Fiske Guide Includes Holy Cross Among ‘Best and Most Interesting’ Colleges

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

FiskeThe College of the Holy Cross has again been featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, a guide compiled by former New York Times education editor, Edward B. Fiske.  The colleges and universities featured are among the “best and most interesting” throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Holy Cross has been highlighted for its accessible professors, top-notch academic programs, and strong Jesuit identity that emphasizes community engagement and responsibility.  According to the guide, students say that “professors are very accessible, personable, and willing to help.”

All first-year students participate in Montserrat, a universal living and learning program, which helps to acclimate them to seminar-style classes and allows them to meet peers and professors easily.  Furthermore, the small class sizes across all years allows “faculty members to keep in touch with undergraduates.” Fiske notes that students at Holy Cross are exposed to strong, challenging academics; top programs include biology, prehealth, English, history, and economics and accounting.

Outside of the classroom, Holy Cross students are very involved in community service, through organizations like Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD) and Community-Based Learning.  Fiske highlights that Holy Cross students take the College’s mission seriously, serving as “men and women for and with others.”

Overall, Holy Cross is described as a “tight-knit community” where students have many “opportunities to serve others, challenge themselves, and create lasting friendships.”

Read more about what makes Holy Cross unique on our “Points of Pride” page.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.

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‘School’s murals show ‘where education began’ in Worcester’

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Nicole Landry '16 and Sarah Valente '16In a Telegram & Gazette front page story, College of the Holy Cross rising seniors Nicole Landry ’16 and Sarah Valente ’16, were featured for a summer research project they are working on at Worcester East Middle School. The pair is researching four Jenne Magafan (1916-1952) murals in the lobby of the school thorough a grant from the Colleges’ Summer Research in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts, in an effort help restore the murals.

According to the article, Landry and Valente who are both chemistry majors, want to use their experience in laboratories and solvents and apply it to graduate programs in art conservation. Both students are art history minors.

The murals depict scenes from the life of Jonas Rice, Worcester’s first school teacher in the 1700s. “ This hill is where education began in Worcester” said Valente.

A travel allowance from the grant has enabled Landry and Valente to conduct research in Washington D.C., New York City, and Woodstock N.Y. While they were in Woodstock they were able to meet Jenne Magafan’s niece who shared the late artist’s sketchbook with them. The students have kept a blog chronicling their journey and research and you can read more about their project here.

The need for the mural restoration came together with the help of Ken Salins, art teacher at Worcester East Middle School who reached out to the conservators at Worcester Art Museum. As he told the Telegram & Gazette “I wanted to see the murals cared for.” An informal partnership was created between the school, Holy Cross and the Museum. The paintings, which are on canvas are adhered directly to the walls and were not varnished. Over time, the murals have darkened as a result of decades-long exposure to the schools heating system fumes and Grafton Street car exhaust.

The students are being advised by James A. Welu, emeritus director of the Worcester Art Museum, currently visiting lecturer at Holy Cross. Together, they’re in the process of writing text for panels that will describe the murals and the artist who did them.

“There are great murals sitting here in this foyer,” says Landry. “It would be great if we could get the conservation process going so that they’re restored to how they should look, so future generations walking through these halls can appreciate them for what they are.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier.

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Three Holy Cross Alumni Ordained into Priesthood

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Fr. Otto, Fr. Scott, Fr. DeLeonThree alumni from the College of the Holy Cross have recently been ordained into the priesthood. Rev. Brent H. Otto, S.J.’01, and Rev. Loren Adam DeLeon, S.J. ’03, have been ordained into the Society of Jesus and Father Alexander Scott ’09 was ordained as a priest into the Archdiocese of Washington.

Fr. Otto was recently profiled in the National Jesuit News. A Massachusetts native, he attended Holy Cross where he was first introduced to the Jesuits. In the article, Fr. Otto reflects on his time at Holy Cross, where he discovered Ignatian spirituality and discussed how it opened his eyes to a new deeply intimate encounter with God and the world. While at the College, Fr. Otto majored in history with a focus on education and was actively involved in campus ministry and the College’s retreat programs. After college, he won a prestigious one-year Watson Fellowship to study Catholic education in India. He then returned to the U.S. and taught high school in Auburn, Mass. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2004 and spent time in Jamaica teaching at a university and a primary school. In 2006, he was sent to Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y., where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy and completed a joint master’s program in International and Global History from Columbia University in New York and the London School of Economics. According to the website, Fr. Otto is currently serving as a deacon and RCIA teacher at the Church of Saint Leo the Great in Oakland, Calif. as well as a chaplain for the Port of Oakland. Read the profile on the National Jesuit News website.

According to the National Jesuit News, Fr. DeLeon grew up in Cleveland where he first met the Jesuits at Saint Ignatius High School and then traveled to Worcester to attend Holy Cross to study religion. After graduation, he went to Jamaica and volunteered as a teacher and rugby coach at St. George’s College. Fr. DeLeon said that his experience was “transformative,” and it led him to  join the Society of Jesus in 2004. Fr. DeLeon earned a master’s degree in social philosophy at Loyola University Chicago and then taught for three years at Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School on Chicago. According to the website, Fr. DeLeon is currently serving at St. Columbanus Catholic Church in Chicago. Read Fr. DeLeon’s biography here.

“We are thrilled to welcome these men to priesthood in the Society of Jesus,” Rev. Timothy Kesicki, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States told the National Jesuit News. “This time is a gift for the Jesuits, for the family and friends of those being ordained and most of all, for the Catholic Church. In choosing to devote their lives to service, these men joyously live their answer to God’s call in a deeply profound and humbling way. We will keep them in our prayers as they begin their priestly duties.”

The Society of Jesus, is the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic church and this year has ordained 28 Jesuits in the U.S. and Canada. This is the largest  group of Jesuits to be ordained in the Catholic priesthood in more than 15 years. Read the full story here.

Fr. Scott’s service to the military and recent ordination into the Archdiocese of Washington was recently featured in the Catholic Standard.

According to the article, he was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and lived throughout the U.S., but considers Washington home. Growing up on the Army base at Fort Belvoir, Fr. Scott was inspired by the example of two priests from the Archdiocese of Washington who were serving the Catholic community there. “Fr. John Mudd just an absolutely kind man, so caring, so dedicated to serving everyone… He was always there for us,” he told the Catholic Standard.

Fr. Gary Studniewski, a Washington priest serving as a military chaplain at Fort Belvoir, was influential during Fr. Scott’s high school years. “He impressed on me the need for the priesthood, the beauty of the vocation, the amazing task (that) the priesthood is,” he said in the article.

Fr. Scott attended Holy Cross and majored in history and philosophy and was part of the Army ROTC program. One day he hopes to fulfill his military commitment and serve as a chaplain. Since 2011 Scott has been studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. According to the Catholic Standard it was Fr. Scott’s time spent in Rome witnessing two papacies, which, continues to inspire his work. “Pope Benedict opened the Gospel for us in his prayerful insights and Pope Francis shows us it’s equally important, that lived experience of the Gospel,” he said. Read the entire article in the Catholic Standard.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier.

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‘Tokyo Olympic Venue Shaping Up as World’s Costliest Stadium’

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Victor Matheson According to the Associated Press (AP), the marquee venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, could be the most expensive sports stadium in the world.

Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, who specializes in the economic impact of mega-sporting events on host cities, told the AP: “The spiraling costs come as no surprise. Most of the recent Olympics Games and World Cups have seen final costs come in far above initial estimates.”

The recent article states that the latest cost estimate of $2 billion (252 yen) is a 55 percent increase over an earlier estimate of 163 billion yen. The current record-holder is the $1.6 billion MetLife stadium completed in 2010 for the New York Jets and Giants football teams.

This news doesn’t bode well for Boston and others bidding for the 2024 Olympics, as well as the International Olympic Committee’s goal of making future Olympics more affordable for host cities, Matheson said.

“If a modern city like Tokyo with tons of highly developed infrastructure already in place can’t make an Olympics work without breaking the bank, what chance do any other potential host cities have,” he explained.

The article ran in nearly 100 media outlets across the country including the New York Times, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, ABC News, Fox Business, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.

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Money Magazine Ranks Holy Cross No. 18 Among Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Country

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

campusThe College of the Holy Cross ranks No. 18 on Money Magazine’s list of “The 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges,” and No. 89 overall  on Money’s list of “Best Colleges,” which ranked 736 schools nationwide.

According to Money, which is a subsidiary of TIME, Inc., they screened out schools with graduation rates below the median and those facing financial difficulties and the remaining colleges were ranked on 21 factors in three categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings.

Holy Cross received a B+ in the value-added grade category, which considered how well students at each school did vs. what would be expected given their economic and academic backgrounds and the institution’s mix of majors.

Holy Cross is one of a select group of “need-blind” colleges that accept students regardless of their ability to pay and meet 100 percent of demonstrated need. Nearly two-thirds of students receive some form of aid. The College has a 92 percent six-year graduation rate.

According to Money, students said “Holy Cross is a challenge, which prepares you for any career that you wish to pursue. But, more importantly, this school matures your character and turns you into a future leader.” Students also shared that “classes are very intimate” and “professors make the effort to form relationships with the students which allows for richer discussions.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.

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Amanda Belichick Named Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Amanda BelichickAmanda Belichick was recently named the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at the College of the Holy Cross. The news of her appointment ran in more than 50 media outlets across the country including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! News, Boston Herald, Boston Globe, and the Houston Chronicle.

She told ESPN that she is excited and honored to be the next women’s lacrosse coach at Holy Cross, and is eager to get started.  “I look forward to building on the school’s great tradition and working with the talented student-athletes in the program,” she said.

She also told ESPN she plans to “focus on the little things” to help bring the Crusaders back to a competitive level. “It’s about winning the little battles,” she shared.

Belichick is the daughter of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. When asked by ESPN for the best piece of advice her father has given her: “We have a really great relationship, and are really able to talk about teams and team building. Teams at all levels deal with a lot of similar issues, universal team concepts—team work, trust, chemistry—it’s important to get to know your team and their strengths.”

She also joked that she will have to get her dad some Holy Cross purple.

Belichick spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Wesleyan, the alma mater she shares with her father. She helped Wesleyan improve its national ranking from No. 49 in 2013 to as high as No. 17 in 2014.   Read the entire press release

Select Media Coverage

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.

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‘Pay-To-Play: The Business Of College Athletic Recruitment’

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

DiCenzo-Baseball.-for-webjpgA recent article in Forbes features College of the Holy Cross’ Greg DiCenzo, head baseball coach, discussing the increasing intensity and expense for high school athletes that want to play a sport in college. Many high school athletes are determined to play in college, both for love of the game and for the scholarship money that usually accompanies a spot on the team. As the competition for high school students to gain a spot on college teams increases, so does the money parents shell out for their child to be seen by college coaches.

DiCenzo, who just completed his eighth year of coaching for the College, commented on the very popular showcases,  tournaments that feature travel teams populated by high school baseball players.  These baseball tournaments, among other sports, allow college coaches to see many potential recruits over the course of a few days.  He says that these tournaments are an easy way to “stretch the dollar” for an athletic department, making it popular for college coaches to do much of their recruiting there.

However, there are downsides to the quality of players at showcase tournaments.  DiCenzo says “When you attend high school games you see kids play for their teammates and for the names on the front of their jersey.  When you attend a showcase game, you see him playing more for the name on his back.”

A former Holy Cross baseball player, Mike Schell ’05, noticed the growing expenses for high school baseball players that want to play in college.  The thousands of dollars spent on travel teams are not feasible for every family. Schell told Forbes, “Baseball is becoming  an upper-class sport.” Therefore, Schell started The Cannonball Foundation,  a non-profit committed to supporting aspiring college athletes academically and athletically, regardless of their ability to pay.

Schell supports baseball and softball players through athletic scholarships and by giving them opportunities to meet with admissions departments and coaches at top colleges. Schell attributes the creation of his organization to his education at Holy Cross, where the phrase “men and women for others” left a lasting mark on him.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.

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Holy Cross Launches Redesigned, Mobile-Friendly Website

Posted on July 9, 2015 by

LindenLineThe College of the Holy Cross has launched a new mobile-friendly website, featuring a comprehensive redesign, more photography, and improved navigation to better convey the College’s story to multiple audiences.

The new website was developed to showcase the exceptional academic strengths of the Holy Cross undergraduate experience, as well as the diverse range of opportunities for students on (and off) campus — from creative expression in the arts to highly competitive Division I athletics; from faith exploration and justice work to experiential learning, internships and much more.

The most visible changes to the site include:

  • A responsive design and infrastructure that automatically resizes webpages based on the screen width and orientation of a user’s device — from a smartphone to an HDTV
  • Two additions to the main navigation menu bar: “Faith & Service” and “Arts & Culture,” subjects that help define life at Holy Cross
  • Refreshed copy and messaging on top-level pages
  • Changes in the site architecture to give visitors and on-campus users easier ways to find information and navigate services and departments.

The design and sharpened messaging was informed by quantitative and qualitative research findings. As part of the redesign process, a campus advisory team was convened to make informed decisions about how to create the most effective site for all audiences. Open sessions on campus were held to gather feedback from students, faculty and staff about what they wanted to see in terms of storytelling, news, photography, video, design and site architecture. The project team included staff from College Marketing and Communications, Information Technology Services, Admissions and Advancement.

The new site has been in the works for more than a year. Holy Cross worked with OHO Interactive, a Somerville, Mass.-based creative services company, on the new design and structure of the site. The last site-wide redesign took place nearly 10 years ago. Last summer, an interim home page was launched and updates were made to top-level “landing pages” to mirror the College’s new branding efforts and “Ask More” tagline. The interim site allowed the College to track traffic to and from the redesigned home page. That, coupled with feedback from campus and external audiences, was used to inform the final design.

The Holy Cross website uses the open-source Drupal web content management system and is hosted on the cloud-based server Acquia.

“The Acquia cloud service will provide Holy Cross with a fully-managed, enterprise-level hosting environment, that is secure, scalable and reliable,” said Christian Santillo, director of web communications. “Acquia will also serve as a Drupal expert to Holy Cross allowing us to quickly evaluate and deploy new features.

To report any problems or errors on the new site and to submit your feedback, please complete this online form.

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Holy Cross Celebrates the Progression of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Kelly Ethier

Blackstone-for-web

On Tuesday, July 7, Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., president of the College of the Holy Cross, and Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) joined state and local leaders to celebrate the announcement of Phase I of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center in Worcester with the bid ready for review by construction contractors. The visitor center is slated to open in 2017 and will be a hub for recreational, historical, cultural, and geographic attractions in Worcester and the National Heritage Corridor.

“Today marks a big victory for families and businesses in Worcester and throughout the National Heritage Corridor,” Congressman McGovern said. “Helping to secure the federal funding for this project has been a major priority for me and I am so grateful to all of the partners who have helped to make this a reality. With the advertisement of the project bid ready for review by construction contractors, we are on track for the 2017 opening. This visitor center is a strong investment in the region and I look forward to seeing all the ways it will help to bring our communities together.”

Holy Cross has been a longtime partner in the efforts to build the visitor center and has established an active role on the projects planning committee. The College has partnered to support the position of Devon Kurtz, project coordinator for the visitor center.

“Holy Cross is committed to supporting initiatives and programs that contribute to the quality of life in the City and region” said Fr. Boroughs. “The Visitor Center will provide visitors and neighbors alike, including members of our Holy Cross community, a unique and interactive opportunity to celebrate the history of Worcester and Blackstone Valley.”

The support of the visitor center is only one example of the College’s commitment to the Worcester community. Some of the ongoing partnerships the College has established include: working with local business owner John W.S. Creedon Jr. and the Futures League to bring summer baseball back to Fitton Field; a 5-year, $400,000 investment to support the Library Express, “Libby,” a state-of-the-art mobile library serving Worcester schools, neighborhoods and community centers; and most recently the College provided support to the Youth Opportunities Summer Recreation Program.

Media Coverage

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‘Independence Day tradition marks 35 years on PBS’

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Jerry ColbertThe Telegram & Gazette profiled College of the Holy Cross alumnus Jerry Colbert ’64 and his role as executive producer of “A Capitol Fourth,” which showcases the Independence Day festivities held in our nation’s capital, including the White House and the Washington Monument. The broadcast is celebrating its 35th anniversary on PBS and will air on Saturday, July 4, at 8 p.m. on WGBH-TV Channel 2 in Boston.

According to the article, Colbert had the idea for a live TV broadcast of the National Symphony Orchestra Independence Day performance when the concerts were initiated in 1979, and put the first show together for PBS with just five cameras on the Capitol Lawn in 1981. This year’s show will have 20 HD cameras around the Capitol and will be hosted by “West Wing” star Bradley Whitford. Broadcasted to an expected audience of over 10 million, the show will include performances by Barry Manilow and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jack Everly, as well as a tribute to Frank Sinatra on the 100th anniversary of his birthday this year.

“This is a very fun, upbeat version of Americana” says Colbert. “For me, it’s an hour-and-a-half where everyone’s an American. We need a little bit more unity, I think”

In an earlier interview, Colbert discussed why he was drawn to television. “I wanted to try to make a difference, to try to communicate something with a social or more spiritual message to people,” he said. “And I thought the way to do it was television.”

Related Information

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier.

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‘Chamber music showcased in Holy Cross concerts’

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Matthew Pinder playing violaA recent article in the Telegram & Gazette highlights the Chamber Music Institute program at College of the Holy Cross which took place this past week . The program, in its second year, had 16 talented musicians attend ranging from 14-35 years of age from across the United States as well as Costa Rica, Columbia, and South Korea. Students take part in an intense curriculum that offers instruction, workshops and performances and is led by world-renowned musicians.

Students were observed practicing amongst the stained glass windows and soaring ceilings of Brooks Concert Hall. Grace Marin, violin; Matthew Pinder, viola; Jan Müller- Szeraws, artist-in residence and artistic director of the program, cello; and Michael Brown, Chamber Music Institute faculty, piano; were in ensemble playing a spirited piano quartet in E-Flat major by Antonin Dvorak. Müller-Szeraws, conducting his students, raised the bow from his cello and asked “ I wonder if we can lift it up – dup dup dup dup?”

Pinder, who is 16 years of age, came to the program from Atlanta and has been playing the viola since he was eight.  He says that he loves the give-and-take with fellow musicians: “It gives so much satisfaction to work on a piece, work on it by myself, then with the chamber ensemble, then put it together. It’s so rewarding.”

Müller-Szeraws says the institute has been a “wonderful breeding ground of ideas.” The culmination of the week-long  program featured two student and faculty performances that were free and open to the public and showcased “the fruits of a wonderful week of hard work (spent) thinking, breathing, and eating music” says Müller-Szeraws.

Read full article here.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier

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‘Holy Cross’ Miller looks to make mark with Celtics’ summer league squad’

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

malcom-miller-for-webCollege of the Holy Cross alumnus Malcom Miller ’15, a philosophy major from Laytonsville, Md., has been selected by the Boston Celtics to join their summer league team.

Miller took part in the Celtics’ first pre-draft workout on May 21 and was asked back for the second workout on the Monday before the draft. He also worked out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers, and was invited by the Cavaliers to watch game six of the NBA Finals in Cleveland. Miller was invited to summer league play for both Cleveland and Utah, but he chose Boston.

“It was a tough decision” he said. “Their style of play fit mine very well so I felt I would be able to flourish in their type of system. It seemed like I had the best opportunity to make a difference with the Celtics.”

Read the full story here.

Related Coverage
Boston Herald – Celtics prioritize ‘high-character’ guys

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier.

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Kimball Takes Home The Bronze for Residential Dining

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Sarah Barrett '18

Kimball_09 copyCollege of the Holy Cross’ Kimball Dining Hall has received the bronze award from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) in the annual Loyola E. Horton Dining Awards. The award was named for the NACUFS founder, past president and highly regarded innovator and celebrates exemplary menus, presentations, special event planning, and new dining concepts. The recognition provides an avenue for sharing ideas and creative presentations in campus dining services.

Kimball was entered in the category  “Residential Dining Concepts” and placed third out of fourteen entries. The College’s main dining hall was judged on its menu, merchandising and presentation, marketing, and nutrition and wellness among other categories.

“Being recognized as one of the top Residential Dining Concepts in the country is such an honor,” says Linda Nardella, dining director. “It’s so rewarding to see how we compare to other top dining programs in the country—especially now that we’re learning how important dining can be during the college decision making process. It also helps to validate all of our hard work. The Kimball renovation was so much more than the physical transformation of the space and this award is a tribute to the entire dining team’s dedication to making Holy Cross Dining a leader in the industry.”

Kimball’s Dining staff entered the competition after a three month renovation that enhanced and revitalized the kitchen last summer. The only “all-you-care-to-eat” dining location on campus is now equipped with many cook-to-order stations that offer handcrafted deli sandwiches, classic/entrée, breakfast, stir fry, brick oven pizza, and grilling station. For something sweet, the eatery offers dessert selections from the Kimball Sweet Shoppe an on-campus bakery and a fruit and yogurt bar with granola. The redesign provided Holy Cross the opportunity to expand its sustainability efforts, increase variety of foods offered, and better accommodate the changing needs and interests of the students.

NACUFS was founded in 1958 to help encourage and support colleges and universities in their efforts to provide their communities with the best food service possible. Today NACUFS has members from more than 550 higher education institutions across the country.

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‘Ramadan Is Not a Time for Bloodshed’

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Caner-Dagl-for-webiIn recent article for The Atlantic, Caner Dagli, associate professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross and expert in Islamic studies, explores what he calls the “mangling” of the teachings of Ramadan by ISIS – and how we might approach thinking about the unthinkable violence and brutality committed in the name of Islam during the holy month. There is, Dagli posits, something much deeper going on.

“A great danger in all religions is the drift from the inward to the outward, resulting in a focus on the shell at the expense of the kernel,” he writes.  “When this happens, rituals like fasting are seen less as interiorizing and illuminating ways of approaching God, and more as measures of conformity and participation in a greater human project. For those people who are usually but misleadingly called fundamentalists (even the most peaceful kind), the pursuits of truth, law, contemplation, and social life are often mashed together into a mechanistic fervor in the service of a supreme goal: the fulfillment of an ideological blueprint.”

Read the full article here.

Related Information
Religious Studies Professor Challenges Much Discussed Atlantic Cover Story on ISIS

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelly Ethier.

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“2015 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs”

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

student-affairsThe College of the Holy Cross ranked among the  “2015 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.  The College’s student affairs office  was applauded for the wide-ranging services it provides to students and for its ability to engage students actively on campus.  The award also acknowledges the atmosphere of inclusion and “an environment marked by freedom, mutual respect and civility” at the College.

The national survey that ranked Holy Cross was performed by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and Diverse, the “purpose of this commissioned study was to examine the extent to which diversity and inclusion…permeates aspects of student affairs.”

Jacqueline Peterson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, oversees the 12 departments in the student affairs division. “I am so delighted that Student Affairs has been recognized by Diverse. This is indeed an honor and a tribute to my outstanding colleagues,” says Peterson. “As I have spoken with student affairs colleagues over my 18 years at Holy Cross, one of the common themes about working at the College has been that the mission resonates with their personal values. Others have said that they have appreciated the support and interaction with colleagues and the feeling of community. And, still there are others who appreciated the College’s unwavering commitment to excellence.  It is this combination of factors that truly makes the College, and student affairs, a most promising place to work.”

According to Diverse, Holy Cross student affairs is outstanding because “they engage students to become active participants in the life of the college; educate students through offering a multitude of co-curricular learning opportunities; and empower students to develop in the areas of leadership, citizenship and service to others.”  These descriptions back up the many extracurricular clubs, service organizations, and intramural sports that exist at Holy Cross, with more than 100 groups from Holy Cross for a Cure to the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) to the co-ed acapella group Fools on the Hill.

However, student affairs does not stop at just empowering their students.  The 77 full-time and 29 part-time staff members are also encouraged to engage in the community and develop intellectually, spiritually, and in service.

To read more about student affairs at Holy Cross visit their website.

Related Information:
Student Affairs Marks 50 Years, Honors Revs. Dunn and Markey

This Holy Cross in the News item by Sarah Barrett ’18.

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‘Meet the Most Powerful Doctor in America’

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Fauci_on-campus-for-webAnthony Fauci, a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 1962 and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was recently named No. 39 on Fortune’s list of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” and was also called “The Most Powerful Doctor in America” by Fox Business.

Fauci’s medical knowledge has been used recently to allay fears about the Ebola virus.  Fox Business highlights his important role in educating the public about the illness, “Fauci was appointed as one of the major spokesmen for the Ebola scare by the Obama administration and oversaw the care of the Dallas nurse who was the first American to be infected with the disease.”

“I was on all the Sunday morning shows for weeks during that time trying to put a realistic approach to what was happening so the public could understand it better. There was a lot of unnecessary panic,” Fauci told Fox Business.

However, despite the panic around the Ebola scare, Fauci remains calm about the possibility of an epidemic.  He says, “It would be unheard of if we had a major outbreak.  Our health care system would never allow something like that to happen.”  In addition, Fauci is confident that the Ebola crisis was handled well and that the panic was mostly the “perception the public had.”

According to Fox Business, Fauci is engaged in research that may one day make Ebola a disease of the past.  He and his team have been developing a vaccine against Ebola for 10 years that has already proven to be successful in monkeys.  Fauci’s team is also currently testing the vaccine in West Africa, where Ebola poses the largest threat.

In addition to his work with Ebola, Fauci has developed therapies to combat HIV/AIDS and other treatments for infectious diseases and allergies.  As director of the NIAID, Fauci controls a $4.4 billion dollar budget, money he is putting to good use with his research of many deadly diseases reports Fortune.

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This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.

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Blog: Keane ’17 to Get Crash Course in Magazine Publishing at Town&Country

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Jessica McCaughey

Caroline-Keane

NAME Caroline Keane

HOMETOWN Arlington, Va.

AREAS OF STUDY Political science and English double major

WHERE SHE’S INTERNING Town&Country Magazine, where she will work as the Digital Media Intern alongside Holy Cross alumna, Micaela English ’08.

INTERNSHIP DURATION 10 weeks

WHAT SHE’S MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST “Working with creative and forward-thinking people who are taking this iconic American brand and modifying it for the digital age.”

WHY SHE’S BLOGGING “I am interning at my dream company, in my dream job. I want others to share in this life-changing experience and witness me achieve my goals.”

CAREER GOAL “THIS. Working at Town&Country Magazine, enhancing the brand and image through digital and social media.”

Read the blog »

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Check out our admissions and photo blogs, along with many of our other online journals at me.holycross.edu

ABOUT SIP Internships through the College’s Summer Internship Program are developed through the strong network of Holy Cross alumni, parents, and friends throughout the country and are earmarked and designed specifically for Holy Cross students.

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Professor and Student Research Shows High-Glucose Diet May Lead to Longer Life-Span in Males

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Sarah Barrett '18

mondouxMichelle Mondoux, assistant professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, recently published a study in the journal “Aging” (June 8, 2015) on her research about the connection between high-glucose diets and lifespan in C. elegans (roundworms), titled “High-glucose diets have sex-specific effects on aging in C. elegans: toxic to hermaphrodites but beneficial to males.”  Mondoux, who specializes in cellular and molecular biology, published this study with one current Holy Cross student and two alumni who have worked in her lab at the College: Marjorie Liggett ’13, Michael Hoy ’14, and Michael Mastroianni ’16.

C. elegans are a nematode worm used as a model for many biological studies; most famously they were the first living organism to have their genome completely sequenced. More recently, worms have been used to study longevity, insulin signaling, and how these processes are connected. In Mondoux’s lab, students are using C. elegans to study the consequences of a high-glucose diet.  Many other labs have shown that a high-glucose diet decreases lifespan and makes the worms less healthy as they age.  However, none of this previous work had been done on males.  In the “Aging” article, Mondoux’s lab determined that male C. elegans actually live a little bit longer, and have greater mobility in old age when they ingest a high-glucose diet.  While a worm’s lifespan may appear very different from a human’s, these findings may have a profound impact on the way scientists study human aging in connection to diet.

“Our data shows that the response to glucose is not ‘universal,’ so even if we don’t see the same sex differences in people, the mechanisms that lead to sex differences in C. elegans might explain how people of different genetic backgrounds react to glucose differently, or how different cells in your body react to glucose differently.  For example, the pathways that are activated by a high-sugar diet in your muscle cells might be different from the pathways activated by sugar in your brain,” says Mondoux. “It is important for scientists to understand why glucose has these radically different effects on aging between the sexes in C. elegans in order to think about whether and how this might be important in human metabolic disease and aging.”

Mondoux earned her Ph.D.  from Princeton University.  She studies C. elegans in her lab “as a model system to study the molecular, cellular, and genetic responses” to a high-glucose diet.  Her work has appeared in the scientific journals “Genetics,” “Blood,” and “PNAS.”  In addition, Mondoux is the co-author of the chapter “Telomere Position Effect: Silencing Near the End” in the book “Telomeres.”

Emma Sikes ’16, one of the students currently mentored by Mondoux, is studying the effects of a high-glucose diet on C. elegans.  Sikes, a biology major and a member of the College’s honors program, from Suffield, Conn., has worked in Mondoux’s lab since the beginning of her sophomore year.  In May, Sikes received a Genetics Society of America (GSA) Travel Award to help fund her trip to the 20th annual international C. elegans conference at UCLA.   At the conference, Sikes, along with Mastroianni and Kevin Deehan ’16, will present a poster titled “Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) genes regulate insulin signaling in response to a high glucose diet.” Sikes says, “My project specifically is seeking to establish a link between genes involved in spinal muscular atrophy and genes involved in insulin signaling.”

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USA Today Ranks Holy Cross No. 4 Among the 10 Best Colleges in Massachusetts

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Holy Cross in the News

Martin
According to USA Today College, the College of the Holy Cross ranks No. 4 on “The 10 best colleges in Massachusetts” list, released today.  The national news outlet partnered with College Factual on the rankings, which looked at 64 schools in Massachusetts. College Factual ranks Holy Cross No. 23 overall out of 1,394 Best Colleges nationwide.

Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Amherst College took the top three spots.  Olin College came in at No. 5, and Tufts University, Williams College, Brandeis University, Babson College and Boston College rounded out the six through 10 spots for the best colleges in Massachusetts.

USA Today College says “Holy Cross is a highly-selective liberal arts college devoted to undergraduate education. It offers rigorous academic programs, along with the ability for students to work closely with faculty members in order to promote innovative thinking across numerous disciplines.”

Holy Cross has a 10:1 student to faculty ratio, which “provides students with a top education due to small classroom size and collaborative work between students and faculty.” The news outlet says “Holy Cross is considered one of the top Catholic schools in the country.”

College Factual’s ranking methodology is highly focused on data related to outcomes, such as loan default rates, graduation rates and average starting salaries of graduates.

View the 10 Best Colleges in Massachusetts

View College Factual’s best colleges nationwide (need log in)

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.

Posted in In The News, News | 1 Comment

Holy Cross Professors Weigh in on the Importance of the Pope’s Encyclical

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Sarah Barrett '18

encyclicalPope Francis’ recent encyclical regarding the environment and climate change has been the topic of many headlines this week.  Two College of the Holy Cross professors, Alice Laffey, associate professor of religious studies, and Rev. Thomas Worcester, S.J., professor of history, spoke with news outlets regarding the Pope’s call to action for Catholics and non-Catholics alike regarding the environment.  The highly anticipated encyclical calls for a solidarity among all people with the earth in order to promote sustainability and protect the environment.

Laffey, speaking to the Telegram and Gazette, was glad that the Pope has brought attention to these pressing issues, “I’m sure he’s going to come down on fossil fuels, on our over-consumption, and on the fact that the people most affected are the poor and the powerless.”  Laffey, who has studied ecology and the Bible, believes that “the most significant thing is that it’s an encyclical.  What he’s trying to do is raise (this) to the closest thing we have to doctrine, and to use his position to talk about this as being universal.”

Fr. Worcester, a papal expert, spoke with the Catholic Free Press, stating his belief “that it is the most important encyclical since 1891.” Fr. Worcester adds that he read the entire encyclical right away, finding within it a new message, “what’s really new here is the sense of urgency.  It is urgent now, not something we can put off.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.

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