Dr. Petillo's Blog

This week I had the pleasure of announcing that Laura Niesen de Abruna, Ph.D., has been named the new provost of Academic Affairs at Sacred Heart University. She comes to us from Roger Williams University where she was vice president, provost and professor of English. Dr. Niesen de Abruna’s integrity, drive, personality and experience make her a perfect choice. In this year, when we are celebrating “a time for new beginnings,” her role will be critical to the success of our strategic plan, mission and goals. She will formally join us on December 12. In the meantime, as you have a chance to meet her, please make her feel welcome.

I also want to thank the selection committee for the excellent job they did. We had a large pool of highly qualified candidates, so theirs was not an easy task. Congratulations to Selection Committee Chair Dr. Andra Gumbus, Dr. Jody Bortone, Dr. Edward Hendricks, Dr. Michael Higgins, Dr. Stephen Lilley, Dr. Lucjan Orlowski and Dr. Brian Stiltner on a job well done.

We had beautiful weather for Family Weekend, and everyone seemed to be out and about experiencing the various events and programs. By all accounts, it was a “wicked good time!” Thanks to Dean Wielk and all our sports teams for their warm welcome to the visiting families and for the great sportsmanship displayed on the playing fields -- win or lose. Thanks also to the students and families who stopped by for breakfast Sunday morning. I enjoyed the chance to chat with everyone.


Congratulations to the six members of the 2011 Sacred Heart softball team who have been named Division I All-America Scholar Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).  They are Lisa Dean, Taylor Lane, Nicole Sidor and Annie Dreher, who will be back for the 2012 season, and Taylor Froelich and Courtney Lee who graduated last spring. The NFCA awards All-America Scholar Athlete honors to any student-athlete who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2010-11 academic year.  In 2011, more than 4,000 student-athletes representing 709 different academic institutions were named as a 2011 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. SHU ranked 42nd among all Division I programs in 2011 with a 3.300 team grade point average.

Wednesday evening marked the first annual Henri Nouwen Lecture on Contemporary Spirituality. Kevin Burns, noted producer, editor and broadcaster, presented Listening to Henri to a packed house at the Schine Auditorium. Mr. Burns punctuated his remarks with sound bites, photographs, film clips and music to the entertainment of all present. It was the perfect way to kick off this series, and I am already looking forward to next year’s Nouwen lecture. Sacred Heart is very fortunate to have Nouwen’s official biographer -- Dr. Michael Higgins -- on its staff.
The Schine was packed again on Thursday evening, for the fall Hesburgh Alumni Lecture featuring Notre Dame’s Gary Lamberti, professor and chair of Biological Sciences. His topic was The Global Freshwater Crisis: Challenges and Solutions. He pointed out that fresh water is one of our most imperiled resources with more than a billion people lacking access to clean water. The water crisis also creates additional issues, including the endangerment of such species as fish, mussels and crayfish and the increase in mosquitoes that breed in degraded fresh water. My thanks go to University College and the Departments of Biology and Chemistry and the Graduate Program in Environmental Systems Analysis and Management for sponsoring this great event.  And thanks also to the Fairfield County Notre Dame Club for a wonderful ongoing partnership with SHU that is now in its sixth year. 

This weekend we will welcome visitors and alumni back to campus—undergraduate and graduate admissions is hosting an Open House and alumni from the classes of 1967 to 1979 will gather for a mixer at University Commons. Some of those who plan to travel to Connecticut for the gathering will be seeing the campus for the first time since they graduated. A tour is planned for those who are interested. Hopefully they will be excited to see how their alma mater has changed and grown over the years. These men and women built the foundation for what Sacred Heart has become today. I hope their old-fashioned mixer brings back many fond memories and they have a chance to renew old friendships and make new friends.

I imagine there will also be plenty of Halloween festivities during the weekend. Be safe, and have fun!

It was another busy week here on campus with a variety of events on the calendar. On Wednesday, we had the honor of welcoming Jack Welch back to campus. He came by to meet with undergraduates in the John F. Welch College of Business and share with them his views on the current economic climate and the state of the business world they are preparing to lead. I had the opportunity to introduce him and moderate the event. During his talk, he emphasized the importance of authenticity. He advised the students to find mentors and always work to improve themselves, but to “never lose your core.” He also emphasized the need to stay current with the business environment, saying it is imperative that they read the Wall Street Journal daily. He considers it his homework to read five papers every single day. There is never a shortage of strong opinions and great advice when he comes by, and we are thrilled that he makes time in his busy schedule to interact with us.

We were equally honored on Thursday to welcome Frank A. Corvino, president and CEO of Greenwich Hospital. His topic was “The Future of the American Health Care System,” and the event was sponsored by the John F. Welch College of Business and the College of Health Professions. During his 20-year tenure as president and CEO of Greenwich Hospital, Mr. Corvino has been at the forefront of health care innovation in such areas as patient safety, integrative medicine, wellness programs, care for the aging and the “green” movement. He has also been a vocal advocate of reform that confronts the problems systemic in the U.S. health care system, such as the shortage of primary care physicians and tort reform. I had a chance to discuss many of these issues with him over dinner before his talk. We are extremely grateful that he was willing to come to campus to share the challenges and the victories that are part of today’s health care landscape.

The University Choral Program also presented “Blues in the Night” on Thursday. They sang a variety of blues and jazz standards -- many of which brought back happy memories for me.  All the singers and instrumentalists were wonderful, and the harmonies were gorgeous. Congratulations to everyone involved on a delightful evening. I can’t wait for the next performance!

It is with great sadness that I send out condolences to the family and friends of alumnus Richard "Duke" LaTorre, a long-time adjunct of mathematics here at Sacred Heart, who passed away last week. In addition to his role here, Professor LaTorre was also the head of the math department at Notre Dame High School. He was a dedicated teacher who was known for going the extra mile for both his high school and college students, and he will be sorely missed.
 
Former SHU basketball player Chauncey Hardy was laid to rest this week. Many from the Sacred Heart community attended the services to offer condolences and celebrate his life.

A group of students visited this week with Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia, an alumnus of our class of 1970. They presented him with copies of the pocket-sized editions of the U.S. and Connecticut constitutions that were published on campus for this year’s Constitution Day celebration. We appreciate Mayor Pavia taking the time to greet our students and talk with them about his experiences running the City of Stamford.

 
Last Friday, Dr. Mark Beekey and Dr. Jennifer Mattei of Sacred Heart University’s Biology Department and the Environmental Systems Analysis and Management (ESAM) Graduate Program were awarded a $54,854 grant from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant was announced by the EPA and the Long Island Sound Study at a ceremony at the Peabody Museum in New Haven. It will be used to develop a plan to restore coastal habitat at Stratford Point. The project will begin with the development of a management plan to guide the restoration. Graduate students in the ESAM program will support the development of the restoration plan. Jenny Gazerro, a current ESAM graduate student, spent this past summer collecting baseline data that will be used to evaluate the success of future restoration activities.


Sacred Heart’s Project Limulus also received a grant in the amount of $24,450, awarded by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Project Limulus is a research program investigating the population dynamics of horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound. It is also run by Drs. Mattei and Beekey, along with Kirk Bartholomew. The overarching goal of Project Limulus is the conservation of horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound. Both these projects exemplify Sacred Heart’s mission to not only provide a top-tier education, but also to make a difference in our local community.
 
Congratulations to the football Pioneers on four straight wins! May their winning ways continue against Monmouth this weekend as we welcome our students’ families for Family Weekend. There is a lot of fun planned beginning with an ‘80s Dance Party and the Women of Wicked event on Friday night and continuing with a Haunted Tailgate Party, the football game and Broomstick Bingo on Saturday. I am especially looking forward to the Meet the President breakfast Sunday morning in between the two family masses. It’s always a pleasure to meet the families and friends of our students. Enjoy the festivities!

This week began with the sad news that former Sacred Heart University basketball player Chauncey Hardy had died in Romania. Chauncey, who was 23 years old, was overseas playing professional basketball and celebrating a win when he was brutally attacked. For those of you who don’t remember Chauncey, he was a talented basketball player who during his tenure at SHU helped lead the Pioneers to back-to-back appearances in the Northeast Conference Championship game in 2007 and 2008. It is difficult to understand how someone so young and promising can be taken away from us so tragically. Our hearts and prayers go out to Chauncey’s family and friends.

It was a long weekend for the faculty and staff with the Columbus Day holiday and an even longer weekend for the students as Tuesday was set aside for the fall Faculty Institute. I had an opportunity to address the assembly and also to have some one-on-one conversations. This is an important opportunity for everyone to get together to understand where we are and where we are headed. We have an exciting year ahead of us as we continue to work together to cement Sacred Heart‘s reputation as a premier Catholic educational institution.

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to host Robert Corcoran, SHU trustee and vice president of Corporate Citizenship at General Electric. He stopped by as part of the John F. Welch College of Business ‘Conversations’ Lecture Series, and I had the honor of moderating the event.  He leads GE’s engagement process with subject matter experts and external thought leaders on global issues. He also implements action plans to address relevant issues impacting GE, and he serves as president and chairman of the GE Foundation. As always, the students asked great questions. We are very fortunate to have such good friends in the business community who are willing to share their time, experience and expertise with our students.

For the past couple of days, Student Government has been running a voter registration drive on campus, so that students can become registered voters in our community. I am hoping that most of you took advantage of this opportunity. I say this not because we want to reach some arbitrary goal we set for student registrations, but because becoming a registered voter in the local community where you reside gives you a voice -- someone whose views local politicians cannot afford to ignore. By law, you can register at home and vote by absentee ballot or you can register where you go to school. Since you will spend the better part of the year here, and since many of you will work and/or volunteer in the nearby communities, I urge you to consider registering in the City of Bridgeport or Town or Fairfield--wherever you reside. We all have a civic and social responsibility to let our voice be heard. This is your opportunity to stand up and make a difference.

You have until next Thursday, October 20, to complete your registration. To make things easy, Student Government will continue to have tables in front of Chartwells into next week. Watch your email for exact dates and times.

I had a chance to have dinner this week with the Thomas More Honors Program students at their beautiful new facility on the third floor of Roncalli Hall. The group is doing some very exciting things under the leadership of Dr. Suzanne Deschenes. Recently they began a film series where various SHU professors present their favorite film to the students. Following a viewing, the group discusses critical issues relating to the film. They are also reading from historic witchcraft novels before taking a field trip to colonial Massachusetts. For the first time this year, the Honors students all live together at Roncalli in a space that has been renovated just for them.  In addition to the state-of-the art media equipment they are using for the film series, they have dedicated study and lounge spaces that allow for work on group projects, social activities and more.

Speaking of doing exciting things, in addition to the time our faculty spend in the classroom and with our students, they are also involved in a number of other scholarly pursuits. We recently added a new page to the Sacred Heart website that provides access to their publications and research. It is broken down by College and is very easy to use. Check it out at http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/40958_faculty_publications_and_research.cfm.

If you haven’t totally solidified your weekend plans, there are some great events to become involved with here on campus. Tonight, SHU Hoops Madness will take place in the Pitt Center. This is the annual kickoff to the men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Stop by to meet the Pioneer teams, enter to win raffle prizes and watch the slam dunk contest. You may even be the lucky fan who takes a shot from half court for a $1,000 prize.

Sunday afternoon, actress and singer Shirley Jones will be here as part of the American Legends series. She will be talking about her life and career at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts.

Enjoy your weekend!

As always, it was a busy week here on campus. On Tuesday, the community gathered for a "Blessing of the Animals" outside of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Anthony Ciorra presided over the ceremony, and dogs of all shapes and sizes received the blessing.

Wednesday saw a group of students and chaperones headed to the Capitol in Hartford. Student leaders of the College Republicans and Democrats, James Eagan, CJ Fleck and Melissa Hancock had the opportunity to present Governor Malloy and a number of legislators with the pocket-sized copies of the United States and Connecticut constitutions that were published by our University Press for Constitution Day. The students enjoyed the chance to interact with the people who are running Connecticut and hear about the challenges and satisfactions that come with state government.
On a more serious note, with the sad news of the passing of Steve Jobs Wednesday night, I find myself thinking of the impact he has had on all of our lives and wondering what else he might have done if he had not left us so soon. His genius went beyond mere technology and influenced music, movies, sports   -- every aspect of our culture.  As some of you know, I have an iMac in my office, use my iPhone constantly to play music and have an iPad at home.  When we receive instant communication through any of these devices -- perhaps even the news of Steve Jobs' passing -- we can thank Steve Jobs. When we download our favorite songs from iTunes to our iPods, it's because of his genius. Some of our favorite movies are the result of his Graphics Group that later became Pixar. He changed every aspect of our lives.

His most famous speech -- given at Stanford's commencement in 2005 -- has lessons for people of all faiths. In that speech, he said, "...for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."  My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and employees of Steve Jobs. May he rest in peace.

For the second consecutive year, two members of the faculty of the College of Health Professions -- Anne Barker, Ed.D., R.N., and Shery Watson, M.S.N., R.N. -- will be honored with Diamond Jubilee Awards from the Connecticut Nurses’ Association (CNA) for excellence in their fields. The awards represent the highest honor that the nursing profession in Connecticut can bestow and will be presented at the 105th annual CNA convention on Oct. 27. Dr. Barker, the chair of the SHU’s Department of Nursing, will receive the Josephine A. Dolan Award for Outstanding Contributions to Nursing Education, and Prof. Watson, a clinical assistant professor of Nursing, will receive the Florence S. Wald Award for Outstanding Contributions to Nursing Practice. Last year, SHU’s Susan DeNisco, D.N.P., and Julie Stewart, D.N.P., were the honorees. We are working hard to raise the bar at Sacred Heart so that we are known for exceptional faculty and outstanding students. Dr. Barker, Professor Watson, Dr. DeNisco and Dr. Stewart are four of many examples that we are succeeding. Congratulations!

The Sacred Heart men’s lacrosse team will get in some pre-season play on Sunday when they participate in the 2011 Catamount Classic-Lacrosse for a Cure at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA. All proceeds from the event will be donated to men's and women's cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institution in Boston. The event will take place at Thayer’s Off-Campus Turf Fields at 1535 Washington St. in Braintree. Tickets can be purchased online or at the field. The Pioneers will take on Holy Cross College and Brown University in back-to-back games on Field 3 starting at 1 p.m.

Whether you drive up to Braintree to catch the lacrosse action or spend your time doing something else, I wish you a wonderful Columbus Day weekend and hope that you enjoy the beautiful fall New England weather that is upon us.