Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo’s Blog: March 29, 2019

You know the semester is almost over when it is spring concert time. I hope students enjoy Khalid’s performance in the Pitt Center tonight.

The Office for Alumni Engagement hit the road and headed to Florida for first-time events at “Spring Training with Bobby V” last week. Nearly 60 alumni and friends gathered for a day at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie as the Mets took on the Cardinals. The group then traveled over to George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa where they hosted close to 50 alumni and friends for the Yankees versus Blue Jays game. Although neither of the home teams took home a win, the feedback from alumni was extremely positive, and they look forward to regular and increased programming in the Florida region.

Spring Training with Bobby Valentine

We welcomed the community to the West Campus Guest House last weekend for a panel discussion on whether or not laity can help save the church. Michael Higgins, distinguished professor of Catholic thought, was the keynote speaker and panelists and moderators from local churches, Fairfield University and Yale Divinity School were present. Thank you to those who attended and shared their insights.

Pastoral Luncheon

The SHU Dance Team celebrated its 25th anniversary year and honored retiring head coach, Deirdre Eller-Hennessey ’97, for her 20 years of dedicated leadership. Over 150 guests gathered on Saturday evening at the West Campus Guest House, including almost 60 dance team alumni. Proceeds from the event benefited the team.

Dance Team Reunion

The fraternity Omega Phi Kappa made their way to YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Massachusetts last weekend to help paint and prep cabins for campers this summer. Great work.

Omega Phi Kappa members volunteer at YMCA Camp Hi-Rock

At an official press conference at the Webster Bank Arena on Monday, SportsNet New York (SNY) announced that men’s hockey teams at SHU, Quinnipiac, Yale and UCONN will be playing in a weekend hockey festival, Connecticut Ice, in January 2020 at the arena. This is exciting news for athletics and our student-athletes.

SNY Connecticut Ice Press Conference

On Monday night, females in music were acknowledged at “A Celebration of Women Composers.” SHU’s wind ensemble and choir performed a number of songs composed by women.

A Celebration of Women Composers

Chartwells Higher Education partnered with MATTER and General Mills Foodservice to engage students on 100 of its campuses in providing healthy snacks and nutrition education to help fight food insecurity in communities nationwide. On Wednesday and Thursday, SHU students packed 200 boxes filled with food. The boxes will be distributed to local nonprofits, schools, after-school programs and health-care providers.

Students Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House

As always, we hosted an array of concerts, lectures and events throughout the week. La Hispanidad sponsored Social Justice Week with a variety of events and activities. Students talked about what social justice meant to them, learned about environmental racism and volunteered their time in the community. Our film and television master’s program offered a master class on Monday with writer Sharbari Ahmed. The class, The Art of Story Building, allowed students to discuss the skills needed to craft compelling stories. Alumnus Thomas Burke was on campus Tuesday to discuss his experiences serving in the Marine Corps at “An Internal War: A Veteran’s Path to Recovery.” The Global Education and Health Lecture series presented a discussion on “Healthcare and Education in Uganda” on Tuesday night featuring Professor Connie Glenn and a physician from Uganda. The Welch College of Business and University Advancement hosted “Women Who Rally” with Bruce Iannelli of European Auto Wholesalers and Nate Lander of Mercedes-Benz Classic Center on Wednesday. A period Mercedes-Benz rally car was on display outside of the Martire Forum. Two former lawmakers spoke to students on Wednesday as part of the Congress to Campus program. We held our third installment of Heart Challenges Hate on Wednesday evening. Professors Gary Rose and Jennifer McLaughlin discussed “The First Amendment and Hate.” Graduate students in the healthcare informatics program presented their capstone posters on Thursday. Students always put a tremendous amount of work into these impressive projects.

Social Justice Week, FTMA Master Class with Sharbari Ahmed, Veteran Thomas Burke, Healthcare and Education in Uganda, Women Who Rally, Congress to Campus and the Healthcare Informatics Capstone Presentations

Check out the most recent productions of the Pulse and Pulse Plus, put together by our undergraduate and graduate students respectively.

Be sure to welcome our potential Pioneers and their families on Saturday as we host an admitted student day the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Media, Communication & the Arts and the Farrington College of Education. This will be the largest admitted student event of the semester.

Looking for something to do this week? It is your last chance to see the theatre arts program’s production of Disgraced. Get your tickets here.

Congrats to the women’s bowling team on winning the NEC Championship title last weekend. The team earned a bid to the National Collegiate Bowling Championship in Cleveland next month.

The bowling team celebrates winning the NEC Championship

Our men’s volleyball team takes on Penn State tomorrow at 5 and plays St. Francis University Sunday at 3. Our softball team battles Mount St. Mary Sunday at noon and again at 2.

Give me a follow on social media for news and updates.

Have a great weekend!

President Petillo's Blog: March 22, 2019

It was  another week of activity on campus as we draw closer and closer to commencement. We began the week with prayers and reflection following the tragic killings in mosques in New Zealand. Students, faculty and staff packaged 50,820 meals for the local community in the second annual student-organized Hunger Project. We also honored faculty and staff for their years of longevity with the University, and we hosted a variety of programs and discussions. You can watch my video blog here.

President Petillo’s Blog: March 15, 2019

The extra hour of sunlight was a welcome sight as we entered another eventful week on campus.

Our Institute for Public Policy released its latest poll data on Monday. Great Blue Research, Inc., created this survey in conjunction with students in the master’s in public administration program, specifically its public policy and law course. Working under the direction of Professor Lesley DeNardis, students assisted with background research on policy issues, as well as the selection of poll topics. The poll findings depict concern about school safety, cost of living, housing and tolls, and were covered widely by news outlets throughout the state. Take a look at it here.

MPA students go over the recent poll results with Seamus McNamee of GreatBlue Research.

It has been a busy week for the Center for Career & Professional Development. On Tuesday, they worked in conjunction with the School of Communication, Media & the Arts to bring representatives from the MLB and NHL networks to recruit students for a variety of jobs. I hope students took advantage of this great opportunity. On Wednesday evening, they partnered with the College of Business for an MBA roundtable event. SHU alumni talked to students about how their careers have developed since getting their degrees. Thanks to alumni Michelle Perrett Neri ’19, Christopher Lieby ’18, Daniel Mistretta, Kelly Mullahy ’14 and Kelly Andersen ’17 who shared their experiences. On Friday, they hosted an internship fair for students at the Martire Forum. Getting an internship is a great way to gain real-world experience. 

Internship Fair, MBA panel and MLB/NHL recruitment

We held a wide array of discussions and lectures this week. On Tuesday, the Isabelle Farrington College of Education’s Diversity Committee in collaboration with graduate admissions, presented a panel discussion titled “Diverse Candidates’ Voices: A Tapestry of Humanity” at West Campus. Thanks to all who shared their stories with the audience. The Interprofessional Palliative Care Committee presented “Living with Palliative Care: Joan’s Story” on Wednesday at the WSHU Broadcast Center. This was a way for the community to learn about end-of-life comfort treatments in an intimate space. Psychology professor Rachel Bowman and biology professor Mark Jareb spoke at the Bigelow Center for Senior Activities about “The Healthy Adult Brain: A Neuroscience Perspective” on Wednesday. Guest speaker Mary Healey-Sedutto of the Hope for Healthier Humanity visited campus Wednesday night for a Contemporary Catholic Conversation lecture on the topic “The Option for the Poor: Challenges, Fears and Opportunities.” The School of Communication, Media & the Arts hosted authors Stuart Cunningham and David Craig on Thursday. They talked about their book Social Media Entertainment. The School of Computer Science & Engineering, in partnership with Owl Cyber Defense Solutions, presented Date Diode Day on Thursday. This provided an opportunity for students as well as tech innovators and professionals to show off their smarts. Teams were judged by the region’s top tech and innovation companies. Mark Roche of the University of Notre Dame was this year’s Hesburgh guest lecturer. He presented his talk on religion and intellectuals last night.

Diversity panel discussion, Mary Healey-Sedutto, Diode Day,
Social Media Entertainment, Palliative Care panel and Mark Roche.

We got in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit last night as we watched the Irish Dance Ensemble’s Irish Dance Showcase. The dancers always amaze us with their skill and talent.

Claddagh Dancers and Choir

Faculty, students and staff gathered around the Chapel Thursday morning to commemorate the first anniversary of the National School Walkout. The group honored the victims of gun violence with a moment of silence and said few words about gun legislation. I was happy to see students stand up for what they believe in.

National School Walkout

Athletic Director Bobby Valentine was in Washington, D.C., this week for the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s National Health Through Fitness Day. He joined athletes Herschel Walker and Carl Lewis.

Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s National Health Through Fitness Day

Violinist and former BBC young generation artist Tai Murray came to campus this morning to teach a master class to students in the string quartet. Tai performed with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra this week as well. What a great opportunity for our musicians to learn from a critically acclaimed artist.

Master class with Tai Murray

Please give a warm welcome to our Welch College of Business and School of Computer Science & Engineering admitted students tomorrow. They will be touring campus with their friends and families.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Come see the SHU Dance Company perform “Footnotes tomorrow night at the Edgerton.

Congratulations to our women’s basketball team for a great season. They made it all the way to the NEC semi-finals and put up a good fight against St. Francis last night. Today our men’s and women’s tennis teams play Hofstra at 5 at Yale University. Our men’s hockey team plays in the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals tonight at 7 against RIT at the Webster Bank Arena. Good luck, gentlemen! Our men’s lacrosse team plays Robert Morris tomorrow at noon and women’s lacrosse battles UMass Lowell at 3.

Follow me on social media for news and updates.

Have a great weekend and happy St. Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!

 

 

 

 

 

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Irish Dance Showcase. Great crowd. Performance...WOW

A post shared by Dr. Petillo (@shuprez) on Mar 14, 2019 at 5:19pm PDT

President Petillo’s Blog: March 8, 2019

Campus was quiet this week with most of our undergraduate students on spring break, but they stayed busy traveling and volunteering.

Six volunteer groups made up of students, faculty and staff went abroad to assist a variety of nonprofit organizations with projects that benefit children, families and the disabled. Groups were in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, Oaxaca and Ecuador. Another four groups stayed stateside to work on Habitat for Humanity projects. Some news outlets caught up with our Habitat volunteers. You can check out the coverage here and here. I look forward to hearing more about the trips when everyone returns. Thank you for living our mission of service out in the world.

Spring Break Service Trips - from top left, clockwise, are Habitat in Cape Fear, N.C., Colombia, Guatemala and Habitat in Fort Smith, AR.

Our men’s club rugby team toured Ireland this week. They played matches in Dublin, Limerick and Dingle. In between games, the team immersed themselves in the Irish culture enjoying historic sites and museums. Looked like a great time.

Club Rugby in Ireland

Wednesday marked the official start of Lent. Ash Wednesday brought the community to the Chapel for Mass and to receive ashes. I hope you all find peace during this season of reflection and renewal.

Gary MacNamara, executive director of Public Safety and Government Affairs, was in Hartford Wednesday to testify against a proposed $500 fee assessment per student to pay for local emergency services. I’m told he was quite persuasive. I also want to thank those students who provided written testimony in support of the state’s Roberta Willis Scholarship Fund that provides financial aid for in-state students.

Gary MacNamara in Hartford

A partnership with Lehigh University will allow the 60 boxes of written materials retrieved from author and activist Gloria Naylor’s Brooklyn apartment in 2009 to become digitized. The digital archive, set to take approximately two years to complete, will be made available for students. A professional art moving company was at the Ryan Matura Library this week to carefully pick up the materials and transport them to Lehigh in Bethlehem, PA. We thank University Librarian Gavin Ferriby for overseeing this project.

From left are CAS Associate Dean Michelle Loris, Suzanne Edwards, associate professor of English at Lehigh University, Mary Foltz, Humanities Center director at Lehigh University, and and SHU Librarian Gavin Ferriby.

Students from several local high schools were at West Campus on Wednesday for the Junior Achievement High School Business Challenge. The challenge is a one-day simulation that teaches young people about the ins and outs of running a business in a competitive, high-tech marketplace. It was great to have them on campus.

Junior Achievement Business Challenge at West Campus

Good luck to all our student-athletes playing this weekend. Go Pioneers!

Be sure to follow me on social for news and updates.

Remember to turn your clocks ahead this weekend for daylight saving time. Enjoy the weekend. I look forward to having everyone back on campus Monday.

President Petillo’s Blog: March 1, 2019

This week was filled with art, complex discussions and alumni events – a great way to mark the halfway point of this semester.

An opening reception for artist Thuan Vu took place at the Art & Design Gallery Tuesday afternoon. Paintings and drawings in his “Windows and Mirrors” series will be on display until March 9. Be sure to check out Thuan’s amazing pieces that document how he grew into his Vietnamese-American identity.

Thuan Vu Exhibit

We hosted some thought-provoking discussions on Wednesday. We welcomed guest speaker John Hamilton, president and CEO of Liberation Programs. He spoke about how addiction affects family and friends and what can be done to help those impacted by the disease. SHU clergy – Rabbi Marcel Kormis, Fr. Tony Ciorra and Imam Gazi Aga – presented the lecture “A Jewish, Christian, Muslim Conversation: Texts that Unite, Texts that Divide.” This was part of our Contemporary Catholic Conversations Series. We were also excited to host the second installment of our Heart Challenges Hate series with Professor Bill Yousman. Bill presented his take on the rhetoric of hate in the media. 

Clockwise from top left: A Jewish, Christian, Muslim Conversation: Texts that Unite, Texts that Divide, guest speaker John Hamilton of Liberation Programs and Professor Bill Yousman.

The leadership team from Sikorsky partnered with the Office of Alumni Engagement to host a series of academic panel discussions in the Jack Welch College of Business followed by a reception at the Guest House at West Campus on Wednesday. Students had a chance to learn from Sikorsky experts in the areas of information technology & engineering, finance & business operations, supply chain logistics and international trade. SHU alumni and friends who work for Sikorsky or are retirees were honored at the evening gathering that also signaled mutual interest between the organizations for further collaborations. 

Sikorsky Panel Discussions

On Thursday night, the Office for Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council hosted a bowling event at Lucky Strike in Manhattan. Graduates from the last 10 years, who work and live in the NYC area, came together for a night of fun.

Alumni at Lucky Strike in Manhattan

Our s.w.e.e.t. peer educators won “Outstanding Peer Education Program” for their sleep promotion program “s.w.e.e.t. dreams” at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Heath, Safety and Well-being Initiatives spring conference at the College of Holy Cross this past weekend. Well done.

s.w.e.e.t. Peer Educators

The College of Nursing was ranked third in the state according to RegisteredNursing.Org. Nursing schools were ranked by analyzing NCLEX-RN pass rates. Congrats on a job well done.

Check out the latest addition of the Pulse Plus, a program put together by graduate students in the broadcast news and media production program.

Our women's basketball team will host St. Francis tomorrow at 1 and men’s basketball will also face St. Francis tomorrow at 3:30. It will be Senior Day for both teams. Our men’s tennis team takes on Quinnipiac tomorrow at 4 at Yale University. Equestrian hosts its Hunt Seat Senior Day on Sunday morning at 10 at Rolling Ranch in Southbury. Our women’s tennis team plays Stony Brook at the Tennis Club of Trumbull Sunday at 5:30.

Whether you are spending spring break relaxing at home with friends and family, participating in a service trip nearby or abroad or touring Ireland with the club rugby team, I hope you enjoy your time off. I look forward to hearing about your adventures when you return.

The Club Rugby Team Departs for Ireland

Have a great weekend!