Reunion Turns Romantic for Happy Couples

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Rebecca Fater

Alumni Harry Chiu, Chantal Gonzales, Linsey Barker and Chris Lally stand together at reunion.They said yes!

As if reunion wasn’t already enough of a party, two romantics seized the chance to pop the question last weekend.

After eight years of dating – four of which were on The Hill – Harry Chiu ’12 got down on one knee before longtime love Chantal Gonzales ’12 at the couple’s five-year reunion on Saturday. Chiu, a political science major, spent months secretly planning the special day. His romantic proposal took Gonzales, a Spanish major, on a stroll through the pair’s college days and ended in the Hanselman Hall common room, where they spent many a night together studying for exams.

That same day, Chris Lally ’12, a biology major, asked the love of his life, Linsey Barker ’12, a psychology and health professions major, to live with him happily ever after. Lally, too, did some behind-the-scenes preparation and asked facilities to unlock the building where he and Barker had taken calculus together years ago. The couple’s walk just happened to bring them to their old classroom, where they reminisced and found themselves sitting in their old seats. “When her back was turned, I got down and did my thing,” Lally said.

So how did both alums know these ladies were the ones? Easy, they said.

“I smile when she smiles,” Chiu said, referring to Gonzales. “To be happy, I have to make her happy.”

“She’s beautiful, brilliant and a total sweetheart,” said Lally, referring to Barker. “Anyone who has ever met her would agree that this is the biggest no-brainer, and that I got really, really lucky.”

Related Information

 

 

Posted in Alumni, Biology, Health Professions Advising, News, Political Science, Psychology, Spanish | Comments Off on Reunion Turns Romantic for Happy Couples

Anthony Fauci ’62 At Center of Fight Against AIDS for More Than 30 Years

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Looking back over the past 36 years, CBS News recounts how far AIDS research, treatment, and prevention has come since it caught the attention of public health officials in 1981 — a positive trajectory that prominently features the contributions of Holy Cross alumnus Dr. Anthony Fauci ’62, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Fauci, who has led the fight against every infectious disease crisis in America since 1984, helped quicken the approval of drugs that transitioned AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable disease. In the article, he explains that even with the consistent progress made in the past three decades, his goal remains to find a vaccine and cure for AIDS.

“We still have a long way to go,” Dr. Fauci, who was a classics major with a premedical concentration at Holy Cross, tells CBS News.

Read the full article on the CBS News website.

CBS News spotlighted Dr. Fauci and his work in a video segment in 2015. Watch the video below:

Posted in Classics, Health Professions Advising, In The News, News | Comments Off on Anthony Fauci ’62 At Center of Fight Against AIDS for More Than 30 Years

Religious Studies Professor Offers Insight Into A Mosque’s Refusal to Bury Muslim Terrorist

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Following the suicide bombing outside of the Manchester Arena in England, which killed 22 concert attendees and the bomber, Salman Abedi, the Manchester Central Mosque has declined to be involved in Abedi’s funeral — a decision that The Atlantic reports is “hardly unprecedented.”

Holy Cross’ Caner Dagli, associate professor of religious studies and a scholar of Islamic studies, offered the major news outlet insight into the Muslim funeral prayer and the differing beliefs within the Muslim community about whether the prayer should be performed for those who commit suicide.

Read the full article on The Atlantic website.

Posted in In The News, News, Religious Studies | Comments Off on Religious Studies Professor Offers Insight Into A Mosque’s Refusal to Bury Muslim Terrorist

Digital Transgender Archive Receives Notable Award for Description From Society of American Archivists

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

The Digital Transgender Archive (DTA), directed by K.J. Rawson, assistant professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross, has been named the recipient of the 2017 C.F.W. Coker Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

The award, established in 1984, recognizes finding aids, finding aid systems, innovative development in archival description, or descriptive tools that enable archivists to produce more effective finding aids. Nominees must, in some significant way, set national standards, represent a model for archives description, or otherwise have a substantial impact on national descriptive practice.

Launched in January of 2016, the DTA is an online collection of transgender-related historical materials — the first of its kind — and already contains more than 2,100 digitized primary source historical materials, contributed by more than 30 collaborators from six countries around the world.

“Project director K.J. Rawson wanted to create a resource that would allow researchers to overcome the systematic challenges present in researching trans history, such as the geographic dispersion of historic materials, evolving and diverse language used to describe trans history, and the lack of availability of online primary sources,” the SAA wrote in their award announcement. “The aggregated digital content along with contextual learning resources provide a platform usable for diverse audiences and increases the discoverability and accessibility of historic materials from a traditionally underrepresented part of history.”

“The DTA is thrilled to have been awarded the C.F.W. Coker Award by the Society of American Archivists,” says Rawson. “As the largest professional organization for archivists in the country, the SAA establishes national standards for archival practices and their recognition of the DTA highlights the importance of the project and high-quality archival description we seek to provide.”

The DTA recently received an American Council of Learned Societies Digital Extension Grant for the amount of $150,000. The grant will support the DTA’s mission of increasing accessibility of transgender history to the general public.

Posted in English, News, Press Release | Comments Off on Digital Transgender Archive Receives Notable Award for Description From Society of American Archivists

Economics Professor Explores Impact of Superfund Budget Cuts on Public Health and Property Value

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal calls for a 30 percent cut to Superfund — the federal program responsible for funding the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous waste in the United States. In an article published by The Conversation, Katherine Kiel, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross and author of several studies on Superfund sites, offers her expertise on the relationship between toxic cleanups and property value, as well as public health.

“Slower cleanups will leave more people exposed to harm from toxic chemicals and will hurt adjoining communities by lowering property values and impacting future development,” Kiel writes for The Conversation.

Read the full article on The Conversation website.

Since appearing in The Conversation, Kiel’s piece was picked up by the EconoTimes, SFGate, and the Associated Press, running in dozens of news publications across the country.

Posted in Economics and Accounting, In The News, News | Comments Off on Economics Professor Explores Impact of Superfund Budget Cuts on Public Health and Property Value

Professor Explores 300 Years of Russian Artistic Imagination in New Book

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

What does commedia dell’arte, a form of theatre born in Italy in the mid-16th century, have to do with Russian cultural history? In “Vagabonding Masks: The Italian Commedia dell’Arte in the Russian Artistic Imagination” (Academic Studies Press, 2017), Olga Partan, assistant professor of Russian at the College of the Holy Cross, explores how the artistic principles of the commedia dell’arte have profoundly affected the Russian artistic imagination, providing a source of inspiration for leading Russian artists for more than three centuries.

Commedia dell’arte is characterized by the absence of dramatic text and the use of improvisational dialogue and comic stock characters wearing masks, and was a unique type of theatrical performance, relying on improvisation and the actors’ virtuosity, explains Partan. With her main research interests lying in the performing arts and theatricality of Russian literature and culture, Partan became interested in Russia’s prerevolutionary fascination with Italian commedia dell’ arte masks, such as Harlequin, Pierrot, and Columbine, during the era of Russian modernism before the Revolution of 1917.

“In Russia during this time, the performing arts, literature, poetry, drama, music and visual arts all exhibited a real commedia dell’arte-mania, so to speak,” Partan explains. “I became very curious about this phenomenon and started to investigate its deeper roots, which go back to the 17th century, and tracing the ‘vagabonding Italian masks,’ analyzing their cultural significance in various historical surroundings and genres.”

In this book, Partan offers a comparative cultural study with an emphasis on what she defines as “harlequinized” Russian art and literature, with an analysis that spans from Russia’s cultural landscape before its westernization by Peter the Great in the 18th century to popular culture in Putin’s Russia.

“I hope that readers will be able to trace the interconnectedness between Russia and the West, following the narrative that balances between high and low cultural spheres, such as royal masquerades and market square entertainment, Nikolai Gogol and Vladimir Nabokov’s literary narratives, and the performing arts,” says Partan. “I hope they will better understand how leading Russian writers and artists were able to draw on the commedia to produce innovative works of art in the Russian context, and that a better understanding of the commedia influences in these works can shed new light on how we interpret them, as well as appreciate inspirational linkages between Russian and Western art and artists.”

Partan’s book has been well received from fellow scholars, one reviewer calling it “original, alluring, and persuasive.”

“A treasure-trove of a book, Partan’s meticulously researched and thought-provoking exploration of the influence of the Italian commedia dell’arte on the Russian cultural developments in the last three hundred years will be of significant interest not only to scholars of Russian studies and comparative literature but also to specialists in theater and performance studies,” says Alexandra Smith, reader in Russian Studies at the University of Edinburgh. “Its breadth of thinking and range of reference are truly astonishing.”

Posted in News, Press Release, Russian Studies, World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Comments Off on Professor Explores 300 Years of Russian Artistic Imagination in New Book

Blog: Students Take In Spain’s Arts, Culture and History During Study Abroad Experience

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

WHAT A four-week immersive study program titled “Spanish Theater and the Cultural Horizon,” part of the College’s summer Study Abroad program. The numerous cultural institutions of the city — the museums, galleries, and exhibits — will serve as educational resources that enrich theatrical viewing. Class sessions will provide opportunities for contextualization and reflection, afternoon field trips will offer exposure to major arts and cultural institutions, and evenings will be spent watching some of the finest theatrical productions in the world, ranging from commercial offerings to radical experimentation.

WHY THEY’RE GOING Madrid will become a site of exploration as students encounter the geography, architecture and people of this artistic world center. The Madrid residency will be complemented by weekend excursions and day trips. Students will dramatically improve their Spanish language skills and cultural literacy while they immerse themselves in the everyday life, arts, culture, and history of today’s Spain.

WHEN May 22 – June 19

WHERE Plaza del Angel in Madrid’s famous literary area, the “Barrio de las letras.” Students will be conveniently located within walking distance of the city’s major attractions and landmarks including the most important museums and theaters.

FACULTY Ellen Lokos, visiting associate professor of Spanish

WHO’S GOING Hannah Benson ’20, Erin Boddie ’20, Bioribel Castillo ’19, Samuel Devine ’19, Nathan Donahue ’19, Natalia Luna ’20, Elena Miceli ’20, Maegan Moriarty ’20, Jacqueline Perkins ’18, Shannon Quirk ’20, Margot Reed ’18, Nina Sparre ’18, Sarah Thurlow ’19, Rosemary Weiss ’18

WHY STUDENTS ARE BLOGGING “This Maymester will provide a rich cultural, creative and intellectual experience for students,” says Lokos. “From excursions to Barcelona, Bilbao, Santander, Almagro, Alcalá de Henares, Sevilla and Granada, to dance lessons and encounters with the food, culture and theater of Madrid, students will use the blog to process and share their vital experiences and growth during this course. Students may choose to blog about any and all aspects of the trip including culinary delights, theatrical performances, travel and/or readings.”

Read the blog »

Related Information

  • Check out our admissions and photo blogs, along with many of our other online journals at me.holycross.edu
Posted in News, Spanish | Comments Off on Blog: Students Take In Spain’s Arts, Culture and History During Study Abroad Experience

Working For Worcester Featured on WBZ-TV in Boston

Posted on May 31, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Working for Worcester, which started in a Holy Cross dorm room as an idea to help Worcester kids in 2012, has become a more than $1 million investment in the City’s recreational spaces and schools just five years later.

The project, designed to promote city pride and provide necessary improvements to Worcester’s recreational spaces and schools, was featured on WBZ-TV’s “Eye on Education” segment on Tuesday, May 31.

Reporter Paula Ebben visited the Rice Square School where volunteers partnered with Unum to convert a basement storage room into a multipurpose STEAM room and install a new playground. She also interviewed students and administrators at The Mill Swan Head Start Center where volunteers installed natural learning stations in the courtyard.

This is not the first time the project has caught the media’s attention: it’s been covered by local, regional and national media including the “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.”

Watch the WBZ-TV segment on the CBS Boston website.

Related Information

Posted in In The News, News | Comments Off on Working For Worcester Featured on WBZ-TV in Boston

Holy Cross Alumnus and Coach CEO Helps Popular Brand Think ‘Outside the Bag’

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

About three years ago, the popular handbag brand Coach saw its sales plummeting. Now, according to an article by Fortune, the company is making a remarkable recovery under CEO and College of the Holy Cross alumnus Victor Luis ’88.

“Since taking Coach’s reins in 2014, the 50-year-old executive has done what few retail CEOs have been able to do: tapped into his company’s successful past to help it compete in a difficult present,” the article says about Luis, a political science major while at Holy Cross.

Read the full article on Fortune’s website.

Related Information

Posted in In The News, News, Political Science | Comments Off on Holy Cross Alumnus and Coach CEO Helps Popular Brand Think ‘Outside the Bag’

Worcester Bravehearts Set to Start 2017 Season at Home Friday, June 2

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

The Worcester Bravehearts will return to Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on Friday, June 2 at 7:05 p.m. to kick off the 2017 season with a home opener against the Bristol Blues. Friday’s match-up will be the first of three straight home games at Fitton Field, as the Bravehearts continue on to host the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs on Saturday, June 3 and the Pittsfield Suns on Sunday, June 4.

This is the fourth year of partnership between Holy Cross, the city of Worcester, the Future Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), and local business owner John W.S. Creedon Jr., to keep summer baseball on Fitton Field. Home games in the 3,000 seat ballpark feature concessions, a “kid’s zone” for young fans, promotional nights, Bravehearts’ merchandise for purchase, and more.

The Bravehearts are a member of the FCBL, a wood-bat summer collegiate baseball league that is made up of 9 teams from across New England; at least half of each team must be made up of players from New England or who attend college in New England. In both 2014 and 2015, the Bravehearts took the Future League Championship title.

For information about the Worcester Bravehearts and their game schedule, visit the Worcester Bravehearts website.

Posted in News, Press Release | Comments Off on Worcester Bravehearts Set to Start 2017 Season at Home Friday, June 2

‘Sociologist to Share Research About Schooling Practices’ in St. Maarten

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Melissa Weiner, associate professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, was recently featured in The Daily Herald, the leading newspaper for St. Maarten and the northeast Caribbean, and the Saint Martin News Network for her upcoming visit to the University of St. Martin, in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Weiner, whose scholarly work addresses racializing mechanisms both in the U.S. and from a global perspective, will be sharing her research on schooling practices in the Dutch Kingdom.

Read the articles on The Daily Herald and the Saint Martin News Network websites.

Posted in In The News, News, Sociology and Anthropology | Comments Off on ‘Sociologist to Share Research About Schooling Practices’ in St. Maarten

Holy Cross Awards 667 Bachelor of Arts Degrees During Commencement Exercises

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

“I wish you uncomfortable but exciting lives, full of balance, promise, failure, compassion, fun, love, and utter devotion to the core principles that are seared into the hearts and souls of each of you at Holy Cross,” Dr. James J. O’Connell, president and founding physician of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), said in his address to the newly graduated members of the Class 2017 at the College of the Holy Cross’ 171st Commencement Exercises on May 26.

A total of 667 students were awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees in the presence of family and friends, Holy Cross faculty, administrators, staff and honored guests at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Addressing the full convention center, with particular focus on the Class of 2017, O’Connell offered students anecdotes of the many turns of his own journey in the years following his undergraduate experience, which eventually led him to pursue a career as an oncologist. Then, what was supposed to be a one-year commitment to working with the homeless of Boston turned into a 32 year-long career with the BHCHP, the country’s largest and most comprehensive program of its kind, serving more than 12,000 homeless people a year in two hospital-based clinics and more than 60 shelters and outreach sites.

O’Connell admitted he is still incredulous at where life has brought him and offered students advice to take with them as they begin their own journeys: “Stay dynamically present to the cosmic unfolding…Be humble and listen to those around you…Never lose your sense of wonder; wonder transforms routine…Listen to your heart. Defy convention, be irreverent, but always diplomatic. Stand for something larger than yourself…Embrace failure.”

Beyond this advice, O’Connell stressed that the Class of 2017 already had many tools in hand, garnered from their four years at Holy Cross.

“I promise you, if you keep your hearts open, as you have learned to do here at Holy Cross, your passion will come to you, and often when you least expect it.”

Valedictorian Haylie Butler, a Spanish and biology double major in the Health Professions Advising Program, addressed her classmates who listened, newly minted diplomas in hand.

“Whether you knew it or not, the day we chose to attend Holy Cross,” said Butler, “we made a collective decision as a class — a decision to let Holy Cross change us.”

Butler explained how Holy Cross challenged her and her classmates to put their personal checklists aside, and push beyond their anticipated plans — to do more, give more, and ask more of their education and themselves. For Butler, this meant spending her junior year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in the rainforest of Costa Rica, falling in love with new cultures and places, and rediscovering her passion for service.

“We are not the same people who rolled up to Wheeler, Hanselman, and Mulledy on August 24, 2013, because we have shared the valuable and impactful gift that is a Holy Cross education,” said Butler. “One that encourages us to achieve greatness in a myriad of ways so that we may cross dimensions and interact meaningfully with others. We are a class of activists, leaders, and scientists. Storytellers, athletes, artists, and philosophical thinkers.”

As Butler concluded her address, she sent off her classmates with a simple assurance: “We are ready.”

After Holy Cross, Butler will be teaching English to high school students through a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Galicia, Spain.

In addition to O’Connell, Holy Cross awarded honorary degrees to Clementina Chéry, the president and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in Boston, and Rev. Robert Kennedy, S.J., Roshi, professor emeritus of theology at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, N.J., and the only American Jesuit priest who has also been installed as a Zen roshi (master teacher).

Media Coverage

Related Information

Posted in News | Comments Off on Holy Cross Awards 667 Bachelor of Arts Degrees During Commencement Exercises

Members of Class of 2017 Honored For Their Excellence in Academics, Leadership in Service

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Students and faculty filled the Dinand Library Reading Room on Thursday, May 25 to honor the achievements of outstanding members of the Class of 2017, who were presented with awards for academic excellence and leadership in service. The full list of recipients is shown below:

2016 Presidential Service Award – Olufunmilola F. Anifowoshe, Meaghan E. Body, Alexander A. Bonano, Haylie M. Butler, Mackenzie M. Horl, John R. Milligan, Victoria L. Mousley, Ameer C. Phillips, Caitlin R. Pollard, Sean C. Teebagy

2016 George B. Moran Award – Emily M. Breakell

The Academy of American Poets Prize – Ryan P. Kingsley

The George J. Allen, Ph. D., ’65 Psychology Award – Olufunmilola F. Anifowoshe

The American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award – Casey J. Adams

The Pedro Arrupe Medal and Prize (ex aequo) – Meaghan E. Body Caitlin R. Pollard

The Asian Studies Program Award – Holly A. J. W. Nord

The Elias Atamian Family Book Award – Anna J. Colbert

The Beethoven Prize – Michael A. Ciaramella

The Bourgeois French Prize – Gabriella A. Fletcher

The Nellie M. Bransfield Award – Derek J. Kunz

The Joseph C. Cahill Prize – Christopher J. Minteer

The Frank D. Comerford Award – Megan R. Izzo

The Philip A. Conniff, S.J., Prize in Latin – Charles J. Schufreider

The Crompton Gold Medal – Marie E. Cronin

The John J. Crowley Memorial Prize – Megan R. Izzo

The John J. Cummings, Jr./BAI Award – Gregory L. Violante

The Caren G. Dubnoff Political Science Award – Luke P. Miller

The Economics and Accounting Department Achievement Award – Emily J. Vigliotta

The Father Flatley Medal – Daniel W. G. Apadula

The Rev. John W. Flavin, S.J., Award in Biology – Jeeva Jacob

The Vin Forde Memorial Award – Mackenzie M. Horl

The Thomas A. Fulham Environmental Studies Prize – Xinyi Zeng

The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Prize – Keith T. Plummer

The Dr. Marianthi Georgoudi Memorial Award – Victoria L. Mousley

The Edna Dwyer Grzebien Prize – Michael W. Sixsmith

The George H. Hampsch Award – Deanna M. Drenga

The Rev. William F. Hartigan Medal – Peter O. Schiepers

The Rev. Robert F. Healey, S. J., Greek Prize – Melody A. Wauke

The Holy Cross Club of Worcester Prize – Emily G. Stevenson

The Thomas P. Imse Alpha Kappa Delta Award – Hildie R. Hoeschen

The Robert Edmond Jones Award – Christopher M. O’Neil

The Monsignor Kavanagh Medal & Award – Sara E. McLean

The Edward V. Killeen, Jr., Prize – Kara J. Kennedy

The Latin American and Latino Studies Award – Genesis C. Torres-Alcantara

The John C. Lawlor Medal – Jacob J. Wieczorek

The William E. Leahy Award – Emily M. Hall

The Leonard Award – Haylie M. Butler

The Heather C. Lochmuller ’98 Award – Kate A. Nicastri

The Rev. John J. MacDonnell, S. J., Computer Science Award – Olivia M. Lau

The Markham Memorial Scholarship Award – Raza Mehdi

The Gertrude McBrien Mathematics Prize (ex aequo) – Sarah J. Tymochko Emily T. Winn

The Leonard J. McCarthy, S. J., Memorial Prize – Megan R. Izzo

The Nugent Gold Medal – Joseph G. Wihbey, III

The John L. Philip Memorial American Sign Language Award – Victoria L. Mousley

The Purple Prize – Katrina C. Morris

The John Paul Reardon Medal and Award – Allison C. Thiel

The James H. Reilly Memorial Prize – Diana V. Hurtado

The Freeman M. Saltus Prize – Matthew E. Reeves

The George Bernard Shaw Award – Flavia Sula

The Study Abroad Independent Project Prize – Gabrielle G. Grant

The Maurizio Vannicelli Prize in Italian Studies – Mark M. Lies

The Vannicelli Washington Semester Program Award – Ryan W. Foley (Fall ’15); Alexander D. Kochenburger (Spring ’16)

The Varsity Club Norton Prize – Anthony P. Critelli

The Shirley Verrett French Prize in Memory of the Rev. Lionel P. Honoré, S.J. – Sinead K. O’Connor

The Edward F. Wall, Jr., Prize – Nicholas W. Matthews

The Carter G. Woodson Prize – Jared I. Boone

Related Information

Posted in News | Comments Off on Members of Class of 2017 Honored For Their Excellence in Academics, Leadership in Service

Professor and Political Science Expert Talks Trump, Comey, and Impeachment

Posted on May 24, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross’ Donald Brand, professor of political science, recently penned two op-eds for Fortune, exploring President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey and the ins-and-outs of presidential impeachment. The day it was posted, Brand’s impeachment op-ed was the second most popular story on Fortune’s site.

Read Brand’s recent op-eds below:

Posted in Donald Brand, In The News, News, Political Science | Comments Off on Professor and Political Science Expert Talks Trump, Comey, and Impeachment

‘More Than a Game: Holy Cross Uses Yankee Stadium Football Battle as an Opportunity to Reach New Audience’

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Football team huddles during Ram-Crusader Cup at Yankee StadiumThe May issue of Connections, an online publication of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), featured the 31st annual Ram-Crusader Cup. The article focuses on how the Holy Cross versus Fordham football match up at Yankee Stadium this past November was much more than a game — it was an opportunity to market the college to a new audience and cross-collaborate between marketing and communications, athletics and advancement and alumni relations.

Read the entire article on the AJCU website.

Related Information

Posted in In The News, News | Comments Off on ‘More Than a Game: Holy Cross Uses Yankee Stadium Football Battle as an Opportunity to Reach New Audience’

Haylie Butler ’17 Selected as Class of 2017 Valedictorian

Posted on May 18, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Haylie M. Butler ’17, of Rossmoor, Calif., has been selected to deliver the Class of 2017 valedictory address at the Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 26.

Butler is a Spanish and biology double major in the Health Professions Advising Program. She is a member of both the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa, and has recently been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain, where she will be teaching English to high school students in the region of Galicia.

While at Holy Cross, Butler founded XCHROM, an organization that empowers young women in science in underprivileged communities. She served as the lead organizer for the inaugural Women in Science Day for young women from both Worcester high schools and Holy Cross; has been involved with genetics research under the guidance of Geoffrey Findlay, assistant professor of biology; and was a STEM+E tutor. Butler was also the founder and chair of the Holy Cross figure skating club; a leader for the Nicaragua immersion program after previously traveling to El Salvador on an immersion trip; a member of the women’s varsity volleyball team; and served as secretary for Students for Responsible Choices. She spent the summer and fall of 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the spring of 2016 in Costa Rica through Holy Cross’ study abroad program.

Following her Fulbright, Butler plans to pursue a year-long research position in the United States or work for a public health nonprofit in South America through a Princeton in Latin America Fellowship, for which she is a finalist. Her long-term goals include attending medical school to obtain a joint M.D./M.P.H. and completing an OB/GYN or pediatrics residency with a fellowship in neonatology or maternal fetal medicine.

Butler was selected as valedictorian from a group of academically outstanding members of the senior class, each of whom submitted speeches for consideration. The Valedictorian Selection Committee — composed of senior students, faculty members and administrators — reviewed the submissions, and the final selection was made by Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College.

Related Information:

Posted in Biology, Health Professions Advising, Spanish | Comments Off on Haylie Butler ’17 Selected as Class of 2017 Valedictorian

Holy Cross Dining Wins Gold for College’s Largest Fundraising Gala

Posted on May 18, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Holy Cross Dining has received the Gold Award from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) in the annual Loyola E. Horton Dining Awards. Named for a NACUFS founder, past president and highly regarded innovator, the Dining Awards celebrate exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning, and new dining concepts, and provide an avenue for sharing ideas and creative presentations in campus dining services.

Holy Cross Dining entered the Catering/Special Event category for the “Become More” Gala, a kickoff dinner for the most ambitious, comprehensive fundraising campaign in the history of the College, with the goal of raising $400 million by June 30, 2020.

More than 75 colleges and universities across North America submitted entries in six categories. The College placed first in the medium-size school competition.

A team of six judges examined each entry carefully and selected top candidates in each category. The “Become More” Gala was judged on menu, room décor and collaboration with departments across campus. At the annual NACUFS Conference in July, Holy Cross Dining will compete against Hendrix College (small-size school) and Vanderbilt University (large-size school) for the grand prize.

“We are honored to be recognized for our hard work and dedication to the ‘Become More’ Gala,” said Linda Nardella, director of Holy Cross Dining. “To pull off an event of this magnitude so flawlessly is truly a testament to the unique Holy Cross community and our relationships with our campus partners.”

Tracy Barlok, vice president for advancement, added, “This gala dinner was the centerpiece of a remarkable weekend.  The synergy between our creative consultants at Educe, LLC, our gifted  internal events and communications staff,  our facilities professionals and of course our own talented dining team was quite literally the perfect combination of ingredients for success!”

According to Nardella, the tables were immaculately set with stunning purple linens and striking floral arrangements. “Kimball Hall literally glowed purple as dinner was served,” she said.

Guests started off their meals with a salad of baby butter greens with roasted garnet beets, crumbled chèvre, toasted Persian walnuts and a soy tarragon rice wine vinaigrette; dinner included a sage-brined, herb-encrusted chicken and skillet colossal shrimp with a candied garlic beurre blanc, roasted rainbow carrots and a purple cauliflower floret on a bed of toasted quinoa pilaf; dessert served up mini chocolate-dipped cannoli, coconut macaroons and twin chocolate-dipped tuxedo strawberries.

“The entries submitted by the various NACUFS institutions showcase some of the best trends and ideas in college and university dining service programs across the country,” said Dawn Hearne, Hendrix College, Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards chair.

Media Coverage

Posted in News, Press Release | Comments Off on Holy Cross Dining Wins Gold for College’s Largest Fundraising Gala

Class of 2017: Last Thoughts From the Hill

Posted on May 18, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

As the members of the Class of 2017 prepare to graduate, they think back on their time at the College — what experiences changed them, what memories have stuck with them, what part of Holy Cross they will take with them.

Primed with wide-ranging experiences — from meeting Justice Clarence Thomas and finding life-long mentors in their professors to studying abroad in the rainforest and growing their commitment to serving others — the seniors are ready to take on new challenges beyond Mount St. James.

Related Information:

Posted in News, Videos | 1 Comment

Holy Cross to Host 2017 JUHAN Conference

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Rebecca Fater

An aerial shot of Holy Cross' Fenwick Hall in summer.Community partners and students committed to social justice will participate in the 2017 Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) Conference, scheduled for June 27-29, at the College of the Holy Cross.

The biennial conference, titled “Principles in Crisis: Refugees and Responsibility,” is open to the public and is accepting registration through June 1. The event aims to deepen participants’ understanding of the current refugee crisis; discern ways in which schools within the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) can respond academically and practically to the suffering of those forced to migrate; and learn more about the community partners and scholars invested in this work, said Michelle Sterk Barrett, director of the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, which is organizing the conference in partnership with Holy Cross’ Peace and Conflict Studies and the greater JUHAN network.

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to bring together students, scholars and practitioners interested in thinking about how we can most effectively and ethically respond to the urgent needs of refugees and immigrants in our world today,” she said. “It’s an issue that has become even more urgent since the conference theme was chosen last summer.”

Keynote addresses will be given by leading humanitarian scholars Michael Barnett of George Washington University and Fr. David Hollenbach of Georgetown University; practitioners Mark Potter of the Kino Border Initiative and Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; and Fr. Michael Sheeran, president of the AJCU.

Denis Kennedy, assistant professor of political science and conference co-convener said the event will help “bridge distance” between immigrants and the community by fostering greater understanding.

“How do we relate to the plight of refugees? One of our goals in organizing this conference is to provide sustained engagement with issues that, initially, appear not to affect us, but in which we are ultimately implicated.”

The conference will bring together international operational agencies including Catholic Relief Services, Jesuit Refugee Service, Save the Children USA, Oxfam America and Doctors Without Borders. It will also feature local partners who support refugees, immigrants and those seeking asylum in Worcester, including Ascentria Care Alliance, Catholic Charities, Family Health Center of Worcester, Hadwen Park Congregational Church, Refugee Artisans of Worcester, Worcester Alliance for Refugee Ministry, Worcester Interfaith and the Worcester Public Library.

“Worcester is a vibrant, dynamic and diverse place,” said Isabelle Jenkins, associate director of the Donelan Office and conference co-convener. “Opportunities to learn how best to support and be in solidarity with those on the margins are at abundance here. To have a variety of Worcester agencies take part in this conference will make participants’ experience even richer.”

JUHAN was launched in 2006 to bring attention to the meaning of humanitarian response and its implications for the Jesuit ideology of “men and women for others,” and to address humanitarian needs. It has since grown to include Jesuit institutions across the U.S. and internationally.

Visit the event webpage for information on registration, fees, local accommodations and the complete conference program.

Posted in News, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, Press Release | Comments Off on Holy Cross to Host 2017 JUHAN Conference

Holy Cross Professors Recognized for Outstanding Scholarship and Student Advising

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

At her annual spring address to faculty, Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College of the Holy Cross, announced this year’s recipients of the Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Awards: Charles Anderton, professor of economics, and David Damiano, professor of mathematics.

The annual awards are made possible by a generous gift from Richard A. Marfuggi, M.D. ‘72, in honor of his mother.

Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Charles Anderton received the Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship. This annual award was established to honor a member of the faculty for outstanding achievement in the creation of original work in the arts and sciences over an 18-month period.

Most notably during this time frame, Anderton co-edited “Economic Aspects of Genocides, Other Mass Atrocities, and Their Prevention” (Oxford University Press, 2016), a volume that offers an economic perspective to the question of the prevention of genocide. The volume includes 28 chapters, four of which are co-authored by Anderton himself, and features the work of 41 experts from around the world and multiple disciplines, including that of Nobel Prize winners. Already, the volume has been adopted by over 160 libraries and positively reviewed in a number of venues, and Oxford University Press has invited the co-editors to write a trade book on the same topic.

Additionally, Anderton published two peer-reviewed articles during this time period, one co-authored with a former student.

While offering the award, Freije noted nominators’ emphases on Anderton’s scholarly record, one colleague calling him “adventurous, even courageous,” noting that he has always worked at “the fringe of mainstream economics.” Anderton’s scholarly research has included the study of arms race modeling, weapons, appropriation, bargaining theory of war, terrorism, genocide, and mass killing.

One nominator said, “Knowing him as I do…I find his new volume…both unsurprising and astounding — unsurprising because it continues seamlessly his remarkably productive career; at the same time, astounding because it reaches such extraordinary standards of excellence.”

“I am grateful to the College of the Holy Cross and to my department colleagues for their steadfast encouragement of my research on genocide risks and prevention,” Anderton shares. “I am surprised, honored, and humbled to receive the Marfuggi award and thankful to Holy Cross for its generous recognition of my research.”

Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Academic Advisement

David Damiano received the Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Academic Advisement. This award is given to a faculty member who has demonstrated effective academic advisement and mentorship of students that was extraordinary in quality and sustained over at least three years, and is based on student nominations.

While presenting the award, Freije shared that student nominators commonly expressed Damiano’s effort to go above and beyond to build relationships, one student sharing that Damiano “never fails to show his concern for the well-being and happiness of his students.”

“I think he made an extra effort to be a mentor to me,” a student nominator said about Damiano, who had learned the student was the first in their family to go to college. “Over the four years I have known him, I have also seen him interact with other students the way he interacts with me. It is as if he finds those students who may need the extra help and he provides it.”

Damiano’s mentorship includes advising 19 College or departmental honors theses and a Fenwick Scholar project, participating as a faculty mentor for ALANA students for 12 years, and founding and directing the AME Zion Tutoring Program for the past 16 years.

“Whether his students are seeking help with their homework, asking advising questions, looking for advice regarding the future, or just want to talk about sports, he is the go-to guy,” one nominee shared. “He truly embodies what it means to be a Holy Cross faculty member.”

“It is an honor to receive the Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Academic Advisement,” says Damiano. “It especially meaningful to me because it is based on student nominations. Advising and more generally mentoring are central to what faculty do at Holy Cross. While the classroom is the public focus of the job of being a faculty member, at the end of the day, the conversations that I have with individual students outside of class are what I carry with me. It is a particular pleasure when these grow into mentoring relationships that extend beyond advising meetings, course work, projects, and, in the best of worlds, beyond Holy Cross.”

Posted in Economics and Accounting, Mathematics and Computer Science, News, Press Release | Comments Off on Holy Cross Professors Recognized for Outstanding Scholarship and Student Advising