Video: Visual Arts Program at Holy Cross Helps Students See World in New Light

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

Students in the visual arts department at Holy Cross learn how to critically examine and express themselves through art. Their hard work is personally and academically rewarding.

The department offers a major or minor in either studio art or art history. Studio art emphasizes an experimental attitude toward materials, independent thought and the acquisition of technical skills. Students work with a variety of media, including photography, sculpture, painting, digital media, printmaking and drawing. Student work is frequently exhibited on campus, including the Cantor Art Gallery.

Art history provides a full range of courses from ancient to contemporary, and promotes critical inquiry and analysis. Auspiciously located in the heart of the Commonwealth, students take regular trips to Worcester, Boston and New York galleries and museums.

Faculty members, many of whom are working artists, are passionately engaged educators. The College’s student to faculty ratio of 10 to 1 — among the best in the country — allows students to receive one-on-one mentoring that ensures they reach their highest potential.

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Holy Cross Junior Earns Prestigious Truman Scholarship

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Kristine Maloney

College of the Holy Cross student Jeffrey Reppucci ’14, a Russian major and defenseman on the men’s ice hockey team from Newburyport, Mass., has been selected as a 2013 Harry S. Truman Scholar. The highly competitive scholarship, which provides $30,000 for graduate study, was awarded to 62 college juniors from across the country with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to a public service career.

“From his earliest days on campus, Jeff emerged as a man of action,” says Timothy R. Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. “He displays a quiet confidence and always has a cheerful smile, but nobody should doubt either his energy or his commitment to finding solutions to the challenges that he identifies — whether they’re halfway across the globe or right here in central Massachusetts.”

Selected from among 629 candidates nominated by 293 colleges and universities, Reppucci is the founder and president of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization Students Helping Children Across Borders. In 2012, he establish Playing For Peace, a $25,000 community building project in rural Russia, focused on promoting community wellness for children through sports and anti-alcohol education. He is also the founder and CEO of the project Working For Worcester 2012-13, an initiative designed to provide infrastructure improvements to Worcester’s recreational spaces.

A 2011 and 2012 member of the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team, Reppucci was selected as a Holy Cross Dana Scholar for the 2012-13 school year. In 2012, he earned two prestigious awards from the Katherine Wasserman Davis Foundation, including a Fellowship for the Study of Critical Languages which is awarded to students who demonstrate a potential for promoting peace on an international scale; and a $10,000 Davis 100 Projects for Peace Grant, which is awarded for a service project that promotes peace.

“Jeff has demonstrated a high degree of initiative in his public service projects,” says Anthony Cashman, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies. “Most students volunteer through established programs, but Jeff created his own organization to address the issues of youth wellness and empowerment. Being selected as a Truman Scholar is testament to this ingenuity, as well as his very high level of academic achievement.”

Reppucci is the sixth student from Holy Cross to earn a Truman Scholarship. Most recently, Katie Yue-Sum Li ’05, a teacher in San Francisco, and Jon Favreau ’03, former chief speechwriter for President Obama, received the prestigious award in 2004 and 2002 respectively.

In addition to money for graduate studies, Truman Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to our thirty-third President. The Foundation awards scholarships for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. The activities of the Foundation are supported by a special trust fund in the US Treasury.

Related news and information

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Baseball To Hold ‘Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day’

Posted on April 12, 2013 by College of the Holy Cross

baseball

On Sunday, April 13, the Holy Cross baseball program will host its second annual “Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day” at Fitton Field during its game versus Navy at 12 p.m. The game, sponsored by Holy Cross Cures for Kids and in conjunction with Sherry’s House in Worcester, Mass., will feature a ceremonial first pitch thrown out by Jacob Hooker, a seven-year old boy who was diagnosed with a form of leukemia at age three.

Jacob was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January of 2009. His journey lasted over three and a half years where he spent a majority of his time in and out of the hospital. Jacob is now a strong and healthy seven-year old boy in remission. He just ended his first basketball season and will begin baseball in the next few weeks. Sherry’s house played a huge role in supporting Jacob through his long and hard journey of leukemia, and still is an important part of his life!

Read the entire story on GoHolyCross.com

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Holy Cross Recognized with $500,000 Grant for Excellence in Career Related Undergraduate Education

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Kristine Maloney

The College of the Holy Cross has received the Excellence in Career Related Undergraduate Education Award from the George I. Alden Trust. Selected from among more than 100 private colleges in the Northeast, Holy Cross was the recipient of a $500,000 award, which recognizes institutions that have best excelled in retaining, educating, graduating and placing students.

“We are deeply grateful for this generous gift from the Alden Trust, its continued support of our mission, and its validation of our efforts to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students,” says Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., president of Holy Cross. “This award, which will be used to help fund the College’s Summer Research Program, will provide new opportunities for our students to perform cutting-edge, graduate level research in a variety of academic fields, better preparing them to make significant contributions in graduate school and in their careers.”

Taking into account the many variables that impact students’ life outcomes, beginning with the admissions process and ending well after graduation, the Alden Trustees were particularly impressed by Holy Cross’ outstanding retention and graduation rates relative to its peers, as well as the loyalty and support the College fosters in its students and alumni. Holy Cross has a 95% first-year retention rate, among the best in the country, and is consistently among the national leaders in graduation success and alumni giving rates.

“Holy Cross should take justifiable pride in this award,” says Alden trustee Douglas Q. Meystre. “The quality of the applicants made the award process a very challenging one. In addition to Holy Cross’ ‘best in class’ retention and graduation rates, the Alden Trustees were notably impressed by Holy Cross’ high placement rates in graduate schools, its longstanding policies to be need blind in admission while meeting the full need of students, and the more recent Worcester initiative to support low income students.”

In addition to the $500,000 grant awarded to Holy Cross, five other institutions, including Mount Holyoke College, Vassar College, Franklin & Marshall College, Saint Peter’s University, and St. John Fisher College, each received $100,000 awards from the Alden Trust.

“This recognition from the Alden Trust reaffirms Holy Cross’ standing as truly one of the nation’s best,” says Charles Weiss, director of the Office of Grants and Corporate & Foundation Giving. “We are truly appreciative of their generous gift, which will enhance the educational experiences of our students for years to come.”

The $500,000 award will be used by the College to establish the Alden Summer Student Research Endowment. The income from the endowment will fund George I. Alden Research Fellows, as part of the College’s Summer Research Program, beginning in 2014.

Each summer, Holy Cross provides its strongest students the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors performing research in any discipline (natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, arts and humanities). Last summer, 130 students participated in the highly selective Summer Research Program, conducting research, living together as a research community on campus, and participating in weekly programming that included lectures from distinguished professors and experience in research centers. Through a mix of funding sources — including contributions from alumni and parents—students are provided on-campus housing, a supply budget, and a travel allowance so they can present their research at professional conferences across the country. A growing number of students also publish their work in professional journals.

The George I. Alden Trust, located in Worcester, supports institutions that demonstrate a combination of educational excellence, exciting programming, and efficient and effective administration. Priority is given to higher education, particularly smaller, independent institutions focused on undergraduate education. The Alden trustees primarily support proposals that they feel will contribute significantly to the intellectual growth of students and will enhance an institution’s mission, with particular emphasis on Mr. Alden’s expressed desire to “do the greatest good for the greatest number of beneficiaries.”

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Chicago Business and Civic Leader Jim O’Connor ’58 to Deliver Thomas More Lecture at Holy Cross

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Danielle Kane

James Oconnor

James J. O’Connor ’58, retired CEO of Illinois’ largest electric utility and co-founder and chairman of a charity that supports inner-city Catholic schools, will deliver the Thomas More Lecture on Faith, Work and Civic Life at the College of the Holy Cross on Monday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library, Smith Hall.

The Thomas More Lecture honors a graduate of Holy Cross who exemplifies the College’s dedication to the integration of faith and learning. The alumnus or alumna is invited to speak about his or her own profession, vocation, and the ethical opportunities and challenges faced there. In his talk, O’Connor will reflect on 50 years of involvement in corporate and civic affairs and “how to survive after 11 years of Jesuit education.”  The lecture is free and open to the public.

O’Connor is retired chairman and CEO of Unicom Corporation and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison Company, where he was employed for 35 years.

In 1986, at the request of Chicago’s Cardinal Bernardin, O’Connor and other businessmen founded the Big Shoulders Fund, a charity to support inner-city Catholic schools, and O’Connor has served as co-chairman since then. The fund assists 93 schools and more than 24,000 students — the majority of whom live at or below the poverty level.

Recognized for his business acumen and civic leadership, O’Connor has been tapped to serve on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards. He is non-executive chairman of Armstrong World Industries and previously served on the boards of Bell and Howell; Borg-Warner; Corning, Inc.; Esmark; Everen Securities; First Chicago Corp.; Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.; Tribune Co.; Trizec Properties, Inc. and United Airlines.

He is a life trustee and past chairman of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, a director and past chairman of the Chicago Urban League, and former chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. He is past president of Catholic Charities; a trustee of The Adler Planetarium, the Chicago Symphony, the Lyric Opera, the Museum of Science and Industry, Northwestern University and a life trustee of Saint Xavier University. He is president of The 100 Club of Chicago, which provides support to families of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty. He is past chairman and presently honorary director of the Chicago Division of the American Cancer Society, honorary trustee of the Committee for Economic Development and honorary director and former chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. He also chaired the Chicagoland United Way Campaign in 1988, which raised $92 million.

O’Connor was an economics major at Holy Cross and went on to earn an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Georgetown University. He served in the United States Air Force, assigned to the Office of Special Investigation in Washington, D.C.

He holds honorary degrees from the DePaul University, Saint Xavier University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Lewis University. He received Georgetown University’s John Carroll Award, and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University established a faculty chair in his name. In 2002, Holy Cross gave him a Sanctae Crucis award, the highest non-degree recognition bestowed by the College on an alumnus or alumna.

To learn more about this lecture and to watch previous lectures online, visit the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College’s commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.

James J. O’Connor ’58, retired CEO of Illinois’ largest electric utility and co-founder and chairman of a charity that supports inner-city Catholic schools, will deliver the Thomas More Lecture on Faith, Work and Civic Life at the College of the Holy Cross on Monday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library, Smith Hall.

The Thomas More Lecture honors a graduate of Holy Cross who exemplifies the College’s dedication to the integration of faith and learning. The alumnus or alumna is invited to speak about his or her own profession, vocation, and the ethical opportunities and challenges faced there. In his talk, O’Connor will reflect on 50 years of involvement in corporate and civic affairs and “how to survive after 11 years of Jesuit education.”  The lecture is free and open to the public.

O’Connor is retired chairman and CEO of Unicom Corporation and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison Company, where he was employed for 35 years.

In 1986, at the request of Chicago’s Cardinal Bernardin, O’Connor and other businessmen founded the Big Shoulders Fund, a charity to support inner-city Catholic schools, and O’Connor has served as co-chairman since then. The fund assists 93 schools and more than 24,000 students — the majority of whom live at or below the poverty level.

Recognized for his business acumen and civic leadership, O’Connor has been tapped to serve on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards. He is non-executive chairman of Armstrong World Industries and previously served on the boards of Bell and Howell; Borg-Warner; Corning, Inc.; Esmark; Everen Securities; First Chicago Corp.; Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.; Tribune Co.; Trizec Properties, Inc. and United Airlines.

He is a life trustee and past chairman of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, a director and past chairman of the Chicago Urban League, and former chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. He is past president of Catholic Charities; a trustee of The Adler Planetarium, the Chicago Symphony, the Lyric Opera, the Museum of Science and Industry, Northwestern University and a life trustee of Saint Xavier University. He is president of The 100 Club of Chicago, which provides support to families of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty. He is past chairman and presently honorary director of the Chicago Division of the American Cancer Society, honorary trustee of the Committee for Economic Development and honorary director and former chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. He also chaired the Chicagoland United Way Campaign in 1988, which raised $92 million.

O’Connor was an economics major at Holy Cross and went on to earn an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Georgetown University. He served in the United States Air Force, assigned to the Office of Special Investigation in Washington, D.C.

He holds honorary degrees from the DePaul University, Saint Xavier University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Lewis University. He received Georgetown University’s John Carroll Award, and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University established a faculty chair in his name. In 2002, Holy Cross gave him a Sanctae Crucis award, the highest non-degree recognition bestowed by the College on an alumnus or alumna.

To learn more about this lecture and to watch previous lectures online, visit the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College’s commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.

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Man Booker Prize Winner Anne Enright to Give Reading at Holy Cross

Posted on April 10, 2013 by David Cotrone ’13

Anne Enright

Anne Enright, internationally renowned author, will give a reading on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. Sponsored by the Edward Callahan Support Fund for Irish Studies and the Working Writers Series, the event is free and open to the public.

Enright has published five acclaimed novels, including “The Gathering” (Grove Press, 2007), which won the 2007 Man Booker Prize, the most esteemed honor for fiction writers from the British Commonwealth and Ireland. Other novels include “The Portable Virgin” (1991), “What Are You Like?”(Grove Press, 2000), and “The Forgotten Waltz” (W.W. Norton & Company, 2011), which was short listed for the Orange Prize and won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction in 2012.  Her non-fiction books include “Making Babies: Stumbling into Motherhood” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2004, 2012), which was recently released in the US, and the introduction to her edited collection “The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story” (Granta, 2010).

Enright is the recipient of numerous awards including the 1991 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the 2001 Encore Award, and the 2012 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

Born in Ireland in 1962, Enright began her career as a television producer and director for RTÉ, and currently writes and reviews for publications including The Irish Times and The Guardian.

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‘Final Four’s Economic Impact Questioned’

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In a story about the impact of the NCAA Men’s Final Four games on the city’s economy, Atlanta’s NPR Station – 90.1 FM WABE News – turned to Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, for insight.

Arguing that the projections are typically exaggerated, he explained: “Basically you’ve replaced your normal visitors with sports fans.  If you don’t count out that crowding-out effect then you’re going to get a good estimate of the gross impact of an event.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Sara Bovat ’14.

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Holy Cross English Professor to Deliver Annual Lecture on Liberal Arts

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

Maurice Géracht, Stephen J. Prior Professor of Humanities in the English department, will present this year’s Richard Rodino Lecture on the Aims of the Liberal Arts on April 23 at 4 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College. The talk, titled “Our Shared Vision of the Liberal Arts,” is free and open to the public.

A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 1966, Géracht specializes in 18th century English literature; English, American, French narrative traditions and narrative theory; 20th century visual arts and intersections between visual arts and literature.

Fluent in French, he was born and raised in Paris and moved to America as an adolescent. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York, and his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Géracht, who served as the director of the study abroad program at Holy Cross for 18 years, is co-president of the International Word and Image Conference, which gathers international scholars in the humanities around a single theme. He has been involved in the conference since its founding in 1986.

He is also co-editor of Interfaces. Co-edited by the Université Paris Diderot and Holy Cross, Interfaces is a bilingual illustrated journal focusing on the dividing line — the “interface” — between language and the image, two means of expression different and yet inseparable. In 2011, the publication earned the Parnassus Award for Significant Editorial Achievement, which is awarded once every three years.

The annual Rodino Lecture series is devoted to the memory of Richard Rodino, formerly of the English department at Holy Cross.

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Pink Revolution to Hold Panel on Advancements in Breast Cancer

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Sara Bovat ’14

Hogan Campus Center

Pink Revolution will host a panel as part of its Health & Wellness Series titled “Opening Doors: Advancements in Breast Cancer & Beyond” on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom at the College of the Holy Cross.  The panel includes three prominent Holy Cross alumni: Dr. Robert M. Quinlan ’66, professor and director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at UMass Memorial Health Care; Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78, a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Texas Oncology, PA, who has conducted research at the Baylor-Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas through US Oncology, a network of 100 oncologists nationwide; and Dr. Therese M. Mulvey ’80, physician-in-chief for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. The event, which is part of “Opening Doors” the College’s 40th anniversary celebration of women on campus, is free and open to the public. RSVP to the Image Center at (508)-754-8705 or (978)-534-0200, or email your name and phone number to ino@pinkrevolution.org.

“In 2010, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, which is often difficult to treat because it is unresponsive to most targeted treatments,” explains Jacqueline Peterson, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, who chairs the coordinating committee organizing anniversary events. “I am forever grateful to Dr. Robert Quinlan who showed patience and caring in treating me and my aggressive form of cancer. It’s an honor to have three of the best doctors in their respective fields participating in this panel, who also happen to be part of the Holy Cross family.” 

Dr. Quinlan is one of the most recognized academic surgeons in New England. As a professor of surgery and director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at UMass Memorial Health Care, he has been serving the Worcester community for more than 20 years. He received his medical degree from Cornell University, completed his residency at Harvard Medical School and his fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

As a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. O’Shaughnessy specializes in medical oncology with board certification in both internal medicine and medical oncology. Since 1997, she has practiced at Texas Oncology, PA. She is also the co-chair of Breast Cancer Research at the Baylor-Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for U.S. Oncology Research Network. She received her medical degree from Yale University Medical School, and her internship and residency in internal medicine were completed at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since 2009, D Magazine has annually elected Dr. O’Shaughnessy as one of the best hematology oncologists in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Mulvey oversees programs that are committed to ensuring patients have access to high-quality oncology services and clinical cancer research as the physician-in-chief for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. She has trained comprehensively in cancer genetics and specializes in hereditary cancer syndromes and cancer risk assessment. Dr. Mulvey earned her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed fellowships in hematology/oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as Tufts-New England Medical Center, where she also completed her residency.

Holy Cross is celebrating the 40th anniversary of women on campus with a series of events throughout the 2012-13 academic year. Students, faculty, and staff will have extensive opportunities during the year to reflect on, acknowledge, and commemorate the moment in 1972 when the College opened its doors to women students for the first time. 

Pink Revolution is an alliance of dedicated individuals with a unified commitment to those touched by breast cancer. Its mission is to support early detection and prevention strategies, fund clinical research advancements and promote survivorship programs in Central Mass. through its affiliation with the UMass Memorial Comprehensive Breast Center.

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‘Final Four’s economic impact on Atlanta: $0 — or $70 million’

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

Although Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was boasting about the economic boost from the NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend, Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, explained in WXIA-TV Atlanta story that host cities of major sporting events typically only break even at best. He said that the projections of a huge economic impact are consistently much higher than the actual outcomes, usually about 10 times higher.

“One handy rule of thumb that economists use is, take whatever the city or the promoters tell you, and just move the decimal place one point to the left,” Matheson advised.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Sara Bovat ’14.

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‘Holy Cross grad among those lost on Thresher’

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In a story commemorating the deadly January 1963 USS Thresher submarine attack, the Telegram & Gazette remembered local hero Frank Malinski, an alumnus of the College of the Holy Cross who was lost in the tragedy.  . The article touched upon the long-lasting memory that Malinski’s intelligence and naval career potential still has on the Holy Cross community, including Thomas O’Neil ‘59 who was a friend and fellow member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

“Frank was the golden boy at Holy Cross and it looked like he was going places in the Navy,” shared O’Neil. “But things don’t always turn out like you expect.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Sara Bovat ’14.

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Rapper Mac Miller to Headline Spring Concert at Holy Cross

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Sara Bovat ’14

Mac Miller

Rapper Mac Miller will headline this year’s Spring Concert at the College of the Holy Cross on May 6 at 8 p.m. in the Hart Recreation Center. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Malcolm “Mac Miller” McCormick is a hip-hop artist from Pittsburgh, who taught himself to play numerous instruments, including the piano, drums, guitar, and bass. He signed with Rostrum Records and released his debut album, “Blue Slide Park,” in 2011.

He is currently featured in a reality television show on MTV2, “Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family,” which follows Mac as he leaves his hometown of Pittsburgh for the world of Los Angeles, to live in a new mansion with four of his closest friends, while he works on a new album, “Watching Movies With the Sound Off.”

Walk the Moon, an indie rock band, will also be featured at the College’s annual concert.

Tickets will be sold on the first floor of the Hogan Campus Center on May 4 & 5  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also buy tickets at the door or online.

Tickets are $20 for Holy Cross students with an ID (limit two tickets per student) and $25 for Holy Cross faculty and staff and students in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. Tickets for the general public are $30.

Prior headlining acts for the annual Spring Concert, sponsored by the Campus Activities Board (CAB), have included Girl Talk, J. Cole, Drake, Jason Mraz, Lupe Fiasco and Guster.

For more information, contact CAB Concert co-chairs, Julia Keough ’13 and Jan Yburan ’14, at cabconcert@holycross.edu.

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Chemistry Professor Awarded $567,000 Three-Year Grant from National Science Foundation

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

Kenneth V. Mills, associate professor and chair of the chemistry department, has been awarded a $567,000 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to study the chemical mechanism of protein slicing. Over the last decade, his research projects, which integrate student research participation, have enjoyed uninterrupted financial support from the National Science Foundation bringing in more than $1 million.

His current project is titled “Intein Structure and the Catalysis of Protein Splicing and Hedgehog Autoprocessing: An Integrated Research and Education Program.” Protein splicing is the means by which an intervening polypeptide, or intein, catalyzes its own removal from flanking polypeptides, or exteins. The research program will investigate how the activity of an intein from an extreme thermophile is influenced by its unusual structural stability, how the reaction is catalyzed, how intein activity is regulated, either by temperature or oxidation state, and how splicing is related to the autoprocessing of hedgehog-like domains.

The questions will be addressed by projects amenable to his undergraduates, in collaboration with Chunyu Wang and Saroj Nayak, a structural biologist and computational biologist, respectively, at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The research program will have a transformational impact on the careers of Holy Cross research students, says Mills. Students will perform the experiments, present the results at national meetings and in peer-reviewed publications, and, through close mentoring, prepare to be future leaders in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The biochemistry concentration will sponsor outreach in the community by hosting lectures aimed at broad audiences and by supporting the Science Ambassadors student outreach program. The program will broaden access to STEM by recruiting local students to the lab through the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative and by educational outreach at a Worcester elementary school.

During his 11 years at Holy Cross, Mills has mentored 35 undergraduate students in research, all but five for multiple years. His lab has produced 20 publications since 2001 with 19 undergraduate student coauthors, including 12 peer-reviewed publications, one technical note, and five review articles.

Of his 27 graduates through 2012, six have started Ph.D. programs in biochemistry or chemistry, five of whom are female. One has finished her Ph.D., another finished a master’s degree and works in industry, and the others are still candidates. Ten students have their medical or osteopathic medicine degrees or are in medical school and another is in a veterinary medicine program. Two are applying to health programs, five are in industry positions, one is a patent attorney and two are in teaching.

Mills’s students have made 33 presentations at national meetings of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or Protein Society, and all of his students in the past nine years have attended a national meeting.

“I attempt to provide research university-like opportunities within the supportive environment of a small liberal arts school,” Mills wrote in his proposal to NSF. “We have weekly group meetings, with everyone presenting their weekly work and one student presenting a research article or other assignment. They learn to troubleshoot, solve problems and analyze data. The students travel to national meetings and prepare their own posters. We have weekly departmental seminars, and I ensure that at least three a year are biochemical. … My students are my most important impact and their successes bring me the most pride of my professional work.”

A resident of Holden, Mass., Mills has been a member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2001. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University. In 2005, Mills received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER grant for CAREER: Alternative Mechanisms of HINT Domain Autoprocessing: An Integrated Undergraduate Research and Education Program.” He is the co-chair of the biochemistry concentration and has served as a member of the Academic Affairs Council and the Curricular Review Steering Committee.

Related Information:

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Classics Major Earns Award from Classical Association of New England

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

Thomas Santa Maria ’14, a classics and history double major, won the Classical Association of New England’s Phyllis B. Katz Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for his paper titled “The Speeches of Boudicca and Calgacus: Tacitus’ Unified Text of Imperial Critique.” He presented his paper on March 16 at the association’s annual meeting at the University of Connecticut.

In the paper, Santa Maria, from Winchester, Mass., argues that the historian of the Roman Empire Tacitus meant for the invented speeches by the British rebels Calgacus and Boudicca, which appear in different works, to be read together, with the speech by the queen Boudicca complimenting that by the male chieftain Calgacus.

“By this reading, Tacitus reveals his moral opposition to Roman imperial sexual misconduct in Britain. The speech of Boudicca, the speech of a woman, is an ideal complement to Calgacus’ speech because it is naturally more graphic and personal so it strengthens Tacitus’ appeal to his Roman audience,” says Santa Maria.

Santa Maria wrote the paper as part of his Tacitus course taught by Timothy Joseph, assistant professor of classics, last semester. He plans to attend graduate school and study topics in early modern history, particularly movements at the crossroads between religion and politics.

Related Information:

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‘Holy Cross students participate in prestigious international leadership conference’

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

Malik Neal '13

The New York Times profiled the inaugural Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference on its The New York Times in Leadership website. Holy Cross students Andrea Davis ’13 and Malik Neal ’13 were two of just 84 undergraduates chosen to attend this prestigious event, held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, last October.

The conference united outstanding students from around the globe with 12 preeminent world leaders—including Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico and director of the Yale Center for Globalization; Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express; and Holy Cross’ own Maggie Wilderotter ’77, CEO of Frontier Communications—to explore the importance of values-based leadership in such areas as education, media and health care. 

In addition to attending panel sessions and participating in small group discussions, students worked in teams, under the mentorship of a senior leader, to produce an essay on their assigned topic. In the process of developing solutions to problems with global implications, participants bolstered their leadership, critical thinking and collaboration skills.

“Leadership is about working with others,” says Neal, a history major with an Asian studies concentration from Philadelphia. “In writing the editorial, we learned to compromise and appreciate others’ viewpoints.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Rebecca Smith ’99.

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Holy Cross Students Participate in Prestigious International Leadership Conference

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Rebecca Smith

“Transformative.” “Inspirational.” “Life-changing.” These are just some of the ways Andrea Davis ’13 and Malik Neal ’13 describe their experience at the prestigious Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference (MCLC).

Two of just 84 undergraduates chosen from 30 select colleges and universities worldwide — and the U.S. service academies — Davis and Neal attended the inaugural conference, held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., last October. The event united outstanding students from around the globe with 12 preeminent world leaders — including Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico and director of the Yale Center for Globalization; Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express; and Holy Cross’ own Maggie Wilderotter ’77, CEO of Frontier Communications — to explore the importance of values-based leadership in such areas as education, media and health care.

In addition to attending panel sessions and participating in small group discussions, students worked in teams, under the mentorship of a senior leader, to produce an editorial on their assigned topic. In the process of developing solutions to problems with global implications, participants bolstered their leadership, critical thinking and collaboration skills.

“The conference instilled in me the confidence that I have the skills to make a difference,” says Davis, a psychology major from Longmeadow, Mass. “We were told that we weren’t invited for ourselves, but so that we can hone our talents to help others.”

As a result of her experience at the MCLC — and the ongoing relationship she formed with her health care group’s mentor, Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellman, chancellor of San Francisco Medical University—Davis plans to pursue a career in public health.

Neal, a history major with an Asian studies concentration from Philadelphia, was assigned to the global economy team — not his first choice. But he found that his liberal arts background was valuable when his team composed its essay.

“Some of the group members were focused purely on highbrow economic theory,” recalls Neal. “But my liberal arts education allowed me to look at things from a different angle, draw from what I knew of other disciplines, and incorporate that into discussions of how certain policies could improve the everyday lives of ordinary people.”

In situations like these, Associate Dean of the College Margaret Freije believes that Holy Cross students have a lot to offer. “Our students stand up very well in the company of the best students from around the world,” she explains, adding, “This conference had a number of very important mentors, and we want them to know that the next generation of leaders will come from Holy Cross.”

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Video: Religious Studies Professor on Pope Francis and the Future of Global Catholicism

Posted on April 2, 2013 by College of the Holy Cross

Mathew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies and director of the College Honors Program at Holy Cross, recently gave a live web lecture titled “The Election of Pope Francis: What Does It Mean for Global Catholicism?”

The lecture addressed the election of the Argentinian pope and whether that will mean a shift in the Church’s focus to the developing world and how that might impact American Catholicism.

Schmalz is an expert in Catholicism in the non-Western world; new religious movements, including Scientology; and religion and politics of India and Pakistan. He is a sought-after expert by the media, and serves as a panelist for On Faith, an online conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post.

The online lecture was recently streamed on the Holy Cross website as part of a series by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Education Program in collaboration with the Office of Public Affairs. These online lectures feature Holy Cross’ exceptional faculty and are designed to keep alumni engaged and thinking critically.

Related Information:

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Holy Cross Teacher Education Program to Offer New Ninth Semester Option

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

9th semester

The Teacher Education Program (TEP) at the College of the Holy Cross will debut a new program that will allow students enrolled in the TEP to complete their student teaching requirement in a “Ninth Semester Option.”

“This program is a way of increasing our capacity to prepare highly qualified teachers for our nation’s schools,” explains Danuta Bukatko, chair of the education department at the College. “Our focus on preparing students who are experts in their content areas and also well­versed in issues of social justice and urban education is consistent with the Jesuit and liberal arts mission of the College.”

The Ninth Semester Option will consist of a supervised student teaching experience at one of the Worcester Public Schools at the middle or secondary level and a seminar on teaching.

“The Ninth Semester Option increases access to the Teacher Education Program for students who otherwise might not be able to complete the requirements,” says Heather Johnson, director of the Teacher Education Program. “We want to attract outstanding, well-rounded, passionate students to consider teaching.”

Typically, the student teaching experience takes place during the fall or spring semester of a student’s senior year. The Ninth Semester Option will focus on students who have completed all of the other requirements for the TEP, but who are unable to free up a full semester for the student teaching component. These students include “late-deciders” who realize during their junior year (or later) that they wish to pursue a profession in teaching; student athletes, who often have many characteristics that translate well to teaching, but have sports schedules that are very difficult to manage during the practicum semester; mathematics and science majors who must complete a sequence of upper level courses that may include laboratories or that are two-semesters in duration;  and foreign language majors who participate in the Study Abroad program.

These students frequently run out of time to complete the TEP requirements due to opportunities to participate in research, departmental thesis work, and honors thesis work, explains Johnson. “We have seen students give up opportunities to participate in these important academic endeavors so they can complete the TEP,” she shares. “The Ninth Semester Option is a way to encourage students to consider teaching without giving up other important academic opportunities at the College that contribute to their development as highly competent teachers.”

The completion of the TEP allows students to obtain an initial five-year license to teach in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (with reciprocity with other states), as long as that student passes the appropriate Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure.  Currently, the TEP accepts up to 20 students per year, and anticipates offering the new program for up to 10 students per year, so that the total number of students in the group remains at 20.

The Ninth Semester Option will cost approximately $2,300, and will be available only in the fall semester and only in the semester following the student’s graduation from Holy Cross. Students will not be offered housing on campus. The first Ninth Semester Option is expected to start in the fall of 2014.

“One of the most important things for us is to keep the cost of this program option low,” says Bukatko.  “We want to demonstrate that Holy Cross is committed to doing whatever we can to bring highly qualified, justice-seeking educators to our schools.”

While Holy Cross has been educating and preparing students to be teachers since the early 1900s, the Teacher Education Program at the College was started in 1996. More than 150 students have graduated from the program with their teaching credentials.

Related Information

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Holy Cross Lecture to Reconcile Faith in the Face of Evil

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Danielle Kane

Robert Audi

Notre Dame philosopher Robert Audi will give a lecture titled “The Problem of Evil: Can Faith Be Rational in the Face of the Horrific Evils of this World?” on Thursday, April 18 at 4 p.m. in Rehm Library, Smith Hall at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Audi is the John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he also is professor of management for the Mendoza College of Business. In this talk, he argues that moral wrongs and natural disasters are possible under God. Rather than focusing on the human perspective on the problem of evil, he proposes a theocentric approach: Could a combination of good and evil in the world be of value to God’s experience?

Audi is author of 16 books, including “Moral Perception” (Princeton University Press, 2013), “Rationality and Religious Commitment” (Clarendon Press, 2011), “The Good in the Right: A Theory of Intuition and Intrinsic Value” (Princeton University Press, 2004) and “Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge” (Routledge, 1998). He also has written more than 200 papers appearing in journals and edited volumes and has served as general editor of the First Edition (1995) and Second Edition (1999) of “The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.” 

He is a past president of the American Philosophical Association and the Society of Christian Philosophers.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and the philosophy department at Holy Cross. Learn more and watch lectures online at www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College’s commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.

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Student-Run ‘Kimball Takeover’ a Huge Success

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

On March 21, students at the College of the Holy Cross “took over” the Kimball Dining Hall from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. For those two hours, they started preparing recipes months in advance and cooking days before. 

The idea started with Paige Wesson ’13, who is interested in wholesome food and wanted to increase nutrition awareness on campus. Wesson turned to Holy Cross’ dietitian Kathy Egan to help execute the idea. “We put on the event together in honor of National Nutrition Month. The goal of the event was to raise awareness about real, nutritious food and why it is so important – especially for students,” shares Wesson. 

She easily recruited participation from the Student Government Association (SGA), Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Peer Educators (HEAL), Student Health Awareness Peer Educators (SHAPE) and Eco-Action, who all came together to plan a menu based on “wholesome, real food” recipes submitted by students, faculty and staff. There were more than 45 student volunteers. 

 “I believe the event was such a huge success because it was conceptualized by students — for students,” says Egan.

The numbers speak for themselves. Kimball usually serves 750-800 lunches on a Thursday; during the Kimball Takeover they served nearly 1000!  Egan says the success is more than just numbers. “The dining room was filled with an electricity of people having fun and socializing over a bountiful, creative meal,” she shares. 

Egan also says while the event was created by students, the effort by Holy Cross Dining staff was huge.  “Every single member of the Kimball staff contributed in one way or another; staff happily contributed many, many extra hours.  We all loved the entire experience and hope to bring aspects of Kimball Takeover into our menu cycle.”  

Menu items included cheddar, corn and potato chowder, 4Leaf chili, artisan breads, fennel risotto, Panini sandwiches, a rice bowl station, rustic Italian squash flat bread pizza, roasted chicken, kale salad, and vegan cookies. 

When asked what dish was the best, Wesson said, “I loved all of the dishes at the event, but I think my favorite was the cheddar, corn and potato chowder. Seniors Vivian Daly and John Rubayiza both said “Everything!”

According to Wesson, “I think the most popular dish was Professor Borghini’s fennel risotto and the Panini station had a line out the door!” 

In case you missed it, here is the recipe for associate professor of philosophy Andrea Borghini’s risotto.

Professor Borghini’s Fennel Risotto

Ingredients (eight servings):

1lb of rice for risotto (arborio, or vialone nano, or carnaroli) 
3-4 fennel, cut in small cubes/pieces
3 shallots
1 leek
2 thyme branches
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of butter
Salt and pepper (red or black)
1/4-1/2 lb. of grated parmigiano, pecorino romano or cheddar cheese
8 cups of water

Directions:

Boil 8 cups of water with 1 leek and a branch of thyme; when it comes to a boil, keep it slowly boiling (you’ll use the water to cook the fennel and the risotto). Finely chop 1 ½ shallots, place them in a pot heated with 1/8 cup olive oil and 1/8 cup butter. When the shallots start taking some color, add the chopped fennel. Start adding 1 cup of the leek and thyme infused water in small portions until the fennel softens. In another pot, start the risotto: warm 1/8 cup olive oil and 1/8 cup butter. Add the remaining chopped shallots; when the shallots start browning, add the rice; keep stirring and add the rest of the leek and thyme infused water in small portions, as the rice cooks. After 10 minutes, add the fennel. Add salt and pepper and remaining thyme to taste. Add the grated cheese. For a vegan version of the recipe, omit the cheese and the butter.

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