News

WORCESTER, Mass. – The G.K. Chesteron Society of Worcester and the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at the College of the Holy Cross will present “Chesterton in America and at Holy Cross,” Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library. The event is free and open to the public.

The evening, which celebrates the 80th anniversary of famed British writer and Catholic convert Gilbert Keith Chesterton’s visit to Holy Cross, will feature presentations from Rev. Ian Boyd, C.S.B., founder and editor of The Chesterton Review, and Dermot Quinn, professor of history at Seton Hall University. Both scholars are associated with the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture at Seton Hall.

Chesterton authored more than 100 books and was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer. He was the world’s most famous Catholic convert at that time. In December 1930, on his second tour of the U.S., Chesterton visited Holy Cross, where he addressed the College and was adopted as an “Honorary Crusader.” Following the speech, Chesterton planted a white cedar tree, since known as the “Chesterton Tree,” in front of O’Kane Hall.

Fr. Boyd is an internationally recognized Chesterton scholar and the author of The Novels of G.K. Chesterton (London, 1975). He is a professor of English and president of the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture at Seton Hall University.

Quinn is on the board of advisors of the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture and a member of the editorial board of The Chesterton Review.  He has written extensively on Chestertonian themes and has authored three books: The Irish in New Jersey: Four Centuries of American Life (Rutgers University Press, 2004); Patronage and Piety: The Politics of English Roman Catholicism, 1850-1900 (Stanford University Press/Macmillan, 1993) and Understanding Northern Ireland (Baseline Books, Manchester, UK, 1993).

In conjunction with the event, the Holy Cross Department of Archives and Special Collections has mounted an exhibit of archival photographs of Chesterton’s visit and rare editions of his books in the Library’s Main Reading Room. Co-curated by Robert Dornfried ‘11 and Rebecca Camargo ‘12, the exhibit can be viewed during normal library hours.

To learn more about this program and other Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture events, visit www.holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the 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.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Five employees of the College of the Holy Cross have received the 2009 Claire B. Burns Awards. The awards program, now in its 13th year, was established and endowed in 1997 by Donal J. Burns ’49 in honor of his wife, Claire, an alumna of the Class of 1990. The awards are presented annually to non-exempt employees of the College, currently working or retired, who in the fulfillment of their responsibilities have demonstrated, fostered and promoted the spirit of family which is a treasured characteristic of the Holy Cross Community.

As part of the Claire B. Burns Awards Program, Debora M. Cain received The Rev. William J. O’Halloran, S.J., Award. The award was established to honor Fr. O’Halloran’s long years of service to the College, from 1963-2008; his closeness to non-exempt employees; and his contributions to the Claire B. Burns Employee Award Program. During his tenure with the College, Fr. O’Halloran served as chair of the psychology department, assistant chaplain, rector of the Jesuit Community, trustee, vice president of the College, and special assistant to the president.

The recipients, all from the Worcester area, were honored at a banquet on March 10.

The recipients are:

Debora M. Cain, of Webster, has worked in health services since 1987.

Lillian G. Carlson, of North Grafton, has worked in dining services since 2002.

Helena J. Mahan, of Auburn, has worked in physical plant/building services since 1998.

Sonia Mangual Corazzini, of Worcester, has worked in physical plant/building services since 1995.

Robert L. Pratt, of Dudley, has worked in physical plant/grounds since 1990.

Lillian M. Williams, of Worcester, has worked in athletics since 1999.

In addition, 39 employees were recognized for perfect attendance over the past year. One hundred and two employees were also recognized for years of service to the College.

In addition, 15 employees will be honored at the College’s 25+ Awards Ceremony on May 2 for years of service to the College.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president of the College of the Holy Cross, and Timothy R. Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, will preside at a dedication and blessing ceremony for Holy Cross’ new state-of-the-art, $64 million science complex on March 23 at 4 p.m. in the Swords Atrium.  Tours of the building will be offered beginning at 3 p.m., and a reception will follow the formal program. The events are free and open to the public.

Among those in attendance will be Dr. Joseph E. Murray ’40, who performed the first successful organ transplant in 1954, thus ushering in a new era in medicine. Murray’s subsequent research advanced doctors’ ability to prevent transplant rejection, and in 1990 he was honored for his pioneering medical work with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

With the design and construction of the new science complex, Holy Cross completed the most ambitious building project in its history on schedule and on budget. Alumni, parents, friends, and local foundations gave more than $20 million to support the project.

Innovations in teaching science have long been a hallmark of the College’s undergraduate curriculum. The Park B. and Linda Smith Laboratories, a  four-story building which now links to the existing science and social science buildings on campus (Beaven, O’Neil, and Swords halls), opened last January. With the completion of the top-to-bottom renovation of Haberlin Hall early this semester, the complex offers many more opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and learning of the sciences.

The new complex links the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics/computer science, physics, psychology, and sociology/anthropology; and thus integrates classrooms, labs, private offices, and lecture halls across disciplines. The new teaching labs in chemistry and physics allow students to be fully engaged in the scientific process. From their first science course at Holy Cross to their most sophisticated senior research projects, students work in labs that are specially designed to encourage hands-on, discovery-based exploration.

Designed by the architectural firm of Einhorn, Yaffe & Prescott, the complex was constructed with the highest standards of energy efficiency and innovative environmentally-friendly elements, such as an energy recovery wheel that captures and reuses heat from air being exhausted from the building. National Grid will recognize the project’s energy efficient design and construction just prior to the dedication, at 3 p.m. in the Swords Atrium. National Grid executives Aleta Fazzone (regional director), Chip Mannarino (technical services consultant), and Mike Thompson (account executive) will present an energy rebate check in the amount of $113,541.00 to Holy Cross’ Michael J. Lochhead (vice president of administration and finance) and Scott Merrill (director of physical plant). The College is also seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Related Information:

* Celebrating Science Web site
* Before and After Video Shows Extensive Renovation of Haberlin Hall
* Live Video: Holy Cross to Celebrate Opening of Integrated Science Complex on March 23

WORCESTER, Mass. – Kathleen M. Carney, associate university librarian at Boston College, has been named the director of library services at the College of the Holy Cross.  The announcement was made today by Timothy R. Austin, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College.

During more than two decades at Boston College, Carney has held positions of steadily increasing responsibility. Most recently, her portfolio included research, instructional and access services. In this role, she has supervised 26 professional librarians and more than 40 support staff.  She also served as Primary Investigator for a $2 million grant from the National Archives/National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Prior to joining Boston College, Carney was employed as a librarian at Loyola University Chicago.

Carney was selected by Holy Cross after a national search chaired by James Kee, associate professor of English. She will assume her new position on June 1. She succeeds James Hogan, who served as director of the Holy Cross libraries for 32 years before retiring last July. Karen Reilly served as interim director during the 2009-2010 academic year.

“Kathleen Carney will bring to Holy Cross a record of professional achievement in the rapidly changing field of library services,” commented Dean Austin. “In addition to leading several initiatives at Boston College that exploited the potential of new technologies to stimulate student learning, she has served as a member of multiple committees of the Association of College and Research Libraries, chairing its prestigious Appointments Committee in 2003-2004. Her letter of application particularly emphasized her excitement at the prospect of continuing her career at another Jesuit institution – and one that simultaneously espouses the ideals of a liberal arts education.”

“When I arrived on campus I was immediately struck by the quality and commitment of the faculty, staff and students I met,” says Carney. “I am excited and feel privileged to be joining such a fine institution and I am looking forward to working with the wonderful staff in the libraries at Holy Cross.”

Carney holds an A.B. degree in sociology from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia; an M.A. in library and information science from the University of South Florida; and an M.S. in administrative studies from Boston College.

She will direct the services and operations at the Holy Cross libraries, which include holdings of more than 630,000 books, periodicals and serials.  The College libraries include Dinand Library, housing archives and special collections; Fenwick Music Library; O’Callahan Science Library; Rehm Library in the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture; the visual resources library, and the Worcester Art Museum Library.

WORCESTER, Mass. – U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, will reflect on the 20th anniversary of the assassination of six Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter in El Salvador, in a lecture titled “My experience as a staff person for Congressman Joseph Moakley and the investigation of the Jesuit murders,” on Monday, March 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross.  The event is free and open to the public.

More than 70,000 died during El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s and early 1990s, the vast majority of whom were civilians killed by the Salvadoran government’s armed forces and paramilitary death squads.

On Nov. 16, 1989, the assassination of the six Jesuits, and the two women, who were unwavering in their defense of the poor and oppressed, brought international outrage and condemnation upon the Salvadoran government, ultimately pressuring its leaders to end their country’s civil war.

Congressman Joseph Moakley worked for six years to ease immigration restrictions on Salvadorans.  In 1989, he was selected to lead the congressional investigation into the murders of the six Jesuit priests and two laywomen at the University of Central America in San Salvador.  Moakley’s work resulted in the U.N. peace accord in 1992.  McGovern’s talk is the culmination of a series of lectures and events hosted by the College to remember the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit murders in El Salvador.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Timothy Black, associate professor of sociology and director of the University of Hartford’s Center for Social Research, will speak about his latest book When a Heart turns Rock Solid (Pantheon, 2009) on Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in Hogan 519.  Black will reflect on how society and poverty shaped and impacted the lives of three Puerto Rican brothers in Springfield, Mass.  The talk is free and open to the public.

Black’s research focuses on poverty, issues of race and ethnicity, social welfare, human service program development and assessment.  He has studied home visitation programs and fatherhood initiative programs to strengthen vulnerable families.

Selected by the Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009, When a Heart Turns Rock Solid, is based on an 18-year study where Black followed three brothers and their families through encounters at jobs, school, and prisons.  He analyzes how outside forces including street life, GED programs, court rooms, drug treatment programs, and the struggle for employment shaped the brothers’ lives.  The brothers speak for themselves and provide a powerful voice to the pressures of living on the social and economical margins.

Herbert J. Gans, professor emeritus of sociology at Columbia University praises Black’s work: “This is sociology and ethnography at its finest: as graphic as a documentary and as spellbinding as a novel. In a time of wide¬spread economic troubles, Black reminds us dramatically of how much worse the permanently poor have it every day of their lives.”

The event is part of the Alexander F. Carson Lectures in American History.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Lisa Armstrong, Andre Lambertson, and Fred de Sam Lazaro, three award-winning journalists who cover international affairs, will present “Resilience in a Ravaged Nation: Journalists Report Back from Haiti” on March 29 at 7 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and cosponsored by the political science, peace and conflict studies, Africana Studies departments and the Student Government Association.

Armstrong and Lambertson are currently working on a project titled “Resilience in a Ravaged Nation: Haiti, After the Earthquake,” capturing portraits of hope and resilience as Haitian communities rebuild in the wake of catastrophe.

Armstrong has written for several publications, including The Washington Post, National Geographic, Parade, Ms., Essence, Redbook, USA Weekend and O, The Oprah Magazine. She is an adjunct professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and has also taught at New York University.

In addition to an M.A. in journalism, Armstrong has a master’s degree in urban planning with a concentration in international development and has written and edited for organizations such as the World Bank and UNICEF.

Lambertson is a photojournalist, teacher, and filmmaker committed to documenting stories of hope and healing. He has taught at the International Center for Photography for the past six years, and teaches photography to children at the Brooklyn Museum and to former child soldiers in West Africa.

His photo essays on social issues have appeared in magazines, books, foundations, advocacy organizations and museums including Time, US News and World Report, Life, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, The Ford Foundation, The George Soros Foundation and The Smithsonian Museum. Lambertson filmed a documentary on the U.N. mission in Haiti before the earthquake.

Also joining in the panel, De Sam Lazaro is director of the Project for Under-Told Stories at St. John’s University, in Collegeville, Minnesota, a program that combines international journalism and education. He has served with The NewsHour since 1985 and is a regular contributor and substitute anchor for PBS’ Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. He also has directed films from India and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the acclaimed documentary series, Wide Angle. Fred has reported from 35 countries: from Haiti to sub-Saharan Africa to south Asia, he has focused on stories that are under-reported in the mainstream U.S. media. In addition to regularly covering AIDS, public health concerns, development issues and social entrepreneurship, he led the first American crew to report on the crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region.

For more information on their project visit the Pulitzer Center Web site or contact Claire Luke ’10, student campus liaison for the Pulitzer Center.