of a myriad of deep-rooted,complex issues that are part of Italianculture, according to Dr. Blanchard. Heworked to ensure that many points ofview were sketched out and representedthroughout the academic program, andthat students addressed them in theirwritten works and oral presentations.

“I wanted to make sure that inintroducing students to Italy, I was notgoing to whitewash the country or itshistory,’’ he says. “It has a very troubledhistory – a north-south problem,immigration problems and it currently hasone of the lowest productivity rates inEurope. It had earned the nickname ‘thesick man of Europe’ long before therecent fiscal crisis of Greece and otherEuropean countries that border theMediterranean. Students who tour itsarchitectural wonders and itsbreathtaking scenery need to know that.’’

To accomplish his goals, Dr. Blanchardused texts by modern authors like ItaloCalvino, Ignazio Silone and AntonioGramsci, films by Federico Fellini, andworks by classic authors like Machiavelliand Boccaccio. After four weeks ofinstruction, his students could identify

notions of the avant-garde in Italianliterature and film, and understood therole of class systems in shaping culture,especially Italy’s traditions of patronage,paternalism and maternalism.

The June 4-July 3 course alsoevaluated the role of intellectuals inItalian culture, including Italy’s cult of the artist and their reverence for geniusfigures. Additionally, students exploredthe complex relationship Italy has hadwith the concept of authority, both inrelation to traditional institutions such as the Church, and in more radicaltendencies that developed in the 20thcentury, like communism and fascism.

“I believe studying abroad really opensthe eyes of students, no matter whatcountry they are from or what country theyare studying in,’’ says Noel Sidorek ‘13, anEnglish major. “It is an experience like noother because you really get the chance toimmerse yourself in a different culture.’’

The cultural competency studentsderive from study abroad also plays anintegral role in their professional andpersonal development. Auraleah Grega’13, an English and secondary educationmajor, is working to become an Englishteacher. The study abroad program, shebelieves, will make her more marketable,and, more importantly, a better teacher.

“As a high school teacher, I hope toopen the diversity of the world to mystudents,’’ she says. “I think it isimportant that future generations cometo learn that we are all different, butbecause of this, we each have somethingvery special to contribute to one another.By traveling to several countries, I haveexperienced the various passions thatdrive people, whatever their nationality,especially in regards to poetry and literature.’’


SPLENDORSofITALY

Students learn more about themselves while studyingcountry’s rich history as part of study abroad program

Noel Sidorek ‘13, at left, poses at the Cinque Terre north of Pisaalong the coast, and KatieO’Hearn ‘14 poses by a statue at the Bargello art museum inFlorence, Italy.Log on to MU’s Flickr account at http://bit.ly/MUItaly

to experience the Florence study abroad program.

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Between the Iron Age and theRoman Empire, the ancientcities of Etruria flourished inwhat is today’s modern Tuscany.The Etruscan people built vast

cities, traveled the high seas, spoke andwrote a unique language and developedcommerce with the Greeks and thePhoenicians in which they traded theirprecious metals for artistic treasures.

For an empire that stretched hundredsof miles and included 12 major citiesacross modern-day Italy, many mysteriesremain. That’s why a team of 28 scholars,including Stevan Davies, Ph.D., professorof religious studies at MisericordiaUniversity, participated in the 2012National Endowment Summer Institute,“The Legacy of Ancient Italy: TheEtruscan and Early Roman City,’’ fromJune 5-25 under the direction of P.Gregory Warden, Ph.D., president ofFranklin College, Lugano, Switzerland.

“The Etruscans are part of the historyof Western Civilization,’’ says Dr. Davies.“They are the principal civilization beforeRome. They ruled Italy before theRomans established themselves as anindependent civilization that eventuallybecame the Roman empire.’’

The institute’s research was based onfour major themes: archaeology andurban identity in early Italy; Etruscan andRoman urbanization; economy, trade andcultural formation in the earlyMediterranean; and the consequences ofassimilation, appropriation and conquestof the Etruscans by the Romans,according to the NEH.

As the lone religious studies professorparticipating in the three-week program,Dr. Davies decided to focus his researchon how the Etruscans depicted theafterlife in burial chambers, and on tombsand ash urns after discovering extremely

violent images on them in museums andat archeological sites.

“It’s well known that the Etruscansbought classical art depicting the epicstories of the Greeks,’’ says Dr. Davies, an author of seven books himself. “Theyappreciated beautiful attic vases andimported them from the Greeks.’’

The Etruscans, for example, took onHomer’s Iliad and The Odyssey as theirown, but they also adopted the epicStory of Oedipus in which brothers,Eteocles and Polynices, kill each otherwhile battling for control of the ancientcity of Thebes. The Greek and Etruscanbond becomes more obvious upon closer

examination of Etruscan tombs and ashurns, as they are adorned with depictionsof the ill-fated brothers of Greekmythology fighting each other withdaggers in the presence of the Vanths ofEtruscan mythology — almost as if theywere “combining the two civilizations,’’Dr. Davies suggests. “Why are peopleplacing such a violent scene on a box

containing the ashes of their relatives?’’Dr. Davies wonders about the urns in thecity of Chiusi. “There are hundreds ofthem in this place, so it is something thatappealed to these people.’’

Inside large underground burial vaultsdated about 500 B.C., the Etruscansadded bright colors and imagery to thewalls that depicted the afterlife as beingfilled with parties, banquets and variousamusements, such as juggling, hunting,dancing and music. Those lightheartedimages in Tarquinia, though, are a starkcontrast to the violent imagery containedon the tombs stored inside. The limestonetombs marry the sculpted images of apeaceful human figure lying across thetop, acting as a lid for the caskets, whichfeature “intense violence inscribed’’ acrossthe front of them. Many ash urns for thecremated also contained similar images ofviolence, says Dr. Davies.

What is the significance of thecontrasting images? Dr. Davies says it is achallenge to completely understand theintended message because there is nowritten history of the ancient civilization,and by the 2nd century B.C. their culturebegan to be absorbed by the Romans.

“We don’t have writings from them,’’says Dr. Davies, unlike the Babylonianswho carved their writings into claytablets. “We don’t have books or letters.They wrote on papyrus and linen, but theItalian environment was too moist topreserve anything.’’

Dr. Davies said he will continue toconduct research on the Etruscans andtheir views of the afterlife. He plans topublish a paper on his theories.

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Viewing the afterlife art of an ancient civilization

Misericordia University religiousstudies professor participates inNational Endowment for theHumanities research into ancientItalian cities of Etruria


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Dr. Davies examined, from top left, a 4thcentury Etruscan coffin, an Etruscan tombcomplex in Orvieto and a cremation urnfeaturing Eteocles, Polynices and Vanths.

Dr. StevanDavies, Ph.D.,professor ofreligious studies.

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Misericordia student researchers, from left,Lawrence Paddock ‘12, Nicholas Sulzer ‘12and Jonathan Weiss ‘12, ‘14, collect dataon water temperature, dissolved oxygen,pH level, flow rate and specificconductance from Bowmans Creek byusing the PASCO GLX data logger.

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EATON TWP. — About 13 miles from theMisericordia University campus, Bowmans Creekgently flows as it meanders through rural EatonTownship, Wyoming County before snaking its wayinto the mighty Susquehanna River. Remnants ofrecent high-water events still scar the countryside,but the 26.4 mile tributary remains a popularfishing hole for regional residents, teaming withtrout and bluegills.

It’s a breezy early spring afternoon and a team ofMisericordia University student researchers returnto the banks of the freestone stream armed withfishing waders and low- and high-tech equipmentto measure the health of the creek, whichoriginates from Mountain Springs Lake. The climbdown the ragged edges of the banks was mademore difficult by Hurricane Irene and Tropical StormLee, which widened and rerouted the stream indramatic fashion in the fall and forced the studentsto shorten their detailed study.

Upstream, representatives of the natural gasindustry have set up a staging area for its workersin the region, while two pumping stations have alsobeen established on the creek to remove surfacewater for use in natural gas drilling. The site alongBowmans Creek is similar to many other ruralcommunities throughout Pennsylvania in areas ofthe Marcellus Shale as natural gas companies havebeen utilizing hydraulic fracking methods to extractnatural gas pockets from deep inside the earth.Besides the chemicals and drills that are used onmany sites in the region, another byproduct of thenew technology is the need for water to completethe process.

Misericordia University biology studentsLawrence Paddock ’12, Nicholas Sulzer ’12 and

See CREEK, page 18

Biology majors study if waterwithdrawal by natural gas drillingindustry affects health of Bowmans Creek

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Jonathan Weiss ’12, ‘14, as part of theirsenior research project, decided toexamine if the health of Bowmans Creekwas affected below the pumpingstations due to the withdrawal of water.

“I am looking at a career in theenvironmental science/ecology fieldand have conducted many small-scalestream assessments in the past,’’ saysSulzer. “I enjoy working with steamecosystems. When looking for a topic ofresearch, we came across the surfacewater removal and thought it would bean interesting and very current issue.’’

“We chose this project because it wasreal field work and was relevant to whatis happening in our backyards,’’ addsPaddock. “Everyone has strongopinions on the gas wells being put inplace, but until real data has beencollected and examined for many years,we will not truly know the impacts onour stream health and water supply.’’

Student researchers, under thedirection of Barbara McCraith, Ph.D.,associate professor of biology, chose twolocations upstream and downstream toconduct their study and began collectingtheir data in May 2011. Measuring 20meters along the shore and extendingacross the width of the creek, studentscollected data on water temperature,dissolved oxygen, pH level, flow rate,specific conductance, and ammoniumand phosphate levels. Throughkicknetting, they also gatheredmacroinvertebrates, such as mayflies,stoneflies and caddisflies, because theorganisms are important indicators of

stream health. “There has not been anyresearch done on something like this asfar as I am aware of and I feel it is a reallyneat subject to examine,’’ says Weiss.“The scientific community is calling fornumerous amounts of research to beconducted surrounding the natural gasindustry and the impacts on theenvironment.’’

Overall, the research was the first stepin a long process to measure what, if any,impact water withdrawal can have on astream like Bowmans Creek. Studentsacknowledge it’s a process that couldtake years of data collection to reach aproper, scientific conclusion. In this case,data collection was delayed by thehistoric flooding in the fall and it limitedstudents to nine data collection dates,which prevented them from drawing anyconclusions. The preliminary data thatwas collected, though, showed no majordifferences between the upstream anddownstream sites, the students said.

“We conducted the study to the bestof our ability, but nature didn’t cooperatewith us,’’ adds Sulzer. “We learnedvaluable lessons: How to design andcarry out the experiment, and how to

gather the data and how to present it.’’The next step in the study, according

to the students and Dr. McCraith, is tohave another group of MU studentscontinue their good work in the fall. It isimportant to consistently monitor thestream’s health during the natural gasdrilling boom and it also offers studentsa chance to experience field research.

“It is a great opportunity to gethands-on experience in so many fieldsof biology,’’ says Paddock. “It is alsoimportant in learning the proper way todo research. Since it is a sensitive topicwhere so many people have extremelybiased opinions, it’s a great way topractice unbiased research.’’

Students also presented their findingsat the 88th Annual Meeting of thePennsylvania Academy of Science inAllentown, Pa. “I am proud of ourstudents because they tackled a newand emerging environmental issue inrather difficult circumstances,’’ Dr.McCraith says. “The flooding preventedthem from completing their datacollection, but they tackled a projectthat had never been tackled before andgained invaluable field experience.’’

Misericordia University biology majors,from left, Jonathan Weiss ‘12, ‘14 ofMinersville, Pa.; Nicholas Sulzer’12 ofLehighton, Pa., and Lawrence Paddock‘12 of Millerton, Pa., collect data fortheir scientific study and senior research project.

Fast Facts:

Misericordia University studentresearchers utilized some of thefollowing equipment to monitorthe health of Bowmans Creek inWyoming County, Pa.:

1. Kicknet2. Meter stick3. PASCO GLX data logger4. Flow meter5. Colorimeter6. Collection jars

Area creeksubject ofresearchfrom page 17

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Hundreds of thousands of peopleassembled in theaters around the worldin May to propel The Avengers moviepast the $1 billion revenue mark in just 19days. Superheroes are flying high inmodern pop culture.

Allan Austin, Ph.D., professor of history,and Patrick Hamilton, Ph.D. associateprofessor of English, team-teach a popularcourse on race and ethnicity in post-WorldWar II graphic narrative. They are fans ofcomic books, and combine that interestwith academic exploration of the societalissues woven into the comics’ plots.“Every student should take a class in popculture,” says Dr. Austin. “The things yousee and read are not just trying toentertain, they are selling you something.”

Dr. Austin isn’t talking about marketingcandy bars or soft drinks. He explainedthat the stories in pop culture, includingsuperhero movies and books, containthemes and reflect prevalent attitudes insociety put into the works by their makers— often with intent.

For instance, Superman became hugely

popular following his debut in 1938.During World War II, Superman foughtthe Japanese and German forces in hiscomics and cartoons. “There wereshocking depictions of race in Supermancomics and animation during the war. TheJapanese were shown as ugly and evilwhich reflected popular feelings at thetime,” says Dr. Hamilton.

The comic movies of the last 10 yearsalso contain pervasive commentary onsociety that many may not notice. “Post9/11 anxieties and stresses can be seen intoday’s movies. The villain in Avengers,Loki, says freedom is bad – much likewhat we believe terrorists say. Ourfictional heroes wage war againstterrorists for us as we struggle to defineterrorism amidst all its ambiguity,” saysDr. Austin. “In our class, we want studentsto understand racial attitudes and we usecomics to do it.”

Dr. Hamilton likes what he sees fromthe students. “Discussions in class aregreat. Some students hesitate to take thecomics seriously, but once exposed to thecontent it is nice to see them wrestle withthe issues.”

Dr. Hamilton, who owns a complete setof Avengers comics, points to somethinginteresting in the movie, “There is oneblack character in Nick Fury and onewoman on the team. Is thatrepresentative of modern society?”

In future classes, the professors willutilize an in-house comic book collectionat the Bevevino Library that the professorshelped to obtain as a gift to the University.The donation of more than 10,000 comicbooks has yet to be fully cataloged, but itis hoped that it will be on display duringthe 2012-13 academic year.

Comic book collection supports pop culture course on race, ethnicity

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THE LESSONS BEHIND

THE CAPED CRUSADERS

Drs. Allan Austin, kneeling, and PatrickHamilton team-teach a course on race andethnicity using graphic narratives.

DARE TO BE WISE

Applied Philosophy Project

encourages critical thinking

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It is as simple as a young child always asking the question“why?” Youngsters are encouraged to ask questions and applywhat they learn in one area to all the other areas of theirthinking. Yet, that type of freethinking is an educational toolthat Misericordia philosophy department chair Mark Painter,Ph.D., feels is lost as students grow older and enter their highschool years.

In an effort to spur more critical thinking at all levels ofeducation, the Misericordia Department of Philosophy, underDr. Painter’s direction, has established the Applied PhilosophyProject (APP). “Applied philosophy is a discipline utilizing thetheory that people were born to think for themselves, but it is aconcept that is not encouraged enough in academics,” says Dr.Painter. “Too many people think that learning is the acquisitionof specialized skills to do a specialized job, but in seeking these

specializations, people actually forfeit their natural born abilityto think deeply and for themselves. They confuse educationwith conformity and in the process they lose the basic humaninstinct to question, to wonder, to not accept things at facevalue — they lose the childlike virtue of asking why.”

The APP is intended to rejuvenate that wonder, that criticaledge, by bringing the basic analytical and questioning skills ofthe philosopher to many disciplines and social concerns. Thosedisciplines include, but are not limited to, religion, politics, law,ethics, health care, economics, the environment, business, art,literature, cultural studies and social policy creation. Oneexample of applied philosophy and how it relates to socialpolicy can be found in the on-going discussions over gasdrilling in the Marcellus Shale, and the philosophical issuesraised regarding property rights such as whether water is acommodity and, if so, who has the right of ownership.

“The project is dedicated to the belief that philosophy, by itsvery nature, does not stand above and apart from humanaffairs, but rather, in the words of George Dennison, wishes usto draw near and ‘to empower us to think and do forourselves,’” Dr. Painter adds. “In addition to raising the level ofdiscussion above the simple out-gassing of opinions, doingand applying philosophy creates a flexibility of mind that allowspeople to better weather the storms of change, bothprofessionally and personally,”

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Misericordia’s dedication to trainingand educating students in the rewardingand challenging fields of health sciencesbegan in 1944 when it introduced thefirst Bachelor of Science degree inNursing in northeastern Pennsylvania.MU’s role in preparing the nextgeneration of health care practitionersgradually expanded through the years.Today, MU is considered the region’sleader in health care education.

It only seemed natural when nationalstudies showed a critical need for highlytrained physicians that Misericordiawould work toward filling that void forthe betterment of all. The Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges estimatesthat by 2015, the year after health carereforms are scheduled to take effect, theshortage of doctors across all specialtieswill quadruple. The report also statesthere will be a substantial shortage ofnon-primary care specialists.

In the fall, Misericordia’s first graduateclass and second class of undergraduateswill begin their studies in the five-yearcombined Bachelor of Science in MedicalScience and Master of Science in PhysicianAssistant Studies program. The PAprogram is welcoming 12 freshmanundergraduates and 20 graduatestudents. Overall, 42 students are enrolledin the program after MU accepted its firstclass of undergraduates last fall.

“We have an outstanding physicianassistant program that will receiverecognition for innovative learningmethods and high graduationoutcomes,’’ says Scott L. Massey, Ph.D.,

P.A.-C., the founding departmentchairperson, program director andprofessor. “The program will offeropportunities to participate in appliedresearch activities with faculty and uniqueopportunities to experience an electiveclerkship in PA education.’’

The curriculum for the program alsowas designed and will be taught byleaders in the health care industry. Dr.Massey is known nationally for his strongtrack record of scholarship and publishingrelated to student learning and facultydevelopment. He is also recognized forhis ability to improve the certificationpass rates and scores for PA programs,and is widely sought after as a PAprogram development consultant fornational and international programs thatare accredited and are beginning theaccreditation process.

Stanley J. Dudrick, M.D., chairmanemeritus in the Department of Surgeryand director emeritus of Program inSurgery at St. Mary’s Hospital, aYale-affiliated teaching hospital, andprofessor of surgery at the Yale UniversitySchool of Medicine, is the medical directorand Robert S. Anderson Endowed Chair,the first such academic position offered byMisericordia. As medical director of theprogram, Dr. Dudrick works to ensure thecurriculum meets current patient carepractice standards and is active inteaching and evaluating student andprogram performances.

An eminent surgeon, research scientistand educator, Dr. Dudrick’s innovativedevelopment and successful clinicalapplication of the specialized centralvenous feeding technique has been

described as one of the four mostsignificant accomplishments in the historyof the development of modern surgery. Italso has been acknowledged as one ofthe three most important advancementsin surgery during the past century.

Dr. Dudrick most recently received theNathan Smith, M.D., DistinguishedService Award by the New EnglandSurgical Society. He also was an honoredinvited lecturer and panelist of theCongress of the Polish Surgical Society inŁód , Poland, where he presented aresearch paper and served on a panel ofsurgeons discussing complex abdominalsurgical problems.

The program also features Darci Brown,P.A.-C., as the director of clinical educationand assistant professor, and Abigail Davis,M.P.A.S., P.A.-C., as the director ofdidactic education and assistant professor.

Brown is a board-certified physicianassistant with 20 years of clinical practice,laboratory testing and managementexperience. She has also been arepresentative for the Pennsylvania Societyof Physician Assistants for the past sevenyears and continues to practice clinicallywith experience in family medicine,orthopedics and plastic surgery.

Davis graduated from MarywoodUniversity in 2005 with a B.S. degree inhealth science and a master’s degree inphysican assistant studies. Shortly aftergraduation, she began working inemergency medicine at a Level 2 traumacenter. She has been a clinical preceptorto PA students at multiple regionalprograms. Davis is a member of thePennsylvania Society of PAs andAmerican Academy of PAs.

Patient AdvocatesPatient AdvocatesPhysician assistant program works to educate highly trained cliniciansS T O RY B Y PA U L K R Z Y W I C K I

Scott L.Massey, Ph.D.

Stanley J. Dudrick, M.D.

DarciBrown,P.A.-C.

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The inaugural Dr. Midori Ya-manouchi Lecture Series at Mis-ericordia presented famedjournalist and author Carl Bern-stein for two special events oncampus April 17.

Mr. Bernstein spoke to 27 MUstudents in a special masterclass that addressed the “cultand culture in Washington.’’ Stu-dents participated in a question-and-answer session with thePulitzer Prize-winning journalistand also posed for pictures andasked additional questions afterthe one-hour class. Communica-tions major Mary Bove ‘15 wasamong the students who partici-pated in the special class. Shetook pictures for The High-lander, the university’s campusnewspaper, and also addresseda question to Mr. Bernstein.

In the evening, Mr. Bernsteinpresented, His Holiness, JohnPaul II, in Lemmond Theater inWalsh Hall to a capacity crowd.A question-and-answer sessionfollowed and then he signedcopies of his books in the lobby.

Few journalists and authors inAmerican history have had theimpact on their era and theircraft as Mr. Bernstein. He haswritten, among other works, thedefinitive accounts of the lives ofthree of the dominant figures ofthe past half century: PresidentRichard Nixon, Pope John Paul IIand Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In the early 1970s, Bernsteinand Bob Woodward broke theWatergate scandal for TheWashington Post.

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Anthony J. Grosek, Jr.1926 - 2012

Trustee Emeritus Anthony J. Grosek, Jr., an ardent andlongtime advisor of Misericordia University as a Trustee andTrustee Emeritus, passed away May 29, 2012 at the age of 86.

A Trustee from 1990-2005, Mr. Grosek provided the Univer-sity guidance in a plethora of construction projects, and gen-erously supported many worthwhile programs and projects,including the annual Under the Stars Summer Arts Festivaland the Annual Fund. His philanthropy also extended to capi-tal campaigns that have enabled MU to meet the rigorous ac-

ademic challenges of the21st century.

In 2007, Misericordia hon-ored Mr. Grosek and his wife,Helen, by awarding them theTrustee Associates Award fortheir steadfast commitmentto their community and Mis-ericordia.

“Tony was an exceptionalTrustee,’’ said PresidentMichael A. MacDowell. “Hecared deeply about Miseri-

cordia and exercised that feeling in his volunteer work for theUniversity and in his understanding support of its students.He was dedicated to his NEPA home and he will be sorelymissed by all of us at Misericordia for he was a dear friend,advisor and dedicated Trustee.’’

An architectural engineer and businessman, Mr. Grosek lenthis considerable professional acumen to several importantconstruction projects on campus. His tenure on the Board ofTrustees was punctuated by the University’s growing aca-demic reputation, record enrollment, expanding campus andachieving university status. “This great community and theyoung kids deserve having something like Misericordia,’’ Mr.Grosek stated in 2007. “I am grateful being on the Board todo it. I’m proud of all the things we are doing; the way we arebuilding this up to be a great place.’’

Mr. Grosek is survived by his wife of 61 years, Helen Hay-duk Grosek of Dallas, Pa., a nurse who also was dedicated toher community, five children, including Andrea Grosek Sor-doni ’73, 13 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Charles D. Lemmond, Jr.1929 - 2012

Charles D. Lemmond, Jr., long-time Pennsylvania StateSenator and community leader, died May 30, 2012 followinga brief illness. He was 83.

“Sen. Lemmond was a friend to Misericordia in every senseof the word,” says University President Michael A. MacDow-ell. “He was a scholar of the law and government and yet hewas very much a man of the people and knew what was im-portant to his community, his state, and his country. Sen. Lem-mond revered higher education, particularly private highereducation. It was an honor to name the newly renovated the-

ater in Walsh Hall for Charlieand his family. Their dedica-tion to Northeast Pennsylva-nia, and their Dallas home,remains an inspiration to all.’’

Sen. Lemmond lived inDallas with his wife, Barbara,for more than 50 years. Thecouple has four children:Charles, John, Judith, andDavid Lemmond, and threegrandchildren.

Born in Hazleton, Pa., Sen.Lemmond grew up in Forty Fort, Pa., graduated from FortyFort schools and served in the U.S. Army in Italy. He returnedfrom service and earned his undergraduate degree in govern-ment at Harvard University. He went on to receive his law de-gree from the University of Pennsylvania. Early in his career,he was named a principal in the firm of Silverblatt and Tow-nend, and served as solicitor for a number of municipal enti-ties. He subsequently was appointed as assistant districtattorney of Luzerne County, and in 1980, was tapped by Gov.Dick Thornburgh to serve as a judge of the Luzerne CountyCourt of Common Pleas.

Sen. Lemmond began his distinguished career in the StateSenate in 1985 representing the 20th Senatorial District.Among his many awards, the 2006 Sister Siena Finley EthicsAward, presented by the Ethics Institute of NEPA, recognizedhim as a person who demonstrated exemplary ethical behav-ior in his personal, civic, and professional life, a fitting tributefor a man known by his colleagues as “The Gentleman of theSenate.”

Anthony J. Grosek, Jr. and his son,David, pose with President andMrs. MacDowell in 2007.

Lemmond Theater in Walsh Hallwas dedicated in honor of Sen.Lemmond and his family in 2008.

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Alumni Weekend 2012 was a true celebra-tion of the friendship and camaraderie thatmakes Misericordia so special. Among thosegathered were seven members of the Classof ’47, who celebrated the milestone 65th an-niversary of their graduation with a classluncheon. Octogenarian Gladys Port ’47,traveled from Asheville, N.C., to join in thefestivities.

The Class of ’47 group was also among the100 who took part in the ever-popularGolden/Golden Plus Luncheon, lovinglyhosted by President Michael and Tina Mac-Dowell. The honorees included 40 membersof the Class of ’62 who gathered to celebratetheir 50th anniversary. Their enthusiasticturnout earned the class the Bettsi Jaeger1968 Award for the largest percentage ofclassmates coming home for the weekend.Classmate Rosemarie Romanowski Daily ’62earned the bragging rights for coming thefarthest — traveling from Clarksville, Texas forthe celebration.

Highlights included President MacDowell’s“Back to the Future” presentation, givingalumni an overview of all that is new at MU aswell as a look at how students carry out thetime-honored traditions inspired by the Sis-ters of Mercy.

“We happily exceeded last year’s atten-dance numbers,” says Denise Miscavage, di-rector of Alumni, Community and DonorRelations. “In an attempt to best serve thegrowing number of Misericordia alumni, wedecided to focus this year’s reunion, and allcoming reunions, on those celebrating their30th anniversaries and earlier. We are encour-

The Misericordia University CollegesAgainst Cancer Chapter (CAC) raised$12,910 from its Relay for Life event on cam-pus. Students in the organization presented aceremonial check to the American Cancer So-ciety that was nearly double the amount thestudent organization raised in 2011. Studentsin the University’s CAC hosted the annualRelay for Life event on April 13-14 in the An-derson Sports and Health Center and easilysurpassed the $7,000 they raised last year.

CAC raises $12,910 forAmerican Cancer Society

Students, kneeling from left, Kara Munley ‘13 andKayla Darcey ‘13; standing, Julia Truax ‘12,Amanda Tomaselli ‘13, Megan Rogan ‘13, MarkWalbert ‘14, and Amanda Peslak ‘14, present acheck to Jef Bauman of the American Cancer So-ciety near the main gate of campus.

Mr. Bernstein addresses history andcommunications students at MU.

Bernstein addressesstudents, public intwo presentations

Members of Misericordia’s Class of 1972 relivetheir collegiate years at Alumni Weekend.

Janet Fritz Michael ‘62, left, and Dorothy Keiff ‘62examine items on display in the Mary KintzBevevino Library.

aging our more recent alumni to attendHomecoming Weekend, which is held eachyear in the fall.”

Details on Homecoming 2012, set for Sept.29, can be found on CougarConnect and onpage 32.

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Misericordia alumnus Bill Jones ’85spent the past 12 years as thechief operating officer of

Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania, a statewide organization that helps others— from needy children and the homelessto the elderly. He helped orchestratemore than $7 million a year in criticalservices such as transportation andhousing. Of that, program revenuededicated to services in and around the Wyoming Valley, his hometowncommunity, grew to more than $2.4 million.

It wasn’t until he found himself sayingyes to another position that would givehim an even bigger seat at the localcommunity table that it came to him.Who he is and the work he does wasfashioned more than he ever realized byhis days at Misericordia and those hecame to know at the campus.

Named president and chief executiveofficer of the United Way of WyomingValley in January 2012, Jones isresponsible for an organization that isdedicated to “advancing the commongood.” With a $5.5 million annualbudget, the United Way funded 46community programs and served morethan 32,000 residents last year in theWilkes-Barre area.

A career in the social services arena is not at all what Jones envisioned as a business administration undergrad with concentrations in management and marketing.

Recruited in 1981 to play basketball fora Highlander team that was just threeyears old, Coach John Zella told Jones hecouldn’t offer him a winning basketballrecord, but he could offer him a greatschool and a 10-to-1 ratio of women tomen. As it happens, Jones met his futurewife, Janet Yenkowski, on campus whilethey were both freshmen. Although shetransferred to another school, the tworeconnected nearly 10 years later and

were married in 1994. Bill and Janet live in Mountain Top, Pa., with theirdaughters, Caroline and Rachel.

As a commuter student, Jones servedas vice president of the StudentGovernment Association and was thecatalyst behind the campus’ firstHomecoming Parade in 1984. He alsohelped to start the first MU fraternity,Alpha Delta Kappa. His most poignantmemories are of times spent withMonsignor John Bendick, campuschaplain, and Sister Siena Finley, RSM,who both remain a big influence in hislife. “Business professors Don Skiff andMary Carden were also amazingmentors,” he adds. “Mary guided me to an internship with AT&T, which was a pretty big deal at the time.”

His original plan was to go intobanking or finance, and in fact, that is exactly where his career began. After graduating summa cum laude from Misericordia in 1985, his firstposition was with First Eastern Bank.While there, and working towards hisMBA, Jones was assigned as a “loanedexecutive” to the United Way — his firstopportunity to assist agency staff withfundraising efforts.

Never straying far from his alma mater,it was while he was at First Eastern thathe began teaching undergraduate andgraduate courses in business atMisericordia on such topics as macro andmicroeconomics, managerial finance andbusiness policy. His involvement grew. Hewas named to the Misericordia AlumniAssociation Board of Directors in 1986, chaired the Alumni PhonathonCampaign in 1990 and served as thegroup’s president from 1998 to 2000. His efforts earned him the coveted Hilda Staub Garey Alumni Service Award in 1995.

He continued to make a difference inthe community in his next professionalappointment as vice president and

community development manager atPNC Bank in Scranton, Pa., where hemade sure the bank met its obligations to serve low- and moderate-incomecustomers through programs andcommunity outreach.

All the while, he made time to serve as a member of the Ethics Institute ofNortheastern Pennsylvania and theDiversity Institute at Misericordia, andwas a founding member of the WyomingValley Habitat for Humanity. He alsovolunteered with the Catholic YouthCenter, Consumer Credit CounselingService, the Back Mountain LibraryAuction, and as a Eucharistic minister in the Catholic Church.

Even with all that to his credit, hisservice mission was just getting started.In 2000, he started with Volunteers ofAmerica of Pennsylvania. “I am proud ofthe role I played in expanding criticalservices to those in need,’’ he says. “Inmy 12 years there, we made a differencein the lives of many people.”

It was no surprise to anyone that hisfuture employer, recognized his infectiousenthusiasm and boundless energy, bypresenting him with the agency’s highestaward for volunteerism, the Rose BraderAward, in 2003.

Now at the United Way, Jones reflectsback on his years at Misericordia as thebuilding blocks that made him who he istoday. “I now understand how the tenetsof the Sisters of Mercy were incorporatedin nearly everything we did on campus,’’he says. “They affirmed in us anobligation to make the community abetter place.”

As he heads into the first United Wayfundraising campaign under his direction,he admits his anxiety level is high, but hisenthusiasm and optimism are even higher.

Mr. Jones can be reached at [email protected].


MISSIONaccomplished

Tenets guide alumnus to a career in helping thosemost in need at the United

Way and Volunteers ofAmerica of Pennsylvania

MISSIONaccomplished

Bill Jones ’85 is the presidentand CEO of the United Wayof Wyoming Valley.

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For the better part of her life,Jessica Lynn Sofranko, Ph.D.,C.C.C.-S.L.P., ’07 has beenenjoying the singing voice or

working to better understand the sciencebehind it and the causes of variousdisorders that seek to silencehumankind’s most important tool for communication.

Her family’s interest in music initiallyfueled her curiosity with the human voiceas she began piano lessons as a10-year-old and eventually addedclassical voice lessons as well. “I comefrom a very musical family,’’ Dr. Sofrankosays. “The lessons sparked my interest invocal physiology and vocal health. Ibegan to question the many differenttypes of singing I was experiencing andthis extended to conversation andultimately disordered voice.’’

Those specialized lessons also started amusical odyssey that saw her make aonce-in-a-lifetime appearance at CarnegieHall as an 18 year old and countless liveperformances at regional and state venuesbefore a slight detour changed herdirection and focus. After years of singinglessons and being trained as a classicalpianist, the science behind the humanvoice took center stage.

By enrolling as a graduate student inMisericordia University’s five-year Masterof Science degree program in speech-language pathology (SLP), she was ableto perform clinical rotations in theSpeech-Language and Hearing Center oncampus and participate in timely researchwith her mentor, Cari Tellis, Ph.D.,associate professor at Misericordia. Theinvaluable experiences provided herhands-on experience in treating regional

clients with a myriad of communicationdisorders and it also returned her tocenter stage when she presented hercollaborative research findings at stateand national conferences.

“My passion to further my knowledgestarted at Misericordia simply observingthe faculty and how motivated they wereto better our field,’’ she says. “Misericordianot only gave me an excellent education,but also provided me with numerousclinical experiences, leadership andresearch opportunities, and the confidenceto present at large conferences, teach andsupervise students.’’

Five years after graduating fromMisericordia, Dr. Sofranko pauses at thesuggestion and quickly says she does notconsider herself a pioneer. But the recipientof the 2007 Misericordia University SLPAcademic Excellence Award became thefirst graduate of the 10-year-old programto earn a doctorate, successfully arguingher thesis, “The Effect of Experience andthe Relationship Among Subjective andObjective Measures of Voice Quality.’’She received her Ph.D. in voice andspeech science with a sub-specialty indysphagia and singing voice in Augustfrom Penn State University, one of the topdoctoral programs in the country for SLP.

Four additional graduates of the MUprogram also have enrolled in Ph.D.programs to work on their doctoratedegrees. Kelly DeHaven ’08 is attendingArcadia University; Erik Raj ’09 is atWayne State University; Carly Jo Hosbach’09 is enrolling at Syracuse University; andNicholas Barone ’11 has been acceptedat James Madison University.

A recipient of a full assistantship andthe MaryAnn Peins Graduate StudentScholarship in Speech Pathology at PennState, Dr. Sofranko, 28, has accepted anassistant professorship at the College of

St. Rose, Albany, N.Y., after completingher doctorate in three years and receivingseveral employment offers.

“I will certainly continue doing researchto contribute to our knowledge of voiceand speech science in the field,’’ Dr.Sofranko says. “Aside from this, I do haveplans to teach whether it’s a facultyposition, guest lectures, or presentationsat conferences. I will always, though, be aclinician at heart and wish to continuetreating. After all, our patients guide ourresearch and lectures.’’

The field of SLP continues to evolve asclinicians and scientists learn more aboutthe science behind the human voice andthe disorders that seek to silence it. GlenTellis, Ph.D., chair and professor at MU,knows Dr. Sofranko will succeed whethershe is helping a stroke patient regain aclear voice or if she is assisting a childaddress the spectrum of autism.

“Jessica is very hard working and selfmotivated,’’ Dr. Glen Tellis says. “Whenshe decides to complete a task she isvery goal oriented and pays attention tothe smallest detail. These are some of the attributes that have allowed her tosuccessfully complete her doctorate.’’

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Misericordia SLP graduate becomes first in program’s history to earn her Ph.D.

‘A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human

speech as possible. Powerlessness and silence go together.’

– NOVELIST MARGARET ATWOOD

V O I C E P I O N E E R

Jessica Lynn Sofranko, Ph.D., C.C.C.-S.L.P., ‘07lectures at Penn State.

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A ngela Burda ‘08, O.D., admitsher recent accomplishment has yet tosink in.

In May, the 26-year-old graduated fromthe Pennsylvania College of Optometryat Salus University in Elkins Park, Pa., witha Doctorate in Optometry, concluding apath that originated in high school andwound through Misericordia University.Dr. Burda has dreamed of being anoptometrist since her high school days at Marian Catholic in Tamaqua, Pa. Therewere a few things about the professionthat appealed to her.

“I always wanted to do something inthe medical field, and with optometry youhave that patient interaction that I reallyenjoy,” says Dr. Burda, who also earneda Bachelor of Science degree from SalusUniversity in 2009. “When I was in highschool, I used to spend time at my uncle’soffice (Dr. Gary Andrus, O.D.)and follow him around.”

Dr. Burda, the daughter of Mike andGloria Burda of Barnesville, Pa.,graduated from Marian Catholic in 2004and, with the decision made to follow inher uncle’s footsteps to become an

optometrist, she had to choose a schoolto start her on her academic journey.

Majoring in biology was a must, Dr.Burda says. After she participated in anopen house at Misericordia and spokewith Frank Dipino, Ph.D., professor ofbiology, her mind was made up quickly.“Dr. Dipino was very encouraging and theMisericordia science program reallyappealed to me,” says Dr. Burda. “I alsoliked the smaller class sizes and thechance for more one-on-one instruction.I just felt comfortable with Misericordia.”

During her four years at Misericordia,Dr. Burda did more than just excel inclass. She served as a resident assistantfor two years, earned an achievementaward for her peer tutoring efforts andtaught study skills to students withlearning disabilities.

In the end, Dr. Burda not only earneda Bachelor of Science degree in biologyfrom MU, but she also left Misericordia asa well-rounded person. And that, she says,is what helped her get into SalusUniversity to pursue her doctorate degree.“Your grades and the school that you wentto are important, but Salus really looks forwell-rounded students,” she says.

As part of her graduate studies, Dr.Burda was required to complete sixexternships at Advanced Eye Care,Limerick, Pa.; Wilkes-Barre VeteransAssociation Hospital, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.;The Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.;Edmonds and Associates, Drexel Hill, Pa.;Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa., andGreat Valley Eye Associates, Frazer, Pa.,in which she also was awarded clinical

honors at each assignment. Dr. Burdaworked in primary care, hospital andemergency room settings where sheperformed comprehensive eyeexaminations for various age groupsand concentrated on the diagnosis andmanagement of ocular diseases, as wellas providing specialty services in neuro-optometry, anterior segment, glaucoma,corneal refractive therapy and more.

“You can have a 4.0, but if you don’thave any people skills you’re not going to survive in a clinic,” she acknowledges.“A big part of optometry isn’t onlydiagnosing and treating, but alsoeducating your patient andcommunicating with them. That’s one ofthe skills I gained from the peer programsat Misericordia.”

Her Misericordia experience will alsopay dividends as Dr. Burda begins hercareer as an optometrist. Those years shespent helping her peers not only madeDr. Burda a better student, but a betterperson as well.

Now that she has her doctorate degreein hand, Dr. Burda is ready to begin hercareer as an optometrist. She hasaccepted a position as an associateoptometrist with Visionworks of AmericaInc. It’s a step the Wyncote, Pa., residenthas been looking forward to since shefollowed her uncle around in hisoptometry office years ago.

“It’s neat to look back over the last 12years and realize I accomplished the goalI set back then,” Dr. Burda says. “It’s beena lot of years and work, and I’m reallyexcited to get started.”

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Alumna earns doctorate in optometry from Salus University in Elkins Park

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A s your new Alumni Board President, Iam delighted to have this opportunityto introduce myself. I received my

Bachelor of Social Work in ’79 and my Master ofScience in Organizational Management in ’06.Returning to graduate school brought renewedpride in Misericordia as well as an intensifiedinterest to get involved with various volunteerprojects. For the past six years, I have served onthe Alumni Board. I also have worked for five ofthose years at Hospice Community Care as itsVolunteer Coordinator. More than ever, I nowunderstand the vital importance and energizingvalue of volunteers. Recently, your Alumni Boardagreed to promote MU Alumni volunteering. Somany ways exist to add your vigor and viewpointas Alumni. If you live nearby, I invite you to helpserve pizza to students during finals at Alumni Pie.Other hands- on options include FreshmanMove-in Day and the collection and counting ofclass donations. You don’t live nearby? Pleaseconsider hosting a gathering in your area.Volunteers are always needed at college fairsclose to your backyard. Please contact our AlumniOffice at (570) 674-6768 to seek ways tovolunteer.

Misericordia is in the midst of exciting times. Doplan soon to visit our beautiful and ever-changingcampus. Our new football program has generatedyet another construction boom. By fall, we will havea new field house, multi-use field, baseball fieldand a new dormitory. Thanks to the class gift from2012 graduates, a Victory Bell will now ring forevery score made by any of our sports teams athome games. Construction always offers supportideas and naming opportunities, too. Pleaseconsider this wonderful way to leave your legacy.Your “woodland home on Dallas heights” invitesyou to cheer on one of our teams’ games. I hope tosee many of you at Homecoming. Remember, infootball, we are still undefeated since 1924!

Bittersweet times are also on the horizon. Asyou may know, our beloved President Michael A.MacDowell and his First Lady Tina will retire inJune 2013. Words cannot express our gratitudefor the countless positive changes and amazinggrowth over the 15 years of their tenure. I speakfor all Alumni in affirming that we will alwaysconsider the MacDowells members of our family.We hope they will enter through the Tudor Archoften to be welcomed again to this magnificentcampus, where they have left an enduring imprint.

My special thanks to Helene Flower Reed ‘66,our outgoing Alumni Association Board president.Not only has she been an exceptional leader, butshe has helped me tremendously. I look forwardto her mentoring in the year ahead.

I say with every confidence that we, the Alumni,can truly be, “Misericordia Proud!”

Alumni News

Kelly SpencerMcAndrew ’79

For more information aboutalumni events and news,visit the MU website:misericordia.edu/alumni

Donna Kaylor ’63 recentlyretired from St. Anne Schoolin Lancaster, Pa., afterteaching there for 47 years.

She earned her BS degree in elementaryeducation at MU.

Rosemary Dvorsky Gido’67, Ph.D., received the2012 Academy of CriminalJustice Sciences Corrections

Section John Howard Award in recognitionof her lifetime of service and scholarshipin corrections. She was also the recipientof the 2011 Irish Penology Symposiumand Network Award for her contribution tothe disciplines of criminology andpenology. Dr. Gido retired in September2011 as professor of criminology atIndiana University of Pennsylvania,Indiana, Pa. Rosemary is the editor of ThePrison Journal and she is an activemember of the Pennsylvania legislatureʼstask force on the needs of childrenincarcerated. Dr. Gido earned a BSW insocial work from MU. She lives inBoalsburg, Pa.

Elizabeth Connery ’77 wasnamed the 2011 Associationof Fundraising Professionals(AFP) Outstanding Fund

Raising Executive in November 2011. Sheearned a Bachelor of Science cum laudein home economics with a minor inbusiness administration.

Theresa Kelly Long ’85 wasnamed superintendent forDanville State Hospital inOctober 2011. She received

her BSN in 1985. She lives with herhusband and two children in Drums, Pa.

Kevin Walter Poplawski’98 and Elizabeth AnnGersuk were united in thesacrament of marriage July

16, 2011 at St. Ignatius Church, Kingston,Pa. Kevin is employed as a physicaltherapist by Emory Health Care, Atlanta,Ga., and is also a certified golf fitnessinstructor. After a honeymoon in CostaRica, the couple resides in Atlanta, Ga.

Eric Barlett ’98 and Courtney Harris weremarried on Aug. 24, 2002.

Maribeth Matlowski ’99and her husband, RobertArtman, were married in 2011.

Erin Clough ’99 married Roy Arndt onApril 24, 2011 at Our Lady of the SacredHeart Church.

Dr. Andrea Johnson-Davis ’99 appearedon NJTV Channel 23 and WHYY Channel12 as an expert on bone health and jointreplacement. She is employed by STARPhysical Therapy in N.J., as the clinical director.

Class NotesStay in touch with friends, classmates and the Misericordia University campus communitythroughout the year by posting updates about your career, family and other noteworthy andfun accomplishments on cougarconnect.misericordia.edu or facebook.com/MisericordiaAlumni.

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David M. Kozich, D.P.T. ’99, ‘10 wasconfirmed by the Pennsylvania Senateto the State Board of Physical Therapyafter being nominated by Gov. TomCorbett. Dr. Kozich is the coordinator ofoutpatient physical therapy at St. LukeʼsMinerʼs Memorial Hospital, Coaldale, Pa.He is married to Erin McDermott Kozich,P.T., ʻ99. The couple and their fivechildren live in Mountaintop, Pa.

Jessica Delamater ’01and her husband, EricBrigham, were marriedAug. 27, 2011.

Ronald Studd ’04 wedSusan Jones on Aug. 6,2011 at the RockwoodCarriage House,

Wilimington, Del. Ronald is employed atConnolly Health Care, Philadelphia, Pa.,where he is an associate businesssystems analyst. The couplehoneymooned in Santorini, Greece.

Melissa Savage ’04 and StephenLuebbert were married Nov. 12, 2011.Melissa is a veterinarian at Millis AnimalHospital, St. Louis, Mo. The couplehoneymooned in Costa Rica. Theyreside in Webster Groves, Mo.

Joseph J. Musto ’04, ’07, was nameddirector of regional development andstrategic planning with the Platte, Neb.,hospital.

Amy Marie Buydos ’05and David Grabinski wereunited in holy matrimonyon Oct. 8, 2011. Amy is

employed as a senior product specialistfor Blue Cross of NortheasternPennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Theyhoneymooned in Aruba and live atHarveys Lake, Pa.

Christine Marie Homcha ’05 graduatedas a doctor of medicine with highacademic honors from the Penn StateCollege of Medicine in May 2011. Shebegan her residency in plastic andreconstructive surgery at the Penn StateHershey Medical Center. She earned herB.S. in health sciences and M.S. inphysical therapy from MU.

Shawna Selena Lizbinski ’05 andBradley Klatka were united in marriageApril 28, 2012, at Bentleyʼs, Ashley, Pa.Shawna is employed in the quality

assurance department at Web.com. Thecouple honeymooned in Cancun,Mexico. They now reside in Drums, Pa.

Christine Marie Homcha ’05 and KyleJones were united in marriage during aMass and wedding ceremony on May28, 2011 at St. Francis of Assisi Church,Nesquehoning, Pa. Christine is aresident in plastic surgery at the PennState Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.The couple resides in Hershey, Pa.

Tianna Pauline Rizzo ’05 and JosephJohn Bolinsky III were married Oct. 1,2011 at Sacred Heart Church, Weston,Pa. Tianna is a physical therapist andclinic manager at Pro RehabilitationServices in Hazleton, Pa., and ispursuing her doctorate degree inphysical therapy. They honeymooned inAruba and live in Bloomsburg, Pa.

Nicole DeLucia ’06 andJohn Nemic III weremarried Sept. 10, 2011, atSt. John the Evangelist

Church, Pittston, Pa. Nicole is a RN andcase manager for Geisinger Health Plan.They honeymooned in St. Lucia andreside in Plains Township, Pa.

Cheryl Marie Bolesta ’06 and BrandonMichael Jayne ʼ08 were united inmarriage July 9, 2011 at All SaintsParish in Plymouth, Pa. Following ahoneymoon to the Caribbean, the coupleresides in Plymouth.

Daniel Michael Liuzzo ’07and Taryn Mellody Liuzzochose St. Mary of MountCarmel Church, Dumore,

Pa., as the setting for their June 16,2012 wedding. Daniel is employed byCigna Healthcare.

Angela Marie Petrilla ’08and Charles Osenkarski IIIwere married Oct. 22,2011. Angela is employed

by Dish Network as a strategic areamanager for the Northeast. The coupleresides in Plains Township, Pa.

Jennifer Lynn Opel ’08 and MichaelHuntzinger, Jr. were married Oct. 8,2011, at Fox Hill Country Club, Exeter,Pa. Jennifer is employed as a pharmacy technician by CookʼsPharmacy, Shavertown, Pa. Theyhoneymooned in Montego Bay,

Jamaica, and live in Trucksville, Pa.,with their dog, Bear.

Michael M. Evans ’08 had his scholarly evidence-based practiceproject published in the journal, Medical-Surgical Nursing. He graduated from the clinical nurse specialist track and is an instructor of nursing at Penn StateUniversity – Worthington, Dunmore, Pa.

Alison Ostrum ’09 andFrancis Jude Schappert’10 were married June 25,2011. Alison is employed

by the Hazleton Area School District andFrancis is employed by Kraft Foods.They honeymooned in Hawaii on theislands of Maui and Oahu. They live inHanover Township, Pa.

Mallory Jones ’10 andMichael Devaney chosethe The Inne of theAbingtons, Dalton, Pa., as

the setting for their Aug. 6, 2011 garden ceremony.Mallory is a speech-language pathologistat Allied Services, Scranton, Pa.Following a wedding trip to Las Vegas,Nev., the couple resides in Clarks Summit, Pa.

Kerri Jean Stephens ’10 and MarkMichael McKeown II were married Aug. 20, 2011. Kerri is employed by Blue Cross of NEPA as a senior product specialist. They live in Dallas, Pa., after honeymooning in Nashville, Tenn.

Megan Mary Baker ’10 and Nicholas DeStefano ’09 were marriedAug. 13, 2011 at St. Thereseʼs Church,Shavertown, Pa. Megan is employed as a radiologic technologist at GrandStrand Regional Medical Center andNicholas is employed as a residentdirector at Coastal Carolina University.They honeymooned in Walt DisneyWorld and live in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Matthew Edward Vitale ’10 wasawarded a M.S. degree in schoolpsychology by Philadelphia Collegeof Osteopathic Medicine in July 2011. He earned a B.S. in psychology at MU.

Amanda Brown ’12 andNicholas Barone ’11 weremarried May 26, 2012 inthe Misericordia Chapel.

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Fifty-two years after CarolSchoeller Bessette ‘60graduated magna cum laudewith a Bachelor of Arts degree

in social studies from Misericordia, shestill wears a reminder of her time at theschool.

Everyday Bessette, who now resides in Springfield, Va., wears her class ring.It’s cracked, but the stone is still in placeand, most importantly, it reminds her of the college that prepared her for a lifetime of accomplishments.

Bessette is a retired Air Forceintelligence officer and a Vietnamveteran. She had a long career in military intelligence, including threeassignments overseas.

Today, Bessette owns and operates theSpies of Washington Tour, a position shehas held since 1994. Using theknowledge she gained from her career in military intelligence, Bessette takesvisitors to all the hotspots in the nation’scapitol where spying and espionage tookplace as early as the Civil War. “Spying isa fact of life,” she says, matter-of-factly.“Businesses and industries do it. It’s notjust limited to governments.”

Bessette’s career in intelligenceconcluded in the mid-1980’s and she saidthe methods of spying and espionagehave changed dramatically since thattime. The biggest change, she says, is the

advancement of technology. “Back then,we had satellites. Today, they have GPS,drones, digital photography, facerecognition. It boggles my mind. Wereally can’t hide.”

While Bessette’s career has taken herall around the world, her journey beganwhen she left her New Jersey home forDallas, Pa., to begin her academic careerat Misericordia.

“The four years at Misericordia weremy stepping stone into a wider world,”says Bessette, who also shared hermemory of her favorite Misericordia drinkof Coke and chocolate milk mixedtogether, and memories of the newgymnasium in the lower level ofMcAuley-Walsh — later named McGintyGym after Sister Eloise McGinty.

“Out of the quiet, we suddenly heardthe voices of perhaps several dozenyoung women down below singingtraditional Christmas carols,’’ saysBessette, recalling a time while teachingat Trinity College in Washington, D.C.,

when the student body of theall-women’s undergraduate schoolcelebrated the season through song. “Asthe sound wafted up from the downstairslobby area, it immediately took me backto a similar tradition at Misericordia. Thesound was the same.’’

When Bessette was nearinggraduation, she decided to pursue acareer with the military – an unusualchoice for women at the time, she says.But the faculty members at Misericordiawere encouraging, and with that vote ofconfidence, Bessette joined the Air Forcefor what would be a 25-year career thatincluded eight years in Germany and ayear in Vietnam. “Each of those years hasled to a thirst for travel that has yet to beabated,” she says.

While Bessette spent the last 50-plusyears traveling the world and delvingdeep into the world of espionage, shehas never forgotten her Misericordiaroots. She still keeps in touch with someof her classmates and follows the pathsthey have all taken in life.

“I know there have been more than afew novels examining the divergent pathsof a group of young college friends, but Ihave long thought that a great bookcould be written about our group ofyoung women graduating in 1960 into aworld that would change radically in thenext decade,” Bessette says. Misericordiaopened a wider world to us all.”

Spy GamesAlumna enjoys career as military intelligence

officer, world traveler and tour guide

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Quick Info:

For more information about CarolBessette’s business, the Spies ofWashington Tour, please log on tospiesofwashingtontour.com.

Carol Bessette ’60gives a tour of the

nation’s capitol for herbusiness, the Spies of

Washington Tour.

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Maintain your MU friendshipsfor a lifetime by registering on CougarConnectFor more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at:[email protected] or visit: cougarconnect.misericordia.edu

Alumni Volunteer Program: Contact Denise Miscavage ’97 at (570) 674-6248to be an admissions, alumni/development or career services volunteer.

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CEREMONYMore memories at: http://bit.ly/MUSpringComm12

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ATHLETICS & ALUMNI EVENTS

There will be plenty of camaraderie onSaturdays this fall as alumni and friendsbuild support for their new football teamat Misericordia’s new Cougar Village.

The designated tailgating area will beset up in the parking area adjacent to theHafey-McCormick Science Center threehours prior to every home football game.Designed to offer a fun andfamily-friendly environment, parkingspaces will be available by priorregistration only.

There is a $10 charge per space, $5 forMU students, with the limited number of

spaces allocated on a first-come,first-served basis.

The University has establishedstringent regulations regarding cookinggrills, the consumption of alcohol andbehavior in the name of goodsportsmanship. The full set of rules andregistration forms can be found atCougarConnect, atwww.misericordia.edu/alumni, or at theAthletics home page, www.misericordia.edu/athletics.

For away games, check with the hostschools for their policies on tailgating.

Former New York Giants standout OttisO.J. Anderson was the special guest atMisericordia University’s “VIP All Access”football kick-off celebration on June 29 atThe Seasons Ballroom at Mohegan Sun atPocono Downs, Plains Township, Pa.Misericordia begins its first season ofvarsity football competition in the MAC,Sept. 1 at Gettysburg and will host its firsthome game against Widener, Sept. 15.

“We're excited about the upcomingfootball season,” says David Martin,director of athletics. “This event was awonderful opportunity to learn moreabout the Misericordia football programand meet one of the best running backsin the history of the NFL.”

Anderson, a 14-year NFL veteran, wasa first round draft pick of the St. LouisCardinals and was the 1979 NFL Rookieof the Year when he rushed for acareer-high 1,605 yards. He went on tohelp the New York Giants to a pair ofSuper Bowl victories and earned MVPhonors in a win over the Buffalo Bills inSuper Bowl XXV. Anderson amassed10,273 career rushing yards and is one of 26 NFL running backs to rush for more 10,000 yards. He had six1,000-yard seasons and scored 81 career touchdowns.

In addition to meeting Anderson,attendees met head coach Mark Ross andthe coaching staff, and they heard abouttheir game plan for the inaugural footballseason. A silent auction featuring animpressive array of sports memorabiliawas also featured at the dinner. Some ofthe items that were up for bid, included a Reggie Bush autographed football;Yankees jerseys signed by Yogi Berra and Don Mattingly; and much more.

The $13,000 in proceeds realized from the dinner and auction will be used to support the Pursuit ofAcclamation campaign.

Super Bowl MVP headlines fundraiser for football program

Cougar Village pumps excitement into football season

There will be plenty of excitementwhen Homecoming 2012 gets underwaythe weekend of Sept. 28-30. Come andbe a part of history in the making asMisericordia University shows off its newbuildings, newest sports team, new fieldsand dedicates its new field house! Jointhe fun at MU’s new tailgating venue aswe celebrate the Cougar’s firstHomecoming football game.

The weekend of alumni activities willget underway with the Sports Hall ofFame induction ceremony on Friday,Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the AndersonSports and Health Center.

On Saturday, Misericordia will dedicatethe new John and Mary Metz FieldHouse with a ceremony at 10:30 a.m.The Univeristy community and membersof the Board of Trustees will be there torecognize their chairman, his wife and hisfamily for their dedication to theUniversity and, in particular, MU athletics.

The new Cougars football team willbattle Stevenson College at nearbyMangelsdorf Field at 1 p.m. for their firstHomecoming Football Game. Thefestivities will continue at an alumni andfriends After Game party, hostedoff-campus at the Metro Bar and Grill inDallas, from 5-8 p.m.

MU’s newly named turf field, “Mac”McGeehan Field, adjacent to theTownhouses on the upper campus, willalso see action. The newly resurfacedvenue, named after Mary Ellen “Mac”

McGeehan ’46, will host field hockey at11 a.m. The women’s soccer team willalso compete at 5 p.m., men’s soccer at7:30 p.m., and the men’s tennis team willtake to the courts adjacent to theAnderson Center at 11 a.m.

A Spirit Tent will be set up on the lawnof McHale Hall where there will be plentyof pre-game activities, including a BestFan Outfit contest, face painting, andgreen screen photos with the Cougar.

The Class of 1987 will also mark their25th Anniversary with a HomecomingMass celebrated at the University Chapelat 5 p.m. and a gala reunion dinner withdancing from 8-11 p.m. in Insalaco Hall.

For students, a series of Spirit Weekactivities will precede Homecoming andincludes a Meet the Teams bonfire onWednesday, a Spirit Dance on Thursday,and the introduction of the HomecomingCourt at a Talent Show on Friday. ACasino Night will take place on Saturdayat 8 p.m. The President’s Cup VolleyballTournament, where the students take onfaculty and staff, will be held Sunday at 1p.m. near McHale Hall.

Wrapping up the weekend, studentsand parents will be treated to a specialbrunch on Sunday (registration required).

For additional details and to register,go to CougarConnect or the Alumnihome page at www.misericordia.edu/alumni.

— By Marianne Tucker Puhalla

WELCOME HOME!Homecoming includes dedication of field house

O.J. Anderson poses with the Cougar andmembers of the cheerleading squad.

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here have been many outstanding accomplishmentsthroughout the history of Misericordia athletics.As the oldest sports on campus, the winningtraditions in field hockey and women’s basketballdate back to the 1930s. With the addition of men’s

sports, the baseball and men’s basketball teams wonchampionships during the 1980s.

Individual successes like Eric Sweeney’s ‘99 NCAASwimming Championship and All-American performancesby Heather Dougherty Holdredge ‘97 and Frankie Redmond‘11 and Willie Chandler’s ‘03 scoring records were certainly impressive.

In more than eight decades of athletics competition, the Misericordia Cougars/Highlanders have held numerousconference affiliations including membership in the MiddleAtlantic Conferences/Freedom since 2007-2008. Althoughtheir time in the MAC has been brief,the Misericordia University AthleticsDepartment is joining in the 100thanniversary celebration of the MAC by highlighting its greatest moment in the MAC.

In addition to being Misericordia’s topMAC moment, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012may go down as the greatest day in thehistory of the school’s athletics programas the men’s and women’s basketballteams swept the Freedom Conferencebasketball championships. Facing localrivals and with multiple media outlets inattendance, the Misericordia women’sand men’s basketball teams won adoubleheader that sent them to theNCAA Division III Tournament andperhaps gave both programs the credibility they have long deserved.

The women’s team broke a 21-21 tie late in the first halfand dominated the final 25 minutes en route to a 64-54 winat King’s to earn the first NCAA bid in the program’s history.Not to be out done, the Misericordia men’s basketball teamused a second-half outburst to beat Wilkes, 69-42, and earnits first NCAA berth.

It marked the first time that two Misericordia teamsclaimed NCAA berths on the same day. The day was madepossible by the vision of two separate administrations atMisericordia and the hard work of numerous coaches and

TOPMACMOMENTS

Misericordia notes historicmilestonesin new athleticconference

student-athletes.It started in the summer of 1990 when then president Dr. Pasquale

DiPasquale announced that Misericordia would seek membership inNCAA Division III and that Dr. Michael Mould would become theschool’s director of athletics. In turn, Mould hired Dave Martin asMisericordia’s men’s basketball coach and the quest began.

The Cougars began Division III competition in September of 1992and the Anderson Sports and Health Centeropened a year later.

Misericordia won its share of PAC titles, butthey didn’t include the prize of an automaticNCAA berth.

Finally, the 2000 men’s soccer team brokedown the NCAA barrier with the school’s firsttrip to the NCAA Championships. The softballand women’s soccer teams followed suit and allthree teams made multiple NCAA appearancesover the next decade.

In the late 2000s, with Martin now serving as director of athletics, Dr. Michael MacDowellsteered the Misericordia athletics program tomembership in the Freedom Conference. Dayslike this were certainly on MacDowell’sconscience when he engineered the switch as

he envisioned intensifying the local rivalries with King’s and Wilkes.It all came to fruition on a Saturday afternoon in February with a

pair of games in front two energized crowds featuring teams fromthree institutions located just nine miles apart.

The women’s basketball team, under Martin’s guidance as interimhead coach, knocked off King’s for the second time in two weeks.Playing in front of the biggest Anderson Center crowd since openingnight almost 20 years ago, the men’s basketball team didn’tdisappoint as they took control of the game early in the second halfand never looked back while taking down Wilkes.

As evidenced by the on-court celebration, it certainly was a greatday to be a Cougar!

2012 Football Schedule

Sat. Sept. 1 at GettysburgSat. Sept. 8 at Lebanon Valley *Sat. Sept. 15 Widener *Sat. Sept. 22 at King's College *Sat. Sept. 29 Stevenson * (Homecoming)

Sat. Oct. 6 at Wilkes University*Sat. Oct. 20 at Delaware Valley *Sat. Oct. 27 FDU-Florham *Sat. Nov. 3 at Albright *Sat. Nov. 10 Lycoming *

* MAC opponent

TS T O RY B Y S C O T T C R I S P E L L

The men’s, left, andwomen’s, right,

basketball teamsenjoyed historic

seasons last year.

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Make more alumni connections. Visit cougarconnect.misericordia.eduby using your unique log-in ID located aboveyour address on Misericordia Today.

Make more alumni connections. Visit cougarconnect.misericordia.eduby using your unique log-in ID located aboveyour address on Misericordia Today.

Alumni return to campus to serve pizza as part of Alumni Pie,

which is the kick-off event before the week of finals.

Lawrence Paddock, Nicholas Sulzer and Jonathan Weiss participatein the Alumni Welcoming Ceremony.

Soon-toAlumni W

Alumni pevent in

Alumni and friends celebrate St. Patrick’s Dayat Mercy Center.

December 2011 Class valedictorians Krista Shenk and Cassandra Fox pose

for a picture before receiving their degrees.

Members of the Class of 2012 add their signatures to a classsign that is posted during the Commencement ceremony.

The campus community comes together at the Wells Fargo Amphitheater as

part of the Alumni Welcoming Ceremony to honor the Class of 2012.

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Soon-to-be graduates toast MU at the

Alumni Welcoming Ceremony.

Alumni prepare gifts bags that are presented to members of the

Class of 2012 at Commencement.

Members of the Class of 2012 reflect on their years at MU at the Alumni Welcoming Ceremony.

President MacDowell lights a candle at the AlumniWelcoming Ceremony.

ParenteBeard hosts a networking event in April. Fifteen alumni acted as marshals for the 86th Annual Commencement Ceremony in May.

Alumni and friends renew acquaintances during an event in South Carolina in March.Alumni participate in a March 2012event in Stroudsburg, Pa.

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Career comes into focusfor biology graduate student

Erin Evans ’12 was like a lot of other young children growing up.She enjoyed playing at the neighborhood park with her best friendand taking piano lessons. As a softball player, though, somethingalways seemed amiss or out of focus for her on the field.

When she was fitted for glasses in third grade, a lot of thingscame into focus for Evans, the daughter of David and KathleenEvans of Kingston, Pa. — including her future career.

“From a young age, I was very familiar with going to see theeye doctor,’’ says Evans, who graduated in May with a bachelor’sdegree in biology. “I was always intrigued by all of theequipment in the exam room. My optometrist was always verypatient as he fielded my numerous questions about everythinghe was doing. This is how I became interested and fascinated byoptometry, and hoped one day I would be able to change otherpeople’s lives by improving their eyesight.’’

A member of the TriBeta Biological Honor Society and anactive volunteer in the Biology Club and Dead Alchemist Society,Evans says the personal attention she received at MisericordiaUniversity helped instill in her the confidence she needed topursue her graduate degree. “Misericordia’s biology programreally developed and fine-tuned my science foundation,’’ saysEvans. “I’m a hands-on learner, so the laboratory work helpedme reinforce and understand the lecture material. This thorougheducation helped me develop personally by giving me theconfidence to apply to optometry school, which before I thoughtit was something I could not attain.’’

With her undergraduate degree in hand, Evans will begin thesecond leg of her academic journey in the fall at PennsylvaniaCollege of Optometry at Salus University, Elkins Park, Pa., whereshe will pursue her four-year doctor of optometry degree. In2011, the prestigious graduate school received 1,089 applicantsfor the optometry program and accepted 162 students.

“I would absolutely choose Misericordia University again,’’Evans adds. “Their strong programs have proven to be able toprepare students and give them confidence to expand theireducation and develop future successful careers.’’

— By Paul Krzywicki

COM graduate takes talents to Widener Law School

Recognized as a talented broadcaster, dancer and actress,Communications Department graduate Shana Weinstock ‘12,was fascinated when she was placed on assignment in acourtroom during a television news internship and she saw thedrama of criminal prosecution play out. Almost instantaneously,the would-be news journalist made up her mind that she wouldrather be making news happen as a litigator than covering theresults as a reporter.

She is well on her way. Weinstock was accepted to WidenerUniversity School of Law, and began classes this summer at thecampus in Harrisburg, Pa.

“I saw how important the presentation of the case was to theoutcome,” Weinstock says of her internship experience. “I knowthat I want to use the communications skills I learned as anundergraduate to be in the courtroom as a litigator, possiblypursuing a specialty in arts and entertainment law.” Misericordiaclasses in government, law and national security and businesslaw also helped her prepare for law school.

A Dallas, Pa., native, Weinstock also spent time last summer as a volunteer in the Bankruptcy Court in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., whereshe assisted Judge John Thomas with his research for pro bonowork and she sat in on the adjudication of several cases.

Weinstock was an anchor and reporter for the Cougar Caststudent television station, and frequently hosted ‘Miseri Minute’reports that aired on campus and the Misericordia website.

A dance student since she was a young girl, Weinstock hadyears of theatrical and voice training that she put to good use as a member of the Misericordia Players theatrical troupe,appearing in productions of “The Hollow” and “The CuriousSavage” on campus and in numerous community theaterproductions. She was also a writer for The Highlander studentnewspaper and a four-year member of the Misericordia DanceTeam, in addition to completing an internship with theMisericordia Marketing Department, where she contributed to an award-winning radio commercial.


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Alumnus finds ‘own path’to doctorate in pharmacy

Kristine Paddock always had a sense her only son would enjoya career in the medical field because of his strong interest inmath and science. During Lawrence Paddock’s ’12 junior year in high school, she suggested a career in pharmacy. Unsure ofthis career path, he chose to major in biology at Misericordia.

The career path seemed natural for the eldest of Larry andKristine Paddock’s three children as he developed an earlyfascination with the sciences. Even though he matriculated toMisericordia to major in biology and minor in chemistry,Lawrence had “no hopes or expectations of dealing with futureplans’’ in pharmacology — until his junior year of college.

“I was resistant and I wanted to find my own path,’’ he says. “It wasn’t until my junior year during winter break that I realized Iwanted to pursue being a pharmacist. During the fall semester, Itook Biochemistry 1 and I really enjoyed the material and learningabout pathology associated with biochemical dysfunction.’’

It took Lawrence a little time to find his niche in the sciences,but it certainly did not hinder his academics or graduate schoolplacement. He applied to and was accepted by Lake Erie Collegeof Osteopathic Medicine’s School of Pharmacy (LECOM), ThomasJefferson University School of Pharmacy and Albany College ofPharmacy. In the summer, he began the year-round, three-yearDoctor of Pharmacy program at LECOM, which accepted only 140 students out of 1,700 applicants for last year’s class.

“I hope that what I have learned here at Misericordia carriesover to LECOM’s teachings and that the holistic approach tomedicine comes naturally to me,’’ he says. “I think one of themajor contributing factors to my acceptance at these schools is not being afraid to speak to a professor or really just anyoneimportant. I believe the small class sizes and close relationshipsyou gain with the professors at Misericordia makes beingpersonable in a professional manner much easier elsewhere.’’

The first two years of the program are didactic and his finalyear will consist of six rotations in different fields of pharmacy.After that, he will decide whether he wants to work in a hospitalsetting, a research facility or become a community pharmacist.

— By Paul Krzywicki

Biochemistry grad to pursuecareer in missionary medicineInspired by the culture of service to others that she found at

Misericordia, Kelsey Daum ’12 chose to continue her educationat a medical school that specializes in rural and missionarymedicine.

Daum earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in Mayand selected Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, anaffiliate of the Virginia Tech Carillon School of Medicine, inBlacksburg, Va., for her graduate education. The school offersstudents the opportunity to travel to South and Central Americaas part of their studies to treat indigent populations.

As a Misericordia undergrad, the Orwigsburg, Pa., nativeserved as a tutor in the Student Success Center and worked inboth the history and chemistry departments. Under the guidanceof Anna Fedor, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, sheconducted computational chemistry research on ionic liquids and presented the results at a regional research symposium.

Her passion for health care was confirmed after completing ashadowing experience with her older sister, Dr. Breanna Henry, adoctor of osteopathy in family practice. Yet, it was a spring breaktrip to Wichita Falls, Texas, where she helped build a Habitat forHumanity house from the ground up that eventually determinedthe direction of her career.

“Medicine is about caring for people's health and well-being,”she explains. “Service work is about meeting people at anystage in their lives and doing what you can for them. When youbring the two together … you can change lives. I decided tobecome a doctor because I'm committed to a lifelong journey of helping as many people as I can in as many ways as I can and the mission medicine program at VCOM will allow me to do just that.”

She credits Dr. Fedor for helping her look inside herself at who she was and what she wanted in life. “I could bounce anyidea off her and know she'd not only listen, but reflect back andget me to evaluate what I was thinking about. That kind ofinsight, faith and trust was more valuable than any pointers I received along the way,” she says.


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That is just what Misericordia Universitychemistry/secondary education majorPatrick Martino ‘13 is attempting toaccomplish during a summer internship inorganic chemistry research at theUniversity of Oregon (UO).

The 10-week summer program,“Research Experience forUndergraduates (REU),” is sponsored bythe National Science Foundation andsupports undergraduate research projectsfor students in physics, chemistry,environmental chemistry, optics andmaterial science. UO is a highlyrespected teaching and researchinstitution with more than 25 researchcenters and institutes.

Martino is working closely with facultyadvisors and graduate students in theDavid Tyler Lab where they areattempting to develop an alternativemethod of making ammonia. The currentmethod requires very high temperaturesand very high pressures that account forapproximately 2 percent of the annual

global energy usage. “The demand forfertilizer is expected to drastically riseover the next few decades, thus, a moreaffordable, energy-efficient alternativeprocess is necessary. The goal is to beable to produce an organometalliccatalyst that will allow the synthesis ofammonia in normal, room-like conditionsdrastically reducing the amount of energyused,’’ explains Martino.

“The graduate student I am working

with, Alex Kendall, has been very helpfulin showing me the proper and mostefficient techniques in organic chemistry.Distillation, thin layer chromatography,column chromatography, and nuclearmagnetic resonance spectroscopy arejust a few of the techniques that we haveemployed thus far. It will be a longprocess of both thinking logically andtrying a variety of methods, but in theend it will be worth it to make adifference in the world,” he says.

Teaching chemistry at either the highschool or collegiate level has always beena dream of Martino. “My education atMisericordia and the lab experience that Ireceived there have definitely helped meout in this research experience. Myadvisor, Dr. Charles Saladino, Dr. Fedor,Leo Carr, and other faculty members indifferent disciplines all helped me in theprocess of applying to and gainingacceptance to the REU program.” Theinternship includes a $5,000 stipend, freehousing and free transportation betweenMartino’s home in Jim Thorpe, Pa. andthe UO campus in Eugene, Ore.

Martino also took the opportunity to explore the Pacific Northwest. Hisitinerary included whitewater rafting and the chance to hike in the area ofOregon’s second highest mountain, Mt. Jefferson.

Making a difference Chemistry student’s research may lead to reducing the world’s energy usage


Misericordia Universitystudent Patrick Martino ’13is participating in chemistryresearch at the Universityof Oregon.


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ertilizer is used around the world to help speed plantgrowth and increase food crop yields. So if scientists candesign a more energy-efficient way to make the ammonia

that goes into fertilizer, they can have an impact on decreasingglobal energy usage.

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Log on to Misericordia Today Extended at Misericordia.edu/MUTodayExtended for more stories

“It will be a long process ofboth thinking logically andtrying a variety of methods,but in the end it will beworth it to make a differencein the world.”

– Patrick Martino ‘13,Chemistry/Secondary Education

Jim Thorpe, Pa.

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The Misericordia University Center forAdult and Continuing Education hasnamed Melissa McNally Petrillo, 47, of Hanover Township, Pa., as theUniversity’s 2012 Outstanding AdultLearner. McNally Petrillo works full timeas a consulting underwriter for CoventryHealth Care and as afull-time student isalso on track tocomplete herbachelor’s degree inhealth caremanagement thissummer through theExpresswayAccelerated Degreeprogram. MisericordiaUniversity recognizedher perseverance anddedication as alifelong learner.

“I realized I needed to repurpose mylife following the death of a loved one,”she explained. “I enrolled at Misericordiashortly thereafter in January 2011, and Iam full time, carrying 12 credits persemester. Luckily, I work from home andenjoy the support of my company in myeducational pursuits so I can convertcommuting time to study time.”

McNally Petrillo has been employedby Coventry Health Care for 13 years.She felt it was appropriate to bring herhealth care administration skills andknowledge portfolio up to speed to staycurrent with the changes happeningwithin the health care industry.“Misericordia’s approach of studyingtraditional and necessary foundations ofhealth care administration, includingfinance and management, was a perfectfit for my needs,” she said. “I am amazedat the creativity of the learning cultureand the desire to prepare students tobecome critical thinkers, ready forprofessional success with emphasis onservice to the world.”

Inspired by the religious studiescourses she has taken as part of theMisericordia liberal arts curriculum, sheplans to pursue a master’s degree intheology and divinity, which she feels willhelp her care for the spiritual needs ofthose in health and hospice care.

For more information about the Centerfor Adult and Continuing Education,please log on to www.misericordia.edu/adulted or call (570) 674-6791.

McNally Petrillo named Outstanding Adult Learner

McNally Petrillo

A s a 9th and 11th grade Englishteacher, Kelly Lenahan Mulhern’08 knows that she is involved in

an important time in her students’academic lives, when many of them arepreparing to write those all-importantcollege application letters and essays.That made it all the more special whenshe was invited to become a writingfellow through the Pennsylvania Writingand Literature Project (PAWLP), a facet ofthe National Writing Project (NPW).

As a fellow, she completed anintensive four-week writing institute thatoffered best-practice strategies forteaching writing and literacy to students.The program was held at the WestChester University Graduate Center, inWest Chester, Pa.

“It is so important, particularly at thisage, to help students find their voice andstyle, while at the same time, assist themwith the mechanics of writing,” saidMulhern, who earned her bachelor’s

degree in English at St. Joseph’sUniversity, Philadelphia, Pa., andreturned to her hometown of Dallas, Pa.,to earn her master’s degree in curriculumand instruction at Misericordia in 2008.

The institute included sessions on howto breathe life into tired writing and writein diverse genres, with the opportunity toshare writing and teaching strategies forall students, kindergarten through 12thgrades. “PAWLP challenged me to thinklike a writer and a teacher of writing in acompletely new way, and I can honestlysay that I use the knowledge I gainedthrough the Writing Project every singleday in my classroom. Through PAWLP, Ilearned that everyone really does have astory to tell, and I now have the tools tohelp my students find theirs."

A member of the faculty at GarnetValley High School, in Glens Mills, Pa.,Lenahan previously taught atSummerville High School, inSummerville, S.C. There she was namedthe school’s 2010 Rookie Teacher of theYear, which recognized her efforts to go above and beyond her duties in the classroom.

She says she chose Misericordia’sgraduate program because of the flexibleschedule that allowed her to completeher master’s degree in just 1½ years.

Kelly is married to Dan Mulhern, agraduate of the U.S. Naval Academywho is pursuing a law degree at Widener University.

HELPING STUDENTS

find their INNER VOICE

Adult learner participates in writing education fellowship

Kelly Lenahan Mulhern ‘08 uses thetechniques she learned as a fellow of thePennsylvania Writing and Literature Project,to help her students at Garnet Valley HighSchool find their own voice in their writing.

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HCI Executive Master’sprogram begins in fall

The Health Care Informatics(HCI) Program has added a Masterof Science degree to complementits undergraduate certificateprogram to meet the need forskilled workers in the expandingfield of health care informatics inNortheastern Pennsylvania andacross the nation. Classes for the39-credit Health InformaticsExecutive Master’s DegreeProgram begin in the fall.

The master’s degree is gearedtoward mid-career workingprofessionals that want toadvance their careers bypreparing for senior managementroles in health care informatics.The program can be completed in as little as 12 months.

CACE introducescertificate in PACS

The Center for Adult andContinuing Education hasintroduced an 18-credit certificateprogram in Picture Archiving andCommunication Systems (PACS)Administration beginning with thefall semester. The certificateprogram prepares students to takethe Certified Imaging InformaticsProfessional examination.

The PACS Administrationcertificate is designed for medicalimaging or health care ITprofessionals who want a career inhealth care imaging informatics.

OT pass rate exceedsnational average

Members of the OccupationalTherapy Program’s 2011graduating class achieved a passrate higher than the nationalaverage among first-time testtakers for the National Board ofCertification in OccupationalTherapy examination.

The 93-percent pass rate by thegraduating class exceeds thenational average of 84 percent forfirst-time test takers who took thenational licensure examinationwhen it was administered betweenJanuary and December 2011. MU’stest takers also had a higheraverage total score — 480 to 477— than the national average.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Council ofthe Boy Scouts of America honoredPresident Michael A. MacDowell bypresenting him the 2012 DistinguishedCitizen Award at its annual dinner.

President MacDowell also was appointedby Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to a statepanel that will study how to make highereducation more accessible and affordable tothe students and taxpayers.

H. Jeremy Packard, M.A., an adjunctprofessor of history, unanimously was electedas the fifth member of the Luzerne CountyBoard of Elections and Registration for afour-year term. He will also serve as chair ofthe board.

Ann C. Roman, M.S., C.C.C.-S.L.P., clinicalsupervisor, was appointed by Gov. Corbett tothe State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language and Hearing.

Kathy Scaler Scott, Ph.D., assistantprofessor, Glen Tellis, Ph.D., professor andchair, students and alumni Maria Kidron ‘13,Danielle M. Cino ‘11, Amanda Tomaselli ‘15and Nicholas Barone ’11, had their researchpresented at the 7th World Congress onFluency Disorders at the Vinci InternationalConvention Center in Tours, France in July.

Jeffrey Becker, O.D., a part-time instructorin the occupational therapy program, andRobert Bohlander, Ph.D., have developed theOculomotor Therapy Program for the iPad touse in their private practice at the NeuroSensory Center of Eastern PA in Kingston, Pa.

Patrick Hamilton, Ph.D., associateprofessor of English, presented his paper,Out of Sequence: Temporality in GraphicNarrative, at the 2012 International Societyfor the Study of Narrative Conference in LasVegas, Nev.

Amy Lamb, O.T.D., O.T.R./L., a part-timeinstructor in the Doctorate in OccupationalTherapy Program, has been elected vicepresident of the American OccupationalTherapy Association.

Carolyn Yencharis Corcoran ‘08, assistantdirector of the Insalaco Center for CareerDevelopment, has been named president ofthe Middle Atlantic Counseling Association.

Misericordia University awarded tenure tofaculty: Brian F. Carso, J.D., Ph.D., promotedto associate professor of history; PatrickHamilton, Ph.D., promoted to associateprofessor of English; Steven Tedford, Ph.D.,promoted to associate professor ofmathematics; and Cari Tellis, Ph.D.,C.C.C./S.L.P., named associate professor ofspeech-language pathology.

Occupational therapy student researchersHannah Muller ‘12, Courtney Otto ‘12,Jenna Rakowsky ‘12, Melissa Templeton‘12, O.T.S., and Alicia Bryk ‘12, whograduated from the Weekday Entry-LevelMaster of Science Program, and the AssistiveTechnology Research Institute collaboratedwith Cleankeys, Inc., to develop a completelycleanable keyboard through the use of touchtechnology to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Student researchers Christine Brandon‘12, O.T.S.; Amanda Davis ‘12, O.T.S.;Melanie Hill ‘12, O.T.S.; Brittany Michalik‘12, O.T.S., and Courtney Sennett ‘12,O.T.S., under the direction of Denis Anson,M.S., O.T.R., presented their study, Swypeversus Conventional On-Screen Keyboards:Efficacy Compared, at the 33rd AnnualRehabilitation Engineering and AssistiveTechnology Society of North AmericaConference in Baltimore, Md., in June.

Student researchers Caitlin Cavanaugh‘12, O.T.S.; Meghan Franz ‘12, O.T.S.;Nicole Iaconetti ‘12, O.T.S., and KierstenWhitaker ‘12, O.T.S., had their findingsabout the reliability of the Americans withDisabilities Act — Compliance AssessmentToolkit presented at the California StateUniversity, Northridge Annual InternationalTechnology and Persons with DisabilitiesConference in San Diego, Calif.

The Rehabilitation Engineering andAssistive Technology Society of NorthAmerica named the team of studentresearchers, Yun Chung ‘12, Lorraine Beebe‘12, Lori Berends ‘12, and MarissaHardcastle ‘12, as the winners of the 2012Student Scientific Paper Competition.

Christine Somers, D.Min., M.S.W., directorof Campus Ministry, had an essay aboutCatholic social teaching published on thewebsite, Mercy Word.

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES


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Learning and exploringetiquette and decorum provides a benefit to students

Misericordia students, from left, Jasmine Busi’14, Alyssa Bazink ’15, and Alyssa Leonard ’15participate in an etiquette program with Dr.John Mellon.

Hunter Manasco, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of speech-language pathology,has had the book, An ExceptionalChildren’s Guide to Touch: TeachingSocial and Physical Boundaries to Kids,published by Jessica Kingsley Publishersof London, England.The book is illustratedby his wife, KatharineManasco.

The 80-pagepaperback is availableat Amazon.com for$17.95. The purpose ofthe friendly picturebook is to educatechildren with specialneeds on social rulesregarding appropriateand inappropriate forms of touching. Itcan be used to empower children torecognize abuse and to encourage themto reach out for help if they feel they arebeing abused. The book also has an adultsection with information for caregiversand professionals regarding how torecognize child abuse and who to contactif they believe a child is being abused.

Dr. Manasco began to conceptualizehis latest book project in 2004 shortlyafter he started working with children as aspeech-language pathologist. In a matterof months, he became aware of the manydangers and social difficulties thatchildren with special needs encounter intheir daily lives.

“I saw all these situations, whichcentered on issues of physical touch anda lack of knowledge or misunderstandingon the part of the child for what wasacceptable and what was not acceptable,and possibly even problematic,’’ he said.“For the parents, caregivers, teachers andother professionals working with childrenwith special needs, these issues ariseoften. Yet, when I searched for thematerials needed to address theseproblems, I found little or no materialstailored to fit the cognitive andcommunicative needs of these children.

“This book was born out of thenecessity to educate the smallest andmost vulnerable members of ourpopulation. It should be more oftenacknowledged that to make our childrensafe and successful later in life, we mustkeep them safe and successful early inlife,’’ the husband and father added.

He specializes in treating children withautism and other neurological disorders.He has extensive professional experienceworking with children in schools, hospitalsand university health clinics.

Professor’s book outlinesboundaries for touching

John Mellon, Ed.D., C.F.C.S., C.D.E.P.,associate professor of business, is anartist. Instead of painting or writingpoetry, he uses the finer points ofetiquette as his palette for instructingprofessionals and students about the lostart of polite behavior, social skills, dininginsights and networking. His goal is tohelp individuals appear polished andprofessional, so they are viewed asknowledgeable and confident.

Dr. Mellon recently registered andincorporated his special teaching skillsinto the new business venture, Dr. JohnEtiquette, LLC, after presenting diningetiquette and social skills for more than25 years. He believes knowing the rulesis liberating, not restrictive. While societyhas become more casual and mannersand propriety may seem less important,Dr. John Etiquette maintains they are farfrom obsolete.

“One of the reasons etiquette ishaving a revival right now is becauseabout 30 percent of job interviews in theUnited States are being conductedduring a meal,’’ Dr. Mellon says. “Haveyou ever gone to a meal and you wonderis that your coffee cup or is that the nextperson’s when it’s a round table?’’

A simple way to answer thatoften-asked question is to use the“B-M-W” method. “When you sit downat the table, the first thing you do is

scout out your territory,’’ he says. “Bstands for your bread-and-butter plate,M stands for meal and W stands for yourwater, so any food to your left is yoursand your liquids are to your right.’’

Dr. Mellon has been instructing MUstudents on the do’s and don’ts ofsuccessful dinner meetings, interviewsand other related social functions duringetiquette workshops as part of theUniversity’s Guaranteed PlacementProgram. “Etiquette training is similar toplaying a sport,” says Dr. Mellon. “Youneed to know the rules to win the game.”

He believes reverting back to thepractice of proper decorum is an entryback to verbal and personalcommunication, something that is lostamong Generation Y and many in thebusiness world. “E-mail and technologycontribute to the success of business, Idon’t downplay that,” he says. “But thewell-roundedness of individuals hasdepleted due to technology.”

Dr. Mellon is offering etiquette lessonsand training sessions to students of allages, from youth through adulthood. Inaddition, he also frequently posts tips onhis website, www.drjohnetiquette.com.He also has formed partnerships withlocal hotels and restaurants. Throughthese associations, he plans to offerdifferent packages to engaged couples.

For more information about Dr. JohnEtiquette, LLC, please call (570)899-1861.

TheFinerThings

in Life

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Jane Croop Carey ’40

August 28, 2008

Claudette Hudak Harris ’57

January 2, 2009

Margaret Daring Grose ’52

June 10, 2011

Sandra Peters Weyhenmeyer '97

January 27, 2012

Helen Jacobs Logan '69

January 28, 2012

Constance Bush ’76

January 30, 2012

Patricia Dormer Rosini ’68

February 8, 2012

Theresa Yavorski Nelson '51

February 15, 2012

Anne O'Donnell Boroski '46

February 15, 2012

Irene Loftus McLaughlin '57

February 16, 2012

Regina Dreisbach Taylor '77

February 17, 2012

Rose Mary Reilly ’53

February 21, 2012

Suzanne Holahan '56

March 10, 2012

Dr. George A. Stolarick '80

March 16, 2012

Matthew Davis '06

March 18, 2012

Natalie Brookus Peabody '54

March 18, 2012

George Williams '80

March 22, 2012

Sharon Maher Eddy '91

April 1, 2012

Ann Walsh Middleton '59

April 2, 2012

Sr. Ann Miriam Gallagher, RSM ’53

April 10, 2012

Mary Reap Kelly '49

April 10, 2012

Lillian Olenechak '53

April 14, 2012

Nancy Kelly '67

April 17, 2012

Dr. Steven Ash '96

April 23, 2012

Miriam Newcomb Barth '44

April 27, 2012

Sister Dorothy Gayden, OSBM '67

April 27, 2012

Michele Mittner '04

May 5, 2012

Irene Stofila Krivak '49

May 12, 2012

Joan Daley Mulligan ‘56

May 15, 2012

Genevieve Kaminski Palencar ’75

May 17, 2012

Joanne Lukasavage Duval '54

May 27, 2012

Janet Cooper Gunster '59

June 5, 2012

42

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MUSICtoher EARSMUSICtoher EARSS T O R Y B Y P A U L K R Z Y W I C K I

MU’s Speech-Language-HearingCenter helps student regain hersinging voice

MU’s Speech-Language-HearingCenter helps student regain hersinging voice

Misericordia student Gia Mazur ‘13, center stage,performs with her band, 1 Hot Mess, afterreceiving therapeautic services at the University.

On an early spring evening, GiaMazur ’13 struts across the stageat Tomaino’s Lounge inArchbald, Pa., singing one of the

many Top 40 hits the band will play thatevening. It’s obvious that singing andperforming are second nature for theDickson City, Pa., native, as her raspy voicecaptures the essence of hits from RickSpringfield to Lady Gaga.

Mazur, a communications major at MU,has been performing with 1 Hot Mess,since she graduated from high school in 2009. The five-person band toursnortheastern Pennsylvania like most othercover bands, seeking gigs that satisfy theircreative and musical sides while alsoputting a little cash in their pockets. As theband’s colorful stage lights fill up the roomin this smoky, corner tavern, Mazur takescenter stage, dressed in leopard-printshorts and a black top, and begins to bangout hit and after hit.

A few short months ago, though, Mazur’spowerful voice was almost silenced by ahemorrhagic vocal fold polyp that causedsevere pain after singing. She received fourmedical opinions, changed her diet, andrested her voice for a month with little success.

“I was in denial at first,’’ she admits. “I would notice pain and problems here and there, but I ignored it because I wastoo afraid to face it. Finally, it hit me. I was extremely depressed. I cried a lot. I thought I would never be able to sing again.’’

An initial medical consultation with anear, nose and throat specialist did not findany noticeable problems. During hersecond consultation, the doctor discovered“very little’’ soft nodules on her vocal folds,according to Mazur. “These nodules are likeblisters on my vocal folds — they formwhen the folds repeatedly come in contactwith each other in a harsh manner,’’ sheexplains. “After a few months of singing,my voice was only getting worse.’’

The third doctor found soft nodules aswell as irritation from acid reflux, andprescribed rest, reflux medication, and aspecial diet. Shortly after she resumedsinging, though, the pain returned and itpersisted. “The doctor found that I hadhemorrhaged on my vocal folds, meaning ablood vessel burst inside of my vocal fold,’’Mazur says. “It was basically like I had abruise on my vocal fold.’’

Upon that diagnosis, Mazur was referredto the Misericordia UniversitySpeech-Language and Hearing Center in John J. Passan Hall, which providescomplete diagnostic and speech, languageand hearing services for children,adolescents, adults and the elderly withcommunication disorders. In January, Mazur began the process ofdiagnosis and treatment with Cari Tellis,Ph.D., associate professor ofspeech-language pathology and a voice specialist.

“We diagnose voice disorders incombination with a laryngologist usingvisual and auditory perceptual measures,

as well as acoustic and aerodynamicmeasures that tell us about the functioningvocal folds,’’ Dr. Tellis says about theevaluation and treatment process. “I design treatment based on what I hear and see. I figure out how people use their voice and then I use techniques to change their physiology so the personcan use their voice more efficiently.’’

Hemorrhagic vocal fold polyps are veryserious for singers, according to Dr. Tellis,but performers, such as Adele, the Grammy Award-winning singer, canovercome the condition “with the rightvoice therapy and compliance on the part of the client,’’ Dr. Tellis says. “It’s not rare because of the type of singing she (Mazur) does. She’s more at risk than others. She just needs to learn how to sing the right way.’’

Mazur began a series of weeklytherapeutic sessions Jan. 26 and took the special voice class, Estill Voice Training Levels 1 and 2, at the MU clinic in August. In the fall, she will resume her weekly appointments with Dr. Tellis.The initial therapy enabled Mazur to return to the stage singing the songs she loves. She says there has been a noticeable difference in how her voice recovers after a night of singing.“Before, my voice was horse for two tothree days after shows,’’ she says. “Now,the next day there’s a slight raspiness and only because my voice is usually just tired.’’

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301 Lake St., Dallas, PA 18612

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy

Oct. 3-4 The Lawrence and NancyGoldstone Lectures Funded by the Catherine and DanielFlood Endowment for the Humanities,and sponsored by the MisericordiaDepartments of English and History.

Oct. 3 – Nancy Goldstonediscusses her book, “The Maidand the Queen: The SecretHistory of Joan of Arc.” Lemmond Theater. 7:30 p.m., no charge.

Oct. 4 – Larry Goldstonediscusses his book, ‘InherentlyUnequal: The Betrayal of EqualRights by the Supreme Court,1865-1903.’Location TBD, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., no charge.

Oct. 4 – Roundtable discussion,‘Literature, History, and theImagination,’ with authorsLawrence and Nancy Goldstone,Location TBD, 7:30 p.m., no charge.MU Box Office.

Oct. 13 - Dec. 9George Mummert and MichaelTymon — Form & Process:Sculpture in Stone, Bronze and SteelPauly Friedman Art Gallery.

Elizabeth Fulton: GlyceeLandscape PrintsMacDonald Gallery.Opening Reception: Oct. 13, 5-8 p.m.

Nov. 15-17Misericordia Players TheaterTitle of play TBA. Lemmond Theater. 8 p.m. Adults $5; students and seniorcitizens $3. MU Box Office.

Nov. 19Winter Holiday ConcertShelley Oliver Tap Dancers with theDavid Leonhardt Jazz Group offeringholiday classics with a jazz beat! 7:30p.m., Lemmond Theater. Tickets: $5; nocharge for MU students with studentID. MU Box Office.

Nov. 29Ensemble Evening: Dance Student performances in dance. 7:30p.m., Lemmond Theater. No Charge.

Dec. 114th Annual Brunch with SantaEnjoy brunch with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and afterward have a professional photo taken with them. Hosted by the MisericordiaUniversity Alumni Association, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Banks StudentLife Center. Tickets: $10 adults; $5children 5-12; and free for childrenunder 5. Reservations required. Alumni Box Office.

Dec. 5Ensemble Evening: MusicStudent performances in music.Lemmond Theater, 7:30 p.m. No charge.

Dec. 16Winter CommencementAnderson Sports and Health Center. 2 p.m.

2013

June 1President's Retirement RoastPresident Michael A. MacDowell Roast at the Mohegan Sun at PoconoDowns, Plains Township, Pa. For more information or to makereservations, please call the Alumni Box Office.

FOR INFO OR RESERVATIONS, CONTACT:

Dr. Noël Keller, RSM, Th.D., Tour DirectorCenter for Adult and Continuing Education(570) 674-6776, (570) 674-6924 [email protected]

Dr. Noel Keller’s Tripswith a Difference2013February 25-March 3, 2013Walking and Praying with CatherineMcAuleyDublin, Ireland

March 11-21, 2013Splendors of Eastern Europe Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Munich

April 25-May 4, 2013British Landscapes England, Scotland and Wales

Sept. 25-Oct. 4, 2013Treasures of Tuscany and Provence Including Avignon, Monaco, Cinque TerreFlorence and Siena

Oct. 26-Nov. 3, 2013Tropical Costa Rica

Nov. 29-Dec. 7, 2013Classical Christmas Markets Featuring markets in Strasbourg, Wurzburg,Nuremberg, Munich and Innsbruck

Book early for a an early bird discount!

THEARTS&MORE Alumni Box Office (570) 674-6768 | Misericordia University Box Office (570) 674-6719

Authors Nancy and LawrenceGoldstone

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