What’s Up
Vol. 6, Issue 13
March 7, 2012
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Silver Named Dean of Human
Service Professions
2
Sexuality and Aging
Consortium Expands
Membership Options
2
Campus Kudos
2
Faces of Widener:
Susan Beatty
3
Spend a Night Learning
Something New at OLLI
3
Invited Lecturer Encourages
Service Leadership
4
Dark Girls Movie Screening
Features Q-and-A with
Director Bill Duke
4
Widener Law Students Honor
‘Trailblazers and Pioneers’
5
SBA Hosts Business Camps
for High School Girls
5
Harrisburg Campus Shines
a Spotlight on Successful
Alumnus
6
Widener Recognizes 69 Area
High School Leaders
Widener, in partnership
with WCAU-TV
NBC10, recognized the
winners of the Widener
University High School
Leadership Awards
at a breakfast held
February 28 at the
National Constitution
Center. In its first year,
the program honored 69
students who possess
the character, courage,
and competencies to
effect positive change.
This year’s group
of winners includes
students from the
Philadelphia region who:
Widener President James T. Harris III poses on
the steps of the National Constitution Center
with recipients of the first Widener University
High School Leadership Awards.
• Created a dog sitting company that
benefits the Delaware County SPCA
Snapshot: ROTC Cadets Train
in Night Land Navigation
6
• Founded an anti-bullying club for her
school
Kennedy is Latest
Distinguished Writer to
Appear at Widener
6
• Volunteered at an institute for disabled
children in India
Noteworthy
7
• Taught karate lessons as a black belt
instructor
Students Explore
French Culture
7
Spotlight on Sports
7
Two-Week Peek
Story Idea?
Send story and
noteworthy ideas and
items to Allyson Roberts,
alroberts@widener.edu
8
“In reviewing the nominations, we were
very impressed by the level of civic
engagement and commitment of high
school students across our region,”
said Widener President James T. Harris
III. “The quality of the nominations we
saw reaffirms my strong belief that
the mission of Widener University—
one rooted in responsible and active
citizenship—is critical to our future.
These students are undoubtedly the next
generation of leaders, and I look forward
to personally welcoming all of them on
campus next fall for a unique leadership
experience.”
This award embodies Widener
University’s focus on developing
strategic leaders and responsible
citizens, who demonstrate the capacity
to lead outside their comfort zone.
All winners will be invited to attend
a sponsored leadership experience
at Widener in the fall. Most notably,
winners will receive a scholarship of
$20,000 over four years should they
enroll at Widener for undergraduate
studies.
For more information regarding
the Widener University High
School Leadership Awards
and to view a complete list of
winners, please visit www.widener.
edu/2011hsleadershipawards.
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Points of Pride…
Silver Named Dean of Human
Service Professions
Dr. Paula T.
Silver has been
appointed dean
of the School of
Human Service
Professions.
Silver has
served as acting
dean of the
Dr. Paula
school since
Silver
July 2011,
replacing Dr.
Stephen C. Wilhite who currently
serves as provost and senior vice
president of academic affairs.
Silver assumes leadership of one
of the university’s largest schools,
hosting 1,219 undergraduate and
graduate students and 60 faculty in
the Center for Education, Institute
for Graduate Clinical Psychology,
Center for Social Work Education,
and the Institute for Physical
Therapy Education.
Previously, Silver served as
director of the Center for Social
Work Education for 14 years. She
presided over a period of major
expansion in enrollment in the
Master of Social Work program,
and successfully guided the social
work faculty in its development of
the university’s first Ph.D. program.
She joined Widener as an assistant
professor of social work in 1992.
“Dean Silver is recognized
nationally as an innovative leader
in social work education and was
one of the earliest advocates for
Widener’s current civic engagement
mission,” said Widener President
James T. Harris III. “She has
distinguished herself on campus as
a collegial academic administrator
who is committed to promoting
interdisciplinary programming and
expanded educational opportunities
for both undergraduate and
graduate students.”
Silver served on the planning
committee for Vision 2015, the
university’s current strategic plan,
and has been a lead coordinator
of the university’s partnership
with Chongqing Technology and
Business University in Chongqing,
China. She currently serves as chair
of the Widener Partnership Charter
School board of trustees, and as a
member of the Chester Education
Foundation board of directors.
Silver received her bachelor’s
degree in psychology from the
University of Chicago, a master
of social work from the University
of Pennsylvania, and a doctor of
philosophy in social work from Bryn
Mawr College.
Sexuality and Aging
Consortium Expands
Membership Options
The Sexuality and Aging Consortium
at Widener is a unique outreach
initiative of the university’s Graduate
Programs in Human Sexuality. The
consortium provides education,
consulting, and counseling to
individuals, couples, and caregivers
around topics related to sexuality
and aging.
The consortium became associated
with Widener in 2010 and now offers
expanded membership options:
full, associate, and student. The
application form is available here.
The consortium is now accepting
workshop proposals for the 2nd
Annual Sexuality, Intimacy, and
Aging Conference, which will take
place September 14 and 15. Find
the proposal form here. The theme
for this year’s conference is “A
Holistic Approach to Sexuality and
Aging.”
If you have any questions, please
e-mail Jessica Metzner, consortium
administrative assistant, at
SAConsortium@widener.edu.
Check it out:
Campus Kudos
Kudos to freshman Nick Fumosa
for driving a classmate to CrozerChester Medical Center at the
recommendation of Student Health
Services. Fumosa stayed by his
classmate’s side at Crozer. Dr.
Itzick Vatnick, professor of biology
and biochemistry, wanted
to recognize Fumosa for being “an
extremely gentle soul who always
helps others.”
Read about last year’s Sexuality,
Intimacy, and Aging Conference in
The Philadelphia Inquirer.
If you know of someone who
deserves recognition for an act of
kindness, e-mail Allyson Roberts at
alroberts@widener.edu.
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Faces of Widener: Susan Beatty
the president’s office and the
assistant provost’s office. “It was a
unique experience and a wonderful
opportunity to learn the ins and outs
of the different offices and to work
with so many people,” she said.
Susan Beatty, administrative
assistant to the dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences
Susan Beatty, administrative assistant
to the dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences, will mark her 20th year with
Widener University this November.
Over the years, she’s developed
strong ties to the institution.
She originally worked part time for
the director of the McMorland Center,
now University Center. While working
part time, Beatty sought additional
hours and took temp opportunities in
various offices at Widener, including
Beatty’s part-time work led to a
full-time role as secretary to the
director of Campus Safety and then
as a secretary in University College.
Finally, she joined the College of Art
and Sciences. “I immediately felt
welcomed when I started at Widener,
and that feeling never changed as I
shifted through different jobs,” she
said.
In her current role, Beatty works
closely with the 100-plus faculty of the
College of Arts and Sciences, as well
as with the students. Her primary duty,
however, is to support Dean Matthew
Poslusny’s administrative needs. “I
have a wonderful boss,” she said of
Poslusny. “He makes it easy to come
to work every day.”
While Beatty cherishes all of the close
friendships she has made during her
time at Widener, she does have one
“favorite” Widener employee: her
daughter, Marlisa. A Widener Main
Campus 2004 alumna, Marlisa now
works on the Delaware Campus.
“Watching my daughter graduate
is one of my best memories,” said
Beatty. She also looks back fondly on
her own graduation from the School
of Business Administration in 2008.
“It’s not often that people say they are
proud of their employer,” she said. “I
really am; Widener is a huge part of
my life.”
Off campus, the Ridley, PA, resident
enjoys spending time with her family,
including Marlisa, her husband,
Millard, son, David, daughter-inlaw, Stephanie, and granddaughter,
Brooklyn. She is currently awaiting the
arrival of a grandson.
Beatty is also an active member in
her parish. She has been a religious
education teacher for more than 20
years and is serving her second term
on the pastoral council. She also
writes and edits the parish newsletter.
Spend a Night Learning Something New at OLLI
and older who may not be able to take
the institute’s daytime lifelong learning
offerings.
For the upcoming Spring semester,
OLLI will run three different evening
classes, each five weeks long, on its
Exton Campus. All three classes begin
the week of March 26:
The “OLLI in the Evening” program,
part of Widener University’s Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute, offers
nighttime classes for people aged 50
Each class meets just one night per
week from 6:30-7:45 p.m.
For more information, or to register,
contact Matt Weidman at 484-7130088, or via e-mail at mrweidman@
widener.edu.
• “The Healing Power of Music,
Sound, and Voice”
• “Genealogy: Shaking the Leaves
on Your Family Tree”
• “The Arabs, Islam, and the
Middle East”
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Invited Lecturer Encourages Service Leadership
“Service in your community
changes a nation, and
it impacts everyone in
that nation.”
Dr. Tonya Thames Taylor
Dr. Tonya Thames Taylor, an associate
professor of history at West Chester
University, lectured to the Widener
community on service leadership
by analyzing parts of history that
are often left out. Her February 27
appearance was part of Widener’s
Invited Lecture Series.
A native of Mississippi and public
servant, Taylor’s lecture, “Service
Leadership: How Vision Shaped
Democracy,” illustrated how African
Americans shaped American history
in ways as meaningful as the signing
of the Declaration of Independence.
She said that efforts to obtain freedom
shaped the discourse that helped
pave the way for the ascension of the
first non-white American president.
“American history is still based on skin
and color,” she said. “The problem
with history is that we don’t look at
things collectively. If you don’t have
to tell people about it, no one would
know.”
Taylor quizzed the audience: “Who
was the first abolitionist?” She
encouraged the silent audience to
guess. “The first abolitionist is actually
a relatively unknown slave who ran
away. In text they are also referred to
as fugitive slaves, but we will call them
‘freedom seekers.’ It was the freedom
seekers who shaped public policy to
make it what it is today.”
Taylor pointed to the Declaration
of Independence, Constitution,
and Emancipation Proclamation as
documents that paved the way for
positive change. “The Declaration
of Independence implies that there
is a level of abuse that people can
tolerate, but it can be too much,”
she said. “It actually says ‘it is your
right, your duty to throw off such
governance,’ which is what the
freedom seekers did.”
She continued, “Political acts such
as those that the freedom seekers
engaged in shaped our nation. If I
had a thesis for this lecture it would
be, ‘service would be a political act
that can shape the nation,’ as it’s the
truth.”
Taylor encouraged the audience
members to serve in their
communities. “Service in your
community changes a nation, and it
impacts everyone in that nation.”
Dark Girls Movie Screening Features Q-and-A with Director Bill Duke
Widener’s Black
Student Union
sponsored a
showing of
Dark Girls, a
documentary
written,
directed, and
produced by Bill
Duke and D.
Bill Duke
Channsin Berry
on February 21
as one of its many Black History
Month events.
Duke was on hand to introduce the
film and participated in a Q-and-A
session after the screening. The
documentary examines the lives
of women who have dark skin in
an attempt to answer how having
dark skin has affected them.
The film featured insight from
friends and family members of
the filmmakers as well as from
celebrities including actress Viola
Davis.
During the Q-and-A, Duke revealed
that he and Berry made this
film to “remind dark girls they
are beautiful.” One interviewee
offered powerful advice for all
girls regardless of skin color: “It
starts within yourself; in order for
others to love you, you must love
yourself.”
Though Duke spent most of his
career on screen as an actor, he
said that being behind the scenes
may be his true calling, specifically
working on documentaries.
Dark Girls was a two-and-a-halfyear project founded by himself
and Berry. They are currently
organizing an academic curriculum
to coincide with the film. “We’ve
decide to roll it out differently;
we are doing events like this and
building our brand,” he said. “It’s
very difficult to own your own film;
we are trying not to lose sight of
that.”
Duke has two other documentaries
in the works right now: Yellow Brick
Road, a look at light skin women,
and What’s a Man, which focuses on
the differences between being a
‘man’ and a ‘male.’
To learn more about the film, visit
http://officialdarkgirlsmovie.com/.
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Widener Law Students Honor
‘Trailblazers and Pioneers’
“You aren’t truly successful until
you take some people along with
you,” he said. “That’s why I try to
give back to the law school.”
Nine distinguished Delaware
Campus law alumni were honored
as “Trailblazers and Pioneers” on
February 28 in a Black History
Month program hosted by the
Black Law Students Association.
“I want you to know your spirits
are left in these hallways,” Law
Dean Linda L. Ammons told a
crowd of more than 85 students,
staff, faculty, alumni, and friends
in the Barristers’ Club. “Many
students who are coming behind
you take strength in knowing you
went before.”
The nine honorees spanned
graduating classes from the
1970s to the 2000s. The student
organization chose to honor them
for their achievements in the
private sector, the public interest
sector, or for their community
service contributions. BLSA began
the now annual event in 2011 by
honoring four of the law school’s
first minority graduates.
Each honoree was given a
leadership statue and time to
speak. Damian Jackson, ’96,
encouraged the students in
attendance to be open to all kinds
of people and opportunities and
to treat others as the individuals
they are.
Jackson serves as vice president
of the Widener Law Alumni
Association Board of Directors. His
mother accompanied him to the
event, and three of his colleagues
from Reilly, Janiczek & McDevitt,
P.C. in Philadelphia also attended.
They made a generous donation to
BLSA in his name and honor.
The other honorees included:
• Judge James DeLeon, ’76, of the
Philadelphia Municipal Court
• Howard Brown, ’78, attorney at
Howard H. Brown & Associates in
Kennett Square, PA
• Romona Fullman, ’84, director
of the Office of the Delaware
Commission for Women and
director of Delaware’s Division of
Human Relations
• Judge George Overton, ’86, of
the Philadelphia Court of Common
Pleas
SBA Hosts Business
Camps for HS Girls
Widener’s School of Business
Administration hosted free academic
workshops for high school girls March
1 and 2. The first day attracted 45
participants, while the second day had
120. The workshop has grown in size
over the years, now requiring two days of
workshops.
Workshop participants had opportunities
to interact with School of Business
Administration faculty, students, and
successful alumnae. Jada Poller, ’96,
attended both days to give the girls
insight into the SBA experience. A native
of Chester, Poller spoke of the “engaging
professors” who helped motivate her to
succeed as an undergraduate and as
a professional. She today works at The
Boeing Company as a supplier diversity
specialist.
In addition to networking, participants
enjoyed collegiate-style lectures that
addressed different concentrations within
business and took part in interactive
activities focused on overcoming
adversity in the workplace and honing
leadership skills.
An optional parent program ran
simultaneously to the workshops.
• Samuel Guy, ’88, attorney, civic
activist, and former Wilmington,
DE, City Council member
• Michael Brown, ’91, Washington,
D.C. councilman and partner with
The Madison Group in Washington
• Scott Reid, ’02, an attorney in
the commercial litigation group at
Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia
who sits on the Widener Law
Minority Alumni Advisory Board
and the Board of Overseers
• Monte Squire, ’05, an attorney
in the intellectual property and
commercial litigation practice
section at Young Conaway Stargatt
& Taylor, LLP in Wilmington, DE
SBA Dean Savas Ozatalay greets
alumna Jada Poller, ‘96, at a recent
workshop hosted by the school
for area high school girls. Poller
served on a panel of successful
SBA alumnae.
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Harrisburg Campus Shines a
Spotlight on Successful Alumnus
event was sponsored by Cooper’s
firm, Schmidt Kramer, and the Student
Bar Association.
Pictured, from left, Harrisburg
alumnus Scott Cooper poses
with his daughters, Leah and
Sami, and wife, Barbara, at a
reception in his honor.
The Harrisburg Campus and its
Student Bar Association recently
honored 1993 graduate Scott Cooper
for being named president-elect of the
Pennsylvania Association for Justice.
The trial lawyers group supports
attorneys who work to ensure
people injured by the misconduct
or negligence of others can obtain
justice in Pennsylvania’s courtrooms.
Cooper and his family and colleagues
attended a reception in his honor
February 29 that preceded the
screening of the documentary Hot
Coffee: Is Justice Being Served? The
Cooper said that he was thankful to
have studied at Widener Law and
to now have a fulfilling career as an
attorney, doing important work for
injured people. “We all only have
one life and one chance,” he said,
recalling an emotional case he once
handled. “The thing I like about what
we do, we really believe in it—it’s not
just a job.”
Hot Coffee explored the potential
impact of tort reform on the judicial
system. Those who stayed through
to its end were treated to a Q-and-A
period with the film’s director and
producer, Susan Saladoff. She
participated in the event via Skype
from Oregon. Following her, attorney
Victor Schwartz, general counsel to
the American Tort Reform Association,
joined the audience via Skype from
Washington, D.C.
Saladoff encouraged the audience
to reject arbitration clauses in
agreements they sign. Schwartz,
whose group was highly criticized in
the documentary, spoke in favor of
tort reform.
Kennedy is Latest
Distinguished Writer
to Appear at Widener
Writer
Thomas
Kennedy read
from and
discussed his
novel In the
Company of
Angels before
a crowd of
students and faculty on February
22.
Jayne Thompson, a senior lecturer
in writing, introduced Kennedy,
67, a native of New York who has
lived in Copenhagen since the
70s. Kennedy has written a set of
four novels called the Copenhagen
Quartet. He said although the
novels are independent of one
another and not part of a series,
each takes place in a different
season and all are “celebrating
and exploring my affection for
Denmark.”
Kennedy’s novel Falling Sideways,
the second in the set, was
published last year, and the final
two in the quartet will be published
by Bloomsbury.
Snapshot: ROTC
Cadets Train in Night
Land Navigation
Cadets from Widener’s
Freedom Battalion plot
points on their maps for
night land navigation
training at Fort Dix, NJ, on
February 25.
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Noteworthy
Connie Holt, associate professor
of hospitality management,
recently accompanied students
Melissa Caisse, ’12, Laura
Kalbach, ’13, Jacklyn
Kilpatrick, ’12, and Paige
Michael, ’13, to the Club
Managers Association of America
National Conference in New
Orleans. The students participated
in interviews and worked closely
with CMAA staff to learn tips for
improving their student chapter.
Todd Lineburger, advancement
writer for the School of Law, won
a Bronze Award from Higher
Education Marketing Report for
the School of Law’s annual report
and a Merit Award for Widener Law
Magazine.
Dr. Timothy M. Sullivan,
associate professor and director
of Widener’s Programs in Higher
Education, was named chair of
the higher education division of
the Eastern Educational Research
Association. He also recently
became a reviewer for the Journal
of Research in Education.
Dr. Karen Rose, associate
professor of psychology; Dr.
Janine Utell, associate
professor of English and
department chair; and Dr. Scott
Van Bramer, professor of
chemistry and department chair,
recently attended an Association of
American Colleges and Universities
meeting in New Orleans, where
they ran a workshop on general
education assessment titled
“Assessing Critical Thinking and
Effective Communication Across
General Education.”
The Office of University
Relations recently won four
awards from Higher Education
Marketing Report:
• Silver Award for Widener’s total
admissions recruitment package
• Bronze Award for the admissions
pocket folder
• Bronze Award for the search
brochure
• Merit Award for the student
viewbook
Students Explore French Culture
On February 11, Dr. Stephanie
Schechner, associate professor
of French and assistant dean
of Arts and Sciences, took
students enrolled in her French
Civilization and Culture course to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City. The students
viewed paintings linked to their
ongoing research projects on
myths surrounding celebrated
figures in French history. In
addition, they practiced their
French over lunch at an authentic
French restaurant. The trip was
supported by a Performance and
Lecture Series mini-grant.
Spotlight on Sports:
Laura Harris
The participants are listed for
the NCAA Division III Swimming
Championships and one of them is
Widener sophomore Laura Harris,
who will take part in three events.
Harris will compete in the 50-yard
freestyle on March 21, the 100yard butterfly on March 22, and the
200-yard backstroke on March 24
in Indianapolis, IN.
It has been another standout
campaign for Harris, who won
five times at the Middle Atlantic
Conference Championships for
the second straight year to help
Widener claim second overall. She
grabbed the 50-yard freestyle and
200-yard backstroke in addition
to being on the winning 800yard freestyle relay, the 200-yard
medley relay, and the 400-yard
freestyle relay teams.
Last year, Harris was picked the
league’s Most Outstanding Female
Swimmer and the Rookie of the
Year as the Pride won their first
conference title since 1994.
French students at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
include, from left, sophomores
Stephen Stanley, Kristen
Zweifel, and Joe McManamonSimon.
She is the first for Widener
in either men’s or women’s
swimming to compete at the
NCAA Championships since Nicole
Seward won All-America honors in
2003.
The Phoenix, MD, native is a
biology major.
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Two-Week Peek
A Look at the Next Two Weeks
in Widener Events
Monday, March 12
1 p.m. St. Patty’s Day Rugby Game
between the USA Tomahawks and
the Ireland Wolfhounds; Quick
Stadium
8–9 p.m. Stargazing; Widener
Observatory
Tuesday, March 13
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Hospitality
Luncheon Series; Marriott Dining Room
12–1:30 p.m. Pizza with Professors;
Delaware Campus, Student Lounge off
Main Street
4 p.m. Women’s History Month Event:
Lecture by reproductive rights activist
Cristina Page; University Center, Webb
Room
Wednesday, March 14
3:30 p.m. Baseball vs. Swarthmore
College; Home
4:30 p.m. Jurist in Residence lecture by
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice
Thomas G. Saylor; Harrisburg Campus,
Administration Building, Room A180
5:30–7:30 p.m. Widener Dinner Series;
Marriott Dining Room
6 p.m. Women’s History Month Event:
“Sh*t Girls Say” Analysis; University
Center, Room C
Sunday, March 18
Compete to Become
Widener’s ‘Cake Boss’
When: Thursday, March 15
7–9 p.m.
Where: Marriott Dining Room
What: Similar to the TLC
program, contestants will submit
entries that will be judged on
both appearance and taste.
To enter the contest, contact
Lisa Reed-Logue by March 8
at 610-499-1127 or lmreed@
mail.widener.edu. For more
information, click here.
Thursday, March 15
4 p.m. Ruby R. Vale Interschool
Corporate Moot Court Competition
Distinguished Scholar Lecture by
Richard E. Climan, Esq.; Delaware
Campus, Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom
7 p.m. Women’s History Month
Event: Gender & Families in Sitcoms
Discussion; University Center, Room C
Saturday, March 17
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Deepening Men’s
Relationships: A Conference for Men
and Women about Men’s Relationships;
Lathem Hall
12 p.m. Baseball vs. Albright College;
Home
Monday, March 19
12–1:30 p.m. Women’s History
Month Event: WSEA presents the
lecture “Building a Future of Hope
Through Education in Afghanistan;”
Lathem Hall
5:30–7:30 p.m. Latin American
Law Students Association Program
on Domestic Violence; Delaware
Campus, Main Law Building,
Room 119
7:30 p.m. Honors Week Stargazing;
Widener Observatory
8–9 p.m. Public Stargazing; Widener
Observatory
Tuesday, March 20
11:45 a.m.–2 p.m. Continuing Legal
Education Event: “FDA Matters:
Crimes, Misdemeanors and More…”;
Delaware Campus, Ruby R. Vale Moot
Courtroom
7–9 p.m. Cake Boss Competition;
Marriott Dining Room
Friday, March 16
Honors Week Begins
2 p.m. Final round of the Ruby R.
Vale Interschool Corporate Moot
Court Competition; Delaware
Campus, Ruby R. Vale Moot
Courtroom
St. Patty’s Day Rugby Game
When: Saturday, March 17
1 p.m.
Where: Quick Stadium
What: Widener will host this
year’s Annual Donnybrook
Cup. The USA Tomahawks will
square off against the Ireland
Wolfhounds. Tickets for the game
are $5 for adults, $2 for students,
and free for those under 16.
After the match, the St. Patty’s
Day festivities will continue at
Harrah’s Chester, highlighted by a
performance from Blackthorn.
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Hospitality
Luncheon Series; Marriott Dining
Room
4 p.m. Faculty Recital; University
Center, Webb Room
5 p.m. Women’s History Month
Event: Core Ensemble presents
“Ain’t I a Woman?”; Alumni
Auditorium
7 p.m. Men’s Lacrosse vs. Eastern
Connecticut State University; Home
7:30 p.m. Honors Week Stargazing;
Widener Observatory
Wednesday, March 21
5:30–7:30 p.m. Widener Dinner
Series; Marriott Dining Room
7 p.m. Women’s History Month
Event: Women’s Images in
Advertising Discussion; Quick 108
7:30 p.m. Faculty Jazz Concert;
Alumni Auditorium
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