A New Theater for the Red Masquers
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2015 MCANULTY COLLEGE ANDPR GRADUATE SCHOOLA OFXIS LIBERAl arts A New Theater for the Red Masquers WWW.DUQ.EDU/LIBERALARTS • 1 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Warm greetings to all of our faculty, staff, students and alumni! This is the time of year when we showcase the many ways in which the College is advancing its mission to serve God by serving students—all within our Spiritan tradition of a Duquesne liberal arts education. Our faculty's and staff’s commitment to research, student engagement, and academic collaboration is at the heart of our achievements. Examples range from a highly successful national Modernist Studies Association conference hosted by the English Department in the fall, to the celebration of newly renovated PRAXIS space for our Psychology Clinic, generously supported by the McGinley family, to the continued excellence of our debate program in national competitions. CONTENTS We have enhanced our students’ educational experience through the Philosophy Department’s exchange program with the University of Heidelberg that welcomes German professors to campus Message From the Dean ...........................................1 as semester-long instructors. The Center for African Studies hosted its first-ever student study- An Alternative Route ................................................. 2 abroad trip to Ghana last summer, with plans to host another this year to Tanzania. Our national rankings continue to improve, especially in our communications, English, and Honors for Retired Faculty .....................................3 psychology departments. Additional grants have been secured for programs in the departments of mathematics and computer science, political science, communication and rhetorical studies, Real World Applications of Classroom Coursework ............................................4 theology, and the College as a whole. We worked to strengthen our campus partnerships. In cooperation with Gumberg Library, Overcoming the Odds ...............................................6 the College sponsored a well-attended exhibit in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon. Truman Scholarship ..................................................8 Within the next academic year, we look forward to many events and initiatives, among them: Unique Art Installation Displayed ......................9 • The opening of the Genesius Theater in the fall, which our Red Masquers will use as their new home; A New Theater for the Red Masquers .............10 • Our new program called “Liberal Arts in Action,” which will give students greater Remembering Father Mac .................................... 12 awareness of and access to internships and jobs; • Welcoming and working with 12 new tenure-track faculty hired in the last year; Welcoming New Faculty ........................................14 • Continuing work with the National Institute of Newman Studies; Special Achievements .............................................14 • New initiatives for our criminal justice students with the Allegheny County Jail and the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh; Faculty Promotions .................................................. 15 • Design of a new program in the Center for Adult Learners; Scholars in Residence ............................................. 15 • A program to support military veterans and their dependents in the College. Psychology Clinic's New Space ..........................16 We are so very grateful for the efforts of so many on these inspiring tasks. For each of us in the College it is a privilege and joy to teach our students and to follow them through all of their Scholarship Funding Opportunities .................17 successes: both now and after graduation. Dr. James C. Swindal Dean, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University WWW.DUQ.EDU/LIBERALARTS • 1 STUDENT & ALUMNI NEWS COLLEGE & DEPARTMENT NEWS finds praxis. It is a tradition of living with Mike Aquilina in a national DUQUESNE HISTORY AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE gospel values and of service— Catholic publication on the life HOW GRADUATE SCHOOL LED JIM HANNA ON A PATH TO DISCOVERY especially to the impoverished and of Dorothy Day, co-founder of DEPARTMENT HONORS Jim Hanna, GA’14, credits Duquesne’s graduate theology program with changing his life. In this reflection, Hanna describes how marginalized. the Catholic Worker movement, RETIRED FACULTY his journey transformed him to a constant state of openness to the promptings of the Spirit. Pope Francis encourages us and I now facilitate for another Last spring, the History Department “to go forth, out of our comfort Catholic university that same on- hosted a reception for recently-retired have been wrong about many my parish’s Pastoral Council and I zone.” Outside the classroom, line Catholic social teaching course faculty members. Honored were I things in life, but never have I been volunteered at St. Joseph House of opportunities began to present that originally piqued my interest in Drs. Madeline Archer, Joseph Rishel, more mistaken than when I told Hospitality, a facility for homeless themselves in surprising ways, all theology several years ago. Carmen Stonge and Steven Vardy. family and friends that pursuing a men and those in danger of becoming within the Spiritan tradition, but All of this has certainly been a master’s degree in theology at age 59 homeless. outside my own comfort zone. grace and the activity of the Holy “would not be a life-changer.” After McCloskey knew I had enjoyed Duquesne provided the tools and Spirit. Duquesne has made me a all, I planned to continue my 35-year the online courses, especially willingness to respond outside that better listener, reader and writer. business career and had no desire for one on Catholic social teaching, zone and taught me to try to live in It has made me a better Pastoral a change. and encouraged me to consider a constant state of openness to the Council member, retreat facilitator Contrary to expectations my Duquesne’s theology program. I promptings of the Spirit. and social activist. It has given Dr. Madeline Archer life did change—and continues to thought that graduate school would Through volunteering, I learned me a better understanding of the in unexpected ways—because the be an interesting challenge, but never that addiction was a major cause connection between scripture, experience changed me. Jim Hanna, GA'14 the transformational experience it of homelessness, and began to see liturgy, sacraments and ethics. It My journey is a “uniquely then served as the Provincial of the became. That change began with what part the Church could and has given me the tools to go outside Duquesne story” involving Spiritan Congregation of the Holy Spirit, my first class, Ecclesiology, under should play in not only sheltering my comfort zone and a new lens priests, a bit of geography and my invited me on a tour. I met and the tutelage of the Rev. Elochukwu the homeless but also attacking root through which to view life. own somewhat weak catechetical befriended the Rev. Richard Wersing, Uzukwu, C.S.Sp. causes of all forms of injustice. With Recently I stood in my back Dr. Joseph Rishel background. C.S.Sp., a former Duquesne English Studying the nature and the help of friends, I introduced yard with a leaf rake in my hand I moved to Bethel Park, Pa., in professor, on my first visit. He was mission of the church I began to the Chicago-based “Ignatian at the base of a gargantuan silver 1980 with my family. The Spiritan legally blind and it was my privilege connect the dots between scripture, Spirituality Project: Retreats maple and gazed at the Spiritan Center, a retreat center and to read to him on a regular basis. He liturgy, sacraments, ministry and Ending Homelessness” program to Center bell tower in the distance. In retirement facility for Spiritan priests had a strong interest in poetry and social action. This correlation Pittsburgh. We now host overnight bygone years the silver maple with and brothers, was located nearby, frequently asked to hear The Hound continued through the balance of spiritual retreats at the Spiritan its bushels of fallen leaves was my but oddly, after 24 years of being of Heaven by Francis Thompson. the coursework with the guidance of Center for men in recovery who perennial November nemesis, but Dr. Carmen Stonge neighbors I never set foot on the I often reflect on that poem as an each professor and the inspirational have experienced homelessness. now, it is a glorious reminder of the grounds. analogy of my own journey to the contributions of classmates. As a member of my parish grandeur of all of God’s creation. It was not until after we moved University. I began to understand what it Pastoral Council, I proposed a And that bell tower in the distance to Peters Township that I met the During this time, my interest means to be “A Catholic University in parish-based substance addiction has become an icon of the Spiritan Rev. James McCloskey, C.S.Sp. The in becoming active in the church the Spiritan Tradition.” The Spiritan ministry, which has taken root tradition and a reminder that “It is Center’s bell tower was visible from grew. I sought out informal faith- tradition is a natural extension of in the Pittsburgh diocese. I felt the Spirit that Gives Life.” my backyard and McCloskey, who formation courses online, I joined the classroom, where education privileged to coauthor an article Dr. Steven Vardy 2 • MCANULTY COLLEGE | PRAXIS WWW.DUQ.EDU/LIBERALARTS • 3 STUDENT