holy family university magazine spring 2011

s p r i n g 2 0 1 1 M A G A Z I N E

Inspirationan exercise inan exercise inInspiration

What if you could double your gift?Just like that.

Holy Family University was the only university in Pennsylvania this year to receive a Title III Strengthening Institutions grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Part of this $1,920,000 award was a challenge to our community in the form of a matching requirement. Donate specifically to the endowment fund and your gift will be matched.

Make a gift. Make double the difference.

Make an Impact.

For more information, please call the Development Office at 267-341-3340. Gifts must specify “Title III Endowment” to count toward the challenge.

title

iii

[email protected]

In this issue

SPRING 2011 1

contents

20Arts and Minds

Since its debut in 2005, the HFU Art Gallery has hosted local and national

artist exhibits. More importantly, Pamela Flynn, Professor of Art and

the University’s Gallery Coordinator, has inspired and required her students

to use the gallery’s potential to host their own shows as seniors to fulfill

their degree requirements.By Richard Rys

24An Exercise in InspirationFrom near-homelessness to serving as a teenaged caretaker, Betsy Lane had every reason to eschew college. Instead, thanks to immense personal drive and a helping hand from University donors, she is excelling as a biology major at Holy Family and taking aim at a career in physical therapy.By Thomas W. Durso

{ }

{ } 2 FirstWord A message from the President

4 BrieFlyNoted Out and about on campus

30 1000Words A visual slice of life

at Holy Family

32 tigertales Reports from the court, track,

and field

36 FamilyreuNioN News for the alumni community

40 memorylaNe A nostalgic trip back in time

42 givingBack Making a difference on campus

44 lastWord Q&A with Elizabeth Jones, PhD,

Director of the University’s new Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Professional Studies

cover Photo by Michael Branscom

DePArtMents

FeAtUres

12Lessons in LivingJust a few years after its resurgence, Holy Family University’s Residence Life program is offering students a robust and experiential lesson in growing up as well as adding life and activity to the campus every day of the week.By Kristen A. Graham

holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

A message from the President

SPRING 20112

FirstworD

A few weeks ago, we sent the Class of 2011 off into the world. Our newest alumni may have taken their last exams, but as they are about to discover,

assessment never ends.That goes for us as well. In late March, a team of academic officials representing

the Middle States Commission on Higher Education made its final visit to Holy Family’s campus as part of our decennial reaccreditation effort. A major portion of this effort was the comprehensive self-study we compiled to examine our adherence to the Middle States Association’s rigorous standards.

The self-study was the University’s chance to take a close look at our processes, policies, and procedures and to evaluate our effectiveness. What we discovered was that in the areas that matter most—what we do and how we do it—we are in close alignment with our mission. The Middle States team agreed: In a presentation to the campus community at the conclusion of its March visit, team chair Sister Rosemary Jeffries praised the University for living the values we espouse and for committing so strongly to our self-assessment.

The value of assessment, of course, is its important role in self-improvement. Both our self-study and the Middle States team recommended ways for us to enhance our operations. We look forward to heeding those recommendations in the service of a richer and even more meaningful Holy Family experience for all of us.

Beyond blue books and report cards, assessment has taken on greater importance at the University in recent times. To cite just one example, as you’ll read elsewhere in this issue, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Holy Family a $1.92 million Title III grant to fund the development and implementation of a new assessment program for student learning and institutional effectiveness.

Looking inward is not always easy. Yet the careers—indeed, the lives—for which we prepare our alumni demand it. For it is only by examining ourselves and using what we find that we may fulfill our highest potential and use our individual gifts as God intended us to.

That is as true for Holy Family University as it is for every member of the Class of 2011 and for all who preceded them into the ranks of alumni. On behalf of the entire University community, thank you for all you do in helping us to reach our full potential. God bless you and your families.

Sincerely,

Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhDPresident

GreenchArtthese savings were achieved by the use of postconsumer recycled fiber for the cover and text pages of Holy Family University Magazine

Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator. For more information visit papercalculator.org.

27 trees

preserved for the future

10,549 gallonswaste- water flow

saved

1,173 pounds

solid waste not

generated

4,431 pounds

net greenhouse

gases prevented

13 million BTUsenergy

not consumed

Editor Heather G. dotchel

Art Director Jay soda

Contributing Writers thomas W. durso kristen a. Graham

Naomi Hall suzanne libenson

Bob Macartney Greg Pellegrino

richard rys kathy Warchol

Marie Zecca

Contributing Photographers susan Beard design Michael Branscom

adam cohn Joe Jefferson

Bob Macartney John Mckeith

kathleen Migliarese sabina louise Pierce

President s. Francesca onley, csFN, Phd

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Margaret kelly

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

thomas W. durso

Holy Family University Magazine is published semiannually by the division of institutional advancement. Please address all correspondence to:

editorHoly Family university Magazine 9801 Frankford avenue Philadelphia, Pa 19114 [email protected]

the opinions and views expressed in Holy Family University Magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policies of Holy Family university. every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published information.

© 2011 Holy Family university

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BrieFlynoteD Out and about on campus

SPRING 20114

holy Family launched its new brand identity on February 7 to several hundred of the University’s

faculty, staff, students, and friends. The launch was the culmination of a comprehensive research and planning initiative that began in 2008 to strategically position Holy Family for growth.

This fresh outlook calls Holy Family to succeed, to serve, to excel; it is a call to “Make an Impact” as a pledge of our contemporary, forward-thinking Catholic community. Led by a new positioning statement, institutional vision statement, brand architecture, and brand promise, the University rebranding highlights Holy Family’s comprehensive appeal as a professional, outcomes- and achievement-oriented learning community, one steeped in its rich tradition of faith, values, and personalized education.

HFU Launches new Brand InitiativeThe new brand identity not only looks to the future

but also draws on the University’s legacy. The reimagined logo (below) is derived from the original seal of the University. The three segments at the base of the shield symbolize the three main tenets of the brand promise: knowledge (intellectual growth), practice (professional growth), and formation (spiritual growth); the crosses represent the Holy Trinity and the Holy Family. The rays ascending from the base represent the five brand pillars—Core Values, Liberal Arts, Professional Career Development, Mentoring Exceptional Expert Faculty, Experiential Learning— and symbolize the dawning of a new phase of growth for Holy Family University.

For more information, see holyfamily.edu/about/Branding.shtml —Heather Dotchel

S. Francesca Onley unveils the new Holy Family University logo to the University community. Bottom right: Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Dennis Colgan, Jr.; President S. Francesca; and Ray Angelo, Chairperson of the Development and Public Relations Committee of the Board of Trustees


[email protected] SPRING 2011 5

holy Family students will spend nine days traveling through

Italy this spring to gain a better understanding of the psychological and sociological impacts of food.

The trip is for a special topics course, The Psychology and Sociology of Food, which asks students to apply theoretical concepts to better understand the biological, psychological, social, and cultural perspectives on food and eating.

The interdisciplinary seminar runs from May 17 through 25 and includes stops in Rome, Florence, Assisi, Venice, and Bologna. Assistant Professor of Sociology Jenai Murtha, PhD, and Lynn DellaPietra, PhD, Professor of Psychology and division

Seminar to Explore Psychology, Sociology of Food in Italyhead for Mathematics and the Sciences, are leading the course.

“Italy was chosen because of the psychological and sociological significance of food in that country,” DellaPietra said. “Food and eating are extremely important to the culture. There is a long history of food being of central importance in celebrations and rituals, and there are a number of opportunities to learn about food production.”

The group will learn about the production of olive oil, cheese, gelato, and chocolate as part of the lesson.

The seminar in Italy continues the tradition of the School of Arts and

School of nursing and Allied Health Professions Is reaccredited, Sees a Jump in nCLEX Pass rate

Sciences of providing an academic offering abroad each summer. Prior trips have taken students to England and France. —Naomi Hall

Faculty and staff in the school of Nursing and allied Health Professions received a double

dose of good news this year. the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs received their 10-year reaccreditation from the commission on collegiate Nursing education (ccNe) Board of commissioners in october.

“reaccreditation affirms the nursing faculty’s ongoing efforts for continuous program improve-ment,” said dean Christine M. rosner, rn, PhD.

the ccNe evaluation team had kind words for the Bachelor of science in Nursing and Master of science

in Nursing programs and complimented the school’s leadership for making the evaluation process smooth and efficient.

last fall, the BsN program showed marked improvement in the number of students passing the National council licensure examination for registered nurses (NcleX-rN). leadership sees the improvement as evidence that their comprehensive approach to raising NcleX pass rates is paying off.

“really, it has just been a culmination of things that has brought us to this point, and—most importantly—a lot of hard work on the part of all of the faculty,” said Karen Montalto, rn, PhD, associate Professor and chair of the BsN program.

student admission and progression criteria were revised. Faculty established weekly NcleX review for seniors, required completion of online practice ques-tions each week, instituted an all-day iV course, and realigned placement of content in the curriculum.

strategies to increase students’ critical thinking and active learning were implemented. For example, with grant funds, i-clicker technology was purchased for use in the classroom, and simulation experiences were incorporated into every clinical nursing course.

Visit sNaHP online at www.holyfamily.edu/sn. —Naomi Hall

brieflynoted Out and about on campus

SPRInG 20116

Middle States Reaccreditation Process Nears Completion

the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), the religious

congregation that founded and sponsors Holy Family University, is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its ministry in America.

The international religious community was founded in Rome in 1875 and now has ministries in 13 countries around the world. The sisters provide schools and educational services, social services, hospitals, healthcare facilities, and pastoral ministry.

The Congregation is especially committed to strengthening, supporting, and enhancing family life and to the moral and spiritual development of families.

An official 125th anniversary celebration launched last July 4, and the American foundation is in the midst of an 18-month celebration.

To mark this special anniversary, the Provincial Leadership Team has given the University $125,000 to

After years of work, Holy Family is in the final stages of its initiative to earn 10-year reaccreditation from

the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the premier accrediting body for colleges and universities in the region.

In March, the Middle States team evaluating the University’s reaccreditation bid visited campus for four days. The team subsequently issued a report on its visit, and Holy Family’s Middle States Reaccreditation Committee has drafted its institutional response.

The heart of the reaccreditation effort is a comprehensive self-study in which the University evaluated its effectiveness based on the 14 Characteristics of Excellence—or standards—established by MSCHE. This process occurs every 10 years and represents the very definitions of self-reflection and assessment.

The self-study contained a candid, analytical look at everything the University is doing, what it is doing well, where it needs modifications, and how it can accomplish specific goals. The Middle States team’s visit in March included meetings with trustees, senior administrators,

faculty, staff, and students and interviews with specific individuals and groups about points and issues raised in the self-study.

Once Middle States approves of the University’s recommendations to meet the 14 Characteristics of Excellence, Holy Family will commence with implementation of those steps.

“While the self-study was required by MSCHE every 10 years, it was not something we approached as some-thing we simply ‘had to do,’” said Leanne Owen, PhD, Associate Professor, Graduate Chairperson of Criminal Justice, and Chairperson of the Reaccreditation Commit-tee. “Rather, we viewed it as a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement and determine what each of us can do to ensure that Holy Family University is operating at an optimum level.”

In its March exit report, the evaluators praised the University for its progress over the last decade.

“We experienced your passion for mission,” added team Chairperson Sister Rosemary E. Jeffries. “It’s infectious.” —Thomas W. Durso

University’s Sponsoring Religious Order Marks 125 Years in the U.S.create The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in America Merit Scholarship.

Foundress Frances Siedliska, whose

religious name was Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, brought sisters to America in 1885 to serve the burgeoning immigrant popula-tion. They established headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois, where the American province of the CSFN is now headquartered.

During her last trip to Philadelphia, foundress Mother Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd drove through the Torresdale area and recognized the potential for growth. She died in 1902. Years later, in 1920, the sisters acquired 23 acres in Torresdale and established a provincial headquarters.

On the property, they built a provincial house, administrative headquarters, and Congregation-sponsored schools: Nazareth Academy High School for Girls, Nazareth Academy Grade School, and, in 1954, Holy Family College. These schools are thriving today thanks to the vision, dedication, and hard work of the sisters. —Naomi Hall



the Philadelphia Chapter of the Kosciuszko Foundation and Holy

Family University in Philadelphia hosted the photographic exhibit “Katyń: Massacre. Politics. Morality.” at the end of March. The exhibit featured photographs and primary source documents regarding the massacre of 22,000 Polish military officers and civil servants in the forest of Katyń and other locations. The mass graves were found during World War II.

The opening event of the exhibit was a lecture, “The Katyń Massacre: 70 Years Later,” by Marek Konarzewski, PhD, Minister Counselor of Science and

Technology Affairs for the Polish embassy in Washing-ton, D.C., with comments from Deborah Majka, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Philadelphia and other dignitaries.

Additionally, the Kosciuszko Foundation held a screening of the Academy Award- nominated film Katyń, followed by a question-and-answer period on Sunday, March 20.

University Hosts Exhibit on Katyń Massacre

The inspiration behind the exhibit coming here was biochemistry major Marek Kowalski, Class of 2011, who is originally from Poland. He asked the Kosciuszko Foundation to bring this powerful exhibit and movie to Holy Family University. He stated,

Sadly, the name of the village Katyń by every Pole will always be associated with the homicide of Polish officers, intelligence, and leaders of society, carried out by the Soviets in 1940. The new generations of Poles learn about this tragedy not only from history books but also from their own family members, as well as continued political dialogue between Poland and Russia.

…[M]any of [my American friends] might not have heard the name of Katyń or might not be aware that this tragedy took place not so long ago, within their own grandparents’ lifetimes. For us, young Poles, it is not only a chance to tell the international public about the suffering experienced by our nation, so representative of the suffering of all those affected by World War II, but it is also an opportunity to show how by killing the strategists of the Polish nation, who had the enormous potential of preventing the spread of communism to the land of post-war Poland, the Soviets set the ground for what was yet to come: nearly 50 years of communism, so devastating to both the people and the country itself.

…[T]oday’s free Poland tells us a story of how much we should treasure peace and how much we should treasure unity, despite any differences that might exist between us. For humans’ dignity is what matters most. This message we will find in the idea of the exhibit.

Since the exhibit came to the U.S. last year, thousands have viewed its powerful images in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C., in the Library of Congress, and at Harvard University and Stanford University’s Hoover Institute. The Katyń photographic exhibition was prepared by the Polish Council for the Protection of Sites of Struggle and Martyrdom, a Polish government organization that preserves Polish historical sites. —Naomi Hall

The exhibit, housed in the Education and Technology Center, provided powerful testimony to students and the University community.


SPRING 20118

noted local sportswriter Rich Westcott delivered a multimedia

presentation titled “The Phillies and Their Place in Baseball History” on Friday, April 8, at Holy Family University.

In his presentation, Westcott examined the history of the Philadelphia Phillies and its place in

the annals of baseball. Throughout the franchise's history, the

Phillies team has often been last, but seldom dull. Its colorful history and status as the fourth oldest team in Major League Baseball gives the Phillies a secure place in Philadelphia and American sports history.

Westcott is the author of 20 books on sports, mostly baseball. His titles

History Speaker Series Takes a Phillies Focusinclude Philadelphia Phillies Past and Present (2010); Phillies Essential: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Real Fan (2006); Philadelphia’s Old Ballparks (Baseball in America; 1996); and Veterans Stadium: Field of Memo-ries (2005), co-authored by former Phillies catcher Darren Daulton.

A writer and editor for more than 40 years, he has written for Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, Baseball Digest, and Baseball America. He also founded the Phillies Report. Westcott has appeared in seven film documen-taries about baseball and is a frequent guest on television and radio. He is president-elect of the Philadelphia Sports Writers’ Association, a special advisor to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

His appearance was sponsored by Holy Family University, Glen Foerd on the Delaware, and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council. The Glen Foerd series was launched in 2007 with a partnership between the University

and Glen Foerd on the Delaware, a Gilded Age-era mansion in Torres-dale. The lectures enable the public to hear from regional and national experts who share research-based insight into an aspect of American history. Topics typically focus on the Industrial Revolution, Gilded Age politics and society, free enterprise, American nationalism, Philadelphia history, and related matters.

In November, the series welcomed Randall M. Miller, PhD, of Saint Joseph’s University, who lectured to a large audience on the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the secession of seven states from the Union. —Naomi Hall

nursing instructor Kathleen Gronedahl Maguire ’80, MS, MSN, was appointed to the State Commission on Children and Families by then-

Governor Ed Rendell in October.Maguire serves as a school health coordinator for the School District

of Philadelphia.The Commission on Children and Families is a 40-member advisory board

of experts, educators, and parents, created in 2004. Its charge is to streamline the process by which children and families are served by government agencies across the state.

Members of the Commission identify policy, program, and systemic barriers that hinder families from receiving government services they need. Visit www.pachildren.state.pa.us to learn more. —Naomi Hall

nursing Instructor Appointed to State Advisory Commission

Philadelphia School District Contracts with University to Teach TESOL

the Philadelphia school district has selected

Holy Family as one of its providers of master’s-level instruction in teachers of english to speakers of other languages (tesol).

school district educators who need training for how to teach english to students who speak a foreign language will learn fundamental principles and practices as well as how to use students’ practical knowledge to enhance their language development.

the university first launched the Master of education in tesol and literacy with esl Program specialist certificate in 2008 under the leadership of associate Professor roger gee, PhD, who coordinates the program. —Naomi Hall



holy Family’s new strategic plan was rolled out to the University

community in February.Covering the years 2011 through

2014, the strategic plan offers an aspirational road map that advances the University according to its vision, mission, and core values. The plan is developed along four general themes: Embracing Our Mission, Striving for Distinction, Enhancing Our Living and Learning Environment, and Building Financial Strength.

Each theme includes several goals, with various departments and groups on campus charged with creating operational plans to meet those goals. A cross-functional Strategic Planning Stewardship Team, chaired by Karen Galardi, has been formed to shepherd the plan’s implementation.

Galardi, Executive Director of Holy Family-Newtown and Institutional Planning, worked with Performa Higher Education of Burlington, North Carolina, to develop the plan. A series of open meetings and smaller focus-group sessions were held at the

new Strategic Plan to Carry Holy Family University Into Its FutureUniversity’s four locations with groups of stakeholders. These gath-erings provided input on University strengths and areas where improve-ments could be made. They also identified opportunities that assisted in focusing planners’ efforts in directions that would have the most impact.

“There are countless opportunities to expand our academic offerings, to

strategic plan

2011-2014holy family university

Holy Family University Awarded Prestigious Title III grant

last september, Holy Family became the only university in Pennsylvania to receive a title iii

strengthening institutions grant, awarded by the u.s. department of education. over the next five years, Holy Family will receive $1.92 million to create, develop, and implement a comprehensive, unified assessment program for student learning and institutional effectiveness. through an extremely competitive application process, Holy Family became one of forty-eight universities nationwide to receive this prestigious grant.

in the fall, the university began using the funding to create three new full-time staff positions to expand the university’s office of institutional research and assessment, led by director Chad May. under May’s leadership, this department will work with the academic programs and administration to

assess each area of the university and to ensure that Holy Family is exceeding the academic standards set by the Middle states commission on Higher education.

in addition to enhancing this department, more than $300,000 of the funds awarded will be directed toward growing the university’s endowment in the form of a challenge grant. this challenge provides friends and alumni of the university with a unique opportunity to double the impact of their gifts by contributing to the endowment fund, as each new dollar from donors will be matched through this grant.

as a leader in education in the Philadelphia region, the university is excited to have been the only recipient in the state and believes this grant provides the university with an exceptional opportunity to further its mission. —suzanne libenson

attract a diverse population of students with our residence life offerings, and to provide an exceptionally rich experience through our growing student life activities, our athletics program, and so much more,” Galardi said. “Change is all around us.”

The strategic plan can be found at http://www.holyfamily.edu/about/strategicplan.shtml. —Thomas W. Durso


SPRING 201110

Frustrated with the results of their online and reference book research on rosaries,

Professor Helen Hoffner, EdD, and her mother, Gloria Brady Hoffner, recently wrote The Rosary Collector’s Guide: Photos and Descriptions of Collectible Rosaries, Crosses and Crucifixes.

The book provides identifying photos, names, descriptions, and origins of rosaries from various cultures and includes the history of the present-day rosary. The 183-page, self-published volume also features FAQs about rosaries.

Dr. Hoffner said the book was born from the need to learn more about Mrs. Hoffner’s extensive rosary collection. Mrs. Hoffner is a self-taught expert who has spent hours researching rosaries she found in church stores, antique shops, and open-air markets. She began collecting rosaries as a child.

“For many years, we searched for reference books that

Education Professor Co-Authors rosary guide

In MEMOrIUM: University Loses Former Trustee and Staffer, Longtime Faculty Member, Local Historian and Alumnus

the Holy Family university community mourned the losses of a longtime faculty member and

a former trustee last summer. Sister M. Bernadette Donahue, CSFn, MA, associate treasurer and assis-tant to the director of the university’s Newtown facility,

succumbed to illness august 4. sister Bernadette was a familiar

face to students in the Business office at Newtown, where she had worked since its opening in 1997. a member of Holy Family’s Board of trustees from 1989 to 1995, she also had served on the Middle

states reaccreditation committee prior to her illness.“she was a very good friend and mentor to all of us

at Newtown,” said karen Galardi, executive director of Holy Family-Newtown and institutional Planning.

Joan zieja, rn, MPH, assistant Professor in the school of Nursing and allied Health Professions, passed away a few weeks later, on august 24. Zieja developed and taught the Nursing care of older adults course and coordinated the Parish Nursing program. she began teaching at the university in 1984.

“Joan was a loved and respected colleague who was dedicated to students and broadened their knowledge of gerontology,” said christine rosner, rN, Phd, dean of the school of Nursing and allied Health Professions. “she truly lived the university mission. the nursing faculty and students will miss her.” —robert Macartney

Bruce Conner ’76 was a respected local historian who championed Northeast Philadelphia history projects and building preservation. a member of the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame steering committee, Bruce was returning from a meeting to save a historical building, the more than 300-year-old Heidelberg-kerlin farmhouse in cheltenham township, when he was involved in the February 22 accident that led to his death on March 9.

Friend and Project director for the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame Jack Mccarthy said, “He was a role model for me and i suspect for many others as well. With Bruce conner’s passing, the Northeast Philadelphia history community has lost a great champion, while those of us who knew him have lost a dear friend. Hopefully, we can carry on the work that was so important to him and, what would be even better, adopt some of his spirit and determination.” —Heather dotchel

would give us information on historical rosaries,” Dr. Hoffner said. “Although we found many beautiful books with prayers and medita-tions related to the rosary, we could not find any books that identified the many variations that can be found throughout the world.”

In 2006, Dr. Hoffner began photographing unusual rosaries in her mother’s collection and organizing her notes about each piece. She used some of her sabbatical time in spring 2009 to complete research for their book, which is intended to serve as a reference for rosary owners and collectors.

Each page provides a photo of a rosary with a brief explanation about it. Those pictured in the book are all from Ms. Hoffner’s collection.

The book is available online at eBay.com and Amazon.com (ISBN:1-934849-16-2). For more information, e-mail [email protected]. —Naomi Hall



Five new members were welcomed into the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame at its second annual

induction ceremony, held at Holy Family in October.Benjamin Rush, Robert Purvis, Butch Ballard, Sister

Mary Scullion, and Special People in the Northeast, Inc. (SPIN) joined last year’s inaugural class of eight.

The Hall of Fame is a project of Holy Family, the Historical Society of Frankford, the Northeast Times, and State Representative Dennis O’Brien. University President Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD, chairs its 10-member selection committee.

Holy Family senior Meghan Myers and Professor of Art Pamela Flynn, MFA, presented a sculpture to honor the eight 2009 inductees. The sculpture, titled “Taking Root,” featured a tree with eight roots to signify the members of the inaugural HOF class.

“It’s always a pleasure to reflect on individuals or groups

residence Life and campus club Students At Your Service (SAYS)

partnered to launch a new program called Living Learning Communities. Through the program, students live together in campus housing and commit to work together in provid-ing community service hours to the University and also to fellow residential students through educational programming. Linda DiGennaro, the University Special Services Director and the founder and advisor of SAYS, coordinates the Living Learning Communities for Residence Life.

Brett Buckridge, Director of Residence Life, said the program offers another means to enrich students’ campus life. “Studies show that if a student is invested in his or her community there is more satisfaction. Higher satisfaction rates with students dedicated to academic studies as well as cocurricular interests will strengthen the Residence Life program, and more students would see a vibrant campus atmosphere,” Buckridge said.

Four sophomores—Samantha

University Hosts northeast Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Campus Pilots new Living Learning Communities

who embody the spirit of Northeast Philadelphia,” said S. Francesca.

Now with 13 members, the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame has honored some of the outstanding living and deceased individuals and groups of the Northeast who have brought change, development, progress, and hope to the region. —Robert Macartney

Pestridge (pre-elementary/special education), Samantha Swanson (education), Gina Cuffari (nursing), and Alyssa Lamson (nursing)—are in the program. They live together in Garden Residence apartments.

“This experience has taught me the true definition of teamwork, and I love working side-by-side with these girls,” Pestridge said.

There is a difference between living as a regular resident student and belonging to the Living Learning Community, according to Lamson. “We have had to come up with a lot of ideas and projects for community service and act on those projects.

…It helped us with time management and setting our priorities,” she said.

Students were responsible for development of the Garden Residence bulletin boards and promotion of various Residence Life programs, and this spring, they led an etiquette training session for all campus students.

There is no fee for the program. Students may sign up for it as they apply for residential housing. Future Living Learning groups may have other themes, Buckridge and DiGennaro said. Topics depend largely on the interests of students. —Naomi Hall

COrrECTIOn an item (“concrete Marker tells Historical tale”) in the Fall 2010 issue of Holy Family University Magazine described the engraved concrete slab at Frankford avenue and stevenson lane as one of thousands of markers placed along the lincoln Highway in the first half of the 20th century. However, according to the Northeast Philadelphia History Network, “the milestone is probably close to 200 years old and has much deeper roots in the history of Northeast Philadelphia.” We regret the error.

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Just a few years after its resurgence, Holy Family University’s Residence Life program is offering students a robust and experiential lesson in growing up as well as adding life and activity to the campus every day of the week.

Photography by Michael Branscom

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Lessons inLiving

spring 201114

Jessica Ford loved being a Holy Family student—meaningful learning, good connections with professors, classes that

challenged her and expanded her ho-rizons. But the gregarious elementary education major from Bucks County felt there was something missing when she would attend classes and then go home. “I was really interested in the total college experience,” says Ford ’07. So she was thrilled when in 2004-05, her sophomore year, Holy Family announced plans to open a full Residence Life program. “I thought it would be a fun experience to get more involved in college,” says Ford. “Before, you might stay to watch one of your friends play basketball, but there weren’t many programs to get you interacting. I really wanted to experience that.” Ford applied to be one of the first resident advisors (RAs), and when a newly renovated St. Joseph Hall opened her junior year, she threw herself into the position. What followed, she says, was two memorable years of making friends, guiding younger students, and building lifelong memories. People she met in the dorms are still friends. “It just brought me together with so many other people,” says Ford, now a teacher in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. “We got to know each other really well. When I lived there, I felt like I was growing up.”

Robust ChangeIn the past decade, Holy Family has transformed from a small commuter college to a growing regional univer-sity with a presence 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that move wasn’t just about adding advanced degree programs, forging internation-al partnerships, or opening new locations. Adding a robust Residence Life program was also part of the change. It was clear to the school’s leaders that the next step in Holy Family’s goal of providing a highly personalized learning experience was offering students the choice of living on campus. “We decided that

residents would be an achievable goal to go for,” remembers Michael McNulty-Bobholz, Activi-ties Director. “It was the next area to grow into. All of our competitors had residential programs, not just commuter students. It was a nice niche, but we needed to grow.”

Although it was a shift for the modern Holy Family, in a way, the University was getting back to its roots. The first Holy Family students moved into what was then Lourdes Hall, later St. Joseph Hall, in 1958, and the facility was used as a resi-dence hall until the mid-1970s. In 2004, two years after Holy Family officially became a university, officials began the shift back to having stu-dents live on campus when they hired Lisa Corbin-Kalinowski as Director of Residence Life.

From the beginning, Corbin- Kalinowski saw Holy Family as ripe ground for a thriving Residence Life program. “Holy Family is a small, private, religious-affiliated institution where you can truly work on building community,” she says. Still, establish-ing the program from the ground up

Stevenson Lane ResidenceStudents gather in the common

areas to unwind and play.

was no small task. Corbin-Kalinowski and her husband sold their house and moved onto campus, living in one of the duplex apartments where 23 stu-dents, mostly athletes, had been living without close supervision. “I got in, and I set some ground rules, some policies and procedures,” she says. In a year, Corbin-Kalinowski and her team would work together to recruit and select resident advisors, formu-late a judicial review system, and attract residents to live in St. Joseph Hall, which had served as a convent from the time students vacated it in the 1970s. The building was modernized—retrofitted with modern lounges, a game room, a 24-hour com-puter lab, and updated student rooms.

spring 2011 [email protected]

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officials worked to let students know that living at Holy Family would be much like taking classes there. “We said, ‘We’re small, but we’re going to give you a quality experience,’” said Corbin-Kalinowski, who is now an adjunct faculty mem-ber and the University’s Counseling Field Placement Coordinator. It was a banner day when the first students moved into St. Joseph Hall in 2005. “every day was an exciting new experience for all of us,” remembers Cynthia Brong, executive Secretary in the Student Services Department. “It was hands-on until it opened for the students’ arrival. We all literally carried mattresses to the dorm rooms, hung shower curtains on the many shower stalls, and did whatever was necessary to get the building open in time.” In many ways, the rebirth of residence life meant a recalibration for many university departments.

“We had to manage the logistics of, ‘oK, we’re going to have students come in on Saturday for first-year student move-in day, so now we’ll have to have the business office open, financial aid open,’” Corbin-Kalin-owski says. “It was eye-opening for everyone, but it was amazing.”

Meet The NeighborsThere were, of course, some growing pains. Neighbors were worried that more college students in their midst would mean trouble—parties, trash, noise. Because of the small number of residents initially, the option of changing rooms wasn’t always a pos-sibility. To be sure, there were bumps, but the new rules kept things orderly, and community began to build. To alleviate their fears, Holy Family held monthly neighborhood meetings, and students ended up raking neighbors’ leaves, shoveling their snow, waving hello. Corbin-Kalinowski and her husband even brought their newborn daughter home to live at Holy Family. “They saw that we were a family,” she says. “We went from a campus that was just exactly that—a campus—to a home.”

Although the majority of Holy Family students hail from spots close to campus—Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County—residence life has grown steadily since its inception. “We have people who live liter-

ally around the corner, but they want the true university experience,” says McNulty-Bobholz. “They get life skills. This gives them a chance to live on their own, to deal with a contract, with problems. And if they get in trouble, that’s a learning experience too.”

Modern LivingIn 2005, there were about 50 students living on campus; the resident population has swelled to about 300 for the

2010-11 academic year and is expect-ed to grow next year. St. Joseph Hall offers the more traditional college residence experience and is occupied mostly by freshmen and sophomores. Upperclassmen live in the modern garden Residence, with its apart-ment-style accommodations, and most recently, the Stevenson Lane Residence opened—a $20 million, five-story brick-and-glass building for up to 150 students. “We have a lot of amenities that the older universities don’t provide,” said Brett Buckridge, the current Director of Residence Life. “We have free laundry, wireless networks, and other things that the other universities are trying to redo their older residence halls for.” The new and growing Residence Life program has really become a calling card, Buckridge says. “It has become a marketing tool. At every open house, people know that the Univer-sity is building, dedicating its time to residence life. A freshman student might say, ‘Well, they just built a new residence hall. Who knows what they’ll do next?’”

Freshman Christina Cecala agrees that the Residence Life program was key to her decision to come to Holy Family, as she wanted the experience of living away from home. She says, “I love living on campus. I don’t have to worry about missing class because of traffic or something going wrong

spring 201116 holyfamily.edu/ia/publications.shtml

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Stevenson Lane ResidenceThis state-of-the-art complex offers suite life and a top-line fitness center.

with my means of transportation. Also, living on campus has taught me a lot of responsibility. There is no one to wake me up in the morning or do my wash. I feel I grew up a lot this year.” She mentions that living on campus has kept her more connected to the school, more aware of activities.

Fellow St. Joseph Hall resident Niyah Dark echoes Cecala’s senti-ments. She, too, wanted to be some-where that was close to home but not too close, allowing her to explore her freedom: “Holy Family was the perfect place to go.” She especially appreciates the work that the RAs do to involve residents in different programs.

That’s the goal, officials say. Accord-ing to Buckridge, “We try to provide students with opportunities outside the classroom—cocurricular interests. We want them to explore other aca-demic ventures, and we want them to develop personally as well as socially.” Resident students take trips into Center City Philadelphia, to sport-ing events, to museums. There are also lessons in personal finance study skills, healthy relationships, even how to do laundry (“It sounds simple, but some people don’t know how to do that,” Buckridge says.).

Campus LivelihoodHousing students on campus has transformed the University, says McNulty-Bobholz, whose department has worked closely with Residence Life since its launch. “Prior to the res-idents coming onto campus, we did programs, but they were very spotty, and not many were held at night,” he says. “our commuters would go home and do family or social things in their


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Garden ResidenceStudents benefit from wi-fi connections and newly renovated living spaces.

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own communities.” Sister Marcella Binkowski, Holy Family’s Vice Presi-dent for Student Services, says the change has not only personalized the learning experience for students but also enhanced campus for faculty and staff, too. “It’s nice to see students all the time, even on weekends,” she says. “In the past, it was almost desolate.

The campus is much more lively.” There’s a drama club and a TV club. There are pep rallies and intramural sports, trips, and holiday festivals. Professors hold study sessions in residence common spaces. Sister Marcella has participated in “Snack with the Sisters”; the RAs trooped over to the convent for a dinner,

a waffles-and-ice-cream party. “We want the residents to know who we are and that we’re human. If they’re not used to a Catholic education, they’ll get to know who we are and what we’re about,” says Sister Marcella. Campus minister Rev. James MacNew, oSFS, hosted “Pizza with the Padre” and holds monthly faith-sharing sessions with students. There are also opportunities for residents to host commuter students. “In some cases,” McNulty-Bobholz says, “the residents have become the big brothers of some of the commuters, getting them out into the community.”

For Will Toffling, residence life was the seminal experience of his Holy Family years. Toffling ’07 grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and chose Holy Family because of its size and its reputation. He threw himself into student life, participating in student government and other activities. “I loved how in contact you could be with people from all departments,” Toffling says. But in talking to high school friends who chose other uni-versities, Toffling realized that living on campus could be another way to get involved. He signed on to become one of the first RAs during his junior year and quickly realized that he was well-suited for the work. “I loved helping people grow and expand,” Toffling says. “We were always trying hard to get the students involved.” Now in graduate school at the University of Delaware, Toffling is an RA working toward a master’s degree in higher education adminis-tration. Living at Holy Family, he says, showed him the possibilities of what residence life can do for a student. “For me,” he says, “living on campus was a dream come true.”


St. Joseph HallFreshman Niyah Dark pauses a moment

outside of her dorm room.

A good plAn produces good results.I learned the benefits of a good plan as a student at Holy Family and during a lengthy career in government. Of course, the best of all good plans is God’s plan.

Holy Family was in God’s plan for me. This special learning community—drawing inspiration from the example and teaching of Jesus—helped prepare me for a life of personal accomplishment and service. So when I did my estate planning, I followed His example and included Holy Family in my plan.

When I no longer need what He has provided, those resources will help future generations of Holy Family students. Just as others helped sustain His plan for me, my gift will help sustain His plan for others.

Holy Family University’s students need your help, too. A planned gift isn’t hard to arrange, and you can enjoy the use of your resources for as long as you need them. For details on how to support Holy Family’s students with a bequest, life insurance proceeds, or a gift annuity or charitable trust, call 267-341-3428 or send an email to [email protected].

Pamela Doyle-Penne ‘70

MindsArts

and


Since its debut in 2005, the HFU Art Gallery has hosted local and national artist exhibits. More importantly, Pamela Flynn, Professor of Art and University’s Gallery Coordinator, has inspired and required her students to use the gallery’s potential to host their own shows as seniors to fulfill their degree requirements.

MindsArts

and

Top: Katrina CarrollMiddle: Michael Gentile and Pamela FlynnBottom: Sam Mushman, Michael Gentile, and Flynn

spring 2011 21

By Richard Rys

Photography by Sabina Louise Pierce

[email protected]

Above: Flynn instructs Ashley Brendle in Painting I.

Above: Sam Mushman with Flynn Right: Michael Gentile, Megan

Sweeney, and Jacilyn Jacobs

spring 201122

on a warm, sun-splashed morning in February, there’s a buzz in the Holy Family Art Gallery as students strike hammers to nails, prepping the space inside the Education and Technology Center for its latest exhibit—“Recycle Ghana”—a collaboration between an artist from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and children from Nungua, Ghana, who handcrafted pieces of jewelry and paper items from sugar cane leaves. In the center of all the commotion is Pamela Flynn, the Gallery’s Coordinator and Professor in the University’s Art Department. There’s a certain breathlessness in the way Flynn speaks, an excitement and an urgency in her words. She’ll say that’s partly her New York roots coming to the surface, but in truth, it’s a reflection of her belief in two things—the transformative power of the arts and the talent of her students. “They’re great,” she says. “I don’t bring in my work to influence them. Everyone does what they are driven to do. I want them to find their own voices.”

As an accomplished painter, sculptor, and mixed-media artist, Flynn has exhibited her work in galleries in Manhattan and throughout the East Coast. Her goal when she arrived at Holy Family 12 years ago was to create a dedicated space for both students and established artists to showcase their work. In 2005, the gallery made its debut and has since welcomed exhibits from scores of local and national artists, including Philadelphia printmaker Wendy Osterwell’s take on the BP oil spill; Pew Fellow and Mural Arts Pro-gram painter Patricia Ingersoll’s study of the “ethereal elements of nature”; and Michigan-based poet Mursalata Muhammad’s “Haiku Middle Passage,” a traveling show that unites poetry and visual art to link tales of slaves

years ago with human trafficking that still exists today. The gallery’s diversity is a reflection of the philosophy found in Flynn’s own work, which she describes as dealing with “pretty important issues. But life is the contrast of intense and trivial moments. I try not to make everything heavy and to put things in there that are light and fun.”

Flynn’s focus, though, is on her students and providing them with a professional experience before they graduate. As a degree requirement, student artists produce a final show and pore over every detail from hanging their work to advertising the event. They’re also required to write a research paper that’s linked to their art. To complement her work examining the relation-ships between adults and children, senior Danielle Farrell researched the effects of abusive relationships on kids. Perhaps the most stressful requirement for these young artists is the mandatory gallery talk explaining their pieces at the opening. “People laugh and say, ‘You’re an art major? That’s so easy,’” says Flynn. “It’s not easy.”

In a sense, the bustling art gallery—where students and professionals learn from and inspire each other—

represents the evolution of the Holy Family art program itself. “When I first came here, I think there were two art majors who graduated,” Flynn says. “Now we have 20 to 30 students with their own studio space and we’re filled to the maximum.” Now Flynn is see-ing her grads forge successful careers. Alumna Maria Caruso ’03/M’09, who worked with renowned sculptor Kiki Smith, is back in the classroom, this time as one of the department’s adjunct professors. Caruso’s presence is proof that a career in visual arts is possible and complements Flynn’s mission to instill a sense of purpose and fearlessness in her students. “They need to learn to break some rules in art-making and express themselves,” Flynn says. Spoken like a true artist.


Top: Maria Caruso ‘03/M ‘09Bottom left: Katrina Carroll, Flynn, and Michael Gentile with his work from Sculpture II Bottom right: Nicole Battilana


Above: Flynn instructs Erica Mazza in Painting II.Left: Students participate in a Sculpture I critique (L-R: Shannon McCrorey, Josh Mayo, Megan Sweeney, Erica Mazza, Michael Gentile, and Jeremiah Shahene).Sculpture: Lindsay Melnick’s work

Painting, above: Josh Mayo’s workLeft: Jeremiah ShaheneRight: Nicole Battilana

spring 201124

From near-homelessness to serving as a teenaged caretaker, Betsy Lane had every reason to eschew college.

Instead, thanks to immense personal drive and a helping hand from University donors,

she is excelling as a biology major at Holy Family and taking aim at a career

in physical therapy.

By Thomas W. Durso

Photography By Michael Branscom

From near-homelessness to serving as a teenaged caretaker, Betsy Lane had every reason to eschew college.

Instead, thanks to immense personal drive and a helping hand from University donors,

she is excelling as a biology major at Holy Family and taking aim at a career

in physical therapy.

By Thomas W. Durso

Photography by Michael Branscom

Inspirationan exercise inan exercise inInspiration

spring 2011 25

InspirationInspiration

B etsy Lane swears she didn’t intend to turn a roomful of Holy Family donors and students into

moist-eyed listeners with lumps in their throats. She just wanted to share her gratitude for their support of student scholarships, which have helped her as they have so many others to overcome some adversity and proceed on the road to educational prosperity.

There’s adversity, though, and there’s adversity. The story Lane told that night in September about her obstacle-strewn path was so compelling that the hundreds who heard it couldn’t help but be moved.

“I just wanted to have a really positive message and say no matter what you go through, it’s up to you to turn it around,” Lane says. “But I think a lot more heart, a lot more pain came through than was intended. People were coming up to me and telling me about their own lives and how it was inspiring. It blew me away.”

T he young woman sitting in a nearly empty Campus Center cafeteria during finals week looks nothing like

the hard-knock-life girl who stars in the personal history she recounts. Relaxed and poised, Betsy Lane offers an easy, dimpled smile that crinkles her light green eyes. Today, her blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail, reveal-ing large, double-hooped, gold earrings and a gold necklace with two interconnected hearts hanging from the end.

Pausing occasionally to call to friends entering and leaving the cafeteria, Lane tells her tale matter-of-factly, neither downplaying nor dramatizing the troubles she and her family endured.

Lane grew up in a household burdened by money issues and substance abuse problems. Clearly leery of exploiting the circumstances of her upbringing, she prefers not to delve too deeply, offering just enough details to outline the picture.

“There were a lot of drugs and alcohol in my family,” she says. “I have four older brothers. One of them had four

kids with this girl who was basically not even present in their lives, and neither was their dad, really. They were just using and going in and out of jail.

“My parents,” she adds, “were dealing with their own issues. There were drugs and alcohol, and my dad had to work. My mom had issues; I don’t want to put her out there, but, yeah, she had some problems.”

The convergence of these factors—her brother’s children, her mother’s personal problems, and her father’s job—led Lane to make an extraordinary decision. Barely into her teens, she took it upon herself to care for her young nieces and nephews, one of them afflicted with a slight case of cerebral palsy, as much as she could.

“I felt that I needed to do something, so I did,” she says. “I mean, they are my nieces and nephews. I love them, and I wasn’t going to be like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t know.’ I didn’t want them to be taken away. …I didn’t know that I was going to be doing it, but it just kind of happened.”

Understandably, Lane’s bold gesture led to complications. She was enrolled in Abington High School at this point but without a permanent residence. Pinballing from her parents’ house to her brother’s house to boyfriends’ houses to crashing with friends, Lane would receive phone calls from her brother requesting her return because no one was there to watch the kids. Or she’d go back to his place after school “and find total chaos.” School often took a backseat to childcare.

“I never knew where I was going to stay,” she says. “Sometimes, it was good, and there was somebody watching the kids, and sometimes, there wasn’t, and I had to come back and take over again. Eventually everyone was telling me, ‘You need to get out of this situation.’”

With the police, her pastor, and others in her ear about the impossibility of sustaining the arrangements, Lane headed west in her senior year of high school to California’s San Bernardino Valley, where her family hailed from and her grandmother still lived.


Monkeys Café, across from the SEPTA Torresdale station, and suggested she apply to the University. She was accepted and enrolled as a biology major in the fall of 2009.

Working tables at Three Monkeys one day, Lane struck up a conversation with a customer, Jaye Grochowski, who works in Holy Family’s Alumni and Parents office. Their chat turned to their respective experiences at the University.

“She’s talking to me and asking questions about myself,” Lane recalls, “and I’m saying, ‘Yeah, I’m working about three jobs right now. I’m just trying to pay for school. I’m really excited going to Holy Family.’"

Grochowski encouraged Lane to apply for a scholarship that had been established in her name. So Lane applied for and received the Jaye Grochowski Scholarship, which recognizes academic merit and financial need as well as the traits for which Grochowski is known: loyalty, dedica-tion, service, caring, and commitment to Judeo-Christian values. That assistance is what Lane spoke so passionately and movingly about last fall. It is a fitting reward for her perseverance. Today, Lane is an outstanding student

But Lane’s trying circumstances seemed to follow her. Her grandmother soon developed troubles of her own and couldn’t take care of Lane, so less than six months later, she returned East only to find that her younger nephew and niece had been placed in foster homes.

“It was hard on everyone,” says Lane, who re-enrolled at Abington High. “I’m not going to lie; it sucked. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know if I was ever going to see them again.”

She did, traveling with her father to Lancaster, where the kids were in foster care, for visits. The visits were emotionally draining; Lane credits Abington High Associate Principal Rodd McCuen and Guidance Counselor Tina Ferebee for recognizing the uniqueness of her circum-stances and supporting her through a difficult time.

She recalls McCuen asking Lane why she had missed school so much, and when she shared her story, his response was exactly what she needed to hear.

“Just come to school,” he said. “I know you might not be here all the time, and you might not be here at the right time, but just come to school as much as you can and don’t worry about getting suspended.”

Lane heeded the advice. She attended classes as much as she could, but when her older nephew and niece needed tending to, she was there.

“She didn’t play a victim role. She knew what she needed to do to make things better,” says Ferebee. “She was able to realize that some things were out of her hands.”

Referring to the younger kids’ placement in foster care, Ferebee adds, “I know it was difficult for her to let go of some things, but in the bigger picture she knew the best way for her to help her family was to take care of herself.”

D uly supported, Lane made it through high school and spent the next year

waiting tables and working at an accounting firm. She wanted to go to college, but with no role models in her family and such paralyzing instability, the going was tough. Lane’s parents had split up, so she alter- nated staying with her boyfriend and her father. Her mom and dad had never obtained a birth certificate for her, so she couldn’t even obtain a Social Security card, let alone a driver’s license.

“I gotta be honest,” she says. “I look back at that time and I don’t know what was happening. It was a sad time. I was very alone, very confused.”

Lane’s boyfriend, a student at Holy Family, helped her land a job at Three

spring 2011 27

Lane poses with a simian friend on Three Monkeys Café's patio.

[email protected]

and a resident assistant in the Garden Apartments.She is, finally, home.“It’s kind of like a family to me now,” she says. “It helps

that it’s such a small school, because I can just go to my teachers’ offices, and they’re there to help me at any time. I can just walk in and ask them a question. And I found my best friends here; I live with my best friend. It’s just the coolest. Everything I’ve gotten involved with in school has made me feel like I just belong here.”

Lane has not simply overcome her tough start—she is using it to guide her path forward. Watching physical therapists help her nephew with cerebral palsy inspired Lane to target the field as a career goal.

Left: Lane moves the audience as she speaks at the Scholarship Stewardship Dinner. Right: Lane with Jaye Grochowski, for whom Lane's scholarship was named.

spring 201128

“They really helped him, and they were a source of information on ways to work with him,” she says. “I just remember thinking that would be a really cool thing to do. I talked to one of my teachers not long ago, and they said, ‘You should get into physical therapy. It’s such a flexible job, and you’re really good with kids and people. You should do it.’”

Lane’s mother is now clean and living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and in late 2010, she adopted her four grandchildren. Lane sees them as often as she can, meeting up with her father in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and making the drive north. She sees her own arduous journey as mirroring that of her mother, whom she calls “the strongest person I know.”

“At any given point, at any time, someone is going through something bad, and no matter what you do, somebody has always got it worse than you,” Lane says. “I was surrounded by it. I saw people who were in even worse family situations than I was. I knew I wasn’t alone. I guess that’s kind of what kept me going.”

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A visual slice of life at Holy Family

SPRING 2011

1000words

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Taking the Bull By The HornsEach spring, the Holy Family University campus celebrates the end of the semester and the onset of finals with a festival of food, music, and games called Tiger-Paw-Looza! Amidst the obstacle course, jousting, and velcro walls, Ana Maria Catanzaro, PhD, Chairperson of the Master of Science in Nursing Program, proved her riding superiority, managing to outlast all other participants on the dastardly bucking bull.


The Holy Family University Alumni site has integrated with Facebook to offer a one-click update option; simply sign into the Alumni site with your Facebook profile and your status will

keep your friends in both places updated on your news. If you don’t use Facebook, then the original sign-in option is still available. Call 267-341-3339 with any questions.

Get in touch with old friends, register for events, keep up with Holy Family news, search for jobs, post a resume, or network with alumni in your field.

Join today – Reconnecting is as easy as updating your status!

Make a One-Stop Connection!alumni.holyfamily.edu

tigertales Reports from the court, track, and field

SPRING 201132

Senior Aimee Drabyn Wins NCAA Scholarship

student-athlete Aimee Drabyn ’11 scored a prestigious scholarship from the National Collegiate Athletic Association

(NCAA) for graduate study. She plans to use her scholarship to pursue a postgraduate degree in sports administration at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, she will work as a graduate assistant in Belmont’s Department of Recreation and Fitness.

“I am truly grateful to receive the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship,” Drabyn says. “I want to make an impact on the lives of student-athletes on and off the playing field. The opportunity is very humbling, and I hope to represent Holy Family University and the NCAA well because they have made an impact on my life!”

The nomination process for this honor is rigorous. Students must excel both in the classroom and on the field, and they must demonstrate school involvement, commu-nity service, and leadership. In addition to

completing a thorough application, they must create a formal personal statement and secure four recommendations from the Faculty Athletics Representative, their head coach, the athletics director, and a professor.

Drabyn, an education major, played for Holy Family’s volleyball team for four years, including three years as captain. She finished her career as the Tigers’ all-time leader in total assists (3,889) and total service aces (205). She was a three-time CACC All-Academic Selection (2008-2010), and she was an All-CACC selection three times. —Heather Dotchel

Student-Athletes Visit Local Fire House

student-athletes from Holy Family University visited the Cornwells

Fire Company #1 of Bensalem Township in Bucks County in mid-November. Members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) prepared a nice buffet dinner for the fire department as a way of thanking them for all that they do. Dr. Arthur Grugan, Philosophy Professor and the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for the student-athletes at Holy Family, also took part in the event.

During the dinner, the fire fighters, who are all volunteers, gave their guests a tour of the firehouse and explained their daily duties and responsibilities. The student-athletes had the opportunity to try on the fire suits, handle the equipment, and even got a chance to ride on the fire truck. In the midst of the hands-on demonstrations and the tour of the firehouse, the members of SAAC along with the firefighters and some of their families enjoyed the well-prepared meal. —Greg Pellegrino


Junior Jillian Keeve and sophomore Christina Mastroeni try out the equipment at Cornwells Fire Company #1.

33SPRING 2011

across the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC),

Catherine Carr ’11 was known as a star athlete and a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. However, that was only one small facet of what molded her into an All-American student-athlete.

Recently, it was announced by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) that Carr was among 10 student-athletes across NCAA Division II named to the State Farm Coaches’ All-America team.

“It’s an honor I’m pleased with,” said Carr. “It’s a great accomplish-ment to receive. When Coach [Mark] Miller told me, I was kind of speechless.”

“I am very proud and happy for her with this honor,” said Miller. “She worked very hard the past four years to be put in this position. She had a great career, and to highlight it like this is a great way to go out.”

And what a career it has been for the 2011 graduate. Over the past four years, Carr has been an integral part of the success of the women’s basketball team. This year’s senior advanced to four straight NCAA Division II Tournaments, including two regional finals, while compiling a win/loss record of 112-15.

“It [went] by very fast, but it was a great experience,” said Carr of her career. “I loved it all. I wouldn’t take anything back. Its crazy to think I’m done playing basketball [at Holy Family]. The experiences, the people I met...[are] definitely the best part of my life so far.”

Carr put together a record-breaking season this year, as she finished her four-year career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,995

Catherine Carr, All-American Student-Athletecareer points. Carr broke Debbie Schopfer ’91’s 20-year record of 1,928 career points during the semifinals of the CACC Tournament (see picture, below, of Schopfer with Carr). Earlier in the year, Carr also set the new standard for most career field goals made. She finished with 767 career field goals.

“I kind of tried not to focus on [the scoring record] so much because I knew a lot of other people were and didn’t want it to distract me in any way,” said Carr. “Once it was done and over with, I felt good about it. That’s an accomplishment I’ll be able to look back on and tell other people about.”

This season, Carr averaged a team-best

16.4 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. She also recorded 34 steals and had 13 blocked shots.

Off the court, Carr excelled just as much as she did on it. She anticipated graduating with a 3.85 grade-point average with a degree in sports marketing management.

Carr was also heavily involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) program and

a number of community engagement events that they put together.

“SAAC really helps you focus on others and not just yourself in becoming a better person by giving something up and not always looking to receive something in return,” said Carr.

As graduation approached, Carr was already pursing the next stage of her life—she plans to try out to play basketball overseas this summer. —Greg Pellegrino

Build-A-Library

the Holy Family University Athletics Department donated and presented new children’s books to the Bayard Taylor Elementary

School in November. The assembly marked the fifth annual “Build-A-Library” community engagement event, which first began in 2006. Since then, the Athletics Department, along with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), have donated nearly 8,200 new books to seven Philadelphia-area schools.

Holy Family student-athletes and athletics staff delivered 1,200 books to Taylor. The student-athletes also spoke to the students about staying in school, overcoming challenges, and having goals. In addition, Holy Family donated 500 new children’s books to the John Welsh Elementary School. —Greg Pellegrino

[email protected]

Reports from the court, track, and fieldtigertales

34 SPRING 2011

FALL SporTS rouNDup

Men’s SoccerThe Holy Family University men’s soccer team won three of its last four conference games down the stretch to make its fifth consecutive trip to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament under head coach Mike Bradby. The team finished the year 7-9-3 overall and was 4-5-2 in conference play. Three members of the team were selected to the CACC All-Conference team: junior Colin Whalen (first team), sophomore Dodji Freitas (second team), and graduate student Nick Pratico (honorable mention, above).

Whalen also was named to the Daktronics, Inc., All-East Region Team after putting together a stellar season. He lead the team in scoring with 16 points after scoring four goals and recording a team-best eight assists. Freitas also made his first appearance as an All-CACC selection. The sophomore defender earned second-team honors and was a key component of the Holy Family defense this season. The Tigers held conference opponents to 1.73 goals per regular season game this year. Freitas finished the year with two goals and one assist for five points. Pratico, a CACC honorable mention honoree, was also an essential part to the Holy Family defense, and he started 18 games this season.

Women’s SoccerThe Holy Family University women’s soccer team finished the year with an overall record of 13-6-1 and 8-3-1 in CACC action. The Tigers qualified for the CACC Tournament for the 12th straight season and advanced to the CACC Tournament Final for the second time in as many years.

Three members of the team were honored by the conference this sea-son. Junior Lindsay Fisher (below) and sophomore Megan Tole were selected to the All-CACC first team, and sophomore Melissa Benson was a second-team selection.

Tole received All-CACC honors for the second straight year after earning second-team honors during her freshman season. Tole, a first team selection this year, finished second on the team in scoring with 29 points and 13 goals. She concluded the season ranked in the top five in the conference in both categories. Tole was also named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Performance Subaru NCAA Division II All-East Region third team.

Fisher earned All-CACC first team honors for the second straight season, after wrapping up the season with 20 points on seven goals and six assists. She recorded a penalty kick goal in each round of the CACC

Tournament to finish the year a perfect 5-of-5 in penalty kicks. Fisher finished tied for fourth in the confer-ence in assists. She was also named to the NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-East Region third team.

Benson, a second-team selection, earned All-CACC honors for the first time in her career. The sopho-more helped anchor a defense that held opponents to 1.44 goals per game. The Tigers’ defense has also limited opponents to 10.6 shots per game as well. Benson scored one goal and assisted on three others this season.

Junior Dawn Curry earned post-season accolades; she was named to the Daktronics, Inc., All-East Region team. Curry, a second-team selection, put together a career-season this year; she led the team in scoring with 31 points and tied for the team lead with 13 goals.

The women’s soccer team was also honored by the NSCAA with the NSCAA College Team Academic Award. Holy Family garnered its second straight NSCAA Team Academic Award for having a collective grade-point average above 3.00 throughout the 2009-2010 academic year. A total of 640 soccer teams (196 men, 444 women) from all three divisions (I, II, and III) were recognized. As a team, Holy Family registered a 3.38 grade-point average during the course of the 2009-2010 academic year.


[email protected] 35SPRING 2011

VolleyballThe Holy Family University women’s volleyball team clinched a share of the CACC South Division regular season title after finishing confer-ence play with a 16-3 record along with Philadelphia Univer-sity. This marked the Tigers’ first-ever conference regular season title, and as a result, Holy Family earned its fourth straight appearance in the conference tournament. The Tigers advanced all the way to the conference title match and concluded the season with a 21-10 overall record.

Holy Family had three players honored by the conference; juniors Jillian Keeve (above) and Jordan Beland were selected to the All-CACC first team, while senior Aimee Drabyn received second-team honors.

Keeve earned All-CACC honors for the first time in her career as she put together a career year this season. She averaged 3.47 kills per set and totaled 403 kills during the course of the season. She surpassed 900 career kills during the season and will enter her senior year second all-time in program history with 928.

Beland earned first-team All-CACC honors for the second straight season and finished the year ranked among the conference leaders in digs per set. Beland averaged 4.60 digs this year and has compiled 1,521 digs for her career.

Drabyn received All-CACC honors for the third time in her career. She received honorable mention laurels in 2008 and as a freshman was selected to the second team in 2007. Drabyn, the all-time assists leader in school history with 3,889, averaged 8.52 assists per set this season.

Junior Jillian Keeve was also

named the October Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Student-Athlete of the Month. The CACC Student-Athlete of the Month award is handed out from September to May to student-athletes who thrive in athletics, in the classroom, and in the community.

Cross CountrySeniors Fred Tuwei (below) and Jeff Kinkaid highlighted the 2010 CACC Cross Country Championships for Holy Family this season. Tuewi finished second overall; he completed the five-mile course in a time of 26:56, just two seconds behind Wilmington University sophomore Bill Steele, who won the championship race. Senior Kinkaid finished 10th overall; he completed the course in a time of 28:54. For their performances, both Tuewi and Kinkaid earned All-CACC honors.

On the women’s side, freshman Delainey Price was the first Tigers’ runner to cross the finish line; she came in 20th place to lead the women’s team. Price finished the 5k-course in a time of 21:58.

Women’s TennisThe Holy Family University women’s tennis team wrapped up the fall part of its schedule with a 9-3 overall record and was 6-2 in conference matches. Holy Family advanced to the CACC Tournament for the sixth consecutive season after earning the third seed in this year’s tournament.

The Tigers had a pair of sophomores earn All-Conference accolades. Juliana Victoria received first-team accolades for the second straight

season, while Jin Querubin (above) earned second-team honors for the second consecutive year as well.

The duo teamed up to record a 10-2 overall record at the number one doubles position, which ranked them third-best in the CACC based on winning percentage. They finished conference play with a 6-2 record. Victoria completed the fall season with an 8-3 overall record in singles play. She went 4-3 at number one singles and 4-0 at the number two position. In conference action, Victoria finished with a 6-2 mark. Querubin wrapped up the fall portion of the schedule with an 8-2 overall record, competing mostly at number two singles. She had a 6-1 record at number two singles and was 6-2 during CACC competition. —Greg Pellegrino

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News for the alumni communityfamilyreunion

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Class NotesWhat you do is news to your fellow alumni and your alma mater! Tell us if you have moved, changed your phone number, updated your e-mail address, become engaged, gotten married, had or adopted a baby, reunited with a group of classmates, received an award or promotion, or changed jobs—or if you just want to say “hello!” Please forward details to the Office of Alumni & Parents, Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114-2009. You can also fax your information to (215) 637-2110, e-mail us at [email protected], or share your news through our Alumni Community at www.hfalumni.com (you must be registered to access the site).

60sM. Estle (Bunny) Ferrari ’64 is the program director of the Whitehouse Family Success Center in Lakewood, New Jersey. Bunny, a psychology major at Holy Family, worked for 33 years as a social work supervi-sor at the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, retiring in 2000.

70sSuzanne Rodgers ’76 is a sourcing group manager on GlaxoSmithKline’s Global Capital Projects team. Suzanne and her husband, Tony, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with a trip to Niagara Falls.

Grace Kondan Paranzino ’79 completed her EdD in adult educa-tion and educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in the spring of 2010. She is the chief clinical officer of Kelly Services in Troy, Michigan.

80sKathleen Gronendahl Maguire ’80 was appointed to the Pennsylvania

State Commission on Children and Families by then-Governor Edward G. Rendell and is a school health coordinator for the School District of Philadelphia. (See extended information in Briefly Noted.)

Christina Wiser Mitchell ’81 is metro editor in charge of local con-tent and operations for the Courier-Post newspaper in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Christina has been with the newspaper for 26 years and has two sons, 16 and 13.

Mary Thompson Clothier ’86 works as a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Johns Hopkins Hospi-tal in Baltimore, Maryland. Mary and her husband, Gerry, have three chil-dren: Meghan, a goalie for Temple University’s lacrosse team; Gerarde, at Loyola Blakefield High School; and Colin, at Loyola Blakefield.

Sue Ruczynski Price ’87 earned her MSN degree in nursing informa-tion from Walden University.

Michelle Lind Gies ’89 was promoted to Director of Hospice

at Holy Redeemer Home Health and Hospice Services.

90sJanice Leshner Jakubowitcz ’94 is happy to be celebrating her 40th anniversary with Towers Watson’s Philadelphia office.

Michele Frank DeLiso ’96 has been married to Tom since 2003. They have a 4-year-old daughter, Lauren. Michele is a first-grade teacher in the Philadelphia School District and often has a Holy Family student teacher in her classroom.

Lourdes Mary Santoni PhD/M’96 is now on the faculty of Temple University’s School of Nursing.

Mike Garofola ’97 and Beth Ann Whalen Garofola ’99 are proud to announce the birth of their daugh-ter, Kathryn Michael Garofola. Katie was born April 16, 2009, and joins sisters Gracie, 4, and Ellie, 3.

PROFILE

Caitlin Sullivan ’08, who is employed at Lower Bucks Hospital, was voted Greater Philadelphia Newspapers’s Nurse of the Year. She was nominated by her sister, Morgan Sullivan, age 11. Caitlin is engaged to Eric Scherff and plans to be married on June 10, 2011.



00sChris Veitz ’01/M’08 and Laura Mancuso Veitz ’03/M’08 welcomed their first child, Juliana Grace Veitz, on July 17, 2010. Chris works in admissions at the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania, and Laura is a teacher in the Pennsbury School District.

Celeste Hawthorne ’03 was awarded a master of science in school psychology by Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on July 31, 2010.

Obeth Diaz M’05 was honored last fall with a Hispanic Heritage Excellence in Education Award at the annual celebration, “Recogniz-ing Florida’s Hispanic Heritage: Past, Present and Future.” Obeth is a sixth-grade teacher

at Apollo Elementary in Florida.Mary Carr Taylor ’06 has a son,

Brendan, born October 28, 2008, and a daughter, Mariah, who started Poquessing Middle School in the fall

of 2010.John P. McCabe Jr. M’07

earned his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Charles Hook ’08 was a recent winner in the World Series of Poker, broadcast on ESPN.

Kaitlyn Mrozinski ’09 and Joseph Zuchero ’09

are engaged with a wedding planned for the summer of 2012.

Jeremy Gibbs ’10 was hired for a co-occurring counselor position at NorthEast Treatment Centers.

Ki Cozzi-Brosovich ’10 is enjoying her three wonderful children and looking forward to attending gradu-ate school in the spring.

Andre Teixeira ’10 is teaching troubled teens/juvenile delinquents

at a private alternative school. Andre has plans to pursue a master’s in art education.

In MemoriamSister M. Lucia Pirollo, CSFN, ’62 died January 18, 2011.Louis G. Vetter, husband of Anita Mueller Vetter ’63, died September 2, 2009.Bruce Conner ’76 died March 9, 2011.Edward G. Merwitz ’76 died July 31, 2010.Sister M. Dolorosa Hessler, CSFN, ’80 died April 4, 2011.Rita Casey ’85 died December 28, 2010.Debra Ann Burns ’89, sister of Kathryn Ann Burns ’84, died July 25, 2010.James Masterson ’92 died January 18, 2011.Melissa J. Zalut M’00 died April 10, 2010.Veronica Staunton- Bocchicchio M’02 died October 29, 2010.Helana I. Agi ’03 died October 25, 2010.Matthew Spiker ’11 died April 6, 2011.

Impromptu reunion: Anne Marie McLauglin Pettit ’69, Frances Yanni Prendergast ’68, Joan Hickey Urbanski ’68, Dorothy Covone Turner ’68, and Ellie Leonard Sullivan ’68

The Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award will be presented to a nursing graduate of the School of Nursing and Allied Health

Professions who displays accomplishment in the nursing profession as well as a commitment to his/her community

through volunteer service and humanitarian efforts.

This award is presented by the Nursing Faculty and the Alumni Association.

To submit a nomination, visit www.holyfamily.edu/alumni/awards.shtml no later than June 30, 2011.

Invitations will be mailed in late summer. Call 267-341-3339 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Friday, October 7, 20116 pm to 9 pmDinner, Awards Ceremony, Lecture Holy Family University Campus Center

The First Annual Alumni Nursing Reunion and Distinguished Lecture ProgramThe First Annual Alumni Nursing Reunion and Distinguished Lecture Program

Join your fellow alumni, former faculty, and colleagues for a presentation by Dr. Dula F. Pacquiao, EdD, RN, Professor of Nursing at UMDNJ School of Nursing, Director of the Stanley S. Bergen Multicultural Center, and Coordinator of the Joint PhD in Urban Health Systems.

One Continuing Education Hour will be given to all Registered Nurses who attend the dinner and lecture.

Friday, October 7, 20116 pm to 9 pmDinner, Awards Ceremony, Lecture Holy Family University Campus Center

Join your fellow alumni, former faculty, and colleagues for a presentation by Dr. Dula F. Pacquiao, EdD, RN, Professor of Nursing at UMDNJ School of Nursing, Director of the Stanley S. Bergen Multicultural Center, and Coordinator of the Joint PhD in Urban Health Systems.

One Continuing Education Hour will be given to all Registered Nurses who attend the dinner and lecture.

Current and emeritus faculty members, administrators,

alumni, and special guests gathered to celebrate the arts and sciences at Holy Family’s 2010 Alumni Reunion and Awards Dinner, held in November.

During the event, Dr. Keith A. Lafferty ’89 received the Alumni Association’s inaugural Arts and Sciences Alumni Award. Currently the Student Clerkship Director at Gulf Coast Medical Center, Dr. Lafferty was featured in the Fall 2010 Holy Family University Magazine for his work as a member of a team of physicians who traveled to Haiti to help with relief efforts after last year’s devastating earthquake. Upon his return, he and a group of lifelong friends from Holy Family created the Science is Beautiful Scholarship in memory of a dear friend and classmate, Dr. Susan Nowak, who had passed away.

Dr. Lynda Micikas, a former faculty member in Biology and mentor to many Holy Family pre-med students, traveled from Denver, Colorado, to honor Dr. Lafferty. She spoke about his student days and his successes since leaving the University. Several of Dr. Lafferty’s former classmates and Dr. Micikas’ former advisees attended as well.

The evening also included

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News for the alumni community

Dr. Lynda Micikas presents Dr. Keith A. Lafferty ’89 with the inaugural Arts and Sciences Alumni Award. Dr. Lafferty is the Student Clerkship Director at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Alumni Reunion and Awards Dinner Recognizes Arts & Sciences

Above: Regina Hobaugh, PhD ’67, and Linda Scanlan ’84. Below: Professor Leanne Owens, PhD, and Dean Michael Markowitz, PhD.

a welcome for newly appointed Dean Michael Markowitz, PhD, and a special tribute to his immediate predecessor, Regina Hobaugh, PhD ’67. Dr. Hobaugh was recognized by the Alumni Association for her 41 years of service to the University as a member of the faculty and recently as Dean. —Marie Zecca


[email protected] 39SPRING 2011

The 2010 Senior Class Campaign, supported by graduating class members, parents and friends,

and members of the University community, doubled the funds raised by the previous class, enabling the University to purchase outdoor furniture and place it throughout campus. The Class of 2010 committee presented its gift to University President Sister Francesca Onley, PhD, CSFN, at a special ceremony in November.

That ceremony also served as the kickoff for the 2011 Senior Class Campaign, with members of this year’s committee, along with their 2011 Senior Class Faculty Moderator, Dr. Mary Kay Doran, officially beginning to raise funds.

Class of ’10 Makes Its Gift; Class of ’11 Closes Campaign

Committee members had display tables at various pre-commencement events throughout the spring semester. Donations of $21 were requested; those who contributed $21 or more received a commemorative 2011 Senior Class t-shirt, compliments of the Holy Family Alumni Association. Nearly 150 people contributed.

To celebrate the Class of 2011’s fundraising, a special Senior Class Legacy Campaign Pinning and Dinner Ceremony was held on campus on April 28, 2011, for all seniors who participated in the campaign. Reverend James MacNew blessed and S. Francesca presented the senior class pins at the ceremony.

The dinner also provided the Class of 2011 an opportunity to give a special thank you to moderator Dr. Doran, for her generosity and support for the Senior Class Legacy. Dr. Doran personally pledged to match the total amount raised for the campaign. —Marie Zecca

For details, contact Lorraine Borisuk at

(267) 341-3377 or [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE23rd Annual Holy Family University Golf Classic 2011

Monday, October 3, 2011 SPRING MILL COUNTRY CLUB

Play golf with Hall of Fame Goalie Bernie Parent!

Dr. Mary Kay Doran and S. Francesca Onley, with seniors.

A nostalgic trip back in time

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memorylane

Sun WorshipA former student enjoys recreational time in the sun on Holy Family University’s campus. Hopefully, one of the students in the background told her that basketballs were for dribbling, not punting.


Automatic Umbrella 42" folding umbrella with Holy Family logo $14.98

Legacy Adjustable Washed Twill Cap* Unstructured twill cap with embroidered Holy Family logo, 100% cotton $19.98

Red Shirt V Notch Hoodie Junior fit hooded sweatshirt with screen printed Holy Family logo, 60% cotton/40% polyester $39.98

Alumni Coffee Mug 11 oz coffee mug with alumni logo $8.98

Jansport Open Bottom Pant Open bottom sweat pant with embroidered/appliquéd Holy Family logo, 55% cotton/45% polyester $34.98

* Washed twill caps are available in a variety of specialties.

Due to seasonal changes, some items shown may vary slightly in color and or graphics.

Say It Loud,Wear It ProudCatch the Holy Family spirit at our online bookstore. Order at holyfamily.bncollege.com

Making a difference on campusgivingbaCk

SPRING 201142

Sister Clara Grochowska, CSFN, PhD, definitely did it her way. Growing up in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal

region, she told her mother she wanted to become a nun—and commenced a hunger strike to drive the point home.

A contemporary of Sister Neomisia Rutkowska, CSFN, Holy Family’s founding President, Sister Clara—originally known as Sister Lauretana—was one of the institution’s first faculty members and helped establish the foreign language program. She also served temporarily as Academic Dean while Sister Florence Tumasz was on sabbatical pursuing her doctorate.

But Sister Clara wanted to do more. She left her order to serve in the Peace Corps and ended up in Mississippi at Jackson State University, where she witnessed the tragedy of the 1970 student slayings. While there, she befriended author Alice Walker (The Color Purple), who was also a member of the faculty.

Clara retired near her childhood home but missed her good friends among the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Honoring a Sister With a Desire to ServeReturning to Philadelphia and rejoining the Order, she became Sister Clara once again and was a member of the local convent community until her passing in 1994.

Sister Clara’s extraordinary life and example made an impression on many, including a great niece, Linda Tinelli Sheive ’62. A stu-dent at Holy Family while her great aunt was a member of the faculty, Linda enjoyed her own distinguished career in education, earning a PhD and serving on the faculty and administration at Oswego State University of New York. Dr. Sheive has chosen to honor her great aunt with the Sister Clara Grochowska Scholarship. This scholar-ship, to be awarded for the first time this fall, will support a student in the School of Education with “demonstrated commitment to community service.” —Robert Wetzel

ON THE SCENE An Evening of Donor AppreciationHoly Family honored its generous benefactors with “An Evening of Donor Appreciation” on November 5, 2010, at the University. Trustee Mary H. Vassallo ’85 and Dr. Richard W. Vassallo were the Founders’ Award Recipients. The Founders’ Society was created to give grateful recognition to those who have invested $100,000 or more during their lifetimes. During the 2009-2010 academic year, more than $1.7 million in total funds were raised for Holy Family University.

1) Pictured from left to right are Mary Ann Szuszczewicz, Albert M. Tantala, Sr., Ray Oczkowski, Genevieve Tantala, and Anthony J. Szuszczewicz.

2) Pictured from left to right are Irene Harbison, John L. Harbison, and S. Celine Warnilo, CSFN.

3) Founders’ Award Honorees Dr. Richard W. and Mary H. Vassallo with S. Francesca Onley.

4) Past Founders’ Award Recipients from left to right: Albert M. Tantala, Sr., Robert Teti (Stanton Chapel Insurance), Robert J. Truitt (Crown), Anthony J. Szuszczewicz (Polonia), David Panichi (David and Kim Panichi and T. N. Ward), and Kathleen Pabst Meyers ’73.

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ON THE SCENE Golf Classic 2010Golfers swarmed the green on a sunny October 6, 2010 at the Torresdale-Frankford Country Club. In addition to the match, golfers enjoyed a barbeque lunch, catered dinner, and silent auction. Golfers were also able to meet the legendary Hall of Fame goalie, Bernie Parent, who was there to supervise the putting contest and sign sports memorabilia. The 22nd Annual Holy Family University Golf Classic benefits student financial aid and raised more than $53,000 for Holy Family students.

1) The Southhampton Window Cleaning and Janitorial Service team won the 2010 Golf Classic. Left to right: Paul, Charlie, Alice, and Tom Geib composed the winning team.

2) Bernie Parent, Hall of Fame goaltender and Holy Family President Sister Francesca Onley, PhD.

3) Golfers proceed out to the green, ready to have a good time. They were grateful for the cooperative weather.

4) Paul Geib, of the Southhampton Window Cleaning and Janitorial Service team, shows his winning golf form.

5) Hank VanBlunk; Bernie Parent, former Flyer; and Trustee Anthony J. Szuszczewicz.

6) Bernie Parent poses with the winner of the putting contest, Matt Sweeney of Tempured Insulation.

7) Golfers enjoyed the beautiful green at the Torresdale-Frankford Country Club for the 22nd consecutive year.

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lastword

What was it about Holy Family that drew you to the position?I wanted to come to Holy Family because it was starting a brand-new program. I was impressed with the organization and the structure of the doctoral program and how it related to the mission. This is going to be a program where students will be closely mentored by full-time faculty, and that really appealed to me.

What would you say is the target audience for the doctoral program?There are several audiences. One audience is school leaders who want to advance their learning and knowledge base. The doctoral program gives them the ability to be more effective leaders and will allow them to address real-world problems they might face in education. Additionally, it is going to help them learn how to reform and

Elizabeth Jones, PhDDr. Elizabeth Jones joined Holy Family in January 2011 as Director of the University’s new Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Professional Studies. Prior to accepting her role, Dr. Jones spent 14 years at West Virginia University as a Professor of Education and as Director of its Higher Education Leadership Graduate Program. Bob Macartney caught up with Dr. Jones at the beginning of her tenure at Holy Family.

improve education so it is better for the students they are serving.

What do you think it will be like to lead the program? I think building a high-quality program for doctoral students and having the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of educational leaders is going to be really important. I am looking forward to fostering mentorship between faculty and students.

Holy Family is offering an EdD as opposed to a PhD. What are the benefits of the EdD?I think they both serve a purpose, but the EdD is designed more for professionals who are in the field. It provides more applied knowledge to real-world problems. There is research involved, but when the students encounter problems in

Questions and answers with…

the arena, their research will be active. They will be able to take what they are learning and apply it in their current positions.

You talked about mentoring being a key component of the program. Who was your mentor? My mentor professionally is Trudy Banta, the vice chancellor at IUPUI. We have collaborated on a few books, and she is well known in the field of assessment. I am very fortunate to have written an assessment book with her that was published by Josie Bass, a leading publisher in the field.

If you could pick the brain of one education professor, who would it be?I’d have to say former President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Ernie Boyer, simply because of his re-envisioning of scholarship, teaching, and learning. He has really been a champion who has come up with the viewing of important educational matters in a very different way. He has an important legacy.

What are your goals for the program?Because of my background, one of the goals is to sustain a high-quality doctoral program known for produc-ing graduates who make a difference in their fields—leaders who strongly contribute in their schools and their communities, graduates who make significant contributions addressing the issues that arise in education.


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stand alone.

Every gift, no matter the size, makes an impact.

Give by June 30 to help close the gap

in student need.

Let’S cLoSe that gaP.

YoU heLP oUR StUDeNtS

Reach NeW heIghtS

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Catherine Carr ’11: All-AmericanCatherine Carr ’11 was one of ten All-American Student-Athletes named in NCAA Division II women’s basketball. This honor capped a record-breaking season and outstanding career at Holy Family University.

{ }in ThiS iSSue

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPhiladelphia, PAPermit No. 2378

Lessons in LivingJust a few years after its resurgence, Holy Family

University’s Residence Life program is offering students

a robust and experiential lesson in growing up as well

as adding life and activity to the campus every day of

the week.

Arts and MindsSince its debut in 2005, the HFU Art Gallery has hosted local and national artist exhibits. More importantly, Pamela Flynn, Professor of Art and University’s Gallery Coordinator, has inspired and required her students to use the gallery’s potential to host their own shows as seniors to fulfill their degree requirements.

An Exercise in Inspiration

From near-homelessness to serving as a teenaged caretaker,

Betsy Lane had every reason to eschew college. Instead, thanks to immense

personal drive and a helping hand from University donors, she is excelling as a

biology major at Holy Family and taking aim at a career in physical therapy.

9801 Frankford AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19114-2009

holy family university magazine spring 2011

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