| August 28, 2008 | Vol 10. No. 1 |
Canisius Begins New Traditions at Mass of the Holy Spirit
Students in the procession carried flags as they followed the bagpiper to the Montante Cultural Center.
Canisius celebrated the beginning of the academic year today with its annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. New this year, a bagpiper led the procession of Jesuits, faculty, staff and students down Main Street to the Montante Cultural Center for Mass.
The tradition of celebrating the Mass of the Holy Spirit, especially at Jesuit high schools and universities, is a tradition that is almost as old as the Society of Jesus itself, dating back to the first Jesuit school in Messina, Sicily, in 1548.
Also new this year, faculty and administrators formed an Honor Processional to greet students as they entered the Montante Cultural Center for the Mass of the Holy Spirit.
Another Canisius tradition is the annual state of the college address given by President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., during Academic Convocation. All faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to attend this year’s Academic Convocation on Thursday, September 4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center.
Welcome Back
Mike Globits `10, a member of the Canisius men's soccer team, was among the student-athletes who lent a hand on moving-in day last Friday.
Classes began on Monday, August 25 but student leaders and athletes arrived on campus earlier in the month. Many were on hand to help their classmates move into the dorms last weekend.
“We had a great start of the academic year,” said Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. “Our freshman class is particularly strong academically and will complement our other students on campus.”
Nearly 1,300 freshmen and their parents attended “Your Amazing Race,” a travel-themed Welcome Weekend 2008. Organized by the Office of Campus Programming and Leadership Development, Welcome Weekend provides an introduction to campus services, a family Mass and blessing, social activities and entertainment.
Mark Tortelli '10 (top, left), treasurer of the Canisius chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and Matthew Lindenberg '10, president of the Canisius chapter of Habitat for Humanity, assisted several members of the Class of 2012 during the Welcome Weekend service project at the Habitat site at 412 Cambridge Avenue off of East Delavan Avenue.
Forty members of the college community, including incoming freshmen, participated in the Welcome Weekend service project on Sunday, August 24. Canisius’ community partners were Habitat for Humanity and the Little Portion Friary Homeless Shelter. The event was organized by the Office of Campus Ministry.
Major Summer Renovation Projects Complete
The Canisius men’s soccer team practices on the new A-Turf athletic field at the Demske Sports Complex.
Upon their return, student-athletes will notice several major improvements at the Koessler Athletic Center (KAC), which is the midst of a $2.1 million, four-phase renovation. The first phase includes a new state-of-the-art facility Center for Athletic Training, which will be used for game and practice preparation. The center is also fully equipped for acute and long-term injury rehabilitation.
The Demske Sports Complex, which received a $1.6 million facelift, now boasts A-Turf, a new multi-purpose, all-weather synthetic playing surface and new scoreboards. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have new-and-improved locker rooms for the upcoming season.
The Golden Griffins also have a new Web site, in partnership with JumpTV, which went live on August 21. The newly redesigned version of GoGriffs.com, presents fans with the opportunity to enjoy enhanced content, photos and video features for all 16 Canisius sports, along with the ability to shop and purchase official team merchandise. To view the new Web site, click here.
Other major construction projects completed this summer include final installation and testing of the college’s emergency notification system. Speakers in the hallways of all Canisius buildings can now alert students, faculty and staff in one or all buildings in the event of a college-wide emergency or intruder. The Village Townhouses have new furniture and carpeting, and the interior of Griffin Hall was painted and its student lounge was remodeled. The Commuter Student Lounge in the Richard E. Winter ?42 was also renovated, with the addition of new furniture and a flat-panel television set. Six, six-foot tall banners now clearly identify Science Hall as a Canisius College building located in the heart of the campus.
Canisius Welcomes Iraqi, Tunisian Students
In addition to the more than 40 international students, Canisius welcomes Hussam (who asked that we keep his last name confidential), an Iraqi student displaced by war.
Hussam is one of 17 Iraqi students who will begin classes this fall at U.S. colleges and universities through the Iraqi Student Project (ISP), a group of educators and activists in the U.S. and Mideast who are working to help Iraqi refugees finish their education. These students are among the estimated more than one million Iraqi refugees in Syria. Canisius is one of 15 universities that have agreed to waive tuition to help these students finish their education in hopes that they will return to Iraq to contribute to its rebuilding. Local organizations supporting Hussam's living expenses while he is here in the U.S. include Pax Christi WNY, Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier, WNY Peace Center, Interfaith Peace Network, Buffalo Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission and Rabbi Drorah Setel.
Amine Bouguerra, from Tunisia, comes to Canisius through the U.S. Department of State Near East South Asia (NESA) Exchange Program. The Near East South Asia Undergraduate Exchange Program is an activity of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the US Department of State. Amine will attend Canisius for the fall 2008 semester.
"Hussam and Amine, along with all of our international students, will enrich our activities, events and classrooms by bringing their cultural perspectives and life experiences to us," said Jerome L. Neuner, PhD, associate vice president for academic affairs.
U.S. News Ranks Canisius 22nd in Top Tier For the second consecutive year, Canisius College is ranked 22nd in the top tier of Northern Universities-Master’s in U.S. News and World Report’s 2009 rankings of America’s Best Colleges. Consistently ranked among the top tier of North region schools, Canisius jumped seven spots to rank 22nd in the 2008 listing.
Canisius also ranked seventh in the Great Schools, Great Prices category, which is a five point gain from last year’s ranking. This category lists the colleges and universities that offer the best value as it relates to a school’s academic quality vs. the net cost of attendance.
“Canisius is strongly committed to the tradition of high-quality Catholic Jesuit education,” said Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. “Inclusion on this list confirms that Canisius College is successful in our commitment to offer an excellent education that is also a great value.”
There’s more good news.
Canisius’ peer assessment or reputation score has increased over the past three years from 2.9 in 2007 to 3.1 in 2009. The peer assessment score is determined by a survey of presidents, chief academic officers and chief admissions officers at universities within Canisius’ tier. The peer assessment number accounts for 25 percent of the college's score.
In addition, the percentage of Canisius faculty who are full-time has continued to climb over the last three years from 64 to 70 percent.
Canisius’ Little Three competitors, Niagara and St. Bonaventure, rank 58 and 40, respectively.
For more information, click here.
Father Cooke on “Crossroads”
President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., shared his experiences from the 35th Jesuit General Congregation during a radio interview on “Crossroads,” a joint production of Regent Broadcasting of Buffalo and the Network of Religious Communities. The interview, conducted by Rev. Jonathan D. Lawrence, assistant professor of religious studies and theology at Canisius, will air on Sunday, September 7 at 6:00 a.m. on WJYE-FM (96.1) and at 6:30 a.m. on WBUF FM (92.9). Father Cooke’s interview will be available on Canisius iTunesU after the September 7 broadcasts.
Father Cooke was one of the 225 Jesuit delegates from around the world who elected a new superior general of the Society of Jesus on January 19, 2008, in Rome. The Society of Jesus is the largest religious order in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Congregation selected Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., former provincial of Japan and the current president of the Jesuit conference of East Asia and Oceana, as the 30th superior general of the Jesuits. He succeeds Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., who resigned on January 14 after 25 years of service.
Under the Dome to Debut September 3
On September 3, the Office of Web Services will unveil Under the Dome, a daily on-line publication for Canisius news. Under the Dome will give faculty and staff a central location for college-wide announcements, which were previously submitted to the faculty and staff via E-mail listserv and the Netgazette.
Under the Dome will be published Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. during the fall and spring semesters. You will receive an E-mail each day when Under the Dome is updated. During the summer semester, it will be published every other Tuesday.
Any faculty or staff member may submit news items for Under the Dome via a simple on-line form. A document which details submission guidelines will be posted as a link from the on-line form. Deadline for submissions is 2 p.m. daily for the next day's newsletter.
Look for information from the Office of Web Services regarding Under the Dome Q&A sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. If you have any questions regarding Under the Dome, please contact Suzanne Crean, assistant Web editor, at Ext. 2935 or send an E-mail to creans@canisius.edu.
Scaccias Commit $2 Million to A Legacy Of Leadership
Carmelo '51 and Lynn Scaccia have committed $2 million to A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. The largest fund-raising initiative in the college's 137-year history, A Legacy of Leadership aims to raise $90 million dollars for capital improvements and the college's endowment. To date, Canisius has received commitments of nearly $62 million to the campaign."The Scaccias' active involvement and longstanding support of Canisius have played a vital role in the college's success story,' said Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., Canisius president. "We are exceptionally grateful for their most recent and very generous leadership commitment, which will help create a legacy that will have a permanent impact on our students and in the community."
"Lynn and I believe strongly in the value of a Canisius education," added Carmelo Scaccia. "This gift is our way of helping to ensure that this quality continues at Canisius for future generations of students."
A retired department store executive, Carmelo Scaccia's career in the retail industry spanned nearly 50 years.
For more information, click here.
CANISIUS EVENTS
Contemporary Writers Series
The Contemporary Writers Series will kick off its 10th anniversary season on Thursday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge with Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them. Akpan will read from his book and take questions from the audience. The evening will conclude with a reception and book signing. Say You’re One of Them is Akpan’s first book. It is a collection of five short stories, each set in a different African country and focused on the experiences of five different children.
Akpan’s previous works include “An Ex-Mas Feast,” a story that first appeared in the New Yorker Debut Fiction issue in 2005, and “My Parent’s Bedroom,” a short story that was chosen as a finalist for the Caine Prize for African Writing.
For more information on the 2008-2009 Contemporary Writers Series visit www.canisius.edu/writers.
Jon Luther Discusses the Dunkin’ Difference
If Dunkin' Donuts is part of your daily ritual then you won’t want to miss the chance to hear the company chairman and CEO speak when he comes to Canisius on Thursday, September 18. Jon Luther will speak at 4:00 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge. His lecture, “Brand Transformation: Remaining competitive in today’s challenging market,” is sponsored by the Richard J. Wehle School of Business and the Canisius Chapter of the American Marketing Association. Luther is a veteran of the food industry. Prior to Dunkin' Donuts, he was president of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits. During his tenure, the company’s store count grew 67 percent and its average annual unit volume grew to more than $1 million. Luther’s leadership earned Popeyes industry awards for menu strategy, store redesign and customer satisfaction.
Luther is also past president of CA One Services, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, and has held leadership positions in the contract foodservice division of the Marriott Corporation and ARAMARK. He is the founder of Benchmark Services Inc., a foodservice management firm that specializes in business dining for corporations.
Contemporary Music Ensemble Performs in Rome
The Canisius College Contemporary Music Ensemble brought its musical talents to the Vatican City for seven days this summer. Under the direction of Elizabeth A. Staley, associate campus minister and director of music ministry, the ensemble performed before an international congregation of 200 people, during Solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The ensemble also hosted a public concert at St. Eustacchio Church.
In between performances, the group traveled to Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of Pope Benedict XVI, where the Holy Father addressed visitors and prayed for their safe journey through Rome. They toured Vatican City and also visited Rome’s Church of the Gesu. Conceived by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the church served as Loyola’s home and that of the Superior Generals of the Society of Jesus until 1773.
Twenty-five Canisius students, three alumni and several of their family members made the trip to Italy.
Canisius Department of Public Safety Presents Child Fingerprint Program
Canisius College Public Safety Lieutenant James A. Murphy III, fingerprints several neighborhood children at the first annual Child Fingerprint Program.
Nearly 30 neighborhood children turned out for the Canisius College Department of Public Safety child fingerprint ID program at the Upper Room Church of God in Christ on Florida Street on Tuesday, August 5 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. The free program, coordinated by James A. Murphy III, lieutenant for public safety, was held in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Western New York Night Out Against Crime and National Night Out Against Crime. This is the first year that public safety has offered the program.
Canisius College Literacy Center Summer Programs
Lindsey, a Canisius College graduate student, and Brandon, a local student served by the Canisius College Literacy Center, participated in an exercise entitled “Making Predictions as you Read.” Each predicted what would happen next in the story, wrote it on a post-it note and stuck it to their foreheads. At the end, they checked to see if their predictions were accurate.
The Canisius College Literacy Center served nearly 50 children this summer, including many from local Hamlin Park public schools, Tapestry High School, Nardin Academy Elementary, the Charter School for Applied Technologies, Buffalo Public Schools and suburban school districts. Programs included Diagnosis & Assessment (Grade 1-12) in which graduate student Literacy Certification candidates worked with students under the supervision of a Canisius College faculty member. Candidates tested, diagnosed and taught students to address the skills and strategies they needed for literacy success. At the end of the session, parents received a report which described their child’s progress.
Literacy Tutoring (Grade 1-6), was also offered this summer. For information regarding fall programs at the Literacy Center, contact (716) 888-3728 or visit the Web site here.
Seventh Annual Summer Science Camp
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| Kids at the Canisius College Science Camp enjoy the “hovercraft” demonstration at this year’s science camp. |
CANISIUS KUDOS
Weber Named Assistant Director of Annual Fund
Mark D. Weber MSEd ’08 is the new assistant director of the annual fund. He manages the telefunding efforts for the annual fund, and assists in the cultivation and stewardship of the young alumni, parent and student divisions. Previously, Weber worked for Canisius as a graduate assistant in the call center, which raised a historic $750,000 last year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from Excelsior College and a master’s degree in education from Canisius College.
Sauer Receives Service-Learning Award
The Canisius Business Advisory Council presented Paul L. Sauer, PhD, professor of management and marketing, with its Service-Learning Award. Established in 2007, the award recognizes a professor from the Richard J. Wehle School of Business who promotes service-learning in his or her coursework. As the 2008 award winner, Sauer received a $500 stipend. Sauer was recognized for his marketing research course, in which his students conduct marketing research studies for local non-profit organizations, which are financially or technically unable of conducting this type or level of research. Based on their findings, students then compose written reports of their results, present their reports to the organizations’ management and make sound managerial recommendations for improvements. Sauer’s students have conducted service-learning projects for such agencies as The United Way, the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo, and the Community Music School.
Canisius Professors Participate in CASTL Summer Institute
Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, S.J., associate professor and chair of religious studies, Gordon W. Meyer, PhD, associate professor of management and marketing and Ann W. Wright, PhD, professor of biology, participated in the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Institute at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska from June 4-7. Each CASTL scholar presented on a particular topic related to the 2008 theme of Jesuit professional dispositions and values. Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs, served as co-facilitator for the pre-institute leadership forum for administrators.
Nida to Share $1.2 Million Research Grant
Robert E. Nida, PhD, associate professor of teacher education and a member of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Consortium, is a co-investigator on a three-year, $1.2 million research grant awarded to the consortium by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. The grant will be used to conduct a feasibility study of a comprehensive school-based intervention that addresses the cognitive, communicative, social and behavioral needs of elementary school children who are diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). “I congratulate Dr. Nida and his colleagues at SUNY Buffalo and Summit Educational Resources on the receipt of this prestigious grant,” said Margaret C. McCarthy, PhD, dean, School of Education and Human Services at Canisius College. “Through the Connections Program, they have positively impacted the lives of dozens of children and their families. This grant recognizes the value of their work to date, and will support their continuing efforts to increase our understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Canisius is very proud to be part of this ongoing research.”
The Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Consortium organizes and examines the effectiveness of its summer intervention for HFASD children. The treatment program, called Connections, is conducted on the Canisius campus and has produced positive outcomes for children, across a range of areas. A subcontract of the Institute of Education Sciences grant will help support the continuation of the Connections program.
For more information, click here.
Hertz is Co- Recipient of NSF Grant
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Matthew A. Hertz, PhD, assistant professor of computer science, a three-year grant worth $118,657. He will collaborate with Chen Ding, PhD, associate professor of computer science at the University of Rochester, on a research project entitled “Adaptive Memory Management in Shared Environments.” The NSF awarded Ding a three-year grant for $234,638. Hertz and Ding will work to develop tools that will allow garbage-collected programs to automatically work together and fully utilize a PCs RAM memory without slowing down its system. Garbage-collected programs are a form of automatic memory management and are used to reclaim any memory the program does not need (the “garbage”). The programmer then does not have to manually decide when they are finished using data and when the memory it requires can be reused.
Erickson Book Examines Crime, Punishment and Mental Illness
A new book co-authored by Patricia E. Erickson, PhD, JD, examines the response of American society to mentally ill persons who commit crimes. Crime, Punishment and Mental Illness: Law and the Behavioral Sciences in Conflict draws upon high-profile cases to analyze the current policy of criminalizing mental illness, the reasons for the policy and the problems it creates for the mentally ill in society. Erickson also explores the roles of mental health experts in criminal cases where the defendants are mentally ill.Erickson is chair and associate professor of sociology, anthropology and criminal justice. She co-authored Crime, Punishment and Mental Illness with (her son) and colleague Steven K. Erickson ’95, PhD, JD, LLM, a forensic psychologist, attorney and a Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers fellow at Yale University.
Crime, Punishment and Mental Illness is available at local bookstores and on-line at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.target.com for $21.95.
Computer Science Department Receives Robotics Award
The Institute of Personal Robotics in Education (IPRE) awarded the Computer Science Department with $1,500 in funding and a Scribbler robot, to help further its curriculum. Canisius was one of 28 colleges and high schools across the country to receive the award.
“At a time when student interest in science and technology is declining across the country, we have found, here at Canisius, that these personal robots attract students who might not otherwise have considered computer science, physics or engineering as fields of study,” says Paula M. McNutt, PhD, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
The Scribbler robot comes equipped with three wheels, two motors, light sensors and a speaker, and contains a circuit board that allows for more complex programming.
Established in 2006, IPRE is a partnership between Georgia Tech College of Computing, Bryn Mawr College and Microsoft Research. It was created to reinvigorate computer science through robots. The awards were made possible through a gift from the Microsoft Foundation.