Above is a map of the United States and a list of countries where DeSales University alumni live. Every state, including Puerto Rico and Guam, and 36 countries can claim our graduates. Click on the photo for a larger version.

On Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hurd Science Center Auditorium, the natural science department chemistry faculty and students will present the 14th Annual Chemistry Demonstrations program.

This event is free and open to the public, however, seating is limited and reservations are strongly encouraged.  Please contact Patty Hartman at patricia.hartman@desales.edu or at 610.282.1100, ext. 1622 to reserve your seat. This is a family event and all ages are welcome.

The DeSales faculty, staff and students who participate in the Chemistry Demonstrations Program seek to instill in elementary, middle, and high school students a love of science and to enrich their understanding of chemistry.  The demonstrations are a treat for all the senses and include over a dozen highly visual and entertaining experiments such as Fire Tornado, Mad Scientists, Bed of Nails, Ethanol Cannons, and ice cream.  The colorful and explosive presentations are designed to be visually interesting and exciting, as well as illustrative of important but easily understood chemical concepts. 

The Chemistry Demonstrations Program is directed by Dr. Rodger Berg, associate professor, coordinator of chemistry, chairperson of the natural science department, and head of the healthcare and natural sciences division. He is assisted by natural science department faculty, including assistant professors Dr. Sara Hayik, Dr. Julie Himmelberger, and Dr. Steven Sweeney; associate professor Dr. Francis Mayville and Mrs. Patricia Hartman, chemistry laboratory manager.  

Each year, the Natural Science Department entertains approximately 1,000 students from area middle and high schools who attend performances during the school day.

On Sunday, October 26, starting at 9:30 a.m., DeSales University will host a mock emergency event—the aftermath of exposure to a hazardous chemical.

The simulation will help develop the skills of the students who are in the University’s nursing and physician assistant programs as well as DeSales’ student-run emergency medical service (EMS).

A "casualty" from the 2013 drill is being triaged.

"The goal of the drill is to provide all participants the opportunity to utilize and enhance the skills acquired in the classroom and apply these skills in a real world setting," said Dennis Rasley, director of emergency services, “They are then better prepared for their post-graduate careers.”

The simulation, set in and outside of the Hurd Science Center at the University’s Center Valley Campus, will focus on the triage and treatment of multiple victims of a mock exposure to hydrogen sulfide.

In addition, treatment in this simulation will involve a working decontamination unit. Three mock victims will go through the decontamination process.

Working with the University, Lehigh Valley Health Network will set up a mobile field hospital in the Chappuis Hall parking lot. Students will learn how to treat patients in a field hospital setting, extending their skills beyond what they learn in a traditional classroom.

Members of the DeSales community will act as victims. They will be triaged and treated according to their assigned injuries, which will be created through the use of theatrical make-up.

In addition to the DeSales EMS team, local EMS organizations that are also participating include the Upper Saucon Township Ambulance Corps; Macungie, Ambulance Corps, Emmaus Ambulance Corps, and the St. Luke’s University Health Network Emergency Transport Service.

At the completion of the drill, a debriefing discussion will be held to review the strengths and weaknesses of the event, which will assist in planning for future drills.

PSF’s summer production of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Dennis Razze, set an attendance record for a musical and was also the second highest attended production in the company’s history. Photo by Lee A. Butz.

“A kingdom for a stage:” Shakespeare’s Henry V will rule over the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Main Stage in the company’s 24th summer season, and his magical romance Pericles will bring “wind, rain and thunder” to the intimate Schubert Theatre.

Running May 29 through August 2, 2015, the season will also include a ten-year anniversary production of Around the World in 80 Days andthe contemporary comedy The Foreigner, which will be performed in repertory with Henry V.

The season will open with a new production of a world-renowned award-winning musical. The title will be announced in January in honor of a licensing agreement, as the show is currently running on Broadway.

Children’s programming features Rapunzel and Shakespeare for Kids.

“Season selection is the most important decision we make each year,” says Patrick Mulcahy, producing artistic director.  “Our continued success as we work to fulfill our vision of world-class work creates wonderfully high expectations among our audience members. They rely on us, in a way, to provide these life-enriching experiences. So, getting the season right is vital. We think we have done that.”

With 140+ performances of seven productions each summer, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is a professional company in residence on the idyllic Center Valley campus of DeSales University, featuring acclaimed actors from New York, Philadelphia and L.A.

New in 2015 is offering Wednesday matinees of the season’s musical on June 17th and 24th. The Festival anticipates announcing the title of the musical in mid January at a special event. Dennis Razze, PSF associate artistic director who has helmed all of PSF’s musical productions, will direct.

Matt Pfeiffer, recipient of the acclaimed F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist and a seven-time Barrymore Award nominee, returns to direct Henry V following his acclaimed production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona last summer. Pfeiffer has directed at many of Philadelphia’s leading theatres, including The Arden, Walnut Street and Theatre Exile, where he is associate artistic director.

Drama Desk Award winner Russell Treyz directed Romeo and Juliet in PSF’s inaugural 1992 season. He returns to direct the tenth anniversary production of Around the World in 80 Days, which he directed at PSF to rave reviews in 2005.

Following his tremendous success with last summer’s hit Lend Me a Tenor, Jim Helsinger, artistic director of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and a frequent PSF actor and director, will return to direct The Foreigner.

Pericles will be the Festival’s fourth production rehearsed the way Shakespeare’s company likely would have, with the actors taking control, arriving with their lines learned and opening before an audience in a matter of days. There is no director—the position did not exist in Shakespeare’s time. And no designers, also a more recent invention.

Pericles will be the 28^th of Shakespeare’s 38 plays produced by PSF as the Festival continues its progression through the canon. 

Performances are held 7pm Tuesdays, 8pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There are also some performances at 7:30pm Sundays.

Main Stage Theatre
     The Musical that cannot be named (until January 15th) •  June 10 – June 28
    The Foreigner •  July 8 – August 2
      Henry V •  July 16 – August 2
     Shakespeare for Kids •  July 22 – August 1

Schubert Theatre
     Around the World in 80 Days •  June 17 – July 12
     Pericles •  July 22 – August 2
     Rapunzel •  May 29 – August 1

Subscription renewals are now available; new subscriptions will be available after January 15th.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, a professional company in residence at DeSales University, is the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth and a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. An independent 501 c 3 organization, PSF receives support from DeSales University and relies on contributions from individuals, government agencies, corporations and foundations. PSF is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Shakespeare Theatre Association, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, and Discover Lehigh Valley. 

On Sunday, October 26, DeSales University will hosted a mock emergency event—the aftermath of exposure to a hazardous chemical.

The simulation, set in and outside of the Hurd Science Center at the University’s Center Valley Campus, focused on the triage, treatment, and decontamination of multiple victims of a mock exposure to hydrogen sulfide.

In addition to the DeSales students, faculty, staff, local EMS organizations participating included the Upper Saucon Township Ambulance Corps; Macungie, Ambulance Corps, Emmaus Ambulance Corps, and the St. Luke’s University Health Network Emergency Transport Service.

Below is the video produced by the DeSales Communications Office

The drill was also covered by local media:

 WFMZ-TV

The Morning Call (Video)

The Morning Call (Photos)

For the thirteenth consecutive year, DeSales University physician assistant graduates have a 100 percent first time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE). The graduating class of 2014 was composed of 38 students who graduated on September 1, 2014.

PANCE, the only examination given to graduating physician assistants, must be passed in order to be eligible for licensure in all 50 states. While the DeSales Class of 2014 had a 100 percent pass rate, the national average last year was 94%. In the last 5 years, with DeSales consistent at a 100% pass rate, the national average for the same time period was 93 percent.

“We are really proud of our students and the hard work they have put in to achieve this wonderful result,” said Dr. Wayne Stuart, director of the physician assistant program.  “These outcomes certainly support the concept that the DeSales PA Program is one of the best in the nation.”

The PA Program at DeSales first admitted students in 1997. Physician Assistants are licensed medical professionals who work under the supervision of licensed physicians. They practice in both general and specialty medicine and surgery, and perform routine duties normally reserved for physicians.

The DeSales University ACCESS Program recently awarded four scholarships.

Three ACCESS students, Laura Budraitis, Heather Craft, and Wendy Macarro, were recently awarded the Father Alexander Pocetto, OSFS, Scholarship. 

Budraitis is a marketing major from Bethlehem, Craft is a dual major, English and communication, from Center Valley, and Macarro, a resident of Hellertown, is dual majoring in accounting and management. The presentation of the scholarships occurred during National Non-Traditional Student Week. 

Every year, the Pocetto Scholarship is awarded to students who are current ACCESS students who have taken at least five courses and are in good academic standing. Applicants must also complete an essay that answers the question, “What does the pursuit of higher education mean to you.”

The Pocetto Scholarship is named in honor of Fr. Alexander T. Pocetto, OSFS, retired senior vice president of DeSales University and one of the founders of the ACCESS program in 1976.

John Brinkmann, a criminal justice major from Harleysville, Pa., was awarded the David M. Petzold Scholarship. He currently serves as a sergeant in the Upper Gwynedd Township Police.

The Petzold Scholarship is also awarded annually to a current ACCESS student who is a criminal justice major and is in good academic standing. The recipient must also work in law enforcement and have a record of service to the community.

The David M. Petzold Scholarship was established in memory of Officer David M. Petzold, who was killed in the line of duty on November 9, 2006. Petzhold was an alumnus of the DeSales University ACCESS criminal justice program.

The ACCESS program at DeSales has been a regional leader in providing adult education in an accelerated format for more than 35 years. Classes are offered in traditional classrooms, online, or a hybrid of both. Bachelor’s degrees, certificates, or courses for personal enrichment are offered on three campuses, Center Valley, Easton-Area, and Lansdale, Pa.

On Thursday, November 13, author and journalist, James Srodes will speak at  DeSales at 6:30 p.m. in the DeSales University Center.  The lecture, hosted by the DeSales Department of Social Sciences, is free and open to the public.

Srodes’ topic will be “Our First Station Chief and the Role of Intelligence in the American Revolution” based on his book Franklin: The Essential Founding Father.

Srodes is currently the contributing editor for Industry Europe magazine in the United Kingdom and is also a regular contributor to The American Spectator magazine.  Srodes provides a weekly radio commentary program on business and finance for the BBC World Report.

Srodes was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 1962, he worked for daily newspapers in Florida, North Carolina, and Atlanta before joining United Press International's Washington bureau in 1967 as the White House economics reporter.

Srodes later worked as a financial journalist in the Washington bureaus of Business Week, Forbes Magazine, and Financial World, serving as bureau chief for the latter two.  From 1973 through 1996 he wrote a weekly column on the American financial scene for The Sunday Telegraph of London and wrote regularly for newspapers and magazines in Europe, Africa, and Asia.   He and his wife Cecile, an attorney, live in Washington, DC.

Starting in January 2015, DeSales University will offer classes for its master of business administration (MBA) program at the Wells Fargo Building in Center City Allentown.

“DeSales MBA is very excited to be a part of the re-vitalization of downtown Allentown,” said David Gilfoil, director of the DeSales University MBA program. “Offering select MBA courses at this location will better serve our Allentown-based customers—and their student employees.“

The inaugural class offering will be “Strategic Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Creativity,” a special topics course that satisfies a course requirement in all DeSales MBA concentrations.  Scheduled for Monday evenings from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m., the course will include topical guest speakers from Allentown and Lehigh Valley businesses. A second course will be offered beginning April 6, 2015; also on Monday evenings.

The MBA course offering is in partnership with the Center City Investment Corporation, who is redeveloping the Downtown Allentown area. This redevelopment includes new office space, retail and restaurant space, and the new PPL Center hockey and events arena at Seventh and Hamilton streets.

“Partnering with local city planners, entrepreneurs, and established corporations and institutions will also enable us to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for each of them and for our MBA students,” said Gilfoil.

Center City MBA courses are open to any student with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, as well as any current DeSales MBA student.

The DeSales University MBA program is offered online and at four locations, including the main campus in Center Valley, as well as the Easton Area and Lansdale campuses. The program is also hosted at Immaculata University, Lehigh Valley Hospital and the Pocono Medical Center.

For more information about this course or the DeSales MBA program, visit www.desales.edu/mba.

This holiday season, Act 1 DeSales University Theatre will present the exhilarating musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved book, “Little Women.” This timeless tale filled with glorious song and dance will be presented December 3 to 14, 2014 on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, Center Valley, PA.

With book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, “Little Women, the Musical” follows the adventures of Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America. An aspiring writer, Jo finds inspiration in the memories of the lives, loves, and tragedies that she and her sisters experience while their father is off at war.

The production ran on Broadway in 2005 starring Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern. Foster garnered a Tony Award Nomination for her portrayal of Jo. “‘Little Women, the Musical' is a rare piece in that it is a contemporary musical about a family set in the middle of the 19th century at a precarious moment in the country’s history,” says John Bell, head of the division of performing arts. “The challenge to the writers who adapted Louisa May Alcott’s story was to use music of the time period in such a way as to anchor the musical historically while still providing contemporary allure.  Judging by the response to the original Broadway production and the cult following that the musical has attracted in the ensuing years, I think they succeeded.  I know our students are excited to perform it.”

“‘Little Women, the Musical’” is directed by theatre faculty member Anne Lewis, who directed last season’s “Lost in Yonkers.” Her previous directorial work includes “I Love a Piano” and “A View from the Bridge,” both of which were listed in The Morning Call’s top ten productions of the Lehigh Valley in 2012. The Civil War era comes to life with sets and costumes by Act 1’s resident creative faculty team: scenic designer Will Neuert and costume designer Amy Best. Guest artists Charles S. Reece and Matthew Given designed the lighting and sound, respectively. Senior theatre major Karyn Bohli serves as stage manager.

The production runs December 3 to 14, 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, with an added performance on Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 PM. There is a morning matinee on Monday, December 9 at 9:45 AM, followed by a talk back with the director and cast. A talk back is also scheduled for Sunday, December 7 after the 2:00 PM performance.

On Sunday, December 7, enjoy a conversation with “Little Women, the Musical” Director Anne Lewis, Chair of Theatre Dennis Razze, and Director of Development Deb Walter during an 1860s feast with items likely to be found on the March’s dinner table at Christmas, as well as on the 250-foot buffet at Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural. The dinner will feature a cocktail hour with full bar and popular Civil War hard and soft drinks (juleps, ciders, iced tea, hot chocolate, ginger beer), and punch. The cost for the all-inclusive dinner is $32 per person. Reservations may be made online at desales.edu/act1 through the box office at 610.282.3192.

In an effort to improve accessibility for all patrons, the Saturday, December 6, 2:00 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.

Ticket prices are $27 for adults and $25 for students and seniors on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and $29 for adults and $27 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 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.

This week DeSales TV/Film students were given a three-hour hands-on demonstration of a state of the art high-speed video camera capable of shooting in high definition and up to 6K (6,000 lines of resolution).

The Epic Red Dragon Camera, by Red Digital Media, is the type of camera was used to shoot the films Transformers: The Age of Extinction and The Hobbit.

Local freelance cinematographer Matt Hamm hosted a three-hour, hands-on session in the Shubert Theatre, and TV/Film majors were offered the opportunity to shoot scenes with Red’s flagship camera.

Wayne Turney, professor of theatre, then acted in a short film shot by the TV450 Cinematography class using the Epic Red Dragon. Recorded in one continuous five-minute shot, the students will enter the finished film in film festivals.

“DeSales University TV/Film students continue to experience and to use the latest technology right here in the Lehigh Valley,” said Chuck Gloman, director of the TV/Film program.

The Division of Performing Arts is pleased to announce its Dance and TV/Film departments’ presentation of the 9th Annual Screendance Festival on Saturday, November 22 at 8:00 PM and Sunday November 23 at 8:00 PM in the Commonwealth Room of the DeSales University Center on the Center Valley campus. The Screendance Festival is a free, non-ticketed event. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Read the preview article in The Morning Callhere.

Saturday’s event will feature a slate of films created by Jamey Hampton and Ashley Rolland, artistic directors of the Portland, Oregon based dance company, BodyVox. The festival will screen eight of the award-winning films they have created with noted screendance film director Mitchell Rose. Jamey Hampton will attend the screening and discuss the making of dance-on-camera films at the conclusion of the program.

The program for the November 22nd screening will include “Modern Daydreams: Deere John,” a short piece about a man and a 22-ton John Deere excavator which is a dance of discovery, fulfillment, and loss which has accumulated 19 festival awards. The New York Times describes this work as “a funny and surprisingly touching fantasy.”

BodyVox’s “Modern Daydreams: Treadmill Softly” is about a man at the gym who becomes infatuated with a woman exercising nearby, inspiring flights of fancy. Film Finder described the dance as “a triumph of short filmmaking, nothing short of brilliant.”

 “Modern Daydreams: Islands in the Sky” is about four people weaving fifty feet in the air atop four cherry-pickers in the desert, aloft and aloof in their ivory towers. Film Threat called the piece an “inventive and conceptual crossbreeding of comedy and cutting edge dance.” “Modern Daydreams: Unleashed” features an office-bound cubicle drone fantasizing about his workplace coming to life with animal abandon.

“Learn to Phone Phony” informs us that 25% of all cell phone calls are fake. This instructional video teaches the finer points of the counterfeit call. “Case Studies from the Groat Center for Sleep Disorders” is a hilarious faux-scientific investigation of sleep disorder from the renowned (but fictitious) Groat Center.  

“Advance” is one dance told in two minutes featuring fifty locations. “Advance” is the winner of five festival awards including the “Audience Award” at Dance Camera West. “Contact” explores the premise that our days are battles, from which we take comfort in simple human contact. “Contact” is the 12th collaboration between BodyVox and Mitchell Rose. In 2013, it won the International Videodance Competition Best Choreography Prize at the International Festival of Video, Performance, and Technologies in Lisbon, Portugal.

On Sunday, November 23, at 8:00 PM, the program will feature films created in the “48-Hour Screendance Challenge.” In an effort designed to foster collaborations between the DeSales University dance, theatre, and TV/Film majors, students work together to conceive, choreograph, light, shoot, and edit a film in just 48 hours. At 4PM on Friday, November 21st, students are given a surprise prop that must be creatively incorporated into the film. In addition, this year’s underlying theme is “A Chocolate Feast” so all films will be based on that theme. All competing submissions are due by 4:00 PM on Sunday, November 23, allowing the festival adjudicator, Jamey Hampton, co-artistic director of BodyVox, just enough time to see and evaluate them prior to the public screening at 8:00 PM. The festival adjudicator will provide feedback on each of the films and will select a slate of winning film from the submissions. This popular event often draws a standing room only crowd.

The Screendance Festival is a free, non-ticketed event. Patrons are advised to arrive early as seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The University Center is handicapped accessible.

 The PACE Team (from l to r): Vanessa Ruggiero ’15, Jessica Mullelly ’16, Michael Romano ’17, Paige Nebistinsky ’15, Lucie Loftus ’16. Not pictured: Kathleen Griffin ’15.

The DeSales University Peers Advising Counseling Educating (PACE) team and one of its advisors recently earned two awards—Outstanding Peer Educator Group and Advisor of the Year—at the 2014 BACCHUS Initiative of NASPA National General Assembly, “Peer Education Unfiltered.”

The students who received the Outstanding Peer Educator award included Lucie Loftus ’16, Paige Nebistinsky ’15, Jessica Mullelly ’16, Michael Romano ’17, Vanessa Ruggiero ’15, and Kathleen Griffin ’15.

Mullelly gave a presentation at the conference titled, “You are Worth More than a ‘Like’,” which asks the question: why do we allow ourselves to be defined by the amount of likes and comments we receive on social media? 

“We need to be reminded that social media does not always depict our true selves and holds no value to our worth,” said Mullelly. “You are more than an edited Instagram picture; more than an anonymous Yik Yak post; more than a retweeted tweet.”

The Advisor of the Year Award was given to Wendy Krisak ’98, director of counseling at DeSales and an advisor to the PACE team. Krisak, who has worked at the school since 2003, earned two bachelor’s degrees from DeSales and her master’s degree in counseling from Kutztown University.

DeSales University’s PACE team, established in 2004, consists of six certified students who assist in peer counseling on campus and talk with other students on issues such as alcohol, sexual assault, relationships, time management, and health/social education. They also work with high school, middle school, and elementary school students to address a variety of topics.

PACE is advised by Krisak and Andrea Grube, assistant director of the health center and health educator.

The BACCHUS General Assembly is the premier educational and networking opportunity for peer health educators and their advisors. Over three days, the General Assembly features three keynote events, six featured topical speakers on health and safety, more than 70 educational breakout sessions, networking opportunities, school and agency exhibits, and formal and informal spaces for discussion on leading topics related to the methodology of peer education. More than 600 undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional staff and faculty attend each year.

The Forum for Ethics in the Workplace will host an ethics breakfast at 7:30 a.m.,Thursday, December 4, 2014, in the DeSales University Center on the Center Valley campus.This event, “Whose Neighborhood Is the Niz (Neighborhood Improvement Zone)?” will feature special guest speakers Donald Bernhard, Director of the Downtown Allentown Community Development Initiative and Yamil Sanchez Rivera, Executive Director of the Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.

Bernhard spent 15 years as the City of Allentown’s Community Development Director and managed seven of the City’s bureaus. He is the former chairman of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, and serves as secretary and a 32-year board member of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation and is Chair of the Allentown Public Library Board.

Sanchez Rivera attended Kutztown University where he earned his Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and also his Certification in Secondary Education for Chemistry. He went on to attend Lehigh University, graduating in May 2010 with a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Most recently he was the Head of School and CEO for I-LEAD Charter School in Reading. His career history also includes working for the United Way of Delaware and of Berks County.

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. 

Trexler LIbrary's Interlibrary Loan service will be suspended during the Christmas break beginning December 19, 2014.  Service will resume on January 5, 2015.  Any requests book requests placed during the week of December 15 may not be available for pickup until January 5, 2015.  For any further information, contact Phyllis Vogel at extension 1257 or Phyllis.Vogel@desales.edu.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

DeSales University senior philosophy major Alexandra Romanyshyn recently met His Holiness Pope Francis after Mass in a private chapel at the Vatican.

This fall  Romanyshyn served as an intern at the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican. Staff members there arranged the meeting in recognition of her work during the semester.

DeSales has internship placements at the Vatican, including the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and the Pontifical Council for Culture. In five years, more than 25 students have interned at the Vatican. At this time, Villanova University is the only other American university that has internships at these Councils.

On January 4, at the DeSales University Holiday Tournament presented by OAA, video of an inbound pass from sophomore Kuity Slanger to sophomore Ryan Callahan who scored with just 0.6 seconds left to send the game against McDaniel College into overtime was featured and tweeted by ESPN.

Watch the play here.

While the Bulldogs ultimately lost to McDaniel, the alley-oop pass was a true highlight.

For full coverage of the game as well as updates on all Bulldog sports, click here.

DeSales University will hold its mid-year commencement on Saturday, January 24, at 11:00 a.m., in Billera Hall on the Center Valley campus. During the ceremony, Rev. Bernard F. O’Connor, OSFS, president of DeSales University, will confer degrees upon 154 graduating students for January 2015.

In addition to the January 2015 degree recipients, DeSales awarded 206 degrees to students in September 2014. Because there is no formal ceremony in September, the September graduates may take part in the January commencement.

Kevin F. Flemming (pictured right), president and CEO of the INTEGRITY group of companies, will deliver the commencement speech.

Flemming joined Integrity Personnel, Inc. in 1997 and was appointed president of the Lehigh Valley-based staffing company in 2004. He founded IntegritySBS, a business process outsourcing company in 2008. He has been closely involved with economic development and workforce policy in the region, serving two terms on the Economic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Flemming holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from DeSales University and has been a long-time supporter of the DeSales community. He is a member of the DeSales University President’s Council, member of the board of the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace, and serves as chairman of the Societas Award for Responsible Corporate Conduct.

During the ceremony, Michael and Wilhelmina Laroche will receive the DeSales Medal.

The DeSales Medal is the highest nonacademic award conferred by the University in recognition of the outstanding contributions to the development of the University through personal service as well as financial support. Recipients of the DeSales Medal are well respected in the community at large and have been distinguished for the witness they give to the ideals most highly prized by St. Francis de Sales.

“Mike and Wilhelmina Laroche are living examples of the ideals most highly prized by St. Francis de Sales,” said Fr. O’Connor. “Both are ardent supporters of DeSales University who truly live a life of Salesian spirit and inspiration.”

Michael Laroche, a 1975 graduate of DeSales, is the district manager of the Social Security Office in Stroudsburg, Pa., and Wilhelmina Laroche is a retired elementary school teacher.

In 1995, Michael was ordained as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Allentown. Assigned to Holy Trinity Church, he coordinates the RCIA program and assists with liturgies and sacraments. He also served as a board member of the Allentown Central Catholic Music Parents, coordinating trips for the band.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in politics, Michael served as alumni board secretary and a class representative. He was the 1980 alumni chair of the school’s annual fund and previously served as the chair of the alumni advisory board for the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture.

Congratulations to the following traditional day students for making the Dean's List for the Fall 2014 semester. To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must have a minimum 3.25 GPA.

• CLASS OF 2015
• Alderiso, Erik A.
• Amiano, Lauren N.
• Anatalio, Allister C.
• Anderson, Sianta L.
• Ayala, Luis A.
• Baglivio, Christine N.
• Baker, Emilie A.
• Banos, Christine M.
• Bayeux, John J.
• Berge, Ashleigh L.
• Berger, Lacey N.
• Blessing, Julie A.
• Bohli, Karyn A.
• Bolza, Kayla L.
• Borakove, Alexandra N.
• Borger, Drew H.
• Bortz, Katherine R.
• Brandstetter, Nicole E.
• Brandt, Alyssa L.
• Breslin, Ryan E.
• Brobst, Joshua R.
• Bryan, Travis K.
• Caroff, Ashley M.
• Carver, Chelsea R.
• Carvis, Nicholas S.
• Cassidy, Jennifer A.
• Churchman, Stephanie A.
• Cito, Chelsea N.
• Connors, Mary M.
• Cook, Angelo J.
• Crosby, Sean M.
• Culichia, Benjamin C.
• Custis-Adams, Kiesha M.
• Davis, Meghan L.
• De Marco, Kaitlynn T.
• Dellavalle, Alyson K.
• Delpome, Michael V.
• DePaulo, Gabriela L.
• Dickinson, Sean F.
• Dolan, Megan T.
• Donovan, Jacob P.
• Dusza, David F.
• Edinger, Alina
• Esposito, Ericka A.
• Faichtyger, Ariana M.
• Farmer, Julie A.
• Fay, Jennifer G.
• Fink, Autumn L.
• Foster, Michelle K.
• Fry, Brian
• Furman, Nathan T.
• Galati, Francesco S.
• Gannon, Erin A.
• Garcia, Kimberly Ashley R.
• Gardner, Hannah M.
• Garlick, Joseph T.
• Georgiadis, Alan H.
• Giammarese, Sarah N.
• Goodreau, Sarah D.
• Griffin, Kathleen A.
• Halpin, Patricia M.
• Herrighty, James K.
• Higgins, John T.
• Hillegass, Jessica A.
• Hixson, Kevin A.
• Holaska, Kristen A.
• Horrigan, Brooke A.
• Howshall, Sarah K.
• Hufnagle, John R.
• Humphreys, Emily C.
• Hutnick, Rachel M.
• Ickes, Elizabeth M.
• Ivankovits, Andrew
• Jackson, Tatyana
• Jokic, Stephan D.
• Jordan, Therese M.
• Juhrden, Kristen M.
• Kastner, Matthew P.
• Kays, Brianna A.
• Kean, Jacob M.
• Kelly, Devin M.
• Klingel, Sarah E.
• Knauff, Ellen E.
• Kusik, Katherine R.
• Lake, Kristen E.
• Lande, Cheryl L.
• Lanzetta, Nicholas J.
• Lepore, Emma C.
• Lewis, Victoria D.
• Lind, Ryan T.
• Little, Katelyn M.
• Logan, Tessa J.
• Lowry, Nicholas M.
• Luckie, Karen E.
• Lutz, Maryanne D.
• Mainiero, Teresa M.
• Malatesta, Alison
• Malatesta, Alyssa
• Marchiano, Francesco
• Mathiesen, Jessica L.
• McCadden, Hunter N.
• McCarthy, Christopher J.
• McFadden, Meghan
• McMonagle, Matthew S.
• Meyers, Matthew C.
• Miller, Amanda L.
• Miller, Amanda N.
• Miller, Andrea E.
• Miller, Kaley J.
• Mitchell, Carly T.
• Moody, Ian T.
• Myron, Olivia R.
• Myslinski, Rachel E.
• Nassif, Zeina R.
• Newhard, Allison J.
• Noll, Nathan D.
• Oberto, Maria S.
• Okula, Christopher M.
• Olszewski, Logan R.
• Oommen, Nisha
• Orzol, Lee E.
• Owens, Shawn P.
• Petillo, Alyssa L.
• Photiades, Jennifer M.
• Pinto, John F.
• Polet, Rachael A.
• Raiser, Sean H.
• Ramirez, Stephanie
• Reilly, Meghan A.
• Reinert, Cody M.
• Remaley, Lauren K.
• Rezek, Emily G.
• Rice, Lauren L.
• Ritchey, Anna E.
• Rivas, Danielle R.
• Romaine, Damien M.
• Romanic, Lindsay M.
• Rosser, Kathryn M.
• Rybak, Daniel J.
• Schloo, Jennifer L.
• Schloo, Stefanie L.
• Seghers, Mary C.
• Seibert, Theresa G.
• Sisk, Elizabeth M.
• Snyder, Kristen M.
• Sommers, Stephen T.
• Stephen, Marina
• Tate, Morgan A.
• Taylor, Cameron T.
• Taylor, Lauren E.
• Tozzoli, Julie E.
• Unera, Chad A.
• Urffer, Candice R.
• Van Doran, Stephen E.
• Wallitsch, Amanda M.
• Watson, Jessica S.
• Wentzell, AnneMarie
• Whittenburg, James L.
• Wickus, Louisa J.
• Williams, Jenna L.
• Wright, Sara E.
• Wyglendowski, Lindsey A.
• Wysocky, Rachel
• Yankus, Maria
• Zeiner, Abigail M.

• CLASS OF 2016
• Almocherki, Joann G.
• Andrew, Elisa J.
• Andrews, John P.
• Arahill, Marissa A.
• Ashby, Kiana
• Balla, Natala E.
• Barshinger, Marian J.
• Berner, Austin D.
• Blaise, Andrew D.
• Boone, Rachel E.
• Bridge, Sarah E.
• Cabrera, Rebecca A.
• Carpenter, Nicole R.
• Connell, Shannon P.
• Cook, Tiffany M.
• Costanzo, Megan A.
• Coyle, Emily
• Cruts, Brian T.
• Cullen, Michelle D.
• Curry, Jessica L.
• Delio, Angela S.
• DePaul, Lauren M.
• Difiore, George C.
• Dunlap, Alexa A.
• Eisenhart, Bethany N.
• Fager, Jordan C.
• Faller, Melissa J.
• Farnesi, Alessandra C.
• Ferguson, Colleen E.
• Ferraro, Emily D.
• Finnegan, Megan R.
• Fliszar, Shawn F.
• Frace, Harley E.
• Galati, Dayna M.
• Gandy, Taylor C.
• Gaunt, Mark-Anthony
• Gee, Sandra M.
• Gessner, Michelle L.
• Gibson, Samantha E.
• Gies, Shawn P.
• Gilpatrick, Tyler W.
• Greenbaum, Alfred L.
• Hagan, Ryan C.
• Halsel, Laura E.
• Hanrahan, Joshua P.
• Heller, Tara E.
• Henderson, Allysha
• Hess, Kelsie H.
• Heyer, Matthew J.
• Hill, Elizabeth A.
• Hoang, Kim T.
• Hoang, Lien
• Holmes, Christine E.
• Holveck, Karen K.
• Houseal, Matthew C.
• Jackson, Hutton G.
• Jacobs, Brianna R.
• Johnson, Nicholas F.
• Johnson, Robert W.
• Kemmerer, Emma B.
• Kershaw, Alyssa L.
• Kinsell, Sarah K.
• Kitchell, Jackson L.
• Kulig, Colby A.
• Labar, Abigale C.
• Lacalamita, Mary K.
• Laughlin, Danielle R.
• Lawler, Michael E.
• Lichtenwalner, Sarah M.
• Livengood, Patricia M.
• Longo, Alberto M.
• Lucas, Carolyn G.
• Maletz, Joseph M.
• Marinelli, Nathaniel A.
• Marshall, Emily J.
• Medrano, Paola A.
• Miller, Aubrey J.
• Miller, Emilie Claire
• Miller, Kelby L.
• Mills, Kaitlyn M.
• Morin, Nicole S.
• Mosier, Erin K.
• Moyer, Julia L.
• Mudri, Alexis N.
• Myers-Ackerman, Paige K.
• Nadeau, Catherine T.
• Napolitano, Jennifer L.
• Ni, Rebecca J.
• Noverati, Nicholas
• Nowakowski, Thomas E.
• Nyman, Karyssa K.
• Pierzga, Brittany R.
• Piger, Maria J.
• Pinto, Joseph H.
• Plummer, Colleen M.
• Purkey, Kristen R.
• Ramsey, Jillian M.
• Rappold, Vanessa M.
• Rasmuson, Rebecca R.
• Rath, Timothy A.
• Risser, Savanna J.
• Rivas, Vanessa A.
• Romaglia, Patrick J.
• Sein, Elizabeth S.
• Setzer, Amanda L.
• Sherry, Payton K.
• Shuster, Caitlyn A.
• Sicilia, Shana A.
• Singh, Tajinder
• Siracuse, Christina M.
• Smith, Alana N.
• Sorrentino, Felicity L.
• Stribula, Nicole T.
• Strickland, Wesley R.
• Sun, Janet C.
• Tabuzo, Jonathan G.
• Tucker, Melissa G.
• Urbanski, Amanda L.
• Vitale, Phillip G.
• Walther, Sarah A.
• Weidle, Ellen P.
• Wickus, Henry J.
• Wieser, Lauren A.
• Wolcott, Stefanie V.
• Yacik, Danika N.
• Yost, Lauren N.
• Young, Samantha K.
• Zakzewski, Jessica M.
• Zampini, Christopher A.
• Zehner, Amy M.
• Zielonka, Adam R.

• CLASS OF 2017
• Anatalio, Angela
• Arian, Sayed
• Ayala, Christian J.
• Bamundo, Michael J.
• Beaumont, Alexa P.
• Benedetto, Holly N.
• Berretta, Shayna L.
• Blomquist, Olivia M.
• Bonner, Gabrielle F.
• Borgstrom, Allyson A.
• Burns, Samantha C.
• Calamari, Christopher R.
• Callahan, Nicole M.
• Cammisa, Mikel J.
• Cappuccino, Katie M.
• Cawley, Jennie L.
• Chen, Sophia
• Cole, Jessica L.
• Colliflower, Edel T.
• Collins, Patrick J.
• Cooperman, Tyler J.
• Costanzo, Christopher R.
• Cugini, Elizabeth M.
• Curcillo, Paul G.
• D'Annibale, Francesca M.
• Dauer, Elizabeth M.
• Defilippo, Jana M.
• DiAngelis, Andrew T.
• Dierolf, Bradley A.
• Dietrich, Kellie A.
• DiFiore, Marcel P.
• Dotzman, Lyndsay A.
• Downing, Katherine M.
• Driscoll, Lindsay N.
• Duffy, Sean J.
• Dyszel, Alison Z.
• Edwards, William C.
• Elliott, Kelsey R.
• Eshleman, Erika L.
• Fabey, Kristin E.
• Ferre Marti, Maria Del Carmen
• Festa, Bridget A.
• Fierro, John T.
• Fischer, Christine A.
• Frye, Nicholas C.
• Galassi, Gina M.
• Gallagher, Emily F.
• Glueckstein, Michael J.
• Grube, Erin S.
• Hansen, Paige V.
• Hawkins, Daniel S.
• Hemdal, Anders K.
• Hernandez, Melissa A.
• Holmes, Brian P.
• Hough, Rachel C.
• Hurst, Wesley J.
• Jannuzzi, Louis C.
• Jesiolowski, Rachel
• Julien, Jeffrey A.
• Kaschak, Amanda M.
• Kelly, Mackenzie C.
• Kershner, Jonathan M.
• King, Karli A.
• Kissinger, Elizabeth A.
• Krall, Allison
• Kramlich, Kylie A.
• Laird, Brian W.
• Larsen, Katrina L.
• Leo, Francis J.
• Luft, Meghan K.
• Manidis, John A.
• Matejcek, Jonathan M.
• McCarthy, Melissa E.
• McCollian, Morgan R.
• McDermott, Nicola M.
• McDonald, Daniel C.
• McGovern, Maranda P.
• McHenry, Cara M.
• McMichael, Josiah D.
• Miller, Kaitlyn M.
• Mooney, Sean P.
• Morris, Margaux M.
• Moussa, Samantha
• Myers, Allison M.
• Myers, Leslie
• Newborg, Paul W.
• Nielsen, Madison M.
• Notarianni, Lara E.
• O'Connell, Sarah M.
• O'Loughlin, Therese C.
• O'Malley, Shannon L.
• Orobono, Mary E.
• Pagan, Rozani C.
• Palen, Sean G.
• Parisi, Gabrielle T.
• Pellosie, John M.
• Pullara, Sarah
• Raso, Theresa C.
• Rich, Zachary J.
• Rogan, Emily L.
• Rohrbach, Kristie S.
• Romano, Michael A.
• Rosenberger, Stephanie M.
• Santschi, Emma K.
• Scargle, Caitlin E.
• Scripture, Avery Q.
• Silverblatt, Jessica N.
• Smith, Shaye A.
• Southerton, Jennifer M.
• Spaar, Emily G.
• Stuart, Emily A.
• Sweeney, Cailin M.
• Synoracki, Joshua S.
• Tran, Christina N.
• Von Spakovsky, Alexis E.
• Wendel, Jaci L.
• Wernecke, Emma R.
• Wessel, Mark R.
• Wetherhold, Jessica L.
• Yocum, Brady B.
• Younger, Esther M.

• CLASS OF 2018 
• Alderfer, Kayla E.
• Allen, Jacob D.
• Ament, Jessica L.
• Anatalio, Audrey
• Anderson, Kari M.
• Andreotta, Gianna K.
• Angelucci, Kelly M.
• Artesani, Andrea
• Aungst, Mariette J.
• Basil, Thomas J.
• Bertola, Angelica C.
• Bielski, Ann L.
• Bondi, Alexander J.
• Bortz, Dylan T.
• Brotherton, Jessica M.
• Brown, Shannon M.
• Burke, Delaney C.
• Cantelmo, Victoria R.
• Colasante, Emily A.
• Crupi, Gabriela N.
• Cudo, Erik J.
• Cybulski, Noelle M.
• Czankner, Randy L.
• Dalition, Kelsey J.
• Desseyn, Adam N.
• Diaz, Anelise
• Duffany, Sarah P.
• Durkee, Colleen N.
• Emering, Gina M.
• Engwall, Danielle P.
• Evans, James T.
• Fella, Allison J.
• Frati, Haley N.
• Gappy, Brennan M.
• Giannotti, Natalie K.
• Good, Rebekah E.
• Gutshall, Ryan M.
• Hamilton, Karrington Y.
• Harrison, Thomas A.
• Heist, Sienna L.
• Hodge, Stephanie A.
• Howald, Emma K.
• Jara, Nicholas C.
• Koorie, Selena M.
• Kwiatkowski, Julianne K.
• Labar, Gianna R.
• Letcher, Joseph T.
• Loeb, Jordan M.
• Lord, Jessica A.
• Lucchese, Gabrielle M.
• Luzi, Tess M.
• Lynn, Margaret K.
• Madara, Mitchel W.
• Mangan, Kaela M.
• Mateo-De la Rosa, Ashley
• Maye, Andrew W.
• McGann, Edward I.
• McPeak, Isabel M.
• Miller, Jamie L.
• Murphy, Joseph
• Ochs, Sarah J.
• O'Meara, Niall
• Palan, Holly M.
• Pappas, Christina A.
• Pennella, Shannon M.
• Popp, Hannah R.
• Quiba, Chriswell V.
• Raskovic, George
• Reeder, Matthew J.
• Rizzolino, Madison D.
• Rodriguez, Elizabeth
• Santiago, Thalia
• Schick, Timothy C.
• Schmauder, Mason S.
• Schwarz, Ryan J.
• Scott, Michelle K.
• Scullin, Deborah A.
• Sesholtz, Jacqueline A.
• Shvindlerman, Ilya
• Smith, Brian C.
• Speranza, Nicholas P.
• Sterner, Stacie E.
• Stoudt, Jakob T.
• Strohlein, Ashley A.
• Tatasciore, Krista L.
• Trovato, Matthew J.
• Turck, Sarah E.
• Waldron, Stephanie M.
• Walker, Joshua R.
• Walters, Lucas A.
• Weidner, Jenna M.
• Wieziolowski, Logan A.
• Wood, Bernadette M.
• Yob, Anthony L.
• Young, Brigid
• Zaleski, Margaret A.