Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo's Blog: December 16, 2016

The fall semester has officially come to a close for our Pioneers. It’s been an exciting semester for the entire University community. Now is the time to relax with friends and family and enjoy the holidays.

Last weekend, we saw more of our students’ talents on display. SHU’s choirs dazzled us with their Colors of Christmas performance, and the band’s Christmas Memories show had us dancing in our seats. Tonight we look forward to hearing the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s performance of the Messiah at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

The choral ensemble Blended Hearts serenaded my wife and me last Friday night when they came by the house. It was a festive occasion, and they sounded wonderful.      

Our School of Communication & Media Arts and our Film and Television Master’s program showed a collection of award-winning thesis films Monday night at the Fairfield Theater Company. It was great to see so many people there to celebrate the students’ work.

Our students filled their bellies with breakfast food at our annual Late-Night Breakfast on Monday night in 63’s. They enjoyed tater tots and eggs with their peers before heading out to study for exams. I was happy so many staff and faculty members were present to wait on our hungry Pioneers and provide them with a memorable time.

Literacy professor Alison Villanueva spoke about her co-authored book, Educating for the 21st Century: Perspectives, Policies and Practices from Around the World, on Tuesday. The book is a compilation of scholarly insights and practical applications from contributors around the globe.


SHU's buildOn chapter participated in Amnesty International’s “Write for Rights” Day. Amnesty International is an organization that focuses on human rights. SHU is partnering with buildOn chapters from Bridgeport’s Central High School and Bassick High School. Headquartered in Stamford, buildOn is an international non-profit organization that runs youth service after-school programs in high schools and builds schools in developing countries. I look forward to seeing all the work our students accomplish.


The MAX, a video and poster session presented by the School of Communication & Media Arts, is something I look forward to every year. It showcases the best in student photography, audio, video magazine production, photojournalism, critical writing and more. Great work. Our business, doctor of physical therapy, occupational therapy and health science students also presented their work at a variety of posters sessions and capstone project presentations throughout this past week. Thanks for sharing all your terrific work.


Congratulations to Fran Grodzinsky. Her peers selected her as a finalist for this year’s World Technology Award for Ethics. We are very proud of Fran and her work!

The Trumbull Award Program selected our Life and Sport Analysis Clinic for the 2016 Best of Trumbull Award in the Health and Medical category. Each year, the Trumbull Award Program identifies companies they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. Congrats to everyone at the clinic.  

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We lit our Advent Wreath in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on Wednesday. It was a beautiful tradition before faculty and staff headed over to our annual Christmas party at the Pitt Center. It was great to see everyone, and I hope you enjoyed this celebration of another successful semester.


As the year comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Kwanzaa—all of which come very closely together this year. However you choose to celebrate—or not—I hope your time off is fun. Please take the time to relax and reflect on your many blessings. Let us be thankful for what we have and appreciate one another’s company. I look forward to seeing you refreshed and reinvigorated in the new year. Be well.

President Petillo's Blog: December 9, 2016

While the semester is coming to a close and students will begin preparing for their final exams, there’s still much to celebrate and look forward to. My video blog highlights the recent tree lighting at our new West Campus, upcoming holiday performances and the many successes of our students. Hope to see you Monday night at the Late Night Breakfast. Have a great weekend!

President Petillo's Blog: December 2, 2016

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Now it is time to jump back into coursework and prepare for exams. In just a couple weeks we will be breaking again for the winter holidays.

The Graduate Student Advisory committee hosted a great Friendsgiving feast last week. Held in the Martire Forum, students gathered for food and fun. Some students brought side dishes, while others brought canned goods that were donated to area food pantries.

Three of our students have qualified for the CT Skills Challenge final hackathon event. Our students placed among the top 50 coders in the state. They will compete in a final competition this weekend at the Yale School of Management. Good luck!

Our Ethics Bowl debate team made it to the quarterfinal round of the Northeast Regional Ethics Bowl at Marist College. Our Pioneers defeated Franklin Pierce, College of Westchester and St. Francis University in the first three rounds. Unfortunately, the team lost to West Point—just missing a spot at the national competition. They put in many hours of hard work, and we are proud of their performance.

Congratulations also to Professor Nathan Lewis, whose portrait of art critic and curator Stephen Kobasa is featured on the cover of the December issue of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven’s magazine, The Arts Paper.

On Tuesday, our To Write Love On Her Arms chapter presented Stories of the Mind, a short film program, followed by a discussion. The To Write Love On Her Arms movement is dedicated to presenting hope to people who struggle with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. The group exists to inform, inspire and encourage a path to treatment and recovery.

‘Tis the season! We held our annual Christmas tree lighting on campus Thursday night. The rain stopped and we were able to enjoy the occasion with members of the choir. Their carols certainly put us in a festive mood. The singing continued when our student orientation leaders joined my wife and me later that evening for dinner and a Christmas sing-a-long. What a great way to kick off December and the Christmas season.

The Department of Catholic Studies continued its film series on Thursday with a showing of Of Gods and Men, a film that asks what we live for and what we die for. I hope many students had a chance to see this thought-provoking film.

If the tree lighting didn’t get you into the holiday spirit, don’t worry; we have several winter-themed musical performances scheduled for the weekend. On Friday and Saturday at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, SHU’s Dance Program will present its inaugural dance concert of the season, “Winter Light.” Enjoy original works of choreography performed by the SHU Dance Company, SHU Dance Ensemble, SHU Irish Dance Ensemble (The Claddagh Dancers) and special guest performers. Also on Saturday, our Instrumental Chamber Ensemble will perform music from classical, contemporary and popular styles. Then on Sunday, we present the Festival of Lessons and Carols. Join the Liturgical Choir along with Blended Hearts, 4 Heart Harmony, SHU L.O.V.E. and special musical guests in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit as the Christmas story is celebrated in scripture readings, anthems and carols.

It’s not too late to join your colleagues tomorrow for the annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Deanna Scozzarri, a SHU physical therapy doctorate student, is the event’s young adult honoree.

For the second consecutive year, SHU will host its RUNScience clinic for local running coaches and athletes at the Frank and Marisa Martire Business & Communications Center on Sunday. The clinic will include expert speakers in the fields of biomechanics, nutrition and physiology. Good luck to those organizing the event. 

Our men’s rugby team are Tri-State Conference champs! This is their first conference win. I am proud of this team and all of their hard work. Congrats!

Be sure to see some of our home games this weekend. Our men’s basketball team battles Hartford on Saturday at 1, and our women’s hockey team faces Franklin Pierce at the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton at 2. On Sunday, our men and women’s fencing teams will compete in an all-day Tradition Tournament at the Pitt Center. Good luck to all our student-athletes playing home and away.

Have a great weekend!