Rod Ross, DeSales MBA graduate, is currently the Vice President of Information Technology for The Clemens Food Group.  Rod proudly recommends the DeSales MBA Program to anyone seeking comprehensive instruction and course work, convenience of on-site and online classes, and an overall cost effective program.

Rod decided to pursue his MBA for several reasons.  First, he viewed the MBA program as an opportunity for personal and professional development and growth.  Also, continuous learning and networking were important elements for him.  Specifically, he viewed the DeSales MBA as a professional requirement to senior leadership positions and business acumen.   

Convenience was also highly critical and became the most important factor in Rod’s decision to pursue his MBA with DeSales University.  The flexibility of multiple campuses, coupled with evening offerings, made taking classes with his demanding work/family schedule a lot easier.  Rod especially enjoyed the collaboration and camaraderie he found with his on-site classes, and specifically referenced his Capstone class as one of his best experiences in the program. 

Rod enjoys a personal and professional sense of accomplishment since completing this major educational milestone.  The DeSales MBA Program took him about four years to complete and enabled him to achieve the senior leadership position he now holds.  Within that time, certain challenges arose, but through perseverance and dedication, Rod expresses, “the self-gratitude that came along with the studies made the timeline of four years go by so fast.”

Ultimately, Rod expresses that there is no better time than the present to get started on your MBA.  Rod urges, “Don’t procrastinate, just throw your hat in the ring and get started! If you wait for the perfect time or all the stars to align, you’ll never get it done.”  We are proud to call Rod Ross a DeSales MBA graduate, and he enthusiastically recommends the DeSales MBA Program for all who would like to excel both personally and professionally.

The 2014 Ruggiero Lecture on Catholic Education will take place on Monday, September 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the DeSales University Center on the Center Valley Campus.

Sponsored by the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture at DeSales, this event is free and open to the public. The title of this year’s lecture is "The Uncommon Core of Catholic Education" and will feature Anthony Esolen.

Esolen is a professor of English at Providence College and translator of classic works, as well as writer for magazines including the Claremont Review of Books and Touchstone Magazine, of which he is a senior editor. He has translated Dante's Divine Comedy, Lucretius' On the Nature of Things, and Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. He also writes a column for the Inside Catholic website.

Esolen graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1981. He pursued graduate work from the University of North Carolina, receiving his M.A. in 1981 and his Ph.D. in 1987. His dissertation was titled "A Rhetoric of Spenserian Irony" and was directed by S.K. Heninger. He taught at the University of North Carolina from 1985 to 1988 and then at Furman University from 1988 to 1990. He began teaching at Providence College in 1990, becoming a full professor in 1995.

Esolen's translation of the Divine Comedy was published by Modern Library. His translation of Inferno appeared in 2002, Purgatory in 2003, and Paradise in 2005. Esolen's translations are unique for their deliberate choice not to attempt a "preservation of Dante's rhyme in any systematic form."

Fr. Thomas Dailey, OSFS, director of the Salesian Center, explains that the lecture series focuses on the contribution that Catholic schools make to society. “In terms of the future of Catholic schools, or any schools,” he says, “leadership is key.”

Initially begun to commemorate the canonization of St. Leonie de Sales Aviat this series was renamed in 2005 in memory of Anthony J. Ruggiero, an adjunct faculty member who taught the philosophy of education and helped supervise the student teacher program at DeSales University. For more information about the upcoming event, contact the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at 610-282-1100, ext. 1244 or SCFC@desales.edu or visit our website at desales.edu/salesian.

DeSales University faculty member and former FBI agent in counterterrorism, Jeffrey Tomlinson spoke to 6ABC's Action News in Philadelphia about ISIS and the threat level to the United States.

Click here for the story...

Congratulations to the following students for making the Dean's List for the sessions 5 & 6, Summer 2014. To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must have earned 9 credits in a semester with a minimum 3.25 GPA.

The numbers after the students' names correspond to grade level: 01 freshman, 02 sophomore, 03 junior, 04 senior.

• Adzima, Gregory A., 02
• Ali, Zeanab R., 03
• Alles, Corrine J., 04
• Bitner, Rebecca J., 04
• Bodisch, Jennifer B., 04
• Bronstein, Chelsea P., 04
• Budraitis, Laura M., 04
• Cardell, Kathryn, 04
• Carter, Dorlisa C., 02
• Childs, Vanessa M., 04
• Confer, Christine A., 04
• Cusato, Meganne, 04
• Czapp, Brent, 04
• Danner, Dianne M., 03
• Deibert, Matthew, 04
• Edwards, Justin T., 03
• Faber, Nicholas K., 04
• Ferrara, Michael F., 02
• Fox, Dominica R., 04
• Frankenfield, Adam K., 03
• Frattone, Angela M., 03
• Gabrielli, Cathryn, 04
• Gehring, Katherine D., 04
• Gischel, Patricia J., 04
• Gonzalez, Jessica L., 04
• Gurtowski, Anne, 04
• Harryn, Suzanne M., 02
• Hassan, Arzoo, 04
• Helfrich, Jaclyn M., 03
• Heuckeroth, Laurie L., 04
• Hrusovsky, Christine M., 02
• Isidore, Elsie, 04
• Jancay, Christine M., 04
• Kaye, Melissa A., 03
• Kehres, Julie A., 04
• Kelchner, Julie L., 04
• Kelly, Jennifer D., 04
• King, Cynthia L., 04
• Knotts, Tara L., 03
• Konek, Nicholas D., 04
• Kurter, Heidi L., 04
• Latham, Robert S., 02
• Lindenmuth, John M., 04
• Markham, Dorina E., 04
• Mays, Shareef K., 03
• McManus, James H., 02
• Mendelzon, Jeffery D., 04
• Merritt, Kendy D., 04
• Nolte, Brian O., 03
• Oleskowitz Jr., James E., 04
• Ortiz-Lightner, Noelia O., 04
• Ott, Marissa L., 04
• Pacelli, Anthony M., 04
• Perrine, Melissa S., 04
• Reeser, Katie N., 03
• Rivera, Christopher L., 04
• Rivera, Davida V., 03
• Robertson, Ashley B., 03
• Rock, Tiffany R., 04
• Ruszkiewicz, Agnieszka, 03
• Schiffner, Cassandra L., 04
• Severe, Don S., 04
• Shively, Gail S., 03
• Signore, Heidi L., 04
• Sobler, Benjamin C., 04
• Springer, Debra A., 04
• Taynton, Tammy D., 04
• Thomas, Kaysia G., 04
• Truemper, Antoinette M., 04
• Warnke, James S., 03
• Wells, Jacob M., 04
• Welsh, Mary-Beth T., 03
• Wright, Julie M., 03
• Yaw, Daniel J., 04
• Yeatman, Cadence L., 02
• Zuercher, Logan T., 04

On Wednesday, September 10, 2014, at 3:00 p.m., Kevin Laue, former Division I college basketball player, will speak at the DeSales University. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the DeSales University Center.

Character U, the first-year portion of the DeSales University Experience, is sponsoring Laue’s visit.

Laue was born with his left arm ending at the elbow because of a restriction of prenatal blood circulation. Despite this challenge, Laue succeeded in basketball becoming the first one-handed player to receive an NCAA scholarship to play Division I basketball for Manhattan College. Laue played from 2009 until 2013.

As a high school player, the February 12, 2007, issue of Sports Illustrated called him “the most exciting player in basketball.”

Character U serves as a resource for first-year students to help make the transition from high school to college a little smoother, while also giving students character development opportunities through keynote speakers, diverse programs, campus events and meetings with their peer mentors. The DeSales Experience combines academic courses, events, and programs to teach students both inside and outside the classroom.

For more information, contact Chad Serfass, director for DeSales Experience in Character and Leadership, at 610-282-1100, ext. 1599.

The DeSales University master of arts in criminal justice (MACJ) program and the David M. Petzold Digital Forensics Laboratory at DeSales University is holding a one-day conference on Friday, September 19, 2014, in the Commonwealth Room at the DeSales University Center on the school’s Center Valley Campus.

Designed for members of law enforcement as well as parole and probation personnel, participants will gain practical knowledge and skills, including: handling digital evidence at a crime scene, technology trends for law enforcement, best practices for police/probation partnerships, and behavioral analysis for investigators.

Gregg O. McCrary (right), a former FBI profiler and chief executive officer of Behavioral Criminology International, will deliver a keynote on how to avoid common cognitive errors that affect investigations. Steve Whalen, managing director  and founder of Sumuri, LLC, will present on the topic of digital forensics.

"This is a unique opportunity to learn from experienced forensic professionals about emerging trends and important skills that go beyond basic training,” said Dr. Katherine Ramsland, director of the MACJ Program at DeSales.

Cost of the conference is $55 and breakfast and lunch is provided. For more
information or to register, call 610.282.1100, ext. 1466, or visit www.desales.edu/ lawenforcementCONF

Speaker Bios

As an FBI agent Gregg McCrary served in various investigative capacities throughout the United States. He has analyzed crimes and crime scenes, constructed behavioral profiles of unknown offenders and provided threat analysis and dangerousness assessments. He conducted research regarding violent offenders and their crimes and continues to provide training in these matters throughout the world.

McCrary has authored numerous publications including The Unknown Darkness, Profiling the Predators Among Us with Ramsland, and he was a contributing author to the FBI’s Crime Classification Manual published in 1992 by Lexington Press. His work in violent crime has been highlighted in several television documentaries including The Mind of a Serial Killer produced by NOVA for the Public Broadcasting System. This documentary was nominated for an Emmy Award as the best documentary of the year in 1992. 

Since retiring from the FBI in 1995, McCrary has provided expert testimony in civil and criminal litigation both nationally and internationally. He also provides expert commentary on multiple national media platforms, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel and A&E, among others.

He is an adjunct professor of forensic psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale and at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. McCrary’s holds a B.A. from Ithaca College and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Services from Marymount University. He has also done graduate work in Criminal Justice at Long Island University and the University of Virginia. 

Steve Whalen has developed and delivered forensic training to thousands of investigators and examiners around the world through organizations such as the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS), the High Technology Crimes International Association (HTCIA) and the US Department of State Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. Whalen is also the developer of the successful Macintosh Forensic Survival Courses and PALADIN Forensic Suite. He has more than 16 years of experience in computer forensics and has provided training throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Caribbean, Africa and Australia.

Detective Joe Pochron is a detective with the Upper Saucon Township Police Department and the commanding officer of the Lehigh County Computer Crimes Task Force. He is also on the Pennsylvania State Police Southeastern Computer Crimes Task Force.

Sally Keglovits is a retired United States probation officer, serving as officer-in-charge of the Allentown office and as a unit supervisor in Philadelphia. She has 25 years of experience in corrections, where she had direct supervision of a wide range of offenders including outlaw motorcycle gang members, sex offenders, and financial fraud.

Jeff Tomlinson is a retired Special Agent of the FBI with over twenty years of experience in organized crime, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism investigations. He served 18 months in the Office of the Director of the FBI in Washington, D.C.

Seth Weber retired from the United States Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in Philadelphia. Weber has prosecuted hundreds of federal criminal cases including drug conspiracies, drug gangs, environmental crime, white-collar crime and a variety of violent crimes.

The film The Collector,  a TV395 Motion Picture Production class project with theatre majors Corina Connelly and Julianne Schwab, dance graduate Jillian Ikeler, and TV/film major Shawn Gies is an official selection for the International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts (IFFCA ) in Los Angeles, Calif.

IFFCA stated that “The Collector deserves special recognition and was among the very best of submissions we received from all over the world.”

This proves yet again that DeSales students can compete with the best around the world. We have the talent both behind and in front of the camera. Thanks to all that were involved in this film.

Pulitzer Prize winner is directed by DeSales theatre alumnus Matt Pfeiffer ’99

Act 1 DeSales University Theatre opens its 45th season with Mary Chase’s hilarious comedy of errors, Harvey. This Pulitzer Prize winning play will be presented October 1 to 12, 2014 on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, Center Valley, PA.

Harvey opened on Broadway on November 1, 1944, and was directed by Antoinette Perry (for whom the Tony Awards are named). As a testament to the play’s appeal, it has enjoyed two Broadway revivals: one in 1970 with James Stewart and Helen Hayes, and the other in 2012 at The Roundabout Theatre Company starring Jim Parsons of TV’s The Big Bang Theory. It has been adapted for film and television several times; most notably the 1950 film starring James Stewart.

“Harvey is one of those great plays written during the heyday of the American theatre—simple, well-constructed plays featuring interesting characters and clever plotlines,” says John Bell, head of the Division of Performing Arts. “Theatres often overlook this type of play when programming for a modern audience and that's too bad because the young generation of playgoers should be exposed to this repertoire.”

Harvey centers on Elwood P. Dowd, an affable, charismatic man who makes friends wherever he goes. When Elwood starts to introduce his presumably imaginary friend, Harvey—whom he describes as a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall pooka resembling an anthropomorphic rabbit—to guests at a society party, his social-climbing sister, Veta, has had as much of his eccentric behavior as she can tolerate. She decides to have him committed to a sanitarium to spare their family from future embarrassment.

Problems arise, however, when Veta herself is mistakenly assumed to be on the verge of lunacy when she explains to doctors that years of living with Elwood's hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also! The doctors commit Veta instead of Elwood, but when the truth comes out, the search is on for Elwood and his invisible companion. When he shows up at the sanitarium looking for his lost friend Harvey, it seems that the mild-mannered Elwood's delusion has had a strange influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn't so bad after all.

Theatre alumnus Matt Pfeiffer directs the production. “I am thrilled to be returning home to DeSales and Act 1, and I can't think of a better place to stage this classic play,” says Pfeiffer. “I love the joy and optimism of Harvey and that was very much the spirit I had as a student at DeSales. I see that same spirit in the students now; it's what makes Act 1 so special.”

Pfeiffer returns to the Labuda Center after directing “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” this past summer for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. As the associate artistic director of Theatre Exile, a seven-time Barrymore Award nominee, and a recipient of the F. Otto Hass Award, Matt is an outstanding example of a theatre alumnus working steadily to build a terrific reputation and career in the greater Philadelphia theatre community. "He's a great role model for our current students," says Bell.

Harvey comes to life with sets and costumes by Act 1’s resident creative faculty team: scenic designer Will Neuert and costume designer Amy Best. Senior technical theatre major Allison Newhard serves as lighting designer.

The production runs October 1 to 12, 2014 on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. There is a morning matinee on Monday, October 6 at 9:45 AM, followed by a talk back with the director and cast. A talk back is also scheduled for Sunday, October 5 after the 2:00 PM performance.

In an effort to improve accessibility for all patrons, the Saturday, October 11, 8:00 PM performance will feature Open Captioning for patrons who are deaf or hearing impaired and Audio Descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. During Open Captioned performances, all dialogue and sound effects are presented in real-time on an LED screen that is adjacent to the stage. During Audio Described performances, all action and physical appearances are described live through a headset. Tickets are half price for patrons using these special services on this date. Please call box office manager Dael Jackson at 610-282-3654, ext. 1 for more information.

Ticket prices are $21 for adults and $19 for students and seniors on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and $25 for adults and $23 for students and seniors on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Group discounts are available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center box office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting the web site at www.desales.edu/act1.

The Labuda Center is fully accessible and equipped with a listening enhancement system. Special seating is available for our patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of your needs when ordering tickets.

The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace will host an ethics breakfast at 7:30 a.m.,Thursday, September 18, 2014, in the DeSales University Center on the Center Valley campus.This event, “Urban Renewal / Urban Decay” will feature special guest speakers Alan Jennings, executive director of the community action committee of the Lehigh Valley; PA State Senator Patrick Browne; and Seymour Traub, chairman of the board of directors of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.

Mr. Jennings has served in an advisory role to or on the boards of directors of many statewide or national groups, including the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Urban Availability Task Force of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the community reinvestment boards of several local banks. Jennings also served as one of five delegates appointed by Governor Tom Ridge to represent Pennsylvania at the Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future in 1997. In 2004, the PA Senate confirmed his appointment by Governor Ed Rendell to the State Planning Board.

Senator Browne serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. He also serves on five other Senate Committees: Banking and Insurance; Community, Economic and Recreational Development; Education; Finance; and Labor and Industry. Senator Browne is Chairman of the Senate Early Childhood Education Caucus and serves as a board member of the Public Employee Retirement Commission, the Public School Employees’ Retirement System board, and the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority.

Mr. Traub is a member of the Lehigh County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and has practiced law before the Supreme Court of the United States and as a Registered Attorney before the U.S. Patent Office. Traub concentrates his practice in business, corporate and contract matters. He is a member of the Lehigh County, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and the Lawyers Society of Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Family Business Council of the Lehigh County Chamber of Commerce, Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors of the Fund to Benefit Children and Youth and on the Advisory Board of Muhlenberg College. He is also on the Board of Governors of the Lehigh County Chamber of Commerce.

Breakfast attendees will have an opportunity to interact with the presenter and engage with others on the topic. Participants will enjoy a buffet breakfast and table discussions based on the keynote address. There will be a book sale and signing following the event. Registration and breakfast is $25 per person or $175 for a table of 8.

Those wishing to attend can register online at www.desales.edu/salesian(scroll to Ethics icon) or send a check made out to the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace c/o Lore McFadden, DeSales University 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA, 18034. For more information, call the Salesian Center at 610-282-1100, ext. 1244, or email ethics.workplace@desales.edu.

The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace is a partnership institution of the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales University on January 1, 2006. The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture was established in 2000 to promote the interaction of faith and culture, in a mutually beneficial engagement, through academic initiatives that focus on the authentic integration of social concerns and gospel values.

By its collaboration with the Forum, the Salesian Center is able to extend its mission of social engagement into the corporate world and is able to capitalize on the working relationships that the Forum has already established in the business community. The Salesian Center supports intellectual activity in research studies, dialogue events including public forums and lectures and partnership programs.

 
 
Feed the World: During Fall Orientation, between 55 freshmen, packaged 11,000 meals that will be sent to school children in developing countries. Last year students, led by A.J. Cook ’15, raised $3,500 for Stop Hunger Now. This total purchased supplies for a meal packaging event that was held during this year's Orientation.

DiScoUrse, the Creative Writing Honors Society of DeSales University, will host a reading by Elissa Washuta on Thursday, September 25 at 7 p.m. The event will be held in the Hurd Room of the DeSales University Center and is open to students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Washuta (right) will read from My Body is a Book of Rules, a memoir exploring her struggles with mental illness, abuse, and ethnic identity. The book is available for purchase at the DeSales Campus Store.

Elissa Washuta, a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, is the author of My Body Is a Book of Rules, a memoir published by Red Hen Press. Her work has appeared in Salon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Filter Literary Journal, and Third Coast. She recently received a Potlatch Fund Native Arts Grant, an Artist Trust GAP Award, and a 4Culture Grant. In 2012, she was named an inaugural fellow in the Made at Hugo House program. She serves as adviser for the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington and teaches in the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. 

Faculty and students at the BTG poster presentation at DeSales on September 17, 2014: (from left) Dr. Mary Ellen Miller, academic preceptor and assistant professor of nursing; Madeline Svrcek and Kristen Purkey, nursing majors; Kathy Griffin and James Whittenburg, medical studies majors; Amanda Tarantino, Jennifer Photiades, and Teresa Mainiero, nursing majors; and Ryan Milloy, Kevin Hixson, and Lauren Rice, medical studies majors. Not pictured: Ghamar Bitar and Alex Slaby, medical students from Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, Pa. 

This summer, five DeSales nursing majors, five DeSales medical studies majors, and two medical students from Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Pa., participated in the Bridging the Gaps (BTG) Community Health Internship.

Interns worked in interdisciplinary teams at several community sites in the Lehigh Valley that serve vulnerable populations. The community partners are Alliance Hall Summer Camp, Casa Guadalupe, Lehigh Valley Health Network Department of Community Health, The Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley, and The Aids Activities Office.  Students presented their internship projects at two poster symposiums—one in Philadelphia on September 12, and one at DeSales University on September 17.

BTG is a paid seven-week interdisciplinary community-based summer internship program that helps students gain a broader understanding of the factors that affect health in urban communities. BTG matches student interns with non-profit community partners in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Students' projects are designed in collaboration with the community organizations based on community-defined needs and the professional discipline and interests of the students.

Any graduate-level health professions (social work, medical, nursing) student OR undergraduate healthcare professional student who has completed two years of study can apply.

On Saturday, September 27, 2014, at DeSales University’s Homecoming four alumni received awards for accomplishments in their professional lives as well as service to their community. 

Thomas Shirley ’76 (above, far left) received the Alumni Achievement Award. Shirley was a four-year varsity athlete for the basketball team and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics.  After graduation, Shirley worked for the Ford Motor Company, but in 1981 he wasoffered the position of director of athletics and head-coach of the women’s basketball team at DeSales. In eight years, Shirley accumulated 149 wins as well as the school’s first NCAA tournament bid and victory. Shirley began his tenure at Philadelphia University as director of athletics and head women’s basketball coach in 1989 and continues in that position today. To date he has 661 career victories, which ranks fourth in all of Division II and 30th overall in NCAA women’s basketball. Shirley is a member of the DeSales University Athletic Hall of Fame, now serving on the nominating committee, the Philadelphia University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1994 Shirley was named the American Women’s Sports Federation National Coach of the Year. He lives in Harleysville with his wife of 33 years, Monica, and they have two daughters.

Jason Barnes ’04, M’07, CPA, (above, center left) received the Young Alumni Achievement Award. Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as an MBA from DeSales. In 2013, he graduated from the Villanova University School of Law with a master’s of taxation (MST). He has more than ten years of experience in public accounting. Barnes is currently a senior manager in ParenteBeard LLC’s tax group. Recently, he was honored by Lehigh Valley Business as a member of the 2013 Forty Under 40 class for his strong commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and community service.  Barnes and his wife, Katie, live in Orefield, Pa. 

Elaine Fabian-Shelly ’81 (above, center right) received the Alumni Service Award. Fabian-Shelly graduated from the University’s ACCESS program with a bachelor’s degree in management and business and then earned her MBA from Moravian College in 1993. She was employed at Air Products for 24 years in various positions, lastly as an IT specialist in the company’s corporate real estate department.  After marrying her husband Kevin in 1999, Fabian-Shelly relocated to Maryland to begin a career as a self-employed piano teacher. Through Kidsave International, an organization that advocates adoption of older children, Fabian-Shelly hosted two siblings from Colombia and eventually adopted the children into her family, and the family is hosting two other Colombian sisters while advocating for their adoption. Fabian-Shelly volunteers at St. Martin’s Home, which cares for the elderly, and she directs a children’s choir at St. Augustine Parish in Elkridge, Md.

Isy Tavarez ’08 (above, far right) received the Young Alumni Service Award. Tavarez was recognized for her work advocating public health in communities in Africa and the Caribbean. She became interested in health care during her tenure as a secondary education volunteer with the Peace Corps in Guinea and Burkina Faso. In that role, she also educated young mothers about nutrition and reproductive health. Tavarez attended graduate school at the Yale School in Public Health at Yale University while volunteering with the Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti and an Non-Governmental Organization in India. Currently, Tavarez is completing a nursing degree at Georgetown University as a Washington Hospital Center Scholar.

On Friday, September 26, 2014, faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the mathematics and computer science department at DeSales University, gathered to dedicate a classroom in memory of Dr. Julius Bede.

“In a special way, we gather in this hallway, within our department, because we celebrate a man who spent many hours here,” said Bro. Daniel Wisniewski, OSFS, (right) chair of the mathematics and computer science department, in his welcome.

Bede had been a faculty member at DeSales since 1988, and he was founding director of the MSIS graduate program and was a former chair of the department of mathematics and computer science. He retired in August 2012. Previously he had worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories and as an independent consultant. Bede earned graduate degrees from Lehigh University (M.S., 1960) and Columbia University (Sc.D., 1972). He was an avid outdoorsman and had served as chief executive officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club of New York.

Dr. Patricia Riola, assistant professor of computer science and current director of the MSIS program, who was also a student of Bede, said “As students, Dr. Bede held us to a high standard, always encouraging us to aim higher.”

“But he was also compassionate,” she continued. “We all have anecdotes about how much he cared for his students—and who could forget the cookie breaks during those long night classes.”

Wisniewski then blessed a newly remodeled and upgraded computer laboratory that bears a photo of Bede at the entrance and a plaque inside with his name. A scholarship endowment to benefit mathematics and computer science students that was initially funded by a bequest from Bede was also announced.

More than 60 people in attendance then raised their glasses for a toast to Bede who was a wine connoisseur.

Mike Hudock, former instructor and current adjunct faculty member in the department and student of Bede, spoke via Skype: “Dr. Bede did not teach from a text; he taught from knowledge and expected students to think and apply. The world will be a much poorer place without him.”

Dr. Katherine Ramsland, director of the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program at DeSales, is writing a book about the mind of a serial killer, Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. Rader is corresponding with Ramsland from prison and is cooperating with the book.

Ramsland, who has been quoted in many media outlets about this project, including The New York Times, ABC News, People, and London’s The Daily Mail, says the book will be academic and nonsensational. “I’m trying to make this a serious effort that will have some benefit for people who study this kind of crime,” she said. Among this group she includes law enforcement, criminologists, and psychologists.

Ramsland is the author of 55 nonfiction books and more than one thousand articles on serial killers, criminal investigation, and criminal psychology. She writes a blog for Psychology Today and is a frequent commentator on crime documentaries.

Because of a settlement with his victims’ families, Rader cannot profit from the book. Most of the compensation from the project will be given to a trust set up for the victims’ families.

For the full story that was originally published in The Wichita Eagle, click here*.

Trexler Library has over 100,000 e-book titles in our catalog.  Here is just one title that may interest you. 

Project Management : A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (11th Edition)

by Kerzner, Harold
PUBLISHER
John Wiley & Sons, March 2013

 Available for online reading or download via the library catalog at http://site.ebrary.com/lib/desales/reader.action?docID=10648910

 From the introduction:

 “Almost all of today’s executives are in agreement that the solution to the majority of corporate problems involves obtaining better control and use of existing corporate resources, looking internally rather than externally for the solution. As part of the attempt to achieve an internal solution, executives are taking a hard look at the ways corporate activities are managed. Project management is one of the techniques under consideration is project management. "

Emerging Choreographers Concert Features Slate of World Premiere Dances

The Dance students of DeSales University open their 2014-2015 dance season with Amplify:The Emerging Choreographers Concert, a premiere program of new dances in which student choreographers examine the effects of amplifying physical action through their choreography.  

The Division of Performing Arts at DeSales University is pleased to celebrate the opening of the Dance Department’s 32ndseason with this annual concert showcasing our emerging student choreographers. From the choreography to the performers, designers, and stage managers, the concert is entirely student-run. Amplify is slated for four performances in the intimate Schubert Theatre of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University from November 7 to 9, 2014.

"One of the great qualities about our Dance Department is that the students get training as performers, dance teachers, and choreographers. And it is in this last arena especially—as choreographers—that our students always surprise,” says John Bell, division head. “I am a firm believer that there is no greater testament to the belief a teacher can show to a student than to turn the stage over to the student. That’s what this concert does. The dance majors get to spread their artistic wings by bringing choreographic life to visions that, up to this point, have existed only in their imaginations.”

 Presented in the three-quarter-round Schubert Theatre, the audience gets to experience these dances up close and personal. “The Schubert Theatre is a marvelous space for dance. When the theatre is full, it bursts with an audience energy that is only compounded by the dance energy on stage. Hearing the dancers breathe and hearing their feet work the floor reminds us all of the immense training and hard work required of those who devote their lives to dance,” says Bell.

This year, each choreographer was asked to consider the concept of amplification as it related to movement, rhythm, and momentum. Given the intimacy of the space, this choreographic theme should result in a truly exciting dance performance.

The program features seven world premier dances in genre as diverse as ballet, tap, and modern dance. Julissa DeJesus’ Oxytocin utilizes spoken word and movement in a piece exploring the looping connections we've made in our lives that have been cut short. In sLAy, choreographer Kristin Gorman uses quick, sharp, fierce movement to explore pop culture trends prominent in music, videos, and movie award shows. Amanda Urbanski’s Paradigm explores how perspectives can be challenged and transformed through ever-changing spatial relationships among her dancer. 

Samantha Jones’ Resilience is a ballet pointe piece created with no intention of maintaining classical ballet technique. Emphasizing the strength required of pointe dancing, the dancers intertwine with one another creating compelling and ever-changing imagery. Emma Lepore’s original tap dance Beyond the Borderline explores the complexities present in human relationships and questioning why human beings treat one another so poorly.

Sarah Rose’s comical jazz piece Blowout is infused with “hairography” and humor that invites the audience to experience the endeavors of a hair salon from the stylists' perspective. Choreographer Marla Wolfinger explores the ellipsis saying that those three dots are “quite possibly the most important source of eternal hope and ultimate letdown in our daily lives.” Her dance Synching invites the audience into a world where technology controls everything we do and the observation that touch screens are actually making us lose touch.

Performances are Friday, November 7 at 8 p.m., Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. and take place in the Schubert Theatre of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. There is a special ticket price of $7 for DSU faculty, staff, and students. Group discounts are available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center box office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting the web site at www.desales.edu/act1.

The Labuda Center is fully accessible and equipped with a listening enhancement system. Special seating is available for our patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of your needs when ordering tickets.

Storing Treasures, an original short film featuring faculty and student collaboration has been accepted for screening into two American film festivals in Faculty-Student Collaboration categories. The film, written by Chuck Gloman, chair of the TV/Film Department and directed by Anne Lewis, Associate Professor of Theatre is a story about a billionaire, played by Associate Professor Steven Dennis, who, about to lose his life, seeks redemption before he is taken by the Angel of Death. Freshmen theatre major Emma Santschi is featured in the film along with Steven Dennis. Other theatre and TV/film students and alumni who were feature in or worked on the film include Kayleigh Downey, Andrew Goebel, Amanda Miller, Julianne Schaub, Dave Scheffler, Carolyn Arends and Brian Kissig.

 Storing Treasures has been accepted into the Churches Making Movies Christina Film Festival (Iselin, N.J.) and the Highway 61 Film Festival (Pine City, Minn.) and will be screened at both festivals in early October.