Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo’s Blog – May 24, 2013

Commencement is over and the students are gone – never my favorite time to be on campus. Still, there is a lot going on. For example, 22 undergraduate classes began on Monday with 230 students and 22 faculty members hard at work. More classes will begin the first week in June. And, of course, once the local schools close for summer, we will begin our pre-college and Horizon programs.

Despite the rainy weather on Sunday, our 47th commencement exercises – for both graduate and undergraduate students – went off without a hitch. There was just the right balance of pomp and tradition with frivolity and celebration. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to those who have been a part of our community for four years or more, but we do so with the knowledge that they leave us with a solid education, leadership skills, integrity and compassion. We also look forward to their return for alumni activities, sporting events, maybe even a wedding in the chapel or – down the road – to drop off their child on Move-In Day.

The annual Pioneer Open golf tournament took place on Monday at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. The sun came out right around noon just as golfers began to tee off. This year’s event featured more than 100 participants and raised $250,000 for Sacred Heart University student scholarships. We are grateful to all who participated and to our tournament sponsors.

Sacred Heart University’s MBA team was the winner in the fourth annual ACG Connecticut Cup competition. The teams were allowed one week to develop a central thesis encompassing valuation, capital markets and M&A strategic recommendations that they then had to pitch to a panel of three judges, representing the board of directors of the client company. Each had the same case and background information. The presentations were made on RBS’s trading floor in Stamford and were very much like a real-world exercise for the students. Among the groups they beat out were teams from Yale and UConn. They will pick up their trophy and the $1,000 prize at a breakfast on June 7. Congratulations!

Congratulations also to Jacqueline Kelleher. The film she produced, Dungeons and Distractions, will be featured at the Sprout Film Festival. The film stars SHU’s Samantha Markey, a graduate student from the College of Education, and was written and directed by Kelleher’s two teen sons, Teagen and Tyler Comeau, who have been guest lecturing here in a class on autism spectrum disorders. Jacqueline also used the film to conduct research with 300 teachers on perspective taking. The goal of the Sprout Film Festival is to raise the profile of people with developmental disabilities by showcasing works of all genres.

Karen Flanagan, peer education coordinator for the Counseling Center, has been appointed as volunteer state coordinator for the BACCHUS Network. The Network consists of more than 330 member peer education groups and includes over 8,000 students. Approximately 30 people serve on the advisory board, including volunteer state coordinators.  Congratulations to Karen and also much appreciation for her willingness to serve. We look forward to the information, research and networking opportunities that Sacred Heart will gain from her relationship with the Network.

It was great to see so many of you at the end-of-year barbecue on Wednesday. Special thanks to Pat Palaka, Sid Gottlieb, Greg Golda, Madeleine Monaghan, Paul Rogalin, Joe Berry and Bill Haug – all members of our extremely talented faculty and staff – for the great music they provided during the festivities. And, thanks also to Ann Miron for organizing everything.  Most importantly, thanks to all of you for your hard work and commitment to our students during the past year.

Students, even though you are home for break, be sure to stay connected with me on Twitter by following me @SHUprez. (https://twitter.com/SHUprez)  I love to hear from you! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Dr. Petillo’s Blog – May 17, 2013

This week has been all about the graduating seniors as they enjoy a well-deserved celebration before commencement ceremonies this weekend. It was my pleasure to host a dinner for the resident success assistants or RSAs who work hard all year to ensure a good experience for those living in the dorms.

The senior champagne brunch is also one of my favorite activities. Of course, I am looking forward to the Commencement Ball this evening and to welcoming our students’ families back to campus for the Family Dinner Dance tomorrow night.

Commencement ceremonies – on Saturday for graduate students and Sunday for undergrads – are our opportunity to celebrate the hard work of our students, the relationships that we have built with them and the confidence we have in them as they leave us to make their mark on the world. Our commencement speakers this year are E. Patricia Llodra, first selectman of Newtown, for the undergraduate ceremony and Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal magazine, for the graduate ceremony. They will receive honorary degrees along with author Terry Eagleton and Barry H. Ostrowsky, president and chief executive officer of Barnabas Health in New Jersey. The Class of 2013 includes 756 undergraduates who will be receiving associate and bachelor’s degrees and 722 graduate students who earned master’s degrees, professional certificates and doctorates. The weather report for the weekend is almost too good to be true. As the students always respond to Father Jerry, we are blessed.

Before I head to the dry cleaners to pick up my robe, I want to talk about the Class of 2017. As I write this, we have 1,320 deposits, which means this class will be – by far – the largest freshman class in Sacred Heart history. More importantly, the academic profile of this class is at least as strong as that of any previous class. I want to congratulate everyone who worked so hard to admit one of the largest classes in the history of Catholic higher education in New England. That includes the folks in admissions, financial aid, student life, athletics and more.

I also need to thank Dona Perrone and her team and everyone in academic affairs for the effort they are putting in to prepare for this incoming class. They are adding additional sections and hiring professors to ensure that these students receive the same hands-on, warm and attentive experience that a smaller class would have.  I know that as these students come to campus for orientation, Welcome Days and to start their first semester, I can count on all of you to ensure that they receive the personalized attention and sense of community that continues to be the hallmark of this University.

Finally, I have exciting news regarding retention – an important component of our strategic plan. The retention rate for the Class of 2016 going into their sophomore year is 85 percent. This is the second consecutive year we have retained 85 percent of the freshman class at this point in time. In addition, the retention rate for the Class of 2015 is 73 percent. We have never before had a retention rate in the 70s, and they are on pace to be the largest graduating class in school history.

To the faculty and staff: You have much to be proud of, and there is much still to do. I am proud to be on this journey with you.

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, May 10th

A sure sign that spring is truly here is when I make my annual call to Mike Kinney about getting flower baskets on the poles around campus. Thanks to the grounds crew for preparing the campus for graduation – even with the challenges of some inclement weather this week.


Another sure sign of spring and the rapid approach of commencement is when my schedule fills with farewell and thank-you lunches and dinners. It is a bittersweet time. This week, I had dinner with our student ambassadors and lunch with the Student Government officers. The former have done a tremendous job representing SHU to our prospective students and their families, while the latter have worked hard to ensure that their fellow students have a great experience here on campus. We also held a farewell dinner for David Coppola. While I am thrilled that he will have the well-deserved opportunity to run his own institution, he will be sorely missed here. Whether he was speaking at a service at the chapel, spearheading the development of the strategic plan or preparing for the NEASC site visit, his contributions to this University have been varied and immeasurable. We wish him all the best in his new role as president of Keystone College in Pennsylvania.

On a similar note, we learned this week that Ed Swanson, head coach for women’s basketball, will be leaving us to take on the same role at the College of William & Mary. We wish him well, but will miss him greatly. During his tenure here, he led the Pioneers to three Northeast Conference championships and five postseason tournament berths, including three NCAA tournament appearances. His record during 23 seasons here was 406-264.

Congratulations to Ryan Cotrupi on being named Mr. SHU last weekend. The competition was tough, but now the real work begins! We also hosted Florence Henderson last weekend. She is best known for her iconic role as Carol Brady on the The Brady Bunch. Her stories of her career in show business were fascinating, and she really seemed to enjoy interacting with the students – and they with her. Finally, the “Best of Broadway!” concert by the bands and choirs was every bit as spectacular as I anticipated. They always exceed my expectations. The concert was also a fundraiser for a scholarship in memory of Broadway star and Sacred Heart alum, Patty Hemenway, who was the wife of retiring director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Don Cook. Patty not only began her career on the stage at Sacred Heart, but was instrumental in starting the Sacred Heart Cabaret, which resided here for many years before moving to downtown Bridgeport in 1976. It is fitting that we honor her with this scholarship, and we look forward to reaching the goal of a $25,000 endowment.




This week, we broke ground for our new academic building at the corner of Jefferson and Park Avenues under beautiful sunny skies. The building will house the Welch College of Business and our rapidly growing Department of Communication & Media Studies. There will also be space for a Center of Excellence for Pedagogy – a super interactive classroom for training professors on the most up-to-date tools and processes. And the building will include a 225-seat multi-media forum for leadership institutes, lectures and screenings as well as classrooms and meeting spaces that can be used by all our programs.


Also this week, we presented the Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Scholarship Fund with a check for $4,400 from the Newtown T-shirt project. I am hoping we can make similar presentations to our own Mission Matters program as more and more T-shirts are sold.


Some kudos are in order this week. Congratulations to the students in the Communications and Media Studies Department for the talent on display at The MAX (media arts exhibition) Wednesday evening. A big cheer and a wish for luck to the men’s club lacrosse team. They are NEC champions and take on the University of Maryland tomorrow in the first round of the National Club Lacrosse League Championships. Congratulations also to all our student-athletes for being number one not only in Connecticut, but nationally, in writing letters to the troops during the Christmas 2012 season. I know those letters meant a lot to those away from their families and serving their country during the holidays. Finally, a nod to Michael W. Higgins, who was prominently featured in the latest issue of the Messenger of St. Anthony. You can read it on the Faculty News page on our website.

Sacred Heart University has been accepted into the 2013-2015 American Council on Education (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory program. The Internationalization Laboratory is an invitational learning community of the ACE that assists participating colleges and universities to achieve comprehensive internationalization. To assist in this effort, we will form an internationalization task force whose job will be to review our current internationalization activities and develop a strategy for planned growth in international programming, activities and practices for the benefit of our students, faculty, staff and the University as a whole.

In an example of internationalization, two students from our English as a Second Language (ESL) program recently presented to religion and philosophy classes about Islam. It was a win-win for all concerned as the ESL students had a chance to showcase their excellent English skills before a large audience, and their audience received first-hand information about Islam.

Before I close, I want to mention our Global Ambassadors program, which began last fall. SHU Global Ambassadors are former study abroad students who have volunteered their time to advise students and promote the study abroad office. These students are great sources of information on what it is like to live and study in another country as a SHU student.  They can be found at study abroad events around campus, in the dormitories and at student organization events. I continue to be a strong advocate that those of you who can should take advantage of the study abroad opportunities SHU has to offer. Our Global Ambassadors are a perfect resource if you want first-hand information on what studying abroad is like.


Have a great weekend – and don’t forget to call your mother!

A sure sign that spring is truly here is when I make my annual call to Mike Kinney about getting flower baskets on the poles around campus. Thanks to the grounds crew for preparing the campus for graduation – even with the challenges of some inclement weather this week.
Another sure sign of spring and the rapid approach of commencement is when my schedule fills with farewell and thank-you lunches and dinners. It is a bittersweet time. This week, I had dinner with our student ambassadors and lunch with the Student Government officers. The former have done a tremendous job representing SHU to our prospective students and their families, while the latter have worked hard to ensure that their fellow students have a great experience here on campus. We also held a farewell dinner for David Coppola. While I am thrilled that he will have the well-deserved opportunity to run his own institution, he will be sorely missed here. Whether he was speaking at a service at the chapel, spearheading the development of the strategic plan or preparing for the NEASC site visit, his contributions to this University have been varied and immeasurable. We wish him all the best in his new role as president of Keystone College in Pennsylvania.
On a similar note, we learned this week that Ed Swanson, head coach for women’s basketball, will be leaving us to take on the same role at the College of William & Mary. We wish him well, but will miss him greatly. During his tenure here, he led the Pioneers to three Northeast Conference championships and five postseason tournament berths, including three NCAA tournament appearances. His record during 23 seasons here was 406-264.
Congratulations to Ryan Cotrupi on being named Mr. SHU last weekend. The competition was tough, but now the real work begins! We also hosted Florence Henderson last weekend. She is best known for her iconic role is Carol Brady on the The Brady Bunch. Her stories of her career in show business were fascinating, and she really seemed to enjoy interacting with the students – and they with her. Finally, the “Best of Broadway!” concert by the bands and choirs was every bit as spectacular as I anticipated. They always exceed my expectations. The concert was also a fundraiser for a scholarship in memory of Broadway star and Sacred Heart alum, Patty Hemenway, who was the wife of retiring director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Don Cook. Patty not only began her career on the stage at Sacred Heart, but was instrumental in starting the Sacred Heart Cabaret, which resided here for many years before moving to downtown Bridgeport in 1976. It is fitting that we honor her with this scholarship, and we look forward to reaching the goal of a $25,000 endowment.
This week, we broke ground for our new academic building at the corner of Jefferson and Park Avenues under beautiful sunny skies. The building will house the Welch College of Business and our rapidly growing Department of Communication & Media Studies. There will also be space for a Center of Excellence for Pedagogy – a super interactive classroom for training professors on the most up-to-date tools and processes. And the building will include a 225-seat multi-media forum for leadership institutes, lectures and screenings as well as classrooms and meeting spaces that can be used by all our programs.
Also this week, we presented the Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Scholarship Fund with a check for $4,400 from the Newtown T-shirt project. I am hoping we can make similar presentations to our own Mission Matters program as more and more T-shirts are sold.
Some kudus are in order this week. Congratulations to the students in the Communications and Media Studies Department for the talent on display at The MAX (media arts exhibition) Wednesday evening. A big cheer and a wish for luck to the men’s club lacrosse team. They are NEC champions and take on the University of Maryland tomorrow in the first round of the National Club Lacrosse League Championships. Congratulations also to all our student-athletes for being number one not only in Connecticut, but nationally, in writing letters to the troops during the Christmas 2012 season. I know those letters meant a lot to those away from their families and serving their country during the holidays. Finally, a nod to Michael W. Higgins, who was prominently featured in the latest issue of the Messenger of St. Anthony. You can read it on the Faculty News page on our website.
Sacred Heart University has been accepted into the 2013-2015 American Council on Education (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory program. The Internationalization Laboratory is an invitational learning community of the ACE that assists participating colleges and universities to achieve comprehensive internationalization. To assist in this effort, we will form an internationalization task force whose job will be to review our current internationalization activities and develop a strategy for planned growth in international programming, activities and practices for the benefit of our students, faculty, staff and the University as a whole.
In an example of internationalization, two students from our English as a Second Language (ESL) program recently presented to religion and philosophy classes about Islam. It was a win-win for all concerned as the ESL students had a chance to showcase their excellent English skills before a large audience, and their audience received first-hand information about Islam.
Before I close, I want to mention our Global Ambassadors program, which began last fall. SHU Global Ambassadors are former study abroad students who have volunteered their time to advise students and promote the study abroad office. These students are great sources of information on what it is like to live and study in another country as a SHU student.  They can be found at study abroad events around campus, in the dormitories and at student organization events. I continue to be a strong advocate that those of you who can should take advantage of the study abroad opportunities SHU has to offer. Our Global Ambassadors are a perfect resource if you want first-hand information on what studying abroad is like.
Have a great weekend – and don’t forget to call your mother!

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, May 3rd

This was the last full week of classes, and it was jam-packed with activities. Wednesday was particularly eventful with the First Annual Academic Festival that combined a number of previous year-end events. The festival showcased the incredible research projects our students have been working on all year and also included the Honors Symposium. Faculty from the College of Business also had their research on display with poster presentations Wednesday afternoon. Other events on Wednesday included our Second Annual Campus Donor Day with the Big Green Pizza Truck (a big thank-you to faculty, staff and students who have made contributions to the Fund for Excellence totaling $113,985), a reprise of 4 Heart Harmony’s Concert Against Bullying (I know those of you who were able to attend were touched by their music and brave testimonies), our first-ever Digital Marketing Panel where four elite guests discussed the progress of this rapidly evolving field (congratulations to Anca Micu and her team on an excellent event) and a talk by author Anna Quindlen (although I was one of the few men in the audience, I appreciated her perspective – and sense of humor – about getting older).




More student talent was on display Thursday evening during Art & Design’s Senior Portfolio Night. Our students are just incredible. Thursday was also the announcement of the Campus Life Leadership Awards. Kudos to students Ayesha Nomani, Nicole Gittleman, Samantha Novack and Sara Gerrity, who were recognized for leading their respective classes. Congratulations to Zach Pelletier, the recipient of the Doug Bohn Unsung Hero Award, and Mia James, who received the John Croffy Outstanding Leader Award. Faculty and staff were also honored as Bronwyn Cross-Denny, Lucy Cox, Pam Barnum and George Buahin took home the Final Four prizes. My understanding is that there were more than 300 student nominees for these awards. I am proud to say that this community is filled with leaders among leaders. One of my favorite moments of the evening was the announcement that this year’s yearbook has been dedicated to Cynthia Conte. Congratulations to Cynthia! I am delighted that the students decided to honor her in this way.


On Tuesday, a group of students from the Welch College of Business had the chance to meet with Richard Schaeffer, former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The student attendees were chosen by the WCOB faculty and represented a variety of disciplines—accounting, finance, economics, management, marketing, etc. Mr. Schaeffer primarily gave the students career advice as he shared how his coursework helped him to navigate corporate life, the importance of ethics in business and the need to give back and be a caring citizen while in the working world.


The WCOB was also a gold sponsor of the Stamford StartUp Weekend last week at the Stamford Innovation Center. This allowed us to support local entrepreneurship and encourage business innovation efforts in the Stamford area, while increasing our presence in downtown Stamford where we plan to expand our graduate course offerings.

Even as classes come to a close, our students continue to support the causes they believe in with time, energy and donations. This week kicked off with last weekend’s Relay for Life event. Also, for the past week, Delta Tau Delta has been shining a light on the issues of date rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. They have sponsored a number of events to raise money for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the Center for Women and Families. They also participated in last week’s Center for Women and Families “Walk in Her Shoes” fundraiser. They received a prize for being the largest group in attendance, and I’m told the presenter said, “I love all the schools in the area, but Sacred Heart rocks my world.” Our students always represent us well and do us proud.


Our athletes are also doing us proud – both on and off the field. Congratulations to sophomore guard Phil Gaetano who is this year’s NEC scholar-athlete winner in men’s basketball. In addition to his basketball prowess, he posted a 3.80 grade point average as a business administration major. Senior Alyssa Selmquist took home the scholar-athlete honors for indoor track & field. Along with breaking several school records in track this year, Alyssa, an accounting major, earned a 3.83 GPA.
While I’m doling out congratulations, a clap on the back is in order for Jerry Goehring. The Broadway play he produced, A Christmas Story, has been nominated for a Tony Award. We wish him the best of luck, and I’m looking forward to seeing him on the red carpet dressed in a designer tuxedo—with a bow tie, of course!

I want to encourage faculty and staff to join me Monday night to serve the traditional late-night breakfast to the students as they gear up to study for exams. It’s always a fun time and a great way to show our support of them. Please also mark your calendar for the groundbreaking ceremony for our new academic building on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Finally, if you’re looking for something to do this beautiful spring weekend, may I recommend the Mr. SHU event this evening, a visit with Florence Henderson on Saturday and the “Best of Broadway!” concert by our bands and choirs on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, April 26th

This has been a fun week for me because I had the opportunity to congratulate faculty and staff on their hard work and commitment to our students. On Wednesday, I attended the annual luncheon to honor our administrative assistants. They are usually the unsung heroes in any organization. None of us could get by without them.

Yesterday was the Second Annual Faculty Awards Reception, organized by Provost Laura Niesen de Abruna, where faculty members are honored for tenure, promotions, grants, sabbatical awards and more. I particularly want to congratulate Steven Michels from the Government and Politics Department for winning the Annual Excellence Award for both scholarship and teaching. In what I believe is an unprecedented occurrence, two separate selection committees chose him as their winner and – although there were many outstanding nominations – both committees believed he was the clear-cut choice. Congratulations to Steve and all the honorees.


Have you seen the new banners we have been hanging around campus? The installation is not quite complete as there are still several more to go up. I hope you like them as much as I do.

We also installed a new sign at the dining hall in the Commons to let everyone know it is called Linda’s. The name allows us to continue to honor Board of Trustees member Linda E. McMahon for her generosity to this University with both her time and money.


One of our most famous alums, John Ratzenberger, was on campus Tuesday for a student lecture. He shared the impact that his childhood in Bridgeport and his time at SHU has had on his career. Yes, he admitted that he originally got involved with theater to impress a girl, but his natural talent was quickly evident. During the presentation, he did an improv routine with several members of the Awkward Handshakes who were in attendance. We appreciate his taking the time to visit and hope to have him back again to share more of his great stories.

Also on Tuesday, we hosted a discussion on the recent papal conclave and the impact the new pope may have. The three panelists – our own Michael W. Higgins, Fairfield University’s George Collins and writer David Gibson – are all papal experts in their own way. Under the guidance of moderator Tony Ciorra, attendees heard about the historical significance of choosing this particular pope and the influence he is likely to have on the Church going forward. I hope I didn’t miss anything too important when I dozed off during Higgins’ presentation.

Our campus is once again filled with special guests today as Admissions hosts its final informational session for admitted students and their families.  Students will make their final decisions by Wednesday, and I am looking forward to learning all about the incoming class of 2017.

Heartfelt Designs—our student-run T-shirt business—is releasing its third and final shirt of the semester. It has an “I survived” theme and is a must-have for all of us who survived Sandy, Nemo and the Mayan Apocalypse!

Tonight begins our annual Relay for Life fundraiser. Organizers have put a great deal of effort into this event that will raise funds for cancer research. This fundraiser is always both moving and joyful. Stop by the Pitt Center any time from 6 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. tomorrow to support the students, faculty and staff who have made a commitment to this important cause.

SHU L.O.V.E. will present a pops concert Saturday evening. They are always a pleasure to listen to. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Concert Against Bullying on Wednesday at 2 in the Chapel.

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather over the weekend!

President Petillo's Blog - April 19th

Last weekend, I attended the Concert Against Bullying put on by 4 Heart Harmony, Unfourgettable and several soloists. Not only did the show include outstanding musical performances, but the students shared testimonies about their experiences and thoughts around bullying. Their words were deeply moving, and I think all of us can benefit from hearing them. To that end, we have scheduled an encore performance on Wednesday, May 1, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to make every effort to attend. Let’s come together as a community to learn from one another.

We announced some exciting news to faculty this week. Through the generosity of Richard J. and Barbara A. Naclerio, we have established the Naclerio Faculty Scholars Program. The program consists of two awards of $12,500 for the 2013-14 academic year and is open to all current junior, tenure-track faculty members. I am looking forward to some exciting proposals and groundbreaking research as a result of this generous gift.

I dropped by the Dancing with Heart event this week. It is a Dancing with the Stars-like competition that pairs students with faculty and staff members. Congratulations to Eric Diaz, graduate assistant for club sports, and Kate Gallagher who took home SHU’s version of the mirror ball trophy!

Speaking of dancing, a huge round of applause goes out to the SHU Dance Team for their third-place finish in the National Dance Alliance Championships in Daytona Beach. This was their best finish in school history. The team routinely performs at football and men’s and women’s basketball games while training year round for these championships. Congratulations to them and to their coach alum Deirdre (Eller) Hennessey for the hard work and preparation that went into this victory.


Last Saturday marked Sacred Heart’s first-ever Literacy Conference put on by the Farrington College of Education. More than 100 attendees gathered for a morning of interactive and innovative workshops conducted by this year’s reading certification candidates graduating from the Connecticut Literacy Specialist Program. The theme of the conference was “Uncommon Teaching in a Common Core World,” embracing the new Common Core State Standards that have been adopted by 46 states across the country. Congratulations to Karen Waters and the rest of her team on an outstanding event.


Another first for Sacred Heart was last weekend’s New England Film and Music Festival, which exposed students (and other attendees) to short films, documentaries and features of varying genres. The films not only offered theater-goers interesting stories and information, but also showed what is now possible through the medium. With our new film and television master’s program debuting in August, here’s hoping this was the first of many such events at Sacred Heart.


Earlier this week, Maestro William Boughton was on campus to discuss Edward Elgar’s masterpiece The Dream of Gerontius. This work derives its text from an epic poem by Cardinal John Newman that was given to Elgar as a wedding gift. Elgar decided to add music, and the result will be performed as part of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s spring concert, Angels and Demons, on May 2-3. An audience of faculty, students and guests were thoroughly entertained by Boughton’s description of the story told by the music and the history of the piece.


Last night, I had a chance to see our student performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The show is both funny and touching and packed with outstanding musical performances. There are three more performances this weekend. Don’t miss it!


Sunday kicks off National Volunteer Week, and our students will be participating in activities that range from working in soup kitchens and donation centers to read-aloud days at local schools. In other words, it won’t be that much different from any other week at SHU. Our students have generous hearts.

Although I hate to end on a sad note, I feel a need to comment on the events of the week in Boston and Texas. Certainly my thoughts and prayers are with the residents of those communities, and I know yours are too. As is always the case, tragedies like these remind us how imperative it is to let those who matter know as often as possible. Every member of the Sacred Heart community is important to me, and I am reminded every day what an honor it is to lead this University.

Have a great weekend.

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, April 12th

Despite the rain, wind and gloom we are experiencing today, we had some real signs of spring this week. It was great to see students socializing, eating, playing and studying on the campus grounds.

Students enjoy the spring weather.

I would be remiss if I did not thank you all one more time for your support during the accreditation visit from NEASC. I appreciate your taking time out of busy schedules to attend the meetings and your openness in answering questions from the team. I look forward to sharing the results and recommendations with you once we receive them and to our future collaboration for the benefit of SHU and our students. 

I am excited to share that senior Morgan Merriman is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Albania. Morgan, who plays on SHU’s basketball team, will implement a basketball program for middle-school girls – many of whom are Muslim. While in Albania, she will also help with a gifted program for fifth- and sixth-grade students. She will be teaching them computer programming. Congratulations to Morgan and to Professor Bob McCloud who assisted with the application process.

Sacred Heart is included in a list of Best Graduate Schools 2014 by U.S. News. The Welch College of Business also received a specialty ranking for its part-time MBA program. The part-time ranking is based on five factors: average peer assessment score; the average GMAT or GRE scores; the average undergraduate GPA; work experience and the percentage of the business school’s fall MBA enrollment that is part time.

Our annual Discovery Gala was a tremendous success – raising approximately $530,000 for student scholarships.  Attendees enjoyed mingling with current students and hearing about the experiences a SHU scholarship has afforded them. The Three Phantoms concluded the evening with a spectacular performance of Broadway show tunes. My thanks to all of you who attended.

Discovery Gala

Our annual Founder’s Day program was also a great success. Congratulations to the 62 faculty and staff members who were honored for 15 to 40 years of service. This event marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of our charter, which we commemorated with a slide show that celebrated our history and the many changes that have taken place over the years – both to our campus and to longtime faculty and staff! We will begin our semicentennial celebration in earnest next fall with a number of exciting events.

Founder's Day

Wednesday evening saw the third in our four-part “Reflecting on Sandy Hook” colloquia series. The topic was Where is God? This challenging subject matter was ably handled by Anthony Ciorra, David Coppola, Wayne Detzler, Suri Krieger and June-Ann Greeley, who moderated the event. If there was a consensus, it seemed to be that all of us can best serve the survivors of a horrific tragedy like the events at Sandy Hook by listening and caring.

Reflecting on Sandy Hook: Where is God?

Three of our band students left this weekend for Gordon College in Massachusetts to participate in the 2013 New England College Band Association Inter-Collegiate Band. Congratulations to Lora Streett (clarinet), Nate Tallo (bass clarinet) and Mike Tomanelli (tuba). I expect they are in for an incredible experience!

From left are band members Nate Tallo, Mike Tomanelli and Lora Streett at Gordon College.

As usual, there are a number of exciting events planned on campus for those looking for some weekend entertainment. The New England Film and Music Festival takes place tomorrow with films running in the Schine Auditorium from 1 p.m. until midnight or so. There will also be an open forum with FTMA faculty at 5 to discuss filmmaking. That discussion will be in the first-floor student lounge of the McMahon Commons.  Also, tomorrow evening 4 Heart Harmony and various soloists from the chorus program will present “A Concert Against Bullying,” and La Hispanidad is hosting its third annual Latin Culture Night. The weather promises to clear up, so enjoy your weekend!

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, April 5th

Welcome back from Easter break! You know how much I love seeing the campus filled with students and bustling with activity. That is more the case than usual today as we welcome 400 admitted students and their families to campus for a variety of informational and fun activities. Today’s visitors are those admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences, the Isabelle Farrington College of Education or who are undecided about their majors. Please welcome and congratulate anyone you meet up with.


Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch was on campus earlier today talking about sustainability and other current environmental issues. He also suggested ways that we can become involved in helping our local communities to be more green. The event was hosted by our environmental club, The Green SHUs.


This past weekend our Percussion Ensemble was invited to perform at the Percussive Arts Society’s Connecticut Day of Percussion. The Percussive Arts Society is the pre-eminent percussion organization in the international community.  Each state in the U.S. has a chapter that hosts this annual event. The event took place at Sacred Heart this year. Our ensemble represented SHU extremely well, and received great feedback. Please join me in congratulating our Percussion Ensemble and everyone involved in hosting this high-profile event.


Congratulations are also in order for Head Baseball Coach Nick Giaquinto, who notched his 500th career win Sunday afternoon. I have a feeling that many more victories will be added to that total as the season progresses.

And big kudos also to a team of faculty members – Jody Bortone, Pamela Buck, Cara Erdheim, Marie Hulme and Sean Heffron – who have been accepted to participate in the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success. Thanks also to Michelle Loris, who mentored the team during the application process. This will be an exciting and rewarding experience, and I am looking forward to hearing from them when they return to share what they learn with the rest of us.

A standing ovation is in order for the men’s fencing team for repeating as NEC champions! Additionally, Stuart Holmes was named Fencer of the Year in men’s foil and Jayme Smith was Fencer of the Year in women’s foil. We believe this is the first time that both top fencers came from the same school. Congratulations to coaches Tom Vrabel and Mat Laudicina and all the student-athletes, especially Stuart and Jayme. You have done SHU proud!

I love having a long list of congratulations. I have one more, and I have no doubt there are other great accomplishments I haven’t yet heard about. I did hear that our website received a Merit award from the Higher Ed Marketing Report. We were one of six schools recognized in the group with 5,000 to 9,999 students. Congratulations to Nancy Boudreau, Kim Galiette and Caitlin Robles of our web team!

I want to acknowledge Laura Niesen de Abruna, our provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, for putting together another outstanding Faculty Institute. Scott Evenbeck of the New Community College at the City University of New York (CUNY) gave an informational and enlightening talk about Centering on Students. He presented seven Principles of Excellence in undergraduate education that he believes will lead to student achievement, greater retention and increased persistence to graduation.


We had a lively crowd at our Persian New Year celebration Wednesday evening. In addition to an array of delicious food, attendees were treated to a lecture by Hadi Jorati of Yale University, poetry and music. All in all, it was an entertaining evening for folks of all cultures.


Bobby Valentine was on campus yesterday to broadcast the first of his baseball analysis programs for NBC Sports from our own WHRT studio. It went extremely well, and those who happened to be wandering the halls of the main academic building were treated to Bobby’s wisdom on a variety of baseball-related topics. We hope this will be the first of many such broadcasts from campus by Bobby.


The next few days will be extremely important for Sacred Heart, beginning with our annual Discovery Gala tomorrow evening. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we count on this event to raise lots of scholarship dollars to ensure that students of limited means have the opportunity to come to Sacred Heart. The gala will take place in the McMahon Commons and will be held in conjunction with a performance by The Three Phantoms – Broadway stars who have all played the title role in Phantom of the Opera. It will be a fun and entertaining evening. I am looking forward to it, and I hope to see many of you there.

On Sunday, the NEASC accreditation team will arrive to begin the accreditation process for which we have been preparing for more than a year. I know I can count on you to be welcoming and to provide any information they ask for to the best of your ability. I also ask that you attend the appropriate open forum meeting on Monday at 3:15. Faculty will meet in Curtis Hall, staff in University Commons and students in the Mahogany Room.

Finally, if you are looking for some high-level entertainment over the weekend, TheatreFest will take place in the Little Theatre (former chapel) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The program features plays that are written, performed and directed by students, along with improv performances by the Awkward Handshakes. It sounds like a lot of fun to me! Have a great weekend!

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, March 22nd

Wow! It’s been another exciting week here on campus. You all took me seriously when I said let’s have a great conclusion to the semester. Among the many and varied events that took place was a lecture to WCOB students from alumnus Brian Hamilton, chairman and co-founder of Sageworks—a company that provides risk-management solutions to financial institutions and also financial analysis and benchmarking applications to accounting firms and private companies. Perhaps the most important part of his message was that family is his top priority. He shared that his wife had passed away just a few weeks ago, and nothing is more critical than the needs of his two children.

Brian Hamilton speaks in the Schine Auditorium.

We also had our second colloquia in the four-part “Reflecting on Sandy Hook” series this week. Craig LeMoult of WSHU and Jim Castonguay, director of SHU’s graduate programs in communications, talked about the challenges members of the media face in these situations when they have to balance consideration for the victims with the desire of their audience for immediate and detailed information.

WSHU's Craig LeMoult speaks during "Reflecting on Sandy Hook: Media & Trauma."

Students in Lucjan Orlowski’s Wednesday night class heard from prominent Czech economist Professor Evžen Kočenda of Charles University’s Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education in Prague. He was here to present findings of a new markets study on the correlation—or lack thereof—between gold, oil and stocks. We are very pleased that Professor Kočenda will be joining the Department of Economics and Finance during the upcoming 2013-14 academic year as our very first Fulbright Visiting Scholar in the Welch College of Business. He will be collaborating with us to examine the stability of the European financial markets.

Professor Orlowski, left, introduces Evžen Kočenda.

On Thursday, we heard from a panel about the life and struggles of Alexander Pierre Tureaud, a Louisiana attorney who passed away in 1972 and was influential in the battle to end segregation.

Panel discussion about A.P. Tureaud - from left are SHU English Professor Anita August, A.P. Tureaud, Jr., Rachel Emanuel of Southern University Law Center and Steve Walkley of Einstein Medical School.

Yesterday we had a film crew from PBS on campus talking to students, faculty and staff about our Irish Studies program. The show, entitled “Out of Ireland,” will air in the fall.

Student Erin MacDonald is filmed for PBS' Out of Ireland.

Perhaps even more importantly, we welcomed more of our accepted students and their families to campus this week. On Wednesday, 150 students accepted into the nursing program were here, and today we hosted 250 students who have been accepted into other health professions programs. Kudos to the staff in Admissions for putting on a great agenda to encourage students in their commitment to Sacred Heart.

Students from the nursing program’s class of 2014 were in Hartford Wednesday for the Connecticut Nurses’ Association’s annual Legislative Day. The goal of the event is to teach nurses how they can directly influence health policy and make a difference in the political arena.

Connecticut Nurses’ Association’s annual Legislative Day in Hartford

I hope you saw my email earlier today about the student initiative called the Last Straw Campaign. I recently wrote a blog for the Huffington Post where I suggested that rather than a call to arms, we needed a call to voices. In particular, I suggested that we listen to students and thinkers at institutions of higher learning. That is what is happening here. I am extremely impressed with the creativity and passion of these students and their desire to take their campaign beyond the classroom. Once again, I encourage all of you to support their efforts to collect 100,000 drinking straws for delivery to Congress.

Students Meaghan Garrigal, Lea DeRosa, Anthony Tartaglia and Stefani Wren announced the Last Straw Campaign on campus to raise awareness about gun control in the wake of the Newtown tragedy.

I am also impressed with the students and faculty who spend spring break on mission trips. While many of us were relaxing with family and friends or off getting a suntan somewhere, the goodness and generosity of the SHU community was in evidence around the United States and the world. For example, 100 students and advisers from our Habitat for Humanity Chapter participated in the Collegiate Challenge by sending delegations to Louisiana, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia and Delaware. In addition, the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning’s Mission Matters program sent delegations to El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala. The occupational therapy program also headed to Guatemala with the hundreds of pairs of shoes and socks that you all donated, while the nursing program sent a team to Jamaica. I know these efforts were greatly appreciated, and I thank all involved for representing the spirit and mission of this University so well.

Earlier today, I sent out the last of our NEASC student trivia contest questions. Students have until Tuesday afternoon to send in an answer. One of the things the NEASC accreditation team will consider is all the ways we communicate to our many constituents within and outside of the University. Our goal is to provide frank, clear and consistent communications. Some of the ways we do that is through our website, our advertising in various mediums, our programs, our magazine and more. It even includes the things we say to our family and friends about the University. I am convinced that the more frequently we communicate and the clearer we are, the better our reputation will be. One small part of this process was providing an opportunity for the public to communicate their thoughts on Sacred Heart to the NEASC team. I am pleased to say that our request for feedback elicited several very positive comments.

Faculty members should mark their calendars for the Spring Faculty Institute on April 2. Provost Laura Niesen de Abruna has put together another exciting program that includes remarks from Dr. Scott E. Evenback, the founding president of the New Community College in NYC. He has a national reputation for scholarship in the areas of general education, first-year experiences, assessment and learning outcomes.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, both the choirs and the University band will be performing. Both concerts will feature a special piece commemorating the Newtown tragedy. Our students never fail to provide the highest quality entertainment, and these presentations will be a wonderful lead-in to Holy Week. I wish everyone a good weekend and a blessed celebration of Palm Sunday.

Kudos to the staff in Admissions for putting on a great agenda to encourage students in their commitment Sacred Heart.

President Petillo's Blog - Friday, March 15th

I have been enjoying a relaxing vacation in Florida this week with my wife and daughter. It’s a little bittersweet since this will be the last time we spend Arianna’s high school break on vacation. She is off to college in the fall.

Taking a break in Florida

No matter where you were this week, it was impossible not to get caught up in the excitement and speculation as a new pontiff was selected. As I wrote on Wednesday, we wish nothing but the best for Pope Francis and will keep him in our prayers. The new pope and the process of choosing him was the topic for the weekly Breads & Spreads discussion in the Chapel last night. Approximately 15 students and other members of the community came by to weigh in on this historical event. I also hear that a colloquium is in the works on the subject for April. Stay tuned.

I want to remind everyone of the Innovation Committee’s information sessions scheduled for next week. I strongly encourage all faculty and staff to attend one of the sessions.

Our NEASC accreditation visit is rapidly approaching. They will be here soon after the Easter break. There are just two more chances to win a bookstore gift card in the NEASC trivia contest, so be sure to send in your answer to this week’s question by Tuesday at 4. Congratulations to Nitza Haddad who knew the answer to the last question was that 11 standards are considered during the accreditation process.

I was still on campus when Nicholas Sparks spoke Monday night as part of the Student Affairs Lecture Series. He was extremely entertaining and could consider a second career in stand-up comedy. And, although he only promised to sign books for 30 minutes, he stuck around for more than hour until everyone had an autograph. At the same time, Cormac O’Malley was reading the selected letters of Ernie O’Malley in the Schine. That event was sponsored by the Ryan Matura Library and the Center for Irish Cultural Studies. I love that no matter what your interest, there is a program for you at SHU.

Nicholas Sparks, left, meets with students; at right is Cormac O'Malley

Students and guests received a wealth of information and advice Tuesday evening when Mike Berland, global CEO of Edelman Berland, spoke to a MACOMM masterclass. He shared his experiences leading a global market research and strategic consulting business as well as advising New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during his 2001 and 2005 mayoral campaigns.

Mike Berland

Even here in Florida, I heard about Rob Gilmore’s mouthwatering eggplant napoleon that was served up Wednesday as part of the Celebrity Chef program at 63’s. I hope there’s another opportunity to taste it! 

Celebrity Chef Rob Gilmore

We got more outside validation of the good work we are doing this week when our gaming design and development program received honorable mention in the Princeton Review’s list of graduate programs. Congratulations to Domenick Pinto and the rest of the Computer Science faculty for their outstanding work developing and teaching the courses in this program.

Congratulations to Leo Katsetos, associate head athletic trainer, who will be profiled in a video on the Everyday Health website in April. Leo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003 and has been working to raise awareness and money for research ever since. His positive attitude and response to learning of his diagnosis make him the perfect choice for this project. We will link to the video from our own site as soon as it is up and running.

Leo Katsetos is filmed for the Everyday Health website

Today we welcomed next year’s Welch College of Business cohort to campus. We had 155 admitted students and their families here for the afternoon. Activities included academic presentations for the students, career development and financial assistance seminars for the parents, a celebratory reception, a trip to the Walnut Beach Creamery and a presentation on the Thomas More Honors program. We look forward to seeing them again at orientation and next fall.

Welch College of Business Acceptance Day

Tonight is the final leg of the faculty & staff trivia competition at Red’s. Can anyone beat the Teachers team? Clearly Iannazzi and the crew from Marketing & Communications are not up to the task.

I want to take a moment to congratulate the women’s basketball team on their successful 22-10 season. They still have a shot (okay, pun intended) at post-season play in the WNIT tournament, depending on how Quinnipiac does on Sunday.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, the theatre students are putting on Nunsense in the Little Theatre (the old chapel next to Hawley Lounge) tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Also, you can catch “1964…The Tribute,” a Beatles tribute show, tonight in the Edgerton Center, and tomorrow afternoon is the opening reception of the Student Art Exhibit at Oakview.

Whatever you do, have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and a safe, fun weekend.