Emmanuel News
campus news
February 2011
GPP Graduate Has Capstone Project Implemented at Harvard University
Left to right: Professor of Philosophy/Department Chair Dr. Thomas Wall, Walter Stepanenko â11, Emmanuel College President Sr. Janet Eisner, SND, Christine Kourkoulis â11, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and The Director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality Sr. Mary Johnson, SND, and Associate Professor of Religious Studies/Department Chair Reverend Thomas Leclerc, MS.
Catholic Colleges Today Celebrated at Foundersâ Day CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
Sr. Janet referenced that it was Newmanâs forward-thinking approach that eventually guided the establishment of Catholic colleges and universities. Today there are more than 220 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States, from small liberal arts colleges to research universities both in rural and in urban areas. In total, they enroll over 800,000 students across the country. These institutions include 28 law schools, five medical schools and 16 doctoral programs in theology. Fittingly, the significance behind the Collegeâs recent decision to introduce
a new Department of Theology and Religious Studies (formerly Religious Studies) and reintroduce the major in philosophy would not have been lost on Newman, who viewed the study of these disciplines as essential to a Catholic liberal arts education and âpart of the whole truth.â Immediately following Sr. Janetâs remarks, Sr. Mary Johnson, SND, professor of sociology and religious studies and the director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality, moderated a panel (seen above) that discussed the importance of these initiatives at Emmanuel.
New Service Club Focuses on Giving Back to LMA CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO
willing to reach out to the Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA), but connect such opportunities with their academic interests as well. âIt has proven a very attractive service opportunity to science majors as we are in the hospital environment, which was not my initial intention, but it has grown from that,â he said. âFor pre-med students specifically this can be a great stepping stone into working with Childrenâs Hospital Boston. The goal is to get everyone to the inn, but if interest continues to grow we may have to consider additional locations in the future.â With such sizeable interest, the greatest challenge for Oxsalida so far is finding ways to keep all members engaged and involved. With only eight or nine students able to travel to the inn each visit, the group plans events in which club members and all members of the Emmanuel community can participate. In November, the club organized an umbrella drive for the Yawkey Family Inn, which resulted in donations from students, parents and the Class of 1963.
In December, Saints Giving Back and the 36-Hour Club co-sponsored a weeklong Christmas card-making event during which members of the Emmanuel community created cards to send to the families at the inn. The groups set up shop in the Jean Yawkey Centerâs Maureen Murphy Wilkens Atrium and welcomed all those interested to stop by and send some holiday cheer. On a campus where giving back is so prominent, interest was far from being a concern. âService is just part of the culture at Emmanuel,â said Oxsalida. âIt is hard to find someone on campus who doesnât participate in service. Saints Giving Back gives everyone options to be involved if it is something they are interested in and they can be involved whenever they have the time. We are here to assist the children and families that seek aid at Childrenâs Hospital and we are here to help them anyway we can.â For more information about Saints Giving Back, contact Jimmy Oxsalida at oxsalja@emmanuel.edu.
Graduate and Professional Programs student Liz Foote recently completed the requirements for a Master of Science in management with specialization in research administration. Her final research project, which served as the capstone for her masterâs degree, was presented to and has since been put into action by her employer, the chemistry and chemical biology (CCB) department at Harvard University. Footeâs project focused on improving training for sponsored research administrators in the CCB. The project goals were to identify why attendance was low at monthly training meetings for research administrators, make recommendations to reduce any existing barriers, and increase attendance at monthly training meetings. âI wanted to focus on something that was of interest to me professionally and would have a positive impact on the department,â she said. From the very beginning, the senior management team of the CCB department was supportive of Footeâs research. At work, Foote communicated her intentions for the masterâs degree capstone project and its potential usability in the workplace. She kept management informed of her academic goals and research progress along the way. They were very interested in seeing the survey results because they also recognized that there was a need for change and improvement to the training for sponsored research administrators. âI was delighted when I heard that Liz wanted to focus her thesis project on our department,â said Allen Alloise, Ph.D., director of laboratories and codirector of graduate studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. âThe study was well-crafted and addressed a very real need within the CCB department. The finished work was wonderfully executed and is serving as a catalyst for changing the way that communication and education
takes place among our laboratory and research administrators.â Foote was one of the first students to complete the Master of Science in management with specialization in research administration at Emmanuel College. The capstone project in which she researched the CCB is a part of the final degree requirements and was designed to demonstrate how students synthesize the graduate-level competencies from the 36-credit degree program.
New Academic Offerings for 2011-2012 Announced Emmanuel College is pleased to introduce a new Department of Theology and Religious Studies, in addition to reinstating the major in philosophy for the 2011-2012 academic year. These new offerings will further strengthen the existing programs, enabling students to explore and examine academic disciplines rooted deeply in the mission and tradition of Emmanuel as a Catholic liberal arts and sciences college. The pre-existing religious studies department was renamed to more accurately reflect Emmanuelâs offerings
and breadth of faculty expertise. Over the last few years, the department undertook a careful, methodical and comprehensive review of its offerings in an effort to strategically strengthen and introduce a major in theology and religious studies. Since 2005, four new, full-time faculty members have been hired, allowing the department to cover all the areas that define the discipline. âReligious studies is an indispensable part of the liberal arts curriculum at religious and secular institutions alike, and should be a defining part of the
curriculum at a Catholic institution,â said Associate Professor of Religious Studies/Department Chair Reverend Thomas Leclerc, M.S. âA major in the field is a public recognition of that reality and signals Emmanuel Collegeâs commitment to both its liberal arts mission and its Catholic identity.â The philosophy major, which existed at the College decades ago, has garnered mounting interest from current and prospective students in recent years. According to Chair of the Philosophy Department Dr. Thomas Wall, the philosophy major will not
âI was happy that the hard work I put into the project would benefit my colleagues as we work together to make a positive impact on the sponsored research community and on the faculty membersâ grants and contracts in the Department of Chemistry. So often when you work on an academic project like this, it ends once you hand in the assignment,â said Foote. âIâm glad I had the opportunity to take this research to the next level and actually impact change in the department. It is also rewarding for the people who participated in the research by responding to a survey or answering questions in an interview, to see the results and understand how their participation will impact change.â When asked about the use of student research in the workplace, Dean of Graduate and Professional Programs Dr. Judith Marley shared that âour graduate programs are relevant. When our students apply their learning in the workplace, it is significant to their career path. Accomplishments of students like Liz are effectively coupled with national recognition for this curriculum. Earlier this year, Emmanuel received a national Outreach and Engagement Community of Practice Award from the University Continuing and Professional Education Association for excellence in Employer and Association Partnerships in Research Administration. The accomplishments of our students is a concrete demonstration of this impact.â
only enrich the lives and careers of Emmanuel students, but is central to them becoming critical thinkers and ethical decision-makers. âIn addition to its inherent value, philosophy has practical value that counts heavily toward career preparation,â said Dr. Wall. âBecause of the thinking skills they develop, successful philosophy majors are extremely well prepared for todayâs most interesting careers.â For more information, visit www.emmanuel.edu.
Catholic Colleges Today Celebrated at Foundersâ Day Emmanuel President Sister Janet Eisner, SND invited members of the college community to reflect upon the history and current state of Catholic higher education in America during the 19th annual Foundersâ Day celebration on February 3rd. The event also included a panel discussion on the Collegeâs programs in Theology & Religious Studies and Philosophy. Each year on Foundersâ Day, the Emmanuel community reflects upon the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame by St. Julie Billiart and the founding of the college in 1919. Sponsored by the Center for Mission and Spirituality, Foundersâ Day is part of a weeklong celebration that includes prayer services, discussions and local community service opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
Back row: Keoni Rabaino â11, Tyson Reitz â11, Cam Todd â11, Curtis Abram â11, Front row: Nick Updike â13 and Jim Sutherland â11.
Westerners of Menâs Volleyball Team Rush East Seeking (Blue and) Gold The California Gold Rush of 1849 featured tens of thousands of people flocking to California to seek their fortunes mining gold. It was the largest migration in the United States. Since the Emmanuel menâs volleyball programâs inception in 2002, the Saints have profited from their own band of âforty-niners.â A nationwide recruitment effort resulted in a wealth of menâs volleyball players coming East to seek the âgoldâ of an Emmanuel education. The Saints menâs volleyball program has capitalized on this eastern migration, as Emmanuel boasted an unprecedented
In her address titled âThe Vibrant Mission of Catholic Colleges Today,â Sr. Janet credited the philosophical basis for founding a Catholic college to 19th century Roman Catholic cardinal and author, John Henry Newman, beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010. Newman viewed the study of theology as essential to a liberal arts education and defined a Catholic college as âa place in which the intellect may safely range and speculate; sure to find its equal in some antagonist activity, and its judge in the tribunal of truth.â
27-win season in 2010 and is currently ranked among the nationâs Top 15 Division III teams. With 17 players on the Emmanuel squad this year and 13 of them hailing from outside Massachusetts, the Saints are fortunate to have six players with hometowns west of the Mississippi River, including five individuals from the âGolden Stateâ of California. The six westerners include: Curtis Abram â11 (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Cam Todd â11 (Los Angeles, Calif.), Tyson Rietz â11 (Granite Bay, Calif.), Nick Updike â13 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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IN THIS ISSUE
Wyant Lecture Features Boston Study Group on Middle East Peace
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2 New Lecture Series Honors McLaughlin Hakim â70
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