Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, October 31st

It was wonderful to see so many family members of our students on campus for Family Weekend last week. There were activities planned for all interests. Among the many visitors were family and friends of Kaitlyn Doorhy. Her life was commemorated at a ceremony at the tree that her roommates planted in her memory near the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. We also announced this week that the H.W. Wilson Foundation has given $100,000 to Sacred Heart University to establish an endowed scholarship in memory of Kaitlyn. The scholarship will be given each year to a junior from Long Island with a financial need. We are extremely grateful to the H.W. Wilson Foundation for this generosity in celebration of Kaitlyn’s life.

In the spirit of Halloween week, author Bill Hall was here on Monday to talk about his book, The World’s Most Haunted House. The book prominently features the 1974 Bridgeport poltergeist—a story that he shared with those gathered in the Edgerton Center to hear his talk. Bill is a Sacred Heart alumnus and a native of Bridgeport, and it was great to have him on campus to share his passion with our community.

We also received a gift of $150 from Michael Musto of Gennaro’s Steakhouse in Fairfield. He had offered the families of our students a 20 percent discount if they wanted to eat at his establishment during Family Weekend. He also offered to donate 5 percent of the proceeds to SHU. Although only a few families mentioned that they were from SHU, he rounded up his gift total in a big way. We appreciate his generosity and support. 

Today is the second annual 100-inning Halloween-themed game between the softball and baseball teams. It began at 11 and will go until dusk. Along with the fun, they are raising money for their southern trips for games in the spring. Stop by Pioneer Park, throw a couple bucks in the collection can and enjoy watching your fellow Pioneers play while decked out in their favorite costumes.

Tomorrow the calendar turns to November, and that means the annual turkey drive is under way. Student Government has set a goal to raise enough money for at least 500 turkeys to feed families in the local community on Thanksgiving. There will also be boxes at various locations on our campuses for donations of the trimmings—stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, pies. Your gifts are welcome.

This weekend marks the third and final of our undergraduate open houses. Once again, we are expecting a large number of prospective students and their families. All members of our community are welcome to attend any of the open house events to welcome our future Pioneers. As always, we are asking everyone to be ambassadors for SHU when you encounter any of our guests.

Our sports teams will be busy again this weekend. Although the football team has an away game at Wagner, there are plenty of opportunities to cheer on your Pioneers here at home. The women’s soccer team takes on Robert Morris at 5 p.m. today, while the men’s hockey team will challenge Holy Cross at 7:05 at the Milford Pavilion. The men’s basketball team has a scrimmage against Bridgeport at 6 tomorrow evening, and on Sunday, the women’s soccer team plays Wagner at noon. Finally, the women’s volleyball team plays LIU Brooklyn at 1 p.m. Go Pioneers!

Have a happy and safe Halloween! Don’t forget to turn your clocks back before you head to bed Saturday night as Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour and the entire weekend! 

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, October 24th

It was a busy week on campus. 

On Monday, Jack Curry, long-time analyst and reporter for the New York Yankees, was on hand to talk about the sports media industry during an intimate forum with sports communication students. 

On Wednesday, we broke ground on our 87,000-square-foot, 216-bed residence hall.  Later in the day we welcomed Senator Chris Murphy who was here to commend us for the launch of our new SHU Safe application. Senator Murphy has called on the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to adopt the innovative technology and use it as a model for other colleges. We are grateful to Senator Murphy, who was also on campus for Fresh Check Day, for his support of SHU and our efforts to keep our students safe.

Wednesday was also the open house for our new state-of-the art chemistry labs and the latest in our Faculty Concert Series—a performance by the Joe Carter Trio.  And we concluded the day with the annual University of Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Lecture that we hold in conjunction with the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Fairfield County. Mary Ann McDowell, associate professor, biological sciences, at the University of Notre Dame, spoke on “Fighting for Global Health.” Given the Ebola scare, this was a very timely topic.

We heard from the folks at St. Vincent’s Medical Center this week who thanked us for the photo/plaque we gave them for their care and compassion following Kaitlyn Doorhy’s tragic accident. The letter said, “Our critical care team will be proudly displaying the artwork in our Intensive Care Unit in honor of Kaitlyn and her family. This recognition helped all of us on our journey of healing. Thank you for embracing us into that circle of support.”

We received great news this week when we learned that our football team is nationally ranked for the first time in our history. Sacred Heart is ranked number 22 and number 24 in this week's FCS Coaches Poll and The Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll, respectively. In addition, our next four games, including tomorrow’s Family Weekend game, will be shown on ESPN3. Congratulations to the football team, Coach Mark Nofri and his staff and Bobby Valentine for this outstanding accomplishment.  Let’s keep the winning going!

It’s Family Weekend, and I am looking forward to meeting the families of our students at this weekend’s events starting with tonight’s reception. A full weekend of activities is planned, including a tailgate party and the football game against St. Francis, SHU Hoops Madness, a performance by the Cat’s Pajamas and more. Thanks to the Student Life Office for their hard work in putting this all together.

For all of you Pioneer sports fans, there are plenty of home games this weekend in addition to the football game on Saturday. The soccer team takes on St. Francis this afternoon at 4:30, and the men’s hockey team goes up against Colgate at 7:05 p.m. tonight and 3:05 p.m. tomorrow at the Milford Ice Pavilion. The women’s volleyball team takes on St. Francis tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. On Sunday, the men’s soccer team challenges Robert Morris at noon and the women’s volleyball team plays them at 1 p.m. The field hockey team takes on Rider at 3 p.m. Go Pioneers!

Have a wonderful Family Weekend! 

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, October 17th

I want to welcome back all the students who were away for the Columbus Day break. We are almost halfway through the semester. I can’t believe it. Good luck studying for mid-terms, and let’s make the second half even more successful than the first.

Even with many of the students away, things were busy here on campus. On Monday, we had our second open house for prospective students and their families with well over 400 families in attendance. They had a chance to attend various presentations providing both general information and information about programs and activities of particular interest. In addition, they were treated to a Columbus Day-inspired Italian lunch! We are already looking forward to our next open house on Saturday, November 1.

For the third consecutive year, SHU had the honor of hosting the NEACAC Regional College Fair. More than 180 visiting colleges and universities were on campus Tuesday to showcase their offerings to prospective students and their parents. Upwards of 1,000 attendees made their way through the Pitt Center to check out the displays and talk with the representatives. A big Jersey shout out to Undergraduate Admissions, Campus Operations, Chartwells and our Student Ambassadors for their contributions to both these events.

Also on Tuesday, the faculty gathered for their annual Fall Faculty Institute, which focused on two of the most important high-impact practices—the seminar pedagogy in the First-Year and Catholic intellectual traditions seminars and the globalization of the curriculum. Our own Michael W. Higgins led the discussion on the Catholic intellectual traditions, and then attendees heard from Hilary Kahn of Indiana University on internationalizing the curriculum. The keynote address came from two faculty members and two students from St. John’s College in Annapolis who discussed the seminar pedagogy associated with their Great Books Program. Jason Tipton, who was here in June for professional development on the First-Year Seminar, was among the guests from St. John’s. The day’s activities also included a model of the seminar pedagogy with our own students and faculty, which was led by Michelle Loris. Congratulations to Laura Niesen de Abruna for organizing an informative and comprehensive agenda.

On Wednesday, we had the second installment of Linda McMahon’s “Women Can Have It All” series. Her guest was Stacey Schieffelin, founder and president of ybf (your best friend) beauty and Models Prefer. By all accounts, Stacey was vibrant and engaging as she answered Linda’s questions and later those of the students in the audience. She expressed the belief that women can have it all—though perhaps not all at the same time. She also said that prioritizing and time management were key to her success.

We received a very special letter this week from a grandparent who, along with his granddaughter Sara, had seen the SHU marching band perform in a program at the College of Holy Cross. He wrote to tell us that while they enjoyed all 12 of the bands that performed, Sara was enthralled with the show put on by SHU. He said that, although she had never heard of Sacred Heart before this event, her dream now is to attend SHU and join the marching band. Congratulations to the band not only on this year’s amazing half-time routine, but on being such great ambassadors for SHU. The marching band also participated in the Columbus Day parade in New York City on Monday. They have a busy calendar that goes beyond our home football games.

It has come to my attention that Finance Professor Ralph Lim recently had a small role in a skit on Saturday Night Live. Be sure to congratulate him on his terrific performance next time you see him. To check it out, click here.

If you haven’t yet seen the newly renovated chemistry labs, I encourage you to head over there on Wednesday between 1 and 3 p.m. to see the state-of-the-art spaces during the open house to commemorate National Chemistry Week.

We reached an agreement this week for our women’s hockey team to practice and play at the Connecticut Sports Center in Shelton. The Center is home to the only double decker NHL ice arena in the World. The double decker design features one rink stacked on top of the other. The facility includes a spacious locker room for the team that attaches to an athletic training room. The women will also have access to strength and conditioning facilities and office space for the coaching staff at the rink. I think you will enjoy watching the Pioneers play at the Sports Center. Our first-ever game there will be Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m. against SUNY Canton. The Pioneers open their season on Friday, October 17, with an exhibition at Yale.

If you haven’t filled your calendar for the weekend, there are some exciting things happening here on campus. In the world of athletics, the men’s ice hockey team takes on Bentley tonight at 7:05 at the Milford Ice Pavilion. The men’s soccer team plays Bryant at 1 tomorrow afternoon, and the field hockey team faces Monmouth at 1 p.m. on Sunday. If you’re more into books, author Jodi Picoult will be at the Edgerton tonight to discuss her latest novel, Leaving Time. You might also want to stop by 63’s patio tonight for Habitat for Humanity’s annual sleep-out. They will be collecting food for a local food pantry and bringing attention to the issue of homelessness. In addition, there are several performances of Almost, Maine in the Little Theatre over the weekend.

However you decide to spend the weekend, make it a great one! 

President Petillo's Blog: Friday, October 10th

I want to start by once again commending the Student Government board, led by Nicole Gittleman, on the planning and execution of SHU Safety Week. A great deal of important information was disseminated, and awareness was raised through the variety of activities that were offered. From guest speaker Gail Hand’s advice about protecting yourself when using social media to information on on-campus and off-campus safety, critical safety topics were addressed. For some safety tips from some of our student-athletes, click here. Congratulations on a job well done!


On Wednesday a group of faculty members addressed the topic of Creativity in the Workplace in University Commons. The students heard from Professors June-Ann Greeley, Jim Castonguay, Mary Treschitta, Kwamie Dunbar and Anca Micu with Mary Lou DeRosa serving as moderator. The consensus was that today’s employers value such attributes as creative and critical thinking, innovative solutions and communal engagement.

We received good news this week when the Town of Fairfield approved the plans for our new residence hall in the North Lot. Construction will begin very soon.

Sacred Heart was featured in an article in the Connecticut Post this week about preschool openings in Bridgeport. The article discussed the partnership that SHU and Yale have developed with Cooperative Education Services to establish best practices that can be shared with other providers. The article included a photo of SHU education student Angela LoRusso. To read the entire article, click here.

This week, members of Heartfelt Designs presented a check for $1,000 to the Office of Volunteer Programs and Service Learning. The group raises money through its T-shirt design business to support the service learning mission trips that take place each year during spring break. Great job! Congratulations to all involved!


We are gearing up for our second open house of the year, which will take place on Monday. The first one was very successful, and we expect this one to be even bigger. All members of the community are invited to join us for the check-in hour beginning at 9 a.m. in the Pitt Center lobby to greet our prospective students and their families. Be sure to stop at Curtis Hall to fill out a name tag on your way over.

Still on the subject of admissions, Kevin O’Sullivan, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, was a guest on the Debbie Nigro radio show where he offered prospective students some tips in response to last weekend’s Wall Street Journal article entitled Ten Things College Admissions Won’t Tell You.” Kevin candidly responded to Nigro’s questions about the admission process, including the importance of the interview, the essay, SAT scores and more. If you want to hear the interview, click here.

Michael Gennaro’s Steakhouse on the Post Road in Fairfield is offering a 20 percent discount to SHU parents during Family Weekend. In addition, 5 percent of the profits will go to Heartfelt Designs. We are grateful for this generous partnership.


There are plenty of opportunities to get out and cheer for your fellow Pioneers this weekend. The men’s soccer team takes on St. Francis Brooklyn this afternoon at 4:30. The football team goes up against Robert Morris at noon tomorrow (don’t forget to join the band at the Chapel at 11:15 for a quick prayer before marching up the hill), and on Sunday, the women’s soccer team will challenge St. Francis University at noon, the women’s volleyball team plays Fairleigh Dickinson at 2 p.m., and the field hockey team takes on Bryant at 3 p.m. Go Pioneers!  

Have a great weekend and happy Columbus Day to all!

President Petillo’s Blog – Friday, October 3rd

We had a busy week with a lot of interesting activities going on beginning with all the health-related programs yesterday. Congratulations to Sally Schettino of Human Resources, Anne Mavor of Health Services and Mary Jo Mason of the Wellness Center for their months of hard work putting together the combined University Health Fair and Fresh Check Day. By all accounts, both events had record-breaking attendance. The Health Fair offered all kinds of wellness information, healthy snacks, giveaways and the opportunity to receive a flu shot and have your blood pressure and sugar levels checked by students in our nursing program. Fresh Check day gave our counselors a chance to assess our students’ wellbeing as they “checked in” while enjoying music, food, games, giveaways and prizes. We were fortunate to have Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Chris Murphy and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, along with Matthew Riley and Marisa Giarnella-Porco of the Jordan Matthew Porco Memorial Foundation, on hand for Fresh Check Day. The foundation is dedicated to the prevention of suicide and is a strong supporter of Fresh Check Day.

TOP: From left are Matthew Riley of the Jordan Matthew Porco Memorial Foundation, Congressman Jim Himes, SHU Counseling Center Director Mary Jo Mason, Senator Chris Murphy, Marisa Giarnella-Porco of the Jordan Matthew Porco Memorial Foundation and SHU Dean of Students Larry Wielk. BOTTOM: From left are President Petillo, Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Chris Murphy, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, Jordan Matthew Porco Memorial Foundation Program Coordinator Leah Nelson and Mary Jo Mason.

The day concluded with a reception to kick off the American Heart Association’s “Faces of Heart Gallery,” which is on display in the Art & Design Gallery at the Edgerton. The Gallery is an inspiring photo exhibition filled with stories of the courage, strength and hope from victims of cardiovascular disease and stroke. If you were not able to attend last night’s event, I recommend that you stop by and see it. Heart-healthy activities will take place at the Art & Design Gallery throughout the month.

Faces of Heart Exhibit

Faculty from the Welch College of Business and the Office of Mission and Catholic Identity presented a program on “Religion and Economics” Wednesday evening before a standing-room-only crowd in University Commons. Their overall conclusion was that partnerships between business and religious entities are unavoidable and might even be beneficial.

From left are Anthony Ciorra, Peter Maresco, Lucjan Orlowski and Stephen Rubb.

On Wednesday, about 600 attendees enjoyed an evening with Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton of the WFAN’s national weekday morning show, Boomer & Carton. The duo were extremely entertaining with commentary on how their partnership began, the top sports stories of the day and their feuds with competitors and colleagues. At the conclusion of the event, they spent a half hour answering questions from the audience and even offered career advice to some of our students.

Boomer & Carton

A group of our students are bringing back the LessThanUThink (LTUC) campaign that began here last year. This will be a four-week campaign that discourages binge drinking in amusing and fun ways. The campaign will lead up to Halloween weekend—traditionally a high-risk time of year for alcohol use for college students. Evidence suggests that this type of peer-to-peer delivery is an effective way to create increase awareness.

The Student Government team has planned a variety of activities next week for SHU Safety Week. The daily topics are On-Campus Safety, Sexual Assault Prevention, Social Media Safety and Off-Campus Safety. The activities range from information delivered by Safety Superheroes, s.w.e.e.t. peer educators and special guest speaker Gail Hand to a self-defense course and a Victims Vigil prayer service. I applaud Student Government for taking on these timely and important topics, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of as many of these programs as you can.

We are honored to have the opportunity to host the New England Association of College Admissions Counselors (NEACAC) Regional College Fair for the third consecutive year. The fair will take place on October 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Pitt Health Center, and more than 175 colleges from across the country and abroad, along with dozens of other exhibitors, will participate.

Sacred Heart is the proud owner of a new 3D printer. It is housed in the library and available to students of all disciplines for classroom projects. It is already being used by marketing students to make prototypes, demos and proof-of-concept models of products they are creating as a part of a semester-long project.  

From left, students Zachary Ryan, Taylor Ann D’Agostino and
Mikayla Doyleset up the 3D printer for operation.

I believe there are still tickets available for tonight’s Eli Young concert. You might want to check out this popular country band. Within the next year or two, they will be filling arenas much bigger than the Pitt Center.

You can also come out and cheer the women’s volleyball team as they take on St. Francis Brooklyn at 5 p.m. tomorrow or the women’s soccer team as they challenge Bryant at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Go Pioneers!

Enjoy the weekend!