Dr. Petillo's Blog

Dr. Petillo’s Blog: Friday, July 28

Last week I had the pleasure of reading to our Horizons at SHU students, an activity I look forward to each summer. Students and their teachers sat under the trees in the back of Melady Hall. Brother and sister, Sam and Erica, helped me read the book, Wings, a story about celebrating individuality. After we finished reading, the children enjoyed ice cream and a dance party. Thanks for spending your morning with me.

Congrats to Assistant Clinical Professor Pennie Sessler. She co-authored a report for Nursing Administration Quarterly about the importance of establishing a long-term strategy to prepare the next generation of nurse leaders. Pennie and her co-author argue that nursing needs more qualified nurse academicians and administrators willing to step into high-level leadership positions such as deanships and chief nursing officers. The article evaluates the available literature regarding succession planning in the nursing profession and offers pragmatic suggestions for stakeholders to engage in preparing new leaders in a deliberate and thoughtful manner.

The School of Communications and Media Arts just completed a four-week media production and media literacy summer institute. The hands-on program welcomed students from India and Ireland. Sounds like a great learning experience.

There’s more big news in Athletics. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Division I Committee on Academics presented SHU with the NCAA Public Recognition Award. The honor goes to teams with a NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports for the 2015-16 academic year. Both men’s fencing and women’s cross country were honored. Also this month, The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America selected SHU’s women’s and diving team as Scholar All-Americans. Together, the women’s team posted a GPA of 3.4. Well done, all.

Professor David Title of the Isabelle Farrington College of Education appeared on WDRC’s The Brad & Dan Show on Monday. He discussed trending topics in education with the hosts and viewers. It is a great listen.

Join our admissions staff next Wednesday to learn more about the sports communication and media graduate program during an information session. The program teaches multimedia production skills to students who want to get into the fields of sports broadcasting, sports media and sports communications.

For alumni in the New Jersey area, catch up with old friends for dinner and drinks during SHU’s Summer Series at Mills Tavern in Hoboken. Our Advancement team is hosting five more Summer Series this August. Click here to see if they are coming to a city near you.

This weekend is the CT Challenge. Support Team SHU as they bike for cancer research and programs. All proceeds go to the Christopher Cook Scholarship Fund. I hope you all have a fun and safe time riding. I encourage others to support the team and donate to the cause.

Avenue Q and Macbeth finish up this weekend. If you have not had the chance to see the plays, I encourage you to do so. Also, this evening, the theatre arts program presents the pre-Broadway production of Mudville.

Have a great weekend!

 

President Petillo's Blog: July 14, 2017

Even though campus is not at full capacity, our graduate students just began their second summer session and things are going smoothly.

This past weekend, Rupendra Paliwal, our provost and vice-president for Academic Affairs, was honored by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Connecticut Chapter (GOPIO-CT) for his accomplishments in education. Approximately 250 people attended the event, including politicians and community members. GOPIO-CT promotes the awareness of Indian culture, customs and contributions. It also seeks to strengthen partnerships and create dialogues among local communities. Congrats, Rupendra, on this great recognition. It is well deserved.


Each summer, members of SHU’s Parent Council from around the region open their homes and host gatherings to welcome our incoming freshmen and their families to the SHU community. These “Summer Send-Offs” are a fun way to kick off the SHU experience and get to know a few faces before arriving on campus. Several were held over the past two months, and they were all very successful. I want to thank our staff and Parent Council members for working so hard to make these events a success. 

Congratulations to nursing student Marissa Milazzo. She was selected to be a part of the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship at Stamford Hospital. Students who complete the fellowship receive priority consideration for employment in oncology services. The objective of the fellowship is to improve quality of care provided to oncology patients at Stamford Hospital, translate the improvements into daily practice and disseminate the information to the Stamford Hospital health care team members and fellowship academic partner. What an honor, Marissa.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Our Theatre Arts Program is putting on some wonderful productions. You can catch a showing of Avenue Q in the Little Theatre Thursday through Saturday or see a play written by the one of the National High School Playwright winners today, also at the Little Theatre. For more information, visit edgertoncenter.org. 

Have a great weekend!

 

President Petillo's Blog: July 7, 2017

We continue to count the days until our students are back on campus, but in the meantime, we are keeping busy with other activities.

At the end of last month, we celebrated Eid al-Fitr with our Muslim students. The religious holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. There was much food and celebration.

Congratulations to our faculty who won a variety of awards for the 2016-2017 academic year. Professors Lucjan Orlowski, Christel Manning, Jennifer Trudeau, Jason Grimes, Valerie Christian, Robin Danzak, Mary Trefry and Michelle Loris were all award winners. Faculty fellows for 2018-2019 include Robin Danzak and Wendy Bjerke. Congrats on your achievements.

On July 28 and 29, Team SHU will once again participate in CT Challenge. CT Challenge is a bike ride that supports cancer research and programs. All proceeds go to the Christopher Cook Scholarship Fund. I encourage you all to consider riding and/or donating to this great cause.

Last week, dozens of high school students came to campus to participate in the SHU Journey, a Lilly Endowment theological institute. SHU students acted as mentors to the high school students who spent a week learning about the Catholic intellectual tradition. Participants took part in instruction, group discussion, service projects and music ministry. It was an educational and inspiring week for the young participants.

Congratulations to our Upward Bound teacher, Evan Soderholm on becoming North Haven High School’s teacher of the year. We applaud your dedication to your full-time job as well as your commitment to the high school students involved in our Upward Bound program.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.