Athletics Excels On and Off the Court Also in this Issue: Bringing Up Baby • Lost Boy of Sudan • Protecting the President www.duq.edu 1 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE is published three times annually by Duquesne University’s Office of Public Affairs Vol. 7, Number 3 Bringing Up Baby Spring 2009 page 2 Editor Bridget Fare Associate Editor Megan Tressler DU Pride on the Court Editorial Board Ralph L. Pearson, Ph.D. Dorothy Bassett, Ph.D. page 8 Philip Clarke Carrie M. Collins Gregory H. Frazer, Ph.D. Rev. Raymond French, C.S.Sp. Linda Kinnahan, Ph.D. Julie Shepard Exodus, Deliverance and Promise Writing Randy Cole Colleen C. Derda page 32 Karen Ferrick-Roman Emily Goossen Shawn Klocek Carolina Pais-Barreto Beyers Also in this issue: Rose Ravasio Kimberly Saunders Protecting the President .......................................................................................page 4 Richard Tourtellott What’s New at DU ...............................................................................................page 6 Bob Woodside A 60-Year Connection .........................................................................................page 7 Design Duquesne’s Top Basketball Fan ........................................................................page 11 Jeremy Neeley Scholar-Athletes: How They Play the Game .....................................................page 13 Taylor Tobias Making Inroads in Iraq .......................................................................................page 18 Duquesne University Magazine On the Road with the DU Magazine ..................................................................page 19 Office of Public Affairs Young Alumni Council .......................................................................................page 20 216 Fisher Hall DU Alumni Association ......................................................................................page 21 600 Forbes Ave. Century Club Changes ......................................................................................page 22 Pittsburgh, PA 15282 Tel: 412.396.6050 Advancing our Legacy .......................................................................................page 23 Fax: 412.396.5779 Now Online: Spiritan Writings, Early Editions of Pittsburgh Catholic ................page 27 E-mail: [email protected] Urban Investigation Class .................................................................................page 28 Popular Herb May Not Be Safe for Women with Breast Cancer ......................page 30 The Spirit Who Gives Life Eliminating Cancer: Duquesne Team Tests Compounds with Potential ...........page 31 Snapshots .........................................................................................................page 35 Catching up with Michael Grandinetti ...............................................................page 36 Our Bluff in Brief ................................................................................................page 38 Figures From the Past .......................................................................................page 40 Alumni Updates .................................................................................................page 41 Duquesne Featured in New CBS Pilot ..............................................................page 47 New Online Graduate Program in Global Leadership Offered ..........................page 47 A Catholic University The Importance of Being Prepared ...................................................................page 48 in the Spiritan Tradition Alumni Calendar .................................................................................inside back cover 2 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Spring ‘09 thoughts from the president Thoughts from the President Basketball has been an important part of Duquesne University for nearly 100 years, having been established as a varsity sport in 1914. Our remarkable successes over generations and our winning tradition is a point of pride among alums. But the program struggled for the last few decades. Basketball success has returned to our Bluff and we celebrate these recent successes—of men and women—on the court in our cover story. This past spring, campus exploded with excitement over the outstanding seasons posted by our men’s and women’s basketball teams. Our players exceeded all expectations, recorded their best seasons in decades, and qualified for postseason play. Both squads lost close games in the first round of the NIT—the men in double overtime, the women on a last-second shot—but they foreshadow even more excitement in seasons to come. They displayed the talent, work ethic, and heart that are hallmarks of everything we strive for at Duquesne. These attributes endure, even away from the court, and even after graduation. While basketball gets the most attention, all of our student-athletes share similar experiences. Read on for an inside look at how our scholar-athletes balance practice, competition, Charles J. Dougherty, Ph.D. academics, and service to others. Duquesne University President Also in this issue, we explore unique research and hands-on opportunities happening in our classrooms. For example, students in the Rangos School of Health Sciences gain valuable career experience while examining and treating children at the earliest stages of their lives, and others in the McAnulty College hone their skills in sociology and journalism by probing the effects of incarceration on inner-city neighborhoods. We also meet a nursing student who has lived through the horrors of growing up as a refugee in the Sudan. We report on faculty members in the Mylan School of Pharmacy and the promise of their groundbreaking cancer research. And we recognize the achievements of our alumni—from organizing President Obama’s inauguration parade, to performing magic with a message, to rebuilding institutions and infrastructure in Iraq. We are proud to report on the successes of our athletes, students, and alumni. Every issue of this magazine contains ample evidence of our growing national leadership—our accelerating progress in the pursuit of preeminence within American Catholic higher education. This one is no exception. Sincerely, Charles J. Dougherty, Ph.D. Duquesne University President www.duq.edu 1 bringing up baby Bringing Up Babies & Young Children Visit Campus to Give BStudents aHands-On Learningb Opportunities y – BY KIM B ERLY SAUNDER S – Do all babies walk and talk by 12 with a diverse population,” says Dr. months? Is there a gender difference Gary J. Rentschler, clinic director and among toddlers during play? assistant professor. What cognitive skills signal school Students in the physical therapy readiness in five-year-olds? (PT), physician assistant (PA) and These are just a few areas of child occupational therapy (OT) programs development and behavior that also get hands-on experience with tots students in the John G. Rangos, Sr. during special on-site visits arranged School of Health Sciences explore by their professors. through lectures, labs and externship Jeryl Benson, an occupational placements in schools, hospitals and therapy instructor, has coordinated private practice settings. a “baby & kid clinic” for the past Many students, however, have 10 years, inviting select friends and their first opportunity to observe family members to bring their infants infants and children during interactive and children up to age five to her clinics held right on campus. class. Duquesne’s Speech-Language- The event is typically held in the The physical therapy program Hearing Clinic provides speech and spring semester, following a semester has offered similar experiences with language evaluations and therapy, of didactic study of pediatric babies between three and 12 months and some hearing services to patients fundamentals. Graduate OT students so students could observe various of all ages throughout the greater observe infants as they interact with normal reflexes and functions. This Pittsburgh area. their parents and then plan a play past year, the course was team taught The pediatric patients range in age activity with toddlers and children by two pediatric physical therapists from two to 19 years. age 18 months or older. who provided students with a “Our students have three “This is a great way for our broader exposure to the scope of care semesters of fully supervised graduate students to assess normal required in different practice settings. experience at our campus clinic, development in action,” explains “The course focused on the giving them valuable experience Benson. development of the child from 2 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Spring ‘09 bringing up baby Baby Students work with children of varying ages, often observing their birth through young adulthood as interactions with their parents and during planned play activities. well as the common diagnoses and pathologies encountered across the spectrum of pediatric practice—early Allison Morgan, GHS’00. Integrating course work and intervention, acute care, outpatient, “Our fourth-year students first hands-on experience with real kids hospice,” reports Assistant Professor interview the parents to gather provides a unique understanding of of Physical Therapy Diane Borello- essential medical history information child development. It’s also just plain France. related to normal development. Then, fun. The physician assistant program the students observe or engage the “What I enjoyed most about the also regularly conducts a toddler/